[Amanda4461]

Hi folks,
I just crossed over into the HiPower zone from Les Baer, no less. Recent purchase is a blued "Made in Belgium, Assembled in Portugal" 9mm.
Serial 245NV6XXXX with adjustable sights. Beautiful bluing job and very nice wood grips. Came with Clinton mags in a case. I bought 4 parkerized mags to feed it. My questions concern:
1. What is that thingy to the left of the hammer. I don't know how to take this puppy apart correctly, yet. It looks like an afterthought, like a series 80 Colt part.
2. Anybody know when she was made?
3. what should I have paid? Yeah, I like heaping abuse on my wallet.
4. Her sister, a "hard chrome" or similar, is for sale at $650. Too much for a mint HP?
Thanks much for your knowledge sharing. I am normally a 45 guy, but JMB made good things, so I had to have this.
Kerry

 

[Stinger1]

Hi Kerry,

Congrats on your HP purchase. There are lots of members here who can help you with the questions being asked and give you a wealth of other information too.

Let's see how much info I can give you right now.

You have a Browning Hi-Power MKIII made in 1995. It is a sport model with adjustable sights. The price on this pistol in good condition and depending you location can run around $550.00 to 650.00 and the other model you mentioned if also in good condition the asking price is about right.

Now taking the HP apart is similar to a 1911 and there is a link that I'll post with instructions to follow. That "Thingy" you asked about on the left of the hammer is an "ejector", that's what the empty shell casing hits and is pushed out of the pistol during firing.


Here's the link for disassembly instructions.

http://users3.ev1.net/~byronsimpson/guns/detailstrip.html

Word of caution!!! Before you remove the recoil guide and spring after taking the slide off the frame take a good look at the way it is positioned the guide has to fit in a notch a certain way (it's lined up even on both sides) if it is put in upside down it won't properly line up and can cause jambing of the slide when pulled back. Which in turn can cause you grief.

Hope this helps

RC

 

[Amanda4461]

My New-to-me Hipower

RC,
Thanks for the very quick help. I have the pistol apart now, thanks to your link. SO, that is why it looked like it had two safety notches in the slide:scratch:
Now, if I can find a thread that tells me the correct way to remove a certain mag safety, I am all set. Looks like the pistol has a cast frame. Also, looks like the folks who polished and blued this piece knew their stuff. It is way nicer than my Les Baer 45 as for finish and blue. We will see how it shoots when I get the mag safety outa there. Nice enough that I think I'll go buy her sister chrome 9mm tomorrow. I always looked and walked away. But the $550 was too low to pass up. After spending $1650 on a Baer, why not:rock:
Thanks for your help. I see a new book I might need too. My, hobbies do get involved.......Kerry

 

[Stinger1]

There used to be a thread on the old fnhipower forum but it has ceased to exist and a lot of valuable and informative data went with it. But for now you can do a search here, try searching for mag disconnect or removing mag safety. It should key up several threads on the mag removal. If no luck just trace back the threads for about a month or so and you might find it. Still no luck we'll help you out.

You'll need a couple of brass and or steel punches and hammer and a pistol block would be of emense help when tapping out the pins. Look at your HP you'll need punches for the small pin in trigger plus the pin that sticks out on the right hand side of the slide (called a trigger pin). You'll also need some good tape fo cover the slide area around the pin before you start hammering and bugger up your finish, and on the trigger too. More to follow later.

RC

I just picked up a "Practical" recently here's a link to my post http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=128055

 

[Amanda4461]

Nice grips on that HP! I may have more money flying out of my wallet:bawling:
I have all of the punches and such from building Garands, and now you have provided instructions, so I'll put her in the press and push the pin out and have a nice trigger. The mag safety reminds me of the cross-bolt safeties on lever-action rifles. If you have a rebounding hammer that big and still need a safety, you don't deserve a rifle. So, out with it, and out with the Series 80 Colts too.
A Colt PYTHON don't have no stinkin safety. Imagine the gall
Kerry

 

[P7]

Looks like you have HiPotitis....and there is no cure.