WWII German Marked FN Hi-Power 4.7” 9mm Tangent Sight Pistol, C&R
SOLD FOR: $2,406.00
LSB#: LSB260618MR049
Make: FN Herstal, Belgium
Model: Hi-Power (640b)
Serial#: 137876
Year of Manufacture: Late 1942 (WaA140) / C&R
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action Type: Semi-Automatic Pistol, Exposed Hammer Single Action with Detachable Magazine.
Markings: The right side of the slide is marked, “137876”, the left side is marked, “FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES DE GUERRE HERSTAL BELGIQUE / BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE”. The barrel and frame are marked with the serial, “137876”. There are various “140” Waffenamt and a Reichsadler on both the frame, barrel, and slide.
Barrel Length: 4.7”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is serrated barleycorn blade dovetailed to the slide. The rear sight is a sliding tangent V-notch pinned to the slide. The sight is marked out to 500.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: This pistol includes 2 x 13 round magazines in Fair condition.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two piece, checkered walnut panels screwed to the frame with red interiors. There is moderate to heavy handling wear with scratches, nicks, and pressure dents throughout. There are worn spots of checkering. There are no chips or cracks. Overall the grips are in Fair condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore but there is some light stubborn fouling. The feed ramp is bright and shiny. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its metal finish. There is moderate thinning, scratches, nicks, and spots of patina throughout. The action has moderate wear. The markings are mostly clear. The screw heads are sharp and the pins are undamaged. Overall this pistol rates in Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards. This pistol sports a thumbprint extractor.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: This pistol includes two 13 round magazines and a period correct leather holster.
Our Assessment: The FN High Power became an important German service pistol after the occupation of Belgium in 1940, when production at FN’s Herstal facility was continued under German control and the pistol was designated Pistole 640(b). Earlier occupation-production examples retained more of the prewar High Power’s sophisticated features, including the distinctive tangent rear sight graduated to 500 meters, before wartime simplification progressively eliminated those features. This late-1942 example falls into the desirable WaA140 tangent-sight period and retains matching major components, walnut grips, the earlier adjustable sighting arrangement, and the characteristic thumbprint extractor. Its configuration represents an important transitional stage between the finely finished prewar GP-35 and the increasingly simplified fixed-sight pistols of later occupation production. This pistol remains in Good condition, retaining approximately 80% of its original blued finish. The balance shows moderate thinning, scratches, nicks, operational wear, and scattered patina consistent with wartime service and subsequent storage. The screw heads remain sharp, the pins are undamaged, and the markings are mostly clear. The bore is notably strong for an occupation-era military pistol, remaining bright with sharp rifling and no visible erosion, though light stubborn fouling is present, rating 9/10 in this writer’s opinion. The two-piece checkered walnut grips display moderate to heavy handling wear, including scratches, nicks, pressure dents, and worn checkering peaks, but remain free of chips or cracks and rate in Fair condition. Mechanically, the action functions correctly.
For collectors of WWII German military handguns and FN High Powers, this is a particularly attractive occupation-production variant. The combination of WaA140 acceptance, matching numbered major components, 500-meter tangent sight, walnut grips, thumbprint extractor, and strong surviving original finish gives it considerably more collector character than the later simplified fixed-sight examples. The two 13-round magazines and period-correct leather holster further strengthen the presentation. With its honest service wear, excellent bore, matching components, and desirable late-1942 tangent-sight configuration, this is a historically compelling example of the German-issued Pistole 640(b). -R.E.