WWII Nazi Marked FN P35 M1935 Hi Power Fixed Sight 9mm Semi-Auto, 1943 C&R
Sold For: $1,727
LSB#: 200909DW05
Make: Fabrique Nationale, made under Nazi German Occupation
Model: P35 Hi Power WaA140 Fixed Sight Variant
Serial Number: 13111a
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (Page 329 of “FN Browning Pistols” by A. Vanderlinden)
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES DE GUERRE / HERSTAL BELGIQUE” and “BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE”. The left side of the slide and frame are marked with an Eagle holding a globe with swastika (test proof) and an “Eagle / WaA140” Waffenamt military acceptance stamp. The right side of the barrel, frame and slide are marked “13111a”. The left front of the trigger guard is marked “MR”. The right side of the barrel at the port is also marked with an Eagle holding a globe with swastika. The front of the slide under the muzzle has “WaA140”. The left side of the barrel above the lug is marked with two “WaA140” Waffenamts. The bottom of the slide and the butt behind the magazine well have a series of inspection marks.
Barrel Length: 4 5/8”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut panels. The grips have light-moderate handling wear with some bruising at the top-rear of the left panel, worn checkering toward the bottom of the right panel and some scattered nicks and scratches. The checkering is generally well defined with some areas worn nearly smooth. There is a small, thin crack at the bottom-front corner of the left panel. Overall, the grips are in about Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The most notable finish wear is in the grip areas which show light surface oxidation. There are spots of lighter finish wear scattered throughout as well as nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is a spot of more notable marring at the bottom-rear of the left slide serrations. There is a void in the finish on the right of the slide in front of the ejection port, likely caused by some sort of chemical. Some of the worn areas show discoloration from oxidation. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to poorly struck. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. The slide has little play to the frame. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a brown leather flap holster and a single 13-round magazine. The holster has moderate wear with some surface cracking, fraying at edges, and intact stitching, in about Good condition. The magazine shows light-moderate operational wear, intact feed lips and a strong spring, in about Very Good condition. Please note, no magazine will be included for purchasers who reside where they cannot be transferred.
Our Assessment: The Browning High Power pistol is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. The Hi-Power is one of the most widely utilized military pistols in history, having been used by the armed forces of over 50 countries. The Hi Power name didn’t refer to the cartridge, but to its 13 round magazine, holding five more than the Luger and six more than the Colt 1911. Its high magazine capacity and ergonomic grip frame have made it a favorite among civilian shooters as a carry pistol and for home defense. The High Power was adopted by the Belgian military and the early pistols were equipped with a tangent rear sight and a grip that was slotted for a wooden stock. When Germany invaded Belgium, they took over the FN plant and continued making the High Power, but soon dropped the grooved grip after stocks of pre-invasion parts were used-up. Guns made with tangent sights included WaA613, WaA103 and WaA140 inspection marks before the tangent sights were replaced with fixed sights to help increase production. This pistol was made in 1943 in the WaA140 inspection mark range after the tangent sights had been dropped in favor of fixed sights. The pistol has matching serial numbers on the barrel, slide, and frame. The inspection marks and proofs are proper for this configuration and serial range. The pistol is in about Very Good condition with about 60% of its finish remaining. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion. This will make a nice addition to a Hi Power or WWII small arms collection. If you want to fire this pistol, be sure to have it inspected by a qualified gunsmith. According to Anthony Vanderlinden in his book “FN Browning Pistols”, sabotage performed by the workers in the FN factory increased proportionally with the portion which was forced labor. This was most prevalent in the WaA140 inspection range and some pistols are not safe to fire due to having poor heat treat or being out of tolerance standards. Please see our photos and good luck!
CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable (THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS): This C&R Pistol CAN be sold as a dealer sale in California and CAN be transferred as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) as our Simi Valley location. All C&R firearms must be transferred through your local dealer OR at our Simi Valley location; we cannot ship directly to a C&R holder in California. Out of state residents can disregard this section – your local laws apply.
