FN Browning Hi Power info

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psychohellbilly666

New member
Are there any hi power gurus or experts that can shed some light on one I recently obtained. I’ve gathered it’s a mk2 surplus from 1985. No import marks however. Any corrections or additional info. Original finish?
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Looks like a typical contract Mark II that appears to be in very good condition.

The photos are a bit underexposed, so it’s hard to tell if the finish is original, but it looks to be in remarkable condition. The original enamel finish doesn’t hold up that well.
 
Fishbed77 said:
Looks like a typical contract Mark II that appears to be in very good condition.

The photos are a bit underexposed, so it’s hard to tell if the finish is original, but it looks to be in remarkable condition. The original enamel finish doesn’t hold up that well.
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Any idea why no import marks. I’ve checked mag well, barrel, trigger guard, dust cover and inside of frame.


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Some importers will wisely mark them in obscure locations such as under the grips or side of the barrel.

Alternatively, a re-finish may have obliterated the import marks.

Could this pistol have been re-parked? The finish looks a bit lighter than normal, though again, it’s hard to tell in the photos.
 
Fishbed77 Looks like a typical contract Mark II that appears to be in very good condition.

The photos are a bit underexposed, so it’s hard to tell if the finish is original, but it looks to be in remarkable condition. The original enamel finish doesn’t hold up that well.
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I have four MkII's and none have an enameled finish, all being parkerized.
They range from black, grey, light gray green.
 
It looks like an ex-Israeli police, the circle with the Hebrew letter "Mem" and the lanyard ring are the clues. Not sure why the importation markings are not visible.
 
Have an Israli surplus from a batch in the 90's and the import mark was barely visible on right side of upper frame. They came with what was reported as an epoxy finish over parkerizing. The epoxy was reportedly very difficult to get off. The finish's were pretty beat up, reportedly they were just piled up into a box for storage.

Am not an exspurt by any means, but your pistol looks refinished, and possibly bead blasted before being parkerized. Even bead blasting would have removed the faint import stamp.
 
You have a nice MK II. I had a late, 1988, MK II, but mine had what appeared to be a parkerized type finish. Mine had the firing pin safety like the MK IIIs, but your '85 gun may not have the FPS. In any case, the MK IIs are excellent, reliable, forged frame Hi Powers.
 
Alternatively, a re-finish may have obliterated the import marks.
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Yep and the rib on the slide marks that part at least as a Mkll. P-35HP's comment that there is an Israeli stamp would seem to lock in its ancestry. Their good guns, those Hi Powers, and arguably have the best grip length, angle and feel of any automatic ever produced. YMMv Rod (I have two: a Practical in 9mm, and a Standard in .40 S&W, and carried one for about 9 months of my first tour in Vietnam.)

try looking @ www.hipwersandhandguns.com by late Steve Camp.
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Great information here too...probably the best source for good, practical info on the old gun by a guy who's the recognized expert on it.
 
dogtown tom: said:
...I have four MkII's and none have an enameled finish, all being parkerized.
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My own MkII is parkerized. I thought some of the MkIII models had enamel finishes, but I wasn’t aware that there were MkII’s also finished this way.
 
Definitely Israeli police turnin, I have one similarly marked with a blue finish, also marked with a star also blued. Neither of my pistols are import marked.
 
I've always had a yearning for the FN High Power, but absolutely cannot stand epoxy finishes. Blue, matte SS or Parkerized are what I lean to.

Does anyone here know which High Power was made with an original parkerized finish, the where and when?
 
FunGramps I've always had a yearning for the FN High Power, but absolutely cannot stand epoxy finishes. Blue, matte SS or Parkerized are what I lean to.

Does anyone here know which High Power was made with an original parkerized finish, the where and when?
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The first commercial Hi Powers to have a factory parkerized finish was the MkII. It was a model intended to be specifically marketed to police and military. The metal finish was purposely less attractive because FN wanted to compete with the competition on price. Finely polished metal before bluing costs $.

Since it didn't have the polished blue of the commercial models it wasn't a booming success, even to police and military. It also appeared at about the same time as Glock (early '80's).....whose sales far eclipsed the HP and other steel/aluminum framed pistols and virtually killed off revolvers in law enforcement.

No FN/Browning Hi Power has ever been available in stainless steel. You may find the occasional MkII in epoxy finish, but none in polished blue.

The FN epoxy finish is pretty darn good btw.
 
dogtown tom said:
The first commercial Hi Powers to have a factory parkerized finish was the MkII. It was a model intended to be specifically marketed to police and military. The metal finish was purposely less attractive because FN wanted to compete with the competition on price. Finely polished metal before bluing costs $.

Since it didn't have the polished blue of the commercial models it wasn't a booming success, even to police and military. It also appeared at about the same time as Glock (early '80's).....whose sales far eclipsed the HP and other steel/aluminum framed pistols and virtually killed off revolvers in law enforcement.

No FN/Browning Hi Power has ever been available in stainless steel. You may find the occasional MkII in epoxy finish, but none in polished blue.

The FN epoxy finish is pretty darn good btw.
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Thanks for the tutorial! Now I know what to seek.
BTW, your transfers fee is very generous!
$45. to $75. is the going rate here. Plus our state questionnaire fees.
 
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