Browning Hi-Power Question

[Etta Place]

Does anybody know the last year that the Hi Power was completely manufactured in Belgium? I guess they're now assembled in Portugal. Would a Hi Power fully built in Belgium have more value?

[AZXD]

I king of found it for ya!!

Since the early 1980’s all FN pistols have been produced in Belgium and assembled in Portugal.

I couldn't find the actual year, but perhaps someone knows.

Are you looking to maybe buy one ???

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by AZXD

I king of found it for ya!!

I couldn't find the actual year, but perhaps someone knows.

Are you looking to maybe buy one ???

I made a visit to another of our local gun stores last week. This place had a lot of guns. I had called previously and they told me that they had a Hi Power there. So, I was particularly interested in seeing the Hi Power and I wanted to compare it to the Beretta 92FS. I also wanted to check out some 1911s and the Sig P229.

The Hi Power they had was a used one on consignment. The guy told me that the gun was older, that it had been manufactured in Belgium before they started assembling the guns in Portugal, and therefore had more collectible value. They were asking $750. The gun was in fantastic shape. But, looking at the new ones online, they seem glossy like they have the shiny blued finish. This one was a matte finish. For an all metal gun, it sure felt light in the hand. I felt like I could shoot it with one hand. It had the Made in Belgium inscription. The guy said he thought the gun was probably made in the 70s. It didn't look it.

I still like the Beretta too. They had a used Beretta that had been made in Italy.

I don't like the Sig that much and this guy was a big fan of HKs and I didn't like them either. I don't like the "modern" looking handguns as much as the sort of traditional-looking ones like the Hi Power and the Beretta.

[jnclement]

My local shop has a used "assembled in Portugal" for $550. I think a pure Belgian model would be worth a lot more.

[Brickboy240]

750 dollars seems a bit high for a Hi-Power, although the HP has never been what one would call an inexpensive pistol. CA seems to have overall high gun prices, so that might be the going rate in that state, I dont know.

All the "Assembled in Portugal" Hi-Powers I have seen seemed like very nice pieces and I doubt theres a huge quality difference between those and the 100% Belgian made guns. I equate the difference in Portugal and Belgian Hi-Powers to the agrument some make about Italian vesus Ameircan made 92/96 Berettas. I have not noticed a huge difference in my American made 96 Beretta and the "Made in Italy" stamp tends to bring a slightly higher price on the used market but thats about it.

The Hi-Power feels good in the hand, doesn't it? Slim and trim...it feels better than most alloy framed 9mms, if you ask me. Hold a Hi-Power and then hold a 92 Beretta, USP or most other hi-cap 9mms in the hand and they feel huge next to the Hi-Power..don't they? The only other hi-cap 9mm that feels as nice as the Hi-Power is the CZ-75, but the CZ-75's double action trigger and tendency for the sight roll pins to back out make the Hi-Power the best hi-cap 9mm in my opinion. I have owned scads of hi-cap 9mms, but currently have only one in my collection - a Belgian Hi-Power. To me, the original hi-cap 9mm is the best.

There is one major downfall of the Hi-Power that I have found. Besides the high price, it is probably the main trun-off many have about the Hi-Power but it is easily remedied. The magazine safety that comes on the Hi-Power makes the trigger pull attrocious. Its terrible....worse tham most d/a-s/a 9mms. However, if you have a smith remove the mag safety and smooth up the internals, the Hi-Power then has the best trigger you will EVER find on a hi-cap 9mm. Its almost 1911-ish. Short, crisp and light. I actually disliked my Hi-Power back before I had the mag safety removed and rarely shot it. Now...its the only hi-cap 9mm I plan on owning...ever.

There are other things said about the Hi-Power which I did not find to be true at all. First, some question its reliability. Well...mine has NEVER failed to function...ever. So much for that rumour. Others say they're not accurate. Well, I have found the Hi-Power to be the most accurate 9mm I have ever shot, period. So poo poo on that rumour as well. Others say they get "bitten" by the hammer again...I have never been bitten by my HP's hammer in the 8 years I have owned the thing.

As you can probably guess....I am a HUGE proponent o the Hi-Power pistol. Since it is probably the most issued military handgun ever built and the British SAS and FBI Hostage Rescue Team both used the HP for a long time...I guess I am not alone. For the life of me, I still don't see why the Hi-Power is not more popular in this country...I really think it is the best.

- Brickboy240

[nsnate02]

They are still made in Belgium by FN and then imported as Browning. There are also some FN branded still available, specifically by CDNN.

[Jim]

The FN made in Belgium or Portugal should sell for about the same price. A P-35 is still a P-35 and even the Portuguese models were simply assembled in Portugal.

They are just funning you.

[Brickboy240]

Military contract Hi-Powers were totally assembled in Belguim even after all commercial HP asembly was moved to Portugal.

My Hi-Power is an Isralei contract piece that was made in the early 90s and it reads "Fabrique Nationale Herstal Belguim" only on the slide. The only other markings on this pistol are "9mm NATO" on the barrel and the serial numbers. It wears checkered walnut grips, the small safety and a flat blued finish. These were used by Isralei State Security before they switched to the Glock 19. It also has a cast frame, which is actually harder than the old milled frames and specified by the Israleis because their IMI made 9mm ammo (loaded hotter for their issue Uzis) was beating their issue 92F Berettas alloy frames to death.

From what I researched, most military contract HPs were totall made in Belguim from the British commonwealth pistols to the Isralei pistols (like mine) and those made for many African nations.

- Brickboy240

[einheit 13]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

Military contract Hi-Powers were totally assembled in Belguim even after all commercial HP asembly was moved to Portugal.

My Hi-Power is an Isralei contract piece that was made in the early 90s and it reads "Fabrique Nationale Herstal Belguim" only on the slide. The only other markings on this pistol are "9mm NATO" on the barrel and the serial numbers. It wears checkered walnut grips, the small safety and a flat blued finish. These were used by Isralei State Security before they switched to the Glock 19. It also has a cast frame, which is actually harder than the old milled frames and specified by the Israleis because their IMI made 9mm ammo (loaded hotter for their issue Uzis) was beating their issue 92F Berettas alloy frames to death.

From what I researched, most military contract HPs were totall made in Belguim from the British commonwealth pistols to the Isralei pistols (like mine) and those made for many African nations.

- Brickboy240

yep, you got it. Even the Hungarian FEG P9 pistols shoot great, and you get a lot of gun for the money...even if it is a 'cheap' HP clone.

[Brickboy240]

Don't forget the Argentine FM Hi-Powers. The Argies are often overlooked, but are every bit as good as the Belgian guns.

The Argentines got license from FN to make the Hi-Power and had FN's help in setting up their production. They're very nice pistols that usually are more "no frills" than the Belgian guns and sell for less because some think that Argentine manufacture means lower quality than Belguim.

My cousin has an Argie military issue Hi-Power and I have an Argentine M1911 clone (an authorized Colt copy) and I can tell you that the Argentines made excellent Hi-Powers and M1911s.

- Brickboy240