Hope somebody out there can help me out. I posted my Hi Power in the EE last week under the impression that it's a clone of sorts. It's registered as a Browning, but the serial number seems odd. Just wondering if somebody can help me find out if it's the real deal or not. Thanks!
How to tell if my Hi Power is a clone or not...
- Thread starter racer111
- Start date
Steve David
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Oshawa, Ontario
That is a Belgian FN Hi-Power, same as a Browning but without the Browning markings it looks like. It is the real deal and it does not look to be an assembaled in Portugal model.
I had one of these and John @ Marstar swore it was a clone. That's how I sold it. I'm still not sure. It Fabrique National Herstal Belgique and underneath Browning Patent Depose or something like that.
Nice gun and very accurate
Nice gun and very accurate
Details are fuzzy, but IIRC; Arms dealer got a Hungarian (FEG?) company to build some clones years ago for a sale to a mid east country. Had him put on the fake stampings and all. Serial numbers do not line up to the FN serial number schema. Deal somehow fell through, so he flooded the NA market.
I am sure someone has better and more accurate info.
I am sure someone has better and more accurate info.
The serial number on my pistol starts with a B. Must be an FEG. I replaced the recoil spring on mine a few weeks ago, fits perfectly. Shoots like a brand new pistol now!
- Location
- Southeastern Michigan
The serial number on my pistol starts with a B. Must be an FEG. I replaced the recoil spring on mine a few weeks ago, fits perfectly. Shoots like a brand new pistol now!
+1
Regards,
Richard
A clone , to me is a gun that looks like another but has it's own manufacturers name on it. If a clone has someone else's name and markings on it, to me that is not a clone but a forgery. Could still be a good gun, but marking it as made by someone else is forgery. Find out all the history on this gun and company and when you decide to sell or are even talking about your new gun you can add the history and add a little mystery to where it was going and for what purpose.
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hi power
PLEASE READ THIS!!!:
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. It is based on ideas conceived and patented in 1922 by American firearms inventor John Browning, and later patented by Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, before he had finished developing a production version. The design was fully developed and realized by Belgian arms designer Dieudonne Saive, working at FN.
The Hi-Power pistol was named for its 13-round magazine capacity, which was almost twice that of contemporary designs such as the Luger or Mauser 1910. The Hi-Power had the first functional double-column magazine of 9 mm rounds, and was capable of holding 13 cartridges, with a 14th loaded in the chamber. Flush-fit 15 round magazines are now available, as well as higher capacity magazines which extend past the end of the butt.
The pistol is often referred to as an HP (for "Hi-Power" or "High-Power" [1]) or as a GP (for the French term, "Grande Puissance"). The term P-35 is also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935. Another common nickname is the "King of Nines." [2] It is most often called the "Hi-Power", even in Belgium. It is also known as the BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol), particularly in Irish service.
according to this information, your FN Browning Hi Power is THE Original...
Right?
PLEASE READ THIS!!!:
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. It is based on ideas conceived and patented in 1922 by American firearms inventor John Browning, and later patented by Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, before he had finished developing a production version. The design was fully developed and realized by Belgian arms designer Dieudonne Saive, working at FN.
The Hi-Power pistol was named for its 13-round magazine capacity, which was almost twice that of contemporary designs such as the Luger or Mauser 1910. The Hi-Power had the first functional double-column magazine of 9 mm rounds, and was capable of holding 13 cartridges, with a 14th loaded in the chamber. Flush-fit 15 round magazines are now available, as well as higher capacity magazines which extend past the end of the butt.
The pistol is often referred to as an HP (for "Hi-Power" or "High-Power" [1]) or as a GP (for the French term, "Grande Puissance"). The term P-35 is also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935. Another common nickname is the "King of Nines." [2] It is most often called the "Hi-Power", even in Belgium. It is also known as the BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol), particularly in Irish service.
according to this information, your FN Browning Hi Power is THE Original...
Right?
I owned one of these B-prefix serial numbered forgeries as well. They are FEG copies of the originals, albeit very high quality ones.
They guy I bought mine from had bought it new from Lebaron's in Mississauga thinking it was the real deal. They apparently sold a batch of these FEGs way back when without disclosing that they weren't authentic. I wonder if perhaps even they were fooled and didn't know better (I somehow doubt it though.)
They guy I bought mine from had bought it new from Lebaron's in Mississauga thinking it was the real deal. They apparently sold a batch of these FEGs way back when without disclosing that they weren't authentic. I wonder if perhaps even they were fooled and didn't know better (I somehow doubt it though.)
I don't assert that anyone would pay a premium, but if someone were collecting Hi-Powers, they might well be interested in including a known fake, or if someone was collecting copies, forgeries and fakes in general it would be of interest.
BEARMAN;
Your info is not correct....
Many years ago I purchased 28,000+ of these pistols, some were brought into Canada, a large number were sold to an importer in the US.
A lot were sold offshore.
Without going into too many details I can assure you these were made in the very same factory as the commercial Brownings of the day....
Before they were allowed into the US we had to submit samples to the BATF so they could conduct their own tests to make certain they were in fact the real thing....
There you have it....
John
Your info is not correct....
Many years ago I purchased 28,000+ of these pistols, some were brought into Canada, a large number were sold to an importer in the US.
A lot were sold offshore.
Without going into too many details I can assure you these were made in the very same factory as the commercial Brownings of the day....
Before they were allowed into the US we had to submit samples to the BATF so they could conduct their own tests to make certain they were in fact the real thing....
There you have it....
John
