1972 Browning Hi Power good buy or not

559 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by LEDetailing, 3 mo ago

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

$1300 for a Belgian made 1972 Hi Power. Spurred hammer, GI style sights

Blueing is perfect as are the rollmarks. No box or papers.

Dealer would give me $650 for my SA35 in trade.

Only thing holding me back is the Hi Power is in such good shape I almost don’t want to shoot it. The SA35 I can shoot.

What do you guys think is $1300 a good price and should I have another safe queen?

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azguy1911

· #2 · 3 mo ago

Keep the SA35 and keep shooting it

Reactions: 3

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · #3 · 3 mo ago

azguy1911 said:
Keep the SA35 and keep shooting it

I actually had the gun on hold and went back in today and said I was going to pass. I just don’t feel right about another gun sitting. I actually really like the look and feel of the SA35, but love the quality of the blueing and the history of the Hi Power.

Thanks for the advice.

Reactions: 1

huggytree

· #4 · 3 mo ago

Friend just got a mint nickel high power w box. $900 on gb 2 days ago . Imo the market is down. I wouldn’t pay $1300 for 72. A year ago yes. Now no

Reactions: 1

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · #5 · 3 mo ago

huggytree said:
Friend just got a mint nickel high power w box. $900 on gb 2 days ago . Imo the market is down. I wouldn’t pay $1300 for 72. A year ago yes. Now no

If the price was $150-200 lower I probably would have brought it home.

You guys are reaffirming my decision.

Reactions: 2

WVsig

· #6 · 3 mo ago

It all depends on what you want to do with the gun. The SA35 is a better daily shooter but it will never go up in value. A mint 1972 BHP will. I think $1300 is too high but I wouldn't pay $650 for a SA35 either. Also to be clear I own both.

Reactions: 3

huggytree

· #7 · 3 mo ago

I got my 69 high power w original soft case $800. It’s mint except 1 little spot. Gb bin maybe 3 months ago

I agree -$200 on your 72 id say it’s fine

Reactions: 1

WVsig

· #8 · 3 mo ago

3

I bought this T for lot less than $1300 but is has some flaws from some crappy grips.

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Reactions: 4

WVsig

· #9 · 3 mo ago

My orginal and first BHP 1972 C series I bought it for $450 and sent it to Wild West Guns in AK. Jim West made it into this and thus began the obsession.

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Reactions: 5

RodII

· #10 · 3 mo ago

My third handgun was a Browning Hi-Power, with the beer can rear adjustable sight. The year was 1973 and Nashville had a large sporting goods store named Bill Clays. They sold all types of sporting goods, and they had a large firearms inventory. They would run sales at times, I bought the Hi-Power, a box of 9mm ammo and tax, the total was around $220. I kept it 10 years and like a idiot sold it for $425.

Reactions: 1

philk

· #11 · 3 mo ago

And you don’t want to shoot the Hi Power because it’s to nice ? Not really understanding that line of reasoning.🤷‍♂️

Reactions: 2

huggytree

· #12 · 3 mo ago

You can get the high power competition guns for cheap right now. Got mine $1100 on GB recently. Seen a few more sell $1100. They will easily outshoot that 72. No idea why they are so cheap lately. They used to be $1500-2000

Reactions: 1

Bargobrothers3

· #13 · 3 mo ago

I love browning hi powers I have several including Renaissance models easy trade imo

Reactions: 1

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · #14 · 3 mo ago

philk said:
And you don’t want to shoot the Hi Power because it’s to nice ? Not really understanding that line of reasoning.🤷‍♂️

Same guy who buys a 8,200 mile, one owner, 1998 Trans Am in 2017. Drives it only 600 miles, then traded in 2020 on a minivan😂

Reactions: 1

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · #15 · 3 mo ago

RodII said:
My third handgun was a Browning Hi-Power, with the beer can rear adjustable sight. The year was 1973 and Nashville had a large sporting goods store named Bill Clays. They sold all types of sporting goods, and they had a large firearms inventory. They would run sales at times, I bought the Hi-Power, a box of 9mm ammo and tax, the total was around $220. I kept it 10 years and like a idiot sold it for $425.

Uncle Sam says you sold your gun in 1983 @$425 for the January 2023 equivalent of $1,300.07!

Talk about a coincidence

Link to CPI website:

CPI Inflation Calculator

data.bls.gov

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · #16 · 3 mo ago

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RodII

· #17 · 3 mo ago

LEDetailing said:
Uncle Sam says you sold your gun in 1983 @$425 for the January 2023 equivalent of $1,300.07!

Talk about a coincidence

Link to CPI website:

CPI Inflation Calculator

data.bls.gov

@LEDetailing, thanks for the link. When I bought it in 1973 the gun was on sale for about $200 dollars. That was $1404 in today's dollars. For 50 years the price of the Hi-Power kept about even with inflation.

Reactions: 1

LEDetailing

Discussion Starter · #18 · 3 mo ago

RodII said:
@LEDetailing, thanks for the link. When I bought it in 1973 the gun was on sale for about $200 dollars. That was $1404 in today's dollars. For 50 years the price of the Hi-Power kept about even with inflation.

I really enjoy using this CPI calculator. Brings things like gas, auto, and gun prices into modern day perspective.

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