Light Weight HP on Bay of Evil.

[RCEMERalf]

RARE 1 of 6 Inglis Browning FN High Power 9mm : Other Collectible Guns at GunBroker.com
"1 of 6".

Of course on Gunbroker. Senior moment there!

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Only $13,000 at this moment...wonder what it'll get sniped for in the last 15 seconds?

[Bruce McAskill]

It's got some damage to the pins on the sides of the frame and the grips should have been plastic to be original made Inglis.

[browningautorifle]

I was guessing the prick punching was to tighten up loose pin holes...? Done by an owner since it left the factory.

[Paul S.]

I was guessing the prick punching was to tighten up loose pin holes...? Done by an owner since it left the factory.

That, and the frame locking lug that engages the barrel appears to have been replaced at some time. One wonders.

[browningautorifle]

Truly. Maybe it was used as a shooter by the one that brought it out in his lunchbox...

[Brit plumber]

Apparently the wood grips are correct. The only thing the seller should have shown is the matching frame number marked on the bottom behind the mag well.

Info sourced from Springfield Armory Museum - Collection Record,


Notes: "One of the rarest Inglis-Browning pistols is the lightweight experimental. A run of approximately 50 frames (it is now believed only 6 were fully assembled) were made of an aluminium alloy. These usually bear special frame numbers on the bottom of the frame behind magazine well. They were made up into guns using regular production steel parts but the slides were 'dished out' on both sides and on top to remove as much excess weight as possible. They represent an attempt to combine acceptable durability and reliability with the considerably decreased weight desireable in an air force survival weapon. Their grips were made of flat, checkered wood which was lighter than the normal issue plastic. Numerous variations of the dishing of the slide and the checkering of the grips have been observed.
The project was not considered successful as the lightweight alloy frames proved incapable of withstanding repeated firing. Very few of these pistols are still in existence." - R. Blake Stevens

[Lee Enfield]

...snip.... They were made up into guns using regular production steel parts but the slides were 'dished out' on both sides and on top to remove as much excess weight as possible. ....snip....
The project was not considered successful as the lightweight alloy frames proved incapable of withstanding repeated firing. Very few of these pistols are still in existence." - R. Blake Stevens

I've always wondered if they had not lightened the slides, would the frames have stood up better?

CDN MkII ball is noted for damaging conventional 9mm pistols and guns which have weak or worn recoil springs...reducing the weight of the slide might well have increased the battering effect experienced by the frame locking bar...


I also observe that there are now 7 complete examples known and continuing to exist if we include the General Cassels presentation pistol.

[Peter Laidler]

I wonder at the sheer naievity of using the alloy of the era to even contemplate making an alloy frame for a pistol. You only have to look inside a standard steel No2 or L9 pistol to see just how hard the mainspring housing of the slide beats frame during recoil. I'm just suprised that the trials lasted more than a day!

[Warren]

Pictured are two "deactivated" frames from the HiPower alloy tests.....
Someday I will find out what the alloy mentioned on frame #1 is but until that day we can only surmise it was a good grade of aluminum alloy that was supposed to take the pounding of firing.
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