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I borrowed this from a thread on Hipowertalk.com:
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Date chart based on serial numbers, from Browning:
Date Historic Information Serial Number Info
1954-57 The Hi-Power 9mm pistol was introduced in 1954. 70000-80,000
Accurate production figures are unavailable.
1958 In 1958 Browning kept better records of the Hi-Power pistol, so the serial number ranges are more accurate 80001-85276
1959 85268-89687
1960 89688-93027
1961 93028-109145
1962 109146-113548
1963 113549-115822
1964 In 1964 the product code for the Hi-Power was the letter "T" 115823-T136-568
1965 T136569-T146372
1966 T146373-T173285
1967 T173286-T213999
1968 T214000-T258000
1969-75 In 1969 Browning started using two digits for the date of manufacture which was followed by a four digit code that identified the type of Auto-5:
C=Hi-Power
This was then followed by the serial number beginning with 1000.
Example: 69C1000 = A 1969 Hi-Power pistol with a serial number of 1000. T258001-261000
C=Hi-Power
1976-1997 In 1975 Browning standardized its serial number identification which it followed until 1998.
1. Hi-Power Type 2W5=40 S&W
245=9mm
2. Date of Manufacture
is a two digit code Z=1
Y=2
X=3
W=4
V=5
T=6
R=7
P=8
N=9
M=0
3. Serial Number
beginning with 01001
at the start of each year.
Serial
Number Example:
245RT01001
This would be a 9mm Hi-Power pistol, manufactured in 1976 with the serial number 01001.
1998 In 1998 Browning redid the standardization of its serial number identifications to work with its new data base program, Oracle.
1. Hi-Power Type 510=Hi-Power
2. Date of Manufacture
is a two digit code Z=1
Y=2
X=3
W=4
V=5
T=6
R=7
P=8
N=9
M=0
3. Serial Number
beginning with 01001
at the start of each year.
Serial
Number Example:
510NN01001
This would be a 9mm Hi-Power pistol, manufactured in 1999 with the serial number 01001.
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WWII Hi-Powers:
Also, in 2005, Jungle Work posted the following on this forum concerning WWII Hi-Powers:
The High Power pistol was designed by John Moses Browning and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Herstal, Belgium. The Belgians were first armed forces to adopt the High Power as an official sidearm, they did this in 1935. Between 1935 and the German capture of the FN factory on May 29, 1940 contracts were filled for the armed forces of several countries including Belgium, China, Peru, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and France.
From the plant's seizure by the Germans in May of 1940 to its liberation in September of 1944, over 319,000 High Powers pistols were manufactured for the German Wehrmacht. The first several thousand pistols were made up from captured parts and had a high polish finish, a shoulder stock slot cut into the rear grip strap and tangent rear sight. To speed production, the Germans eliminated the shoulder stock slot and then the tangent sight at about serial number 145000. As production continued, the quality of finish was reduced to dull blue over a progressively less polished metal. The Germans used three Waffenenamt stamps on High Power pistols:
Eagle over WaA613
Eagle over WaA103
Eagle over WaA140.
Yearly production of High Power pistols under German occupation was as follows:
1940..................... 8,500
1941..................... 65,700
1942..................... 80,600
1943..................... 101,200
1944..................... 63,000
Nazi Proofed High Power pistols are in the $300 to $700 range depending on condition (again, posted in 2005).
Hope this helps.
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