WWII German Marked A-Block FN Hi-Power 4.7” 9mm Pistol & Holster, 1943 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,111.11

WWII German Marked A-Block FN Hi-Power 4.7” 9mm Pistol & Holster, 1943 C&R

LSB#: LSB260618MR047

Make: FN Herstal, Belgium Under German Occupation

Model: Hi-Power (640b)

Serial#: 98038 a

Year of Manufacture: 1943 (A-Block Serial Number) / 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, “98038 a”, 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, “98038 a”. There are various “140” Waffenamt along with three contemporary replica sw@stika stamps. 

Barrel Length: 4.7”

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is serrated barleycorn blade dovetailed to the slide. The rear sight is a U-notch dovetailed to the slide. 

Magazine Quantity & Condition: This pistol includes 1 x original 13 round magazine in Good condition. 

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two piece checkered walnut panels screwed to the frame. There are heavy  scratches, pressure dents, and wear marks throughout. The checkering has worn peaks. Overall the grips are in Fair condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is light gray and the rifling is mostly pronounced. There is moderate erosion, pitting and light fouling in the bore. The feed ramp is clean and undamaged. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 6/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 55% of its metal finish. There is heavy thinning and wear throughout along with small spots of rust and moderate patina. The fitment of parts is very crude from the factory. The action has moderate wear. The markings are worn and blurry in several spots. The screw heads are light to moderately tooled and the pins are lightly tooled. Overall this pistol rates in Fair 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 thumb print extractor. The magazine disconnect has been removed.

Box Paperwork and Accessories: 1x Magazine, leather flap holster.

Our Assessment: The FN High Power produced under German occupation is one of the most historically significant variants of the Browning-designed service pistol. After German forces seized FN’s Herstal factory in 1940, production continued for German military use under the designation Pistole 640(b). As the war progressed, manufacturing was progressively simplified, with tangent sights, stock slots, and other earlier features eliminated while overall machining became increasingly utilitarian. In 1943 FN adopted a new letter-suffix serial system, with the “a” block encompassing that year’s production. Serial 98038a places this pistol very near the end of that block, making it a late-1943 example exhibiting the fixed sights, WaA140 acceptance pattern, and comparatively rough wartime workmanship characteristic of late occupation production. This pistol remains in Fair condition and retains approximately 55% of its original blued finish. The metal shows heavy thinning and handling wear throughout, together with scattered rust spotting and moderate patina. The comparatively crude fit and machining are consistent with later wartime FN production, when manufacturing standards declined under occupation conditions. The screw heads are lightly to moderately tooled, the pins show light tooling, and portions of the markings are worn or blurred. The bore is light gray with mostly pronounced rifling and exhibits moderate erosion, pitting, and light fouling, rating 6/10 in this writer’s opinion. The checkered walnut grips show heavy scratches, pressure dents, worn checkering peaks, and substantial service wear, rating in Fair condition. Mechanically, the action functions correctly. The removed magazine disconnect and modern replica stamps are later alterations and should be considered when evaluating originality.

For collectors of WWII military pistols, a matching A-block FN High Power remains a highly evocative artifact of German-occupied Belgian arms production. The late-1943 serial placement, matching major components, WaA140 acceptance marks, fixed sights, wartime machining, and surviving original magazine all contribute meaningful historical interest. The accompanying leather flap holster further enhances the presentation. The later replica stamps and removed magazine disconnect prevent this example from being considered completely untouched, but its matching wartime components, substantial surviving original finish, recognizable occupation-era features, and honest service wear still give it considerable historical character as a late-production Pistole 640(b). -R.E.