Pawn Shop Circuit: Hi Power
I went to visit Neil after work today. He was reading over the classifieds and gnawing on his unit cigar as I walked in. He raised an eyebrow and inquired "Where you been? I tried to save one for ya........'
"Really? What?"
"A Colt pistol, in nine millimeter," replied Neil.
Dadgummit........."Did it look like the last one I bought?"
"No, it was better, a double action," replied Neil. "That's Ok though, I still have this one."
Neil removed a Browning Hi Power from his case to show me. I know next to nothing about the Hi Power, except that some of the guys in my Navy days preferred it, and it is an old, reliable, double stacked single action 9mm handgun.
The Browning that Neil was trying to liquidate had a Pachmayr wrap around grip and a couple of magazines. It was a glossy blue, a nice pistol. I could not tell if it had been refinished, not knowing the level of polish the Browning metal should have beneath the bluing. The fittment of the pistol was excellent, and the bore looked good.
Other than the 1911, the Browning Hi Power is perhaps the most duplicated pistol design in the world. A few years back, surplus Hi Powers from Portugal were selling for $350 to $399 through importers. I could not bring myself to order one then. I always thought if I ever purchased one, it would be a Belgian Browning, in 9mm, not 40. This one was Belgian, but I still knew nothing about the pistol. I was unable to assess whether the deal was good or not. Neil wanted $550 for the pistol. He said he would take $500 when I handed it back to him. He rarely changed the price that easily on a gun I looked at. I let it go. I really do not need to open another gun accumulation door, and that is likely what I would be doing by buying the Hi Power. I decided to hold my money for another 1911 or maybe a Smith & Wesson or a .22 pistol. I wonder if I made a mistake........I'll see what Kenny has tomorrow.
What to Look for if Buying a Used Hi Power by Stephen Camp
"Really? What?"
"A Colt pistol, in nine millimeter," replied Neil.
Dadgummit........."Did it look like the last one I bought?"
"No, it was better, a double action," replied Neil. "That's Ok though, I still have this one."
Neil removed a Browning Hi Power from his case to show me. I know next to nothing about the Hi Power, except that some of the guys in my Navy days preferred it, and it is an old, reliable, double stacked single action 9mm handgun. The Browning that Neil was trying to liquidate had a Pachmayr wrap around grip and a couple of magazines. It was a glossy blue, a nice pistol. I could not tell if it had been refinished, not knowing the level of polish the Browning metal should have beneath the bluing. The fittment of the pistol was excellent, and the bore looked good.
Other than the 1911, the Browning Hi Power is perhaps the most duplicated pistol design in the world. A few years back, surplus Hi Powers from Portugal were selling for $350 to $399 through importers. I could not bring myself to order one then. I always thought if I ever purchased one, it would be a Belgian Browning, in 9mm, not 40. This one was Belgian, but I still knew nothing about the pistol. I was unable to assess whether the deal was good or not. Neil wanted $550 for the pistol. He said he would take $500 when I handed it back to him. He rarely changed the price that easily on a gun I looked at. I let it go. I really do not need to open another gun accumulation door, and that is likely what I would be doing by buying the Hi Power. I decided to hold my money for another 1911 or maybe a Smith & Wesson or a .22 pistol. I wonder if I made a mistake........I'll see what Kenny has tomorrow.
What to Look for if Buying a Used Hi Power by Stephen Camp
Labels: Pawn Shop Circuit
posted by Xavier at 8:30 PM
5 Comments:
Around here $550 for a used High Power made by FN is a good deal. You can do your own trigger job and you'll have a sweet shooter.
Just say to yourself, "The master's last masterpiece."
Hard to tell without more detail, but it's probably a $450 pistol.
That value could vary widely depending on production date, serial range etc...
I know you know, but just for reference, the HP isn't double action...
Looks like a fair to middlin' good deal to me, Xav. A long-time HP owner, I found it very easy to shoot accurately, a comfortable carry piece, and (for a while I offered free instruction to Navy nurses and others) the strong favorite flavor of auto handgun among the ladies.
For info : Browning FN did make a double action version of the HP , and a fine piece it is . It was my favourite 9mm. of them all in the days when I carried a pistol seriously .$500 sounds a fair price for a top grade pistol .
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