I spotted this mid-70s HiPower at Cabela’s last night and was intrigued. The slide has been milled back about 3/8” (at the most. More likely 5/16” looking back on the pictures) and what barrel is exposed was very coarsely threaded. The slide cut went right through the middle of the front sight on down to the recoil spring housing. The crown was pitiful. That doesn’t seem like enough thread to hold a suppressor concentric nor hold it securely, so I’m thinking maybe a weird BFA? It was next to two Argentine Police trade in BPs, one Argentine manufacture and one Belgian.
I’m at a loss as to what the purpose of that cut and threading are. I almost wanted to buy it to get rid of a couple gift cards and aging BPS points, but felt like I’d get burned. My BHP knowledge is fledgling, so I’m wondering what y’all think.
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Yikes. That cut back is right where the barrel bears against the slide, like the bushing on a 1911. Also not enough threads to resist a side load with a can attached. If you can pick it up cheap for the reciever and slide parts, you can always replace the slide. The gun is not a military version, it has a commercial slide by looking at the extractor. But someone put surplus plastic grips on it.  $700 for that junker karayzee. Otherwise, no thanks.

What Greco said, who ever butchered that thing most likely ruined the accuracy and lock up.  I would not give you $300 as a project gun.

I wonder how explaining to the Cabela’s staff that that BHP is trashed out work in getting a discount
I know for a fact those threads are trashed. It’d need a new barrel and slide at least. Funny enough, it was the same price as a Argentine-made BHP clone. IIRC it was a Buenos Aires police gun? The roll stamp was marked out rather crudely with an “x” stamp.  
I’m pretty sure Cabela’s gun library has this pistol listed for the Huntsville store, so you can probably get better pictures than my phone could get through the display case.

Edited to add link to meathook abortion in question:
Cut Down BHP

The yayhoo who butchered this gun figured he could save the price of a new threaded barrel by destroying the slide and barrel. There is some of them out there. I can’t believe Cabelas has the nerve to put that price on it.

It's missing the aftermarket bushing that was installed previously.  Definitely not worth anywhere near $700.  If it still had the bushing and it had the paperwork to prove it was done by an acclaimed smith, it'd be worth a bit more.

ETA: More accurately, it was an aftermarket barrel cone, not a bushing.

FN Herstal set up FM in Argentina with a full on BHP production line, supplied the machinery, taught them how to run it, etc.   The FM made HiPowers are excellent guns, most follow the more desirable Mk II or Mk III patterns which feed all sorts of hollowpoints very reliably.  I have two of them.  Excellent guns.  There was a period of time about 15-20 years ago when large volumes of them were coming in and often found for sale for $300 or even less.   As far as fit and finish, they won't stand up to the FN or Browning guns because the Argentines simply painted them black, did not even blue or parkerize their guns (there are incorrect reviews on the internet that claim heavy parkerizing but they are wrong, it is baked on paint).   But mechanically in my experience they are just as good as the Euro made guns.  One of mine has been refinished in hard chrome by Accurate Plating & weaponry who also fitted a C&S hammer/sear and stippled the front strap for me.  It is quite accurate and a joy to shoot.   They also made a factory shortened 4" model they called a "Detective" which runs great.   I installed an SFS kit in my Detective model and had it Cerracoated.   It is equally accurate and reliable.

Those will be marked FM or Fabrications Militaries and they are not FN guns.

All to say, the FM Argentine made guns are far from being junk....certainly better guns that that cut down piece of trash in its current state.  Not sure what they have in Huntsville Cabelas, but if it is a FM made gun in excellent condition it is worth a lot more than that POS butchered model.

Huh?

Could be a base for cut down “Hi Power Commander” like This

It would have to be cheap though.

If I had seen that in person I probably would have hurt myself laughing at that price tag.

That gun makes my head hurt. It's a shame. That price? Nope.

Kinda looks like a movie gun to me... I've seen course threads like that...

RUN!

from the description:
"This is a semi-automatic FN Hi-power chambered in 9 mm Luger. It has 4.5" threaded stainless barrel with front blade sight and rear notch sights. Metal is in fair condition with some finish wear and pitting. Pistol grips are in very good condition with some scratches. The bore has some wear on the rifling. This pistol comes with one magazine."

not much mention of the big fuck off elephant in the room...

This is what you do when you don't have access to an extended barrel to thread.  You use what you have and work backwards.

You can turn down and thread the barrel, then make a threaded extension that will be the same diameter as the barrel under the slide but have threads that stick out.

I wonder if it had some abortion of a comp

I wonder if that’s not one of the long slide conversions, but missing pieces.