9mm browning - The Firearms Forum

lang · 10-03-2009, 09:26 AM

im new to guns so bear with me. recently i was cleaning out my dads house and i found a browning 9mm, from what i can tell it has herstal belgigue on the slide, an MR on the trigger guard, a small eagle above the trigger and i think on the end of the barrel, rear adjustible sights, the inside of the handle is red for some reason and has a 5 digit number stamped on the barrel, slide, and above the trigger. if anyone can narrow this down it would be a great help. if it matters my dad was stationed in germany in the late 50's and early 60's.

TranterUK · 10-03-2009, 05:18 PM

Well its hard to be sure without some clear pictures, but for my money you may have a quite rare and valuable Browning Hi Power made in the early days of German occupation. You need to have a close look at those eagles and see if they have swastikas underneath.

Reason is the eagles suggest German occupation of the factory. The tangent rear sights were abandoned as soon as parts ran out, so if German it will be early. Original WW2 wood grips produced at the time had red paint on the inside.

Let me be clear, without good pictures I cant be sure, just a best guess.

lang · 10-03-2009, 07:36 PM

i never looked at it that close before but it DOES have a swastica under the eagle, what does this mean, is this good or bad?

lang · 10-03-2009, 07:38 PM

id just like to know some history on the gun if its rare. regaurdless if its worth 100.00 or a 1,000.00 id never sell it cause it was my dads.

Kieran McCaig · 10-03-2009, 07:41 PM

post some pics will ya

lang · 10-03-2009, 08:28 PM

im new to this so i dont know how to post pics, but i have a photobucket account. search: pontiacman_2007
theres a few pics of the gun there(ignore the car junk). the emblems are so small i cant get a good pic of it(too much glare with the flash)

Kieran McCaig · 10-03-2009, 08:31 PM

just click the go advanced and upload from your computer.

Ursus · 10-04-2009, 07:39 AM

Excuse me lang, but I saw your pictures and took the liberty to post them.
It is, indeed a Hi-Power. Real Nice!

Alpo · 10-04-2009, 09:33 AM

They could be sharper. Cell phone camera?

Lotsdragon · 10-04-2009, 11:06 AM

What a great find! Congrats!Dont sell it but dont be afraid of firing it, have it checked out by someone who knows what they are doing first. Have fun and be safe!

artabr · 10-04-2009, 12:48 PM

Great gun, Lang.

Sounds like an old WWII German military early issue Hi-Power. Hold on to this one.

Welcome to the forum.

Art

lang · 10-04-2009, 02:27 PM

thanks all for the help. i took those with a kodak digital last night ill see if my wife can take a better one(shes the picture taker)and see if she can get all the little markings on it.
i bought a magnifing glass today and it also has two small triangles on it and a 3/ on the end of the barrel
is this gun really that rare? is there any way to narrow it down to see who it was issued to?
but again thanks to all for your input.

millwright · 10-04-2009, 05:52 PM

Think of it this way......you've got a handgun used by both sides in the ETO. When the Germans captured Belgium they let F.N. Herstaal continue production, but had them roll engrave German markings on the product. Regardless, its still a product of the fertile mind of J.M. Browning.....And one hell of a good shooter to boot !! Hang on to it !! >MW

artabr · 10-04-2009, 08:12 PM

Lang, here's a pretty good article about the Browning /FN Hi-Power. Your gun is not really all that rare, over 300,000 Hi-Power pistols of all types were used by the Germans in WWII, but it is a sought after item by collectors and Hi-Power fans / nuts such as myself.
It's a great gun that, if mechanically sound, I would not be afraid to shoot.
I would not worry about decreasing its value by shooting it.
As a very very rough guess I'd place the value of your dads pistol at between $700 to $1500 dollars. I'm sure that you, like me, would place the value as priceless being that it was your pops pistol.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/featured_...ning_hi_power/

Art

TranterUK · 10-05-2009, 02:26 AM

If its of interest there were about 10,000 of this type, with the tangent sight made 1940/41. The Germans called them the Pistol 640(b). As soon as stocks ran out the Germans abandoned the adjustable sight and the magazine safety. Also the early ones had a straight serial number, digits only. Later ones went to series a and b. These have a number with a little letter at the end. The early ones were well finished, but the standard went down as the war progressed.

I cant give a value for the US, Arts seems fair, but they are very much desired by collectors worldwide ($2000.00+ not unusual for a good one).

artabr · 10-05-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TranterUK

If its of interest there were about 10,000 of this type, with the tangent sight made 1940/41. The Germans called them the Pistol 640(b). As soon as stocks ran out the Germans abandoned the adjustable sight and the magazine safety. Also the early ones had a straight serial number, digits only. Later ones went to series a and b. These have a number with a little letter at the end. The early ones were well finished, but the standard went down as the war progressed.

I cant give a value for the US, Arts seems fair, but they are very much desired by collectors worldwide ($2000.00+ not unusual for a good one).

Thanks Tranter, I'm glad that you replied. I spent a lot of time looking for the numbers of German tangent sight pistols only, but could only find a rough total of all variants combined.

Art

10-03-2009, 09:26 AM	#1
lang Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	9mm browning im new to guns so bear with me. recently i was cleaning out my dads house and i found a browning 9mm, from what i can tell it has herstal belgigue on the slide, an MR on the trigger guard, a small eagle above the trigger and i think on the end of the barrel, rear adjustible sights, the inside of the handle is red for some reason and has a 5 digit number stamped on the barrel, slide, and above the trigger. if anyone can narrow this down it would be a great help. if it matters my dad was stationed in germany in the late 50's and early 60's. -->

10-03-2009, 05:18 PM	#2
TranterUK Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 5,103	Re: 9mm browning Well its hard to be sure without some clear pictures, but for my money you may have a quite rare and valuable Browning Hi Power made in the early days of German occupation. You need to have a close look at those eagles and see if they have swastikas underneath. Reason is the eagles suggest German occupation of the factory. The tangent rear sights were abandoned as soon as parts ran out, so if German it will be early. Original WW2 wood grips produced at the time had red paint on the inside. Let me be clear, without good pictures I cant be sure, just a best guess. __________________ DVC - Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas - Accuracy, Power, Speed. The light at the end of the recession tunnel IS a train coming the other way!

10-03-2009, 07:36 PM	#3
lang Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	Re: 9mm browning i never looked at it that close before but it DOES have a swastica under the eagle, what does this mean, is this good or bad?

10-03-2009, 07:38 PM	#4
lang Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	Re: 9mm browning id just like to know some history on the gun if its rare. regaurdless if its worth 100.00 or a 1,000.00 id never sell it cause it was my dads.

10-03-2009, 07:41 PM	#5
Kieran McCaig Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: canada Posts: 1,469	Re: 9mm browning post some pics will ya __________________ My 2 cents worth is only.183 with exc hange.

10-03-2009, 08:28 PM	#6
lang Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	Re: 9mm browning im new to this so i dont know how to post pics, but i have a photobucket account. search: pontiacman_2007 theres a few pics of the gun there(ignore the car junk). the emblems are so small i cant get a good pic of it(too much glare with the flash)

10-03-2009, 08:31 PM	#7
Kieran McCaig Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: canada Posts: 1,469	Re: 9mm browning just click the go advanced and upload from your computer. __________________ My 2 cents worth is only.183 with exc hange.

10-04-2009, 07:39 AM	#8
Ursus Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: El Salvador, Central America. Posts: 1,030	Re: 9mm browning Excuse me lang, but I saw your pictures and took the liberty to post them. It is, indeed a Hi-Power. Real Nice! Attached Images __________________ SI VIS PACEM, PARABELLUM.

10-04-2009, 09:33 AM	#9
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,662	Re: 9mm browning They could be sharper. Cell phone camera? __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

10-04-2009, 11:06 AM	#10
Lotsdragon Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Potosi, Mo Posts: 813	Re: 9mm browning What a great find! Congrats!Dont sell it but dont be afraid of firing it, have it checked out by someone who knows what they are doing first. Have fun and be safe! __________________ "First comes smiles,then lies.Last is gunfire" Roland Deschain

10-04-2009, 12:48 PM	#11
artabr Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Iberia, Louisiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: 9mm browning Great gun, Lang. Sounds like an old WWII German military early issue Hi-Power. Hold on to this one. Welcome to the forum. Art __________________ God and the soldier we like adore, In times of trouble, not before. When troubles ended and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier is slighted. Francis Quarles 1592 - 1644 __________________ When asked for my race, I answer CauCajun. Hope is not a plan, and not all change is good. The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST! These hands are neither cold nor are they dead!!

10-04-2009, 02:27 PM	#12
lang Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	Re: 9mm browning thanks all for the help. i took those with a kodak digital last night ill see if my wife can take a better one(shes the picture taker)and see if she can get all the little markings on it. i bought a magnifing glass today and it also has two small triangles on it and a 3/ on the end of the barrel is this gun really that rare? is there any way to narrow it down to see who it was issued to? but again thanks to all for your input.

10-04-2009, 05:52 PM	#13
millwright Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,440	Re: 9mm browning Think of it this way......you've got a handgun used by both sides in the ETO. When the Germans captured Belgium they let F.N. Herstaal continue production, but had them roll engrave German markings on the product. Regardless, its still a product of the fertile mind of J.M. Browning.....And one hell of a good shooter to boot !! Hang on to it !! >MW

10-04-2009, 08:12 PM	#14
artabr Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Iberia, Louisiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: 9mm browning Lang, here's a pretty good article about the Browning /FN Hi-Power. Your gun is not really all that rare, over 300,000 Hi-Power pistols of all types were used by the Germans in WWII, but it is a sought after item by collectors and Hi-Power fans / nuts such as myself. It's a great gun that, if mechanically sound, I would not be afraid to shoot. I would not worry about decreasing its value by shooting it. As a very very rough guess I'd place the value of your dads pistol at between $700 to $1500 dollars. I'm sure that you, like me, would place the value as priceless being that it was your pops pistol. http://www.handgunsmag.com/featured_...ning_hi_power/ Art __________________ God and the soldier we like adore, In times of trouble, not before. When troubles ended and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier is slighted. Francis Quarles 1592 - 1644 __________________ When asked for my race, I answer CauCajun. Hope is not a plan, and not all change is good. The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST! These hands are neither cold nor are they dead!! Last edited by artabr; 10-04-2009 at 08:22 PM..

10-05-2009, 02:26 AM	#15
TranterUK Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 5,103	Re: 9mm browning If its of interest there were about 10,000 of this type, with the tangent sight made 1940/41. The Germans called them the Pistol 640(b). As soon as stocks ran out the Germans abandoned the adjustable sight and the magazine safety. Also the early ones had a straight serial number, digits only. Later ones went to series a and b. These have a number with a little letter at the end. The early ones were well finished, but the standard went down as the war progressed. I cant give a value for the US, Arts seems fair, but they are very much desired by collectors worldwide ($2000.00+ not unusual for a good one). __________________ DVC - Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas - Accuracy, Power, Speed. The light at the end of the recession tunnel IS a train coming the other way! Last edited by TranterUK; 10-05-2009 at 03:08 AM..