1938 "Mexican" Browning High-Power Turned in at LA "buyback" in May, 2014

Gun Watch ^ | 7 July, 2015 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

This "Mexican" Browning High-Power was one of many fine /firearms turned in at the Los Angeles gun "buy back" in May of 2014.  It stands out because of the custom grips, which appear to be mother of pearl, inlaid with Mexican emblems and framed in silver.

The pistol has the slide at the full rear position, yet the barrel is only showing about 5/8ths of an inch in front.  It should show about 1 3/8ths.   Look at the other side.

The barrel is extending half way back above the magazine!  It should not be in that position. Someone disassembled the pistol, then did not put it back together properly.   Did they think it was broken?  Is that is why they turned it in for $100?  This sort of configuration can easily happen if the pistol is assembled without the recoil spring.  The grips alone are worth a $100 to a person who likes that sort of art.  Quite a bit of labor was expended in making those grips.  The serial number shows as 10109.  The serial number does not seem to fit the serial number scheme for the Inglis pistol given here.   A look at the markings on the left of the slide shows a blurry "Herstal Belgium" I wonder if anyone checked to see if it was reported stolen. 

The slot for a shoulder stock and the long range adjustable rear sight show the pistol as most likely made before WWII.   According to this site, the pistol was made about 1938.  Here is a right side view of a tangent sighted version:

And a left side view of a Candian version made by Inglis:

The tangent sighted variants made in Belgium are not as common as the fixed sight version.  While the pistol that was turned in has been abused, it would still be worth several hundred dollars.   I wonder if the pistol came to Mexico with a German fleeing from the end of WWII.

It is a shame to see these valuable bits of history melted down for scrap.  Several states have passed laws to prevent tax dollars being used to support such waste.   California is not one of them.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[atc23]

How much you wanna bet that pistol is in some cop’s private stash right now? Nobody’s going to melt that beauty down

[atc23]

WORD - Like I care what it costs . . .

[CrazyIvan]

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.”

[DanielRedfoot]

Thats right.

It will be kept by the corrupt cops or other of the “ That law docent apply to us..” community

[yarddog]

I have owned several Browning Hi-Powers. My first good quality gun was a Browning I bought in 1969. The finish was absolutely gorgeous tho I wish FN had kept the internal extractor.

I wish I had kept it along with an Inglis which I have read is considered one of the best despite a mediocre external finish.

I still have two Argentine Brownings and functionally they appear to be the full equal of the Belgian made ones. I only paid $189 for one of them brand new. I replaced the Argentine made rubber grips with Hogue rubber grips and they feel just about perfect in my hand.

I don’t think their accuracy is intrinsically any better than most others but I have always been able to hit with them.

[__rvx86]

I don’t know...after all, pearl and mother-of-pearl are rather cheap in Mexico; my mother (pbuh) used to buy face cream from a shop that imported Mexican goods...and we’re decidedly working-class, thanks to Obama...

[Osage Orange]

Yeah....I gave it to the Assistant Chief of Police....Anaheim, California.

It was my father's..and they were friends.

It was a sweet little pistol.....

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks Mark!
PING to a few friends.

[tumblindice]

I’ve got a `65 Belgian HiPower. It is accurate and soft shooting. Only thing I don’t like about it is the magazine disconnector—it won’t fire w/o the mag in place. I can stick my middle finger in it, heh, and press the pin that allows the hammer to drop under my thumb.
I was able to take out a small plastic piece in my Ruger SR9 and solved that problem.
I suppose the Belgian, forget his name, that finished up Browning’s pistol was afraid a noob would forget about a round in the chamber and thinking the dropped mag made it safe, shoot himself.
I aye aye.....
Some gun writer recently wrote (`Guns’?) that the Browning P-35 will handle hollowpoints. I don’t believe it. Or maybe because it’s a military pistol all I’ve shot through it has been FMJ.

[tumblindice]

PS Looking at the Mexican pimp-job is real eye hurt, isn’t it?

[mylife]

Hi dere Night Owl.
I was just about to hit the feathers.

Sun comes up awful early on my tired old eyes.

[tumblindice]

FYI below and I’ll leave you alone.
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=290489

Compact Browning Hipower?

“There is a production version, made in Argentina by FM, called the Detective. It has a slide and barrel that is about 1” shorter than a normal HP.
Sometimes you’ll see one for sale on GB, etc. - either as complete pistol - or as a kit - which is the top half designed to slide onto a standard HP frame as a conversion.

Austin Behlert used to make shorty HPs years ago, and as you discovered, C&S still does.

Although there reportedly haven’t been any Detectives imported recently, you will still see them for sale from time to time, should you want one.”

[mylife]

I am a collector and I wish I had grabbed the Mexican Obregon while they were available

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obreg%C3%B3n_pistol

http://www.gunsandammo.com/handguns/1911s/the-best-45-auto-the-obregon-auto-pistol/

[MS.BEHAVIN]

I hear ya!
Will catch up with you tomorrow evening!

[smokingfrog]

Looks like a Mexican drug dealer’s gun.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

LOL
Sorry!
I thought you would like it!

[smokingfrog]

The gun is cool but not the pimped-out grips.

[xone]

At least some good came from it.

[TexasTransplant]

**** “Cops got the best dope and guns” ****

Yet their Chalk sidewalk Art still sucks

TT

[wastoute]

Can you afford to feed it?