Love those Brownings

Nature Boy said:

That’s a fantastic time capsule @welldoya

Anecdotal story. My dad did the same thing and bought a new Hi Power back in the early 60’s and left it in a pristine unfired condition. 20 years later we had our house broken into and it was stolen.

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welldoya said:

I bought two in the mid ‘80s, the last year they were made and assembled In Belgium.
I shot one and kept the other just as it came from the factory.
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Just a tid bit of info on that very nice BHP it was not marked assembled in Portugal but it was. FN started assembling BHPs in Portugal shortly after building the factory in Viana in 1973.

The 1980 cutoff date comes from Vanderlinden's book on Brownings but it really only reflects a guesstimate. Lots of dates have been suggested everything from 1971 to 1980. I would believe that all BHPs were assembled in Portugal by 1980 but this is just an educated guess.

We know that FN was shipping parts to Portugal as early as 1971 and that they were assembling commercial sporting arms there shortly after. The assembled in Portugal rollmarks appeared in 1987 IIRC. Even until the time when the BHP was discontinued FN rollmarkked gun never stated they were assembled in Portugal yet they were made on the same lines as the Browning rollmarked guns. The myth of the assembled in Portugal overall mark is entirely different topic which could take an entire thread of its own.

None of this takes anything away from that fine pistol enjoy it. If it was me I’d shoot it.

The second gun I ever bought (I just got into guns this year). I need to get it refinished eventually and put some wood checkered grips on it but it is AWESOME. It's a MK III made in 1991. Fits my hands perfectly, love the fixed three dot sights, and it came used with no mag disconnect, three mags and a hard case all for under $1000. Very flat shooting and accurate, it is so far the best 9mm I've ever shot.

Here's the one that I started with. Started shooting this one when I was 10.
The finish is rough, the sights aren't great, the wood is worn, the safety lever is too small, and it's only happy with FMJ... but the feel and handling of this beauty sets the bar by which I measure all others.
My favorite, by far.

Ugliest Hi-Power ever:

rs525 said:

The second gun I ever bought (I just got into guns this year). I need to get it refinished eventually and put some wood checkered grips on it but it is AWESOME. It's a MK III made in 1991. Fits my hands perfectly, love the fixed three dot sights, and it came used with no mag disconnect, three mags and a hard case all for under $1000. Very flat shooting and accurate, it is so far the best 9mm I've ever shot. View attachment 1046803 View attachment 1046804

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I have a cousin to your pistol, also a 1991 MkIII

Classic Belgian-made commercial Hi Power...

1961 Buenos Aires police pistol. Obviously re-finished.

T series

1988 version