okay, it's a pistol, but you guys are knowledgable

[bluebayou]

I have a Browning HiPower clone.  There is a bright ring midway on my fired brass.  I started noticing it years ago and didn't think anything about it.  There is a line on the barrel where the lug is machined.  This line goes all of the way around the barrel.  It has been there for years, but is more visible (due to surface rust from car transporting) now.  My brother is a machinist and says that is a crack.  I looks to be perfectly straight around the barrel.  I just assumed that it was a machining mark.  Any opinions? 

[Nobade]

It is a 2 peice barrel, and the line is where the two parts join together. This is common with 1911 barrels, but P35 barrels aren't normally made like this. See if you can find someone with a borescope to look at it from the inside. It's probable you'll see a gap there. If it were me, I'd see if a normal P35 barrel could be fitted to this pistol.

[bluebayou]

In theory the Browning P35 barrel will fit it.  I think that "minor fitting may be required" is a disclaimer on everything now.  The slide release and safety will interchange I know.  In the long run I want to get a better barrel, my immediate concern is "will it blow up in my face"?  It hasn't for years now, but....

[John Traveler]

For several generations after the introduction of the the Browning M1935 HP pistol, the barrels were two-piece assemblies silver soldered together.  At least, the Fabrique National (FN) Belgium and it's licensed copies John Inglis, were made that way.  I dunno about the Indonesian, Argentinian, Hungarian copies.  In more recent years (about the last 20), the one-piece barrels are more common, since programming CNC milling machines made possible intricate cuts that were difficultto duplicate on the old manual milling machines.

HTH
John

[bluebayou]

It is a Hungarian copy.  I read someplace that the Hungarian maker, FEG, used FN tooling.  They sold the pistol in the US to KBI, it was also sold as Mauser, and as some other name in Israel (but I believe with a different barrel or slide).  Thanks for the info, it gives me something to look for.  I would not have thought of the barrel being in two pieces.  As regular as the line is I bet that you guys are on the money.  It is perfectly straight and right where the cartridge rim headspaces inside. 

John Traveler, I don't know if you remember, but you told me how to smooth up the bolt on my rifles with moly grease.  I was skeptical months ago, but did what you said, working the bolt 1000 times.  Everyone that handles the M70 (I did a M700 too) comments on how great the action is for such a cheap rifle.  Thanks again.