Posted: 8/27/2010 5:08:57 AM EDT
I was given this gun when my grandfather passed away. It was locked up tight so I completely disassembled it and gave it a good cleaning. It now functions flawlessly but is not the best looking gun i've ever seen. It has all matching serial numbers and has the Nazi rollmark on the frame, slide, and barrel. My questions are.... what is this gun worth in the condition it is in? (not that there's a snowball's chance in hell that I would ever sell it). Also, i would like to have it refinished. What type of original finish did the gun have on it, and where is the best place to send it to have it done?
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That gun was not German made, rather made under German occupation. For value I would look at recent sales on Gun Broker. As for refinishing it, judging from your pictures I would leave it alone. They were not well finished from the factory as all they were concerned about was getting guns to the troops. |
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Quoted:
DO NOT REFINISH THAT GUN!! All matching WWII produced HP's aren't getting any cheaper, and refinishing your pistol will destroy any collectors value it has. 100% truth. It's probably a shitty enamel or bad blued finish, but changing it will destroy the value of the gun. If you want a shooter or carry gun find a MKII or III with an external extractor and straight feedramp. Parts are more readily available and you won't be screwing with an artifact. |
| As the years have passed, I've gotten to where the only HPs I like are these early ones with internal extractor and 'thumbnail cut' in the slide. To get any gun from a grandfather's estate would be great, but to get a Nazi Hi-Power is fantastic! It might need some attention to the recoil, firing pin and hammer springs. I would detail-strip it, clean, inspect and lube, replacing such springs as were weak or too short. There's no reason not to shoot it at least like once a year on his birthday or some other occasion. Also check out the bore - there may have been some corrosive ammo involved at some point. If the barrel is not too pitted, all the better. But if it is heavily corroded, you probably would want to preserve it and forget about shooting. |