(PICS UP) The value of a Browning High Power 9mm made by John Inglis????

countryboy519

countryboy519

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Grey County, Ontario, just outside the town of Dun
I have a close family friend who has a Browning High Power 9mm made by John Inglis that is complete/excellent shape with the wooden holster/stock, 3 clips, the factory transit case it came in, rear ramp sight with the 50-500 y/m sights & all #'s matching. It is a 1944 production and is in the 42,000 series for the S.N.
He is considering selling it (possibly to myself).

However, I have no idea as to a fair market value for this piece of Canadian History.

Any input or pointers as to where I could find a fair market value would be helpful.

Thanks for any replies.
 
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Try the 1911forum.com. There is a sub forum for Hi-Powers.

Based on your description, it could be an expensive purchase.

You could also contact Switzer Auctions.
 
Pictures would be nice. The Inglis series BHP's have a unique serial number sequence. What are the first three digits? The BHP like most autos and the 1911 take/use magazines to feed cartridges. So called "clips" are mostly used only once.
Factory transit case? What's that look like? Can you describe the sights better too? Are they both fixed, is the rear a tangent or ladder type sight? Questions.....
 
The last one I saw with stock went for $1200. That one looks blued, normally these would be parked - is there Chinese writing on it, there should be - if not more research would be required to determine why/when/where/what and possibly who.
 
Hey guys, this one has Canadian proofs and inspection marks & it has never been refinished (the bluing is the way it came out of the box) & the wood box seems to be factory as the S.N. is stamped into the box with the same style & size of script as the pistol is. The original owner was my family friends father who had it since his time in the Canadian Military during WW2.

Thanks again for all the input :)
 
countryboy519 said:
Hey guys, this one has Canadian proofs and inspection marks & it has never been refinished (the bluing is the way it came out of the box) & the wood box seems to be factory as the S.N. is stamped into the box with the same style & size of script as the pistol is. The original owner was my family friends father who had it since his time in the Canadian Military during WW2.

Thanks again for all the input :)
Click to expand...


That's a very unusual HP - the stocked pistols were supposed to be built for the Chinese - then there was an overlap where the pistol had a groove for a stock, but not the sights, then there was the current issue CF gun with no groove. All were supposed to be parkerized. Very interesting. Was the original owner a senior officer or a procurement officer?
 
If the case is original, i doubt the stock was original with the pistol, or they'd have been cased together. Finish and grips are unusual as well....some unit's disappeared out of inglis in lunchpails, I wonder if this was one of those? Have a friend who has an inglis that was completely "in the white", it had never been finished ....
 
Do the serial numbers on the frame, barrel and slide match? Are they blued, or do they appear whitish/greyish? If they do match, do they start with CH? As others have said, it is unusual looking for an Inglis gun, the grips on an Inglis are black plastic, not wood, and the finish is parkerized which is greyish green, not blued. The box has a 50's homemade look to it, not something that was army issue. It definitely isn't the usual looking Inglis BHP.
 
Don't think it is a John Inglis made Browning. Serial number is wrong for a war produced Inglis. Canadian ones were like this 1T1234 and Chinese ones were 1CH1234. Look on the slide and see if is has the correct labeling for an Inglis.
 
Hey, Thanks again for the input guys.
The pistols #'s all match & the stock is also #'s matching the pistol, stamped right into the hinge for the lid of the holster/buttstock. The way it fits the pistol & the wear on both the pistol & the holster would suggest they've been together from the start.
Even the little case has the same S.N. stamped into it
(& it looks like machine stamping).

The pistol is stamped;
FABRIQUE NATIONAL, BROWNING, HERSTAL BELGIQUE, Pat. John Inglis, BROWNING HIGH POWER 9mm, SA LTD 1944
& the S.N. # is 42,8XX so pretty low on the manufacturing ladder too. And that's the whole S.N. there are no letters anywhere near the S.N.

The finish is blued, with no signs of re-finishing ( a couple light scratches through the bluing show bare metal, so no sign of parkerizing either ). The S.N etc. are all dark in colour & to the best of my friends memory, the pistol is said to have had the wooden grips from day 1 & they do look like they belong to it by the wear & fit of them.
If any of that helps.
As to the fella who owned it from the start, I'm not sure what his rank was, I'll have to look into that more. It may be an odd ball or one that just "walked of thhe assem line, this is going to take a bit of research but I think I'm going to make my buddy an offer either way since this thing is pretty sweet.
Thanks again for the input. :)
 
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If the slide says John Inglis, that is where it was made.
I think the gun is made up. Where and when I can't say. Serial is wrong for a standard Chinese contract, and is unlike the serials of the special guns made up at Inglis. Grips look to be standard commercial.
 
countryboy519 said:
The S.N etc. are all dark in colour
Click to expand...

Very unusual. The Inglis guns were parkerized, and then had the serial numbers engraved ( not stamped) so the numbers appear whiteish against the dark metal. Serial numbers the same colour as the rest of the gun as usually a giveaway that the gun has been refinished.

Similarly, the engraving is not standard, it would normialy be what was shown on the pic upthread, no mention of Fabrique National. It just says Inglis, Canada. Also the serial number doesn't fall into any documented ranges. You clearly have an unusual gun! Pick up a copy of Clive law's Inglis Diamond, it's a very good reference about the Inglis pistols.
 
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