[cpw]

Question --- Was the non use of the Eagle N confined to a paticular serial number range?
Not that I have seen. I have seen them in the "a" and "b" suffix range. As a point of reference, earlier I have posted images of a "commercial" Hi-Power holster manufactured in 1941. I doubt if these would have been made if there was no demand. Early on I would think that any commercial demand could have and probably was satisfied from the large stocks of Hi-Powers that were acquired from FN and the Belgian military upon the surrender of Belgium to the Germans.

When I acquired this 1941 holster, it came with a pre war slotted tangent Belgian Hi-Power in it. I cannot tell you (as I do not know) when the two were put together.


Question --- Who generaly aquired these commercial HPs?
Anyone approved by the controlling authorities would have the opportunity to purchase one.

Question --- Was there ever a group purchase and issuance of the Commercial HP?
Not that I have seen. This is said with the cavet that the acquisition could have been a block of pistols at different points in time. How large of a block? Probably not too many at any given time as demand was not like it is in the US. First authority most likely was needed to purchase. Secondly, is that the purchaser would have needed the discretionary income to do so.

There is not sufficient serial number data to establish group purchases. FN was under the control of the Germans, while in many respects still being a private concern. They could have sold them or arranged for the sale through commercial sellers.

Question --- Can someone date this pistol?
These pistols were taken from the general production line. For example, the one before yours or the one after yours could have been sent to the military. No production record seem to exist. So, one way (though not precise) would be to allocate an equal number of pistols per year or per month for each such period that the pistols were produced.

Question --- Any production numbers on these Commercial HPs?
No totals are known. But it would have been a small number since not many are known (as compared to the military accepted pistols.)

 

[cpw]

Questions - My understanding is then,when one was randomly pulled off the assembly line,then the serial number just picked up from where it left off the last time.Correct?

There was one serial number range from which the military and commercial Hi-Powers came.

Questions - Do you know if there was ever any rumors of foreign goverment use of this model?

There are rumors about everything. In act, I would be ionclined to say that they hept all of them for themsevles. (Maybe/perhaps a sample was sent here and there, but no contracts.)


Questions - any examples of who might have been approved to purchase one?

Military officers and enlisted, party members, etc. Others on the forum could give more examples.

Question - In your opinion does this model have the same collector value as the military model?

There are not as many commercial Hi-Powers as military. Thus the commercail are rarer and would have more value.

 

[cpw]

Not being sure of the rules & not wanting to infringe on them, I have sent you an email on where you can obtain a magazine. It is the entire magazine. (A part can be hard to find.)