FN Browning Hi-Power Competition 9mm 152mm SA Semi Auto Pistol, 1980
SOLD FOR: $1,200.00
LSB#: LSB250822BL087
Make: FN Herstal/Browning
Model: Hi-Power Competition
Serial#: 245PM40339
Year of Manufacture: 1980
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action Type: Semi-Automatic Pistol, Tilting Lock Exposed Hammer Single Action with Detachable Magazine.
Markings: The left side of the slide has a Browning rollmark. The right side of the slide has the FNH rollmark and serial number. All parts are serial matched to the frame.
Barrel Length: 152mm
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade cast into the barrel mounted extension. The rear sight is a fully adjustable square notch affixed to the slide.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: This pistol includes 1 x 13 round magazine in Very Good Condition.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two piece, checkered Pachmayer rubber panels. There is discoloration and grime throughout. The checkering is mostly sharp. There are a few tears and small chunks missing on the backstrap. Overall the grips are in Fair condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized, Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright, the rifling is sharp. There is no visible erosion in the bore but there is some stubborn fouling in the grooves. The feed ramp is smooth and shiny. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 92% of its metal finish. There are scratches, and handling marks throughout along with light leading edge wear. The action has light wear. The muzzle nut has flat spots on the serrations. The screw heads are sharp and the pins are undamaged. The markings are clear. Overall the pistol is in Good + condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. We did not fire this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: This pistol includes One magazine, flash hider, hard case.
Our Assessment: This FN Browning Hi-Power Competition is a late-20th-century expression of one of the most influential military and sporting designs of the 20th century. Originating with John Browning’s early experiments and brought to production refinement under Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal, the Hi-Power evolved into a standard-issue sidearm for dozens of nations and a favored platform for competition and service alike. The Competition variant seen here takes that storied lineage and refines it for precision: a long 152 mm barrel, an adjustable rear sight, an exposed-hammer single-action profile, and factory attention to slide and barrel fit that promote a repeatable sight picture and consistent lockup. The pistol’s serial-matched parts and honest parkerized/blued surfaces tie it directly to FN’s factory standards of the era, giving visible proof of careful assembly and provenance. Ballistically this example is chambered in 9mm Luger, the cartridge that reshaped military and civilian handgunning when Georg Luger introduced it in the early 1900s; its balance of manageable recoil and effective terminal performance made it the natural pairing for a robust, metal-framed service pistol such as the Hi-Power. Mechanically the pistol presents well: the bore is bright with sharp rifling and is rated 9/10 here, and the feed ramp polishes to a smooth, reliable interface for feeding. The trigger is described as crisp and the action functions correctly, with clear, legible markings and unmarred serial matching confirming its integrity. Cosmetic notes such as the roughly 92% retained finish, light leading-edge wear, and the muzzle nut’s flattened serrations speak to honest use rather than abuse, while the grips—Pachmayr rubber showing discoloration and some edge loss—remain serviceable and give the pistol a utilitarian, well-used character.
Complete with a magazine, hard case, and a flash hider included among the accessories, this Hi-Power Competition is a balanced package for the collector who values factory completeness and period correctness. It marries FN’s classical engineering and historic significance with the practical attributes of a competition-oriented pistol: long sight radius, tunable sights, and solid mechanical function. As an object it rewards both study and safe handling—worthy of display for its lineage and appreciated for the sharp bore and well-preserved mechanicals it presents. -R.E.
