Real Sleeper, The Fabulous 69C Series 9mm Browning High Power
browningh...@yahoo.com
Browning 1969 C Series guns. As every Browning 9mm "connoisseur"
already knows the "T" Series Browning High Powers are known as the
"Holy Grail" and the absolute "Zenith" of all the High Powers ever
made in terms of both outstanding workmanship, super accuracy, crisp
trigger pulls, mirror bluing, and quality "forged steel" materials
used in their construction.
The "T" series was made from 1964 through 1968 and it is actually
much more numerous than the "69C" series which had only a one year
production run, so why is it that if you look hard you can often buy a
69 C Browning for way less money than the "T" series since both were
the exact same gun? The answer of course is pure collector ignorance.
In the spring I always look forward to the big upcoming gun shows and
save my money in anticipation of finding some good deals at the shows
but every year just like clock work it seems as though the ancient
Greek Gods pay games with me. Zeus and Aphrodite delight in both
rewarding me and torturing me all at the same time. It seems as
though right before the big gun shows I always manage to run into a
super fabulous private gun deal, which in turn wipes out my available
cash for the upcoming gun shows, forcing me to walk around poor and
penniless at the shows. Again this year proved to be a repeat of all
the other years.
Last week into my office strode a long tall colleague of mine with a
gleam in his eye and a crafty look on his face. I should have known
what was coming. He announced he had just come into possession of a
Browning 9mm High Power Pistol of at least 25 years or more of age and
in mint condition. As he had no interest in it he offered it to me
and at a very reasonable price or so I initially thought. I
questioned him as to what kind of Browning he had. He said he did not
know but would get the serial number for me so I could trace the year
of origin. You can imagine my surprise when I found out it was the
rare 1969 C series.
When the time came to look at it my colleague announced he was having
second thoughts about selling it but that he still wanted me to
evaluate it for him. I should have known he was merely putting "the
squeeze" on my sub-conscience desire to acquire this weapon. When I
observed that the Browning was indeed not only the 69C series but was
in almost unfired condition I simply started stuffing green cash into
his front shirt pocket until the pocket was rather full and could
accept no more. Aha, I thought, I have got him now, I thought (he
really had got me of course).
As beads of sweat formed on his brow and his speech began to stammer
somewhat as he looked as his bulging pocket full of green cash, he
simply caved in and sold me the highly desirable 69C Browning. Even
though I ended up paying a bit more than I had been originally quoted
I still bought it for substantially less than I would have paid on say
a "rip off" internet auction or "rip off internet gun site" and way
less that what I would have paid for a "T" series gun, which by the
way I also own a few off.
And so since "Zeus" is through playing with my head I have warned
Aphrodite to leave me alone this spring as guns are far cheaper and
far less trouble to keep than new very young exotic lady friends that
come from mysterious far off shining kingdoms on the other side of the
world.
Any one got any spare cash they can lend me for the upcoming gun
shows? Naw, I did not think so.
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Thomas Reynolds
<browningh...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:euobgs$dd9$1...@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
# One of the real sleepers of the collecting world of 9mm pistols is the
# Browning 1969 C Series guns. As every Browning 9mm "connoisseur"
# already knows the "T" Series Browning High Powers are known as the
# "Holy Grail" and the absolute "Zenith" of all the High Powers ever
# made in terms of both outstanding workmanship, super accuracy, crisp
# trigger pulls, mirror bluing, and quality "forged steel" materials
# used in their construction.
#
# The "T" series was made from 1964 through 1968 and it is actually
# much more numerous than the "69C" series which had only a one year
# production run, so why is it that if you look hard you can often buy a
# 69 C Browning for way less money than the "T" series since both were
# the exact same gun? The answer of course is pure collector ignorance.
How do you identify them?
browningh...@yahoo.com
wrote:
# <browninghighpow...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
#
# news:euobgs$dd9$1...@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
# # One of the real sleepers of the collecting world of 9mm pistols is the
# # Browning 1969 C Series guns. As every Browning 9mm "connoisseur"
# # already knows the "T" Series Browning High Powers are known as the
# # "Holy Grail" and the absolute "Zenith" of all the High Powers ever
# # made in terms of both outstanding workmanship, super accuracy, crisp
# # trigger pulls, mirror bluing, and quality "forged steel" materials
# # used in their construction.
# #
# # The "T" series was made from 1964 through 1968 and it is actually
# # production run, so why is it that if you look hard you can often buy a
# # 69 C Browning for way less money than the "T" series since both were
# # the exact same gun? The answer of course is pure collector ignorance.
#
# How do you identify them?
Good question Tom. Here's how. Fist look for the round hammer not a
spur hammer, second look for fabulous bluing (beware there were some
later made round hammer guns made with cheap cast frames and cast
internal parts).. And of course look at the serial number. The "T"
series has a "T" in the serial number and the 69C will have that
number in the serial number.
Another couple of tips when buying "ANY" High Power.
Too determine quickly weather or not you have a late model (post 1988
with the passive firing pin safety) pull back the slide and turn the
gun over and if it has a big hole, and I mean a very big hole in the
underside of the slide, this is the weakened slide model that can
crack under extensive use as there is only 1/16 inch of metal toward
the back of the slide. This had to be done to fit in the passive
firing pin safety, another lawyer proof device as the gun never went
off anyway unless dropped on its nose from the height of a two story
building.
Also to determine if the gun has the later (post 1993) cheap cast
frame and cast internal parts pull out the clip and look around the
clip (magazine) opening. If you see striations there, this was done
to hide the fact that the frame is made of a cheap and brittle
casting.
professorpaul
red plastic insert in front sight, both of which appear to be original
equipment????
browningh...@yahoo.com
# Mine is serial numbered 69Cxxxxx. Is that one? Micro sight on rear,
# red plastic insert in front sight, both of which appear to be original
# equipment????
I have never heard of Browning using Mirco Sights on a 69c or
"T"series gun but this does not mean they may not have. The Micro-
Sight company by the way is still in buisness but alas no longer makes
these wonderful sights. I do have a set on on a High Power that I had
put on back in 1968 , it cost me the princely sum of $35.00 and that
included the labor to put them on. Today such high sights would cost
you in the neighborhood of $250 dollars to buy and to have put on as
this is what a lot of gunsmiths are charging to put Barstow sights on
these days.
Today of course putting any sights on a "T" series or a 69c series
would seriously devalue the gun. You would not only take at least a
$200 dollar hit on the value of the gun but the price and labor of the
sights would also never be recovered in a resale unless you got very
lucky and ran into a person that wanted the gun very badly. I learned
through bitter experience a very long ago that customizing guns often
resulted in a gun that was very hard to sell because it was not
"original" and the cost of labor and materials was seldom recouped in
a resale.