New HiPower, but was dealer fair?

N

Numbers

New member
I bought my third (yeah, I like 'em) HiPower today. A 9mm HiPower Standard with adjustable sights. Didn't really want adjustable sights, but that's all he had. (This will probably be my wife's pistol; her first pistol purchase was a HiPower, but for reasons unknown, it migrated to me, and I fell in love with it.)

I wonder if the dealer was playing fair, though. The two magazines with the pistol were ten rounders, not the thirteen rounders I for which I had hoped. The pistol's serial number indicates this pistol was manufactured in 1990 and it was not in the plastic HiPower box that's been used since at least 1992. This pistol was in a Styrofoam case that was contained in a Browning box. The cardboard box was the original box; the serial number matched that of the pistol.

I realize that the date of manufacture does not necessarily mean the date of importation to the U.S. nor the amount of time it may have been in the distribution channel, but I kinda think the ten rounders were used to replace the thirteen rounders which the dealer (or maybe a distributer?) had removed.

These pistols are getting harder and harder to come by, and I wanted another HiPower before they became more difficult to find and more expensive. The price was okay, $572 before tax.

Believe me, this post is not to complain, but just see what you guys think.

Joe
 
Assuming it was NIB, someone along the line swapped the standard cap mags for 10 rounders. This is especially apparent if the mags you received do NOT have the little mousetrap ejection spring at the bottom.
 
Hello, Numbers. One cannot have too many HPs in my view! While not a steal at all, YOU are the one to decide if the trade was a good one. As you note, these fine pistols could get more and more difficult to obtain. In the big scheme of things, your expenditure is not great if you look at keeping the pistol from now on and the pleasure, contentment, pride of ownership, protective qualities, etc that your money got you! You can make more money, but you may not find another HP at that price or in the condition you mention. Best.
 
Disappointing, but someone along the line grabbed the 13 rounders, not necessarily the dealer.

Back several years ago, dealers/distribtors were opening boxes sent with 2 hicaps and removing the second mag then selling the pistol with only one, and offering to sell you a new preban highcap at postban markup.

Dont forget that for about 26 bucks you can get 17 rounders!
 
Hello. As of last week, CDNN was selling pre-ban South African 17 rnd magazines for the HP for $19.95 a pop, a close-out special.
I've bought 6 after trying 2. CDNN can be reached on line at www.cdnninvestments.com and their service is prompt. Best.
 
IMHP, $575 is a bit pricey, but hi-powers are worth it. As for the hi-cap mags, yep, someone swipped them. But then again, you did get two. According to the Browning web site, they only ship one mag with the hi-powers. Go to www.fnhighpower.com and search the forum for places to get factory and mec-car and South African hi-cap mags at great prices. Enjoy.
 
Many gun dealers have been grabbing mag #2 out of boxes for about 4 years now. One guy I know of had thousands of them, knowing that someday they would be a premium item.

Not at all an uncommon practice. Loathesome, but not uncommon.
 
"This is especially apparent if the mags you received do NOT have the little mousetrap ejection spring at the bottom."

Only .40 mags have the springs at the base.

You did pay quite a bit. At the last show I saw a NIB Belgian made and assembled HP with two prebans for $550. Price isn't the most important thing, if you like it and are happy, then don't worry about the mags or how much you paid.

------------------
"Get yourself a Lorcin and lose that nickel plated sissy pistol."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tecolote:
Only .40 mags have the springs at the base.[/quote]

Not so, I have a 9x19 with these funny mags.
 
The deal you got makes me feel better. I thought I may have been taken when I bought a Mark III last March, that looked like it had never been shot, for $500 out the door. I am not sure how much the adjustable sight increases the price .

I also have a question about the South African 17rnd mag. Does it extend below the grip? and how much?
 
I'll field that one:

The 17 rnd SA mags DO extend below the grip by about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. It is mildly annoying, but the ones I have are designed with no real sharp edges or anything to catch on clothing, and darned if those extra 4 rounds (or extra 7, depending on your POV) aren't nice.

I just field tested one and it worked fine for about 400 rounds without a hiccup.

Mike

------------------
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
I purchased two brand new Browning 10rnd magazines last week for my Browning Hi-Power (9mm). These magazines were in genuine Browning boxes, and both had the little 'mousetrap' spring on the bottom...the mags were made in Italy, BTW.
We can't buy the 13rnd mags here in Canada, they're now illegal :(
 
I was at a good gunshow in Puyallup, WA last saturday, and there were plenty of Browning 13rnd magazines for sale (new) for between $12.50 and $25, depending on the table.
The Mec-Gar magazines for the Browning HP are supposedly made by the same maker in Italy?

[This message has been edited by Mike Davies (edited August 19, 2000).]
 
Forgive my error over the spring 9mm mags. I've never seen one. All the NIB HPs sold in my neck of the woods have the traditional no spring mags, and these are new postban mags.

------------------
"Get yourself a Lorcin and lose that nickel plated sissy pistol."
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I've got lots of the 17 round and the 13 round magazines, but who knows, can one ever have too many? I was just interested in any other members' experiences with the "high cap mag swap."

I'm feeling a little better than just okay with the price, too. This was not a MarkIII, but a Standard, which Browning prices at $38.00 more than the MarkIII model. For the adjustable sights, Browning tacks on another $55.00.

I know Ray HP only paid $500.00 for his used MarkIII, but mine was a new Standard model with an incremental additional price totaling $93.00. So if you start with Ray's $500.00 and add the additional costs for a Standard model ($38.00) and adjustable sights ($55.00), the pistol would have been almost $600.00. Admittedly, I had to pay sales tax of $44.00, which brought my total to $616.00. But mine is NIB.

Used to be, around here (San Antonio, TX) when there was a NEW MarkIII to be had, the price was about $550. I certainly hope Browning/FN decides to turn the tap back one and give us just one crack at a NIB HiPower.

Joe

[This message has been edited by Numbers (edited August 20, 2000).]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top