I inherited a mid-60s T series Hi-Power in near mint condition. It is un-fired and in its original leather zipper case. I have always wanted a Hi-Power and am itching to shoot it. But I wonder if that is a mistake as I read online that these are desirable to collectors. I do not want to sell it and this is not a back-door WTS ad. With the Hi-Power I also inherited a 1910 .380 Also un-fired. Any advice from Browning experts would be appreciated. I do not know much about these pistols.

If you don't want to sell them, you should enjoy your pistols.

Though the current prices on High Powers would lead you to believe otherwise, there are many, many High Powers out there, in any condition imaginable, and from any period of HP production- decades and decades of these pistols. They are not rare.

I doubt you are going to put any appreciable wear on these pistols with modest amounts of use, and prices on HPs are such that you still would have pistols with high resale value.

Just don't put any +P ammunition through your High Power. You'll want to stick with 115/124 grain FMJ ammo from reputable manufacturers.

Thanks Para. I think I will shoot them. I have plenty of Speer and American Eagle 124 grain so I will use that. Thanks for the tip not to use +P.

I personally wouldn't shoot it, but I'm coming from the perspective of a collector. If that were my only BHP, I'd buy a non-collectible BHP as a shooter. The shooting experience wouldn't be any different.

I seriously doubt it's actually unfired, you can shoot a couple of mags every once a while and still baby it if you're careful. Just be careful during disassembly/assembly with the take down lever so you don't put an idiot mark on it. Those types of finish damage are the most traumatizing to look at.

Whether you shoot it or just love on it from the safe, don’t store it in that beautiful leather case.
Those 1910 380’s are wonderful little pieces as well. I think they get too little attention.
Nice pair.

I also doubt it is unfired... which would bring up the question for experts... how do you prove a pistol that is in 100% condition has never been fired?

You gotta put a through rounds through it just because.

quote:

Originally posted by austintx:
I personally wouldn't shoot it, but I'm coming from the perspective of a collector. If that were my only BHP, I'd buy a non-collectible BHP as a shooter. The shooting experience wouldn't be any different.

I'm not so much a collector as a shooter, but I agree and would still not shoot it.

I had a T series that had very good internals, but the gun looked like it had been through combat and the finish was all but completely gone. It had taken on a patina that I actually liked, but it was no replacement for the beautiful original blued finish.

I'd hate to see that happen to a mint Hi-Power.

Appreciate all the comments. I will post some pics later today since we all love pics My dad told me he never shot them and he bought them new, but they certainly could have been test fired. The internals look new to me, but I am not an expert by any measure. They have far too much sentimental value for me to sell them.

I am in the shoot them camp. A pistol that is never shot is merely a paperweight.

Not an expert here, but a recent convert back to Camp Hi Power via a salty MkIII that received a little custom-love somewhere along the line.

I’d vote with the “shoot-it” voices, personally, with the caveat that I don’t know enough about BHP history overall that might suggest otherwise.

Looking forward to the pics of yours either way!

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:
My dad told me he never shot them and he bought them new, but they certainly could have been test fired. The internals look new to me, but I am not an expert by any measure.

The pistols would have most certainly been proof fired before they left the factory. "Unfired" is somewhat of a misnomer describing a firearm which has never been fired after leaving the factory. "... how do you prove a pistol that is in 100% condition has never been fired?" With very few exceptions, I generally assume any gun I consider purchasing to have been fired at least once after having left the factory. In this instance however, I can think of no reason for a father to misrepresent the condition of the pistols. While I am in the "don't shoot the safe queens minority", to do so would not be a grievous error. Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by ScotP7:
Whether you shoot it or just love on it from the safe, don’t store it in that beautiful leather case.

Unless you like freckles

A year or so back, I sold my 1960~ T series. It was passed down from my Dad's. It was shot some, but not a lot. It was otherwise pristine and had the leather zip pouch. So why did I sell it?. At the time I was going through a major surgery which had better greater then zero of walking away. I didn't want my wife to need to deal with trying to get the most value. My family, although good intentions would want the easy way out, leaving a lot cash on the table. Quality Glocks... G19 G45 and recent sig P365 series I wasn't worried about. They sell for they are worth every day

Here are some pics. I need to learn how to take better gun pics. Hard to get the light just right without too much reflection.

https://imgur.com/a/5yw6Mai

quote:

Originally posted by hjs157:

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:
My dad told me he never shot them and he bought them new, but they certainly could have been test fired. The internals look new to me, but I am not an expert by any measure.

The pistols would have most certainly been proof fired before they left the factory. "Unfired" is somewhat of a misnomer describing a firearm which has never been fired after leaving the factory. "... how do you prove a pistol that is in 100% condition has never been fired?" With very few exceptions, I generally assume any gun I consider purchasing to have been fired at least once after having left the factory. In this instance however, I can think of no reason for a father to misrepresent the condition of the pistols. While I am in the "don't shoot the safe queens minority", to do so would not be a grievous error. Enjoy!

Yeah I figured they had been shot at the factory at least. "unfired" was the wrong word to use. I have not disassembled them yet. Just retrieved them this weekend.

@FishOn - those pistols look great, sir - congrats!

Up to you. Any gun I get will be a shooter. So an older gun to go in the safe needs to be something really special. Like if I ever win the lottery and buy a gun that can be connected to a historical person and/or event. For me a safe queen still goes to the range every so often.

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:

quote:

Originally posted by hjs157:

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:
My dad told me he never shot them and he bought them new, but they certainly could have been test fired. The internals look new to me, but I am not an expert by any measure.

The pistols would have most certainly been proof fired before they left the factory. "Unfired" is somewhat of a misnomer describing a firearm which has never been fired after leaving the factory. "... how do you prove a pistol that is in 100% condition has never been fired?" With very few exceptions, I generally assume any gun I consider purchasing to have been fired at least once after having left the factory. In this instance however, I can think of no reason for a father to misrepresent the condition of the pistols. While I am in the "don't shoot the safe queens minority", to do so would not be a grievous error. Enjoy!

Yeah I figured they had been shot at the factory at least. "unfired" was the wrong word to use. I have not disassembled them yet. Just retrieved them this weekend.

No worries - "unfired" is an acceptable term to describe the condition of a pistol which has never been fired outside of the factory - a condition which appears to apply to your father's pistols. I was simply responding to your statement . . . they certainly could have been test fired. Sorry to confuse the issue with semantics.

quote:

Originally posted by TheFrontRange:
@FishOn - those pistols look great, sir - congrats!

Thanks. I always knew he had them but he never took them out of storage. When he did not have much time left I asked him where they were. He pointed at the ceiling. (Basement ceiling was a dropped ceiling with rectangular tiles). That was 18 months ago. After he passed last year, I looked all over the place up in the ceilings and could not find them. I was sad and guessed they might have been stolen over the years. But this weekend when we were replacing the ceiling I found them tucked way in a corner behind a joist. It was a great moment.