Been thinking about acquiring a Browning Hi-Power, 9mm. Opinions on this handgun? What would a new condition in box, FN, 80's vintage Belgium license version be worth? Could anybody date a S.N. #295567?
Turns out it is an Argentine MFG under Belgium License "FM Hi-Power", Browning stamped on side.

Thanks

Look at CDNN Sports for a good price on a BHP. They are great pistols, but the trigger will need some work.

A BHP 40 was my first pistol. I bought before I knew anything about pistols in general. I just knew it was a good gun at a good price.

Mine is bone stock. I questioned the trigger at first but now I am good with it.

I now own a Glock 23, Beretta 92fs, Star Ultra Star 9mm, Colt 45 Gold Cup and I just bought a Woodsman.

Although the BHP is my daily carry and night stand gun, I really like the Gold Cup and now understand why people are nuts over their Colts. I can see me migrating to a smaller Colt for daily carry.

Sorry I cant directly answer your questions and I have probably made the decision more difficult. I have learned that's the way guns are. I guess that is why we all seem to have so many!

Cruiser

Does it have the scalloped slide like the Browning, or is the slide flat from fore to aft?

My experience with the older version FM, is very positive. I've had one for nigh onto 10 years. It doesn't get fired much as I have too many guns to keep them all fed regularly. But I've done a little work on it and it's as good as any MILspec Browning I've used.

The newer versions have some "reputation" whether deserved or not, for having some parts a little softer than others. My best friend's FM, newer version with the flat slide, had the cross bar break in two. The fix would be about 200 at Cylinder and slide.

Dan

Looks like this:

What's FM?

PS You will find you'll want to replace that thumb safety to something more positive if you plan to carry it cocked and locked. It's got the old fashioned style thumb safety, which not nearly positive enough.

FM is Fabrica Militar - Industria Argentina. They produced a licensed copy of the FN Hi-Power.

Oh. Do they make the parts, or import them from Belgium?

They're made in Argentina.

All parts? Interesting.

Yes, all parts.

The FM pistols are neat, as nice as any copy. they lack the deep blue of the brownings, I will leave it to the experts to decide if it is better made than the Belgian guns. We sold both a-plenty in the shop back in the day and enver had a complaint from either.

They did for a time make a 'Detective' model that had a tad shorter barre/slide

The FM�s are pretty decent guns. FM never switched to the post-1980 style feed ramp, so feeding of JHP�s can be spotty. This can be solved by either having someone re-cut the feed ramp, or just buy an inexpensive drop in replacement barrel.

Since the FEG�s all come with post-1980 barrels, I tend to think they are the best of the Clone Hi Powers; and they can typically be found rather cheap. The FEG Hi Power is one hell of a good deal in the realm of defensive pistols.

Back in about 2005-2006 I did a review of the latest crop of Argentine FM Hi Powers for American Handgunner; the FM�s with the flat sided slide. Those still had the older style �humpback� feed ramps, but I noticed that the hump was much lower. I was surprised to find them 100% reliable with any load I tried, and didn�t care even if you mixed and matched your JHPs; just gobbled them all up.

Here's mine. I stippled the front and back straps, the rear of the slide, tightened the frame to slide fit and parkerized it.

The Charles Daly HP version of the BHP is also a reliable and affordable pistol. All the work that mine needed was the trigger disconnect removed to improve the trigger pull. It was 100% good at that point!