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11-23-2019, 08:58 PM
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HI_Power
Let's please have pictures of HI Powers all Brands and variations welcome. What, in your opinion, is the best (shooter and collectible) Hi Power and why? I think that I would like a Mauser with Wermacht markings (someday). but that is a completely uninformed wish. Do HI Powers have weaknesses? Are some brands and periods (wartime) lower quality than others? Lets please hear and see from those in the know. Is there a authoritative book on Hi Powers?
Last edited by HOUSTON RICK; 11-23-2019 at 08:59 PM.
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11-23-2019, 09:14 PM
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Pretty everything to post about Hi-Powers has already been posted. 1911forum.com has what's probably the best Hi-Power dedicated subforum on the web; you'll have fun running searches and getting lost there.
More importantly, Stephen Camp's work is the best online repository of Hi-Power knowledge on the web; enjoy.
Hi Powers and Handguns
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11-23-2019, 09:39 PM
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I'll play!
Top: Browning MK III
Center: FEG
Bottom: FM Detective Model
The Hi-Power is my absolute favorite 9mm. As much as I love the standard Hi-Power, I really love that shorter Detective model.
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11-23-2019, 09:47 PM
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Don't have a Hi-Power, but have read many of Camp's articles. Very good resource.
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11-23-2019, 10:10 PM
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Here's a few.
First three are Practical's:
9mm
9mm BDM (Browning Dual Mode) Can be set for DAO or SA/ Auto
40S&W
Second set are:
9mm FN Post War Thumbprint refinished in Nickel
9mm Browning all Belgium in factory Brushed Nickel
9mm Browning all Belgium in factory Silver Chrome
Last edited by lonestar57; 11-23-2019 at 10:11 PM.
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11-23-2019, 10:12 PM
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For a shooter, I prefer the recent production Mk III version. The drawbacks (to me) are those awful three-white-bar sights, which are just TERRIBLE , and the equally-awful trigger. I wish I could say removing the mag disconnect is all you need to do to tidy up the trigger. It’s not. I like Cylinder & Slide’s hammer. Never yet been pinched by mine, and looks great on the gun, IMO. I’m not a big fan of the Browning ambidextrous safety lock, which is shamefully ugly on an otherwise beautiful gun, but it works - I guess.
Last edited by M29since14; 11-23-2019 at 10:30 PM.
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11-23-2019, 10:25 PM
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I carried a MkIII in 40 from '94 to retirement for uniform duty and SRT. It was excellent - I still have and shoot it. The only modifications I did were to replace the hard plastic grips and remove the magazine disconnecter (this immediately improved the trigger pull). In 25 years and thousands of rounds I have yet to have a malfunction or replace a part.
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11-23-2019, 10:38 PM
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A great Gun.
The tang is a bit too short on Hi-Powers, resulting in hammier bite to the web of the shooting hand. This should have been known early in the Hi-Powers life yet the manufacturers never thought to fix it.
Some of the quality aftermarket magazines with a polished blue surface allow the magazine disconnect to move more smoothly with less friction. For some, a magazine change may obviate the need to remove the disconnect.
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11-23-2019, 10:40 PM
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I only have 1 pic of my 40 Practical, which I took in the case at the gun shop before I bought it. From the serial number, it is a 95 built gun. I took the pic, posted it here and asked if it was a decent deal and people replied saying why I hadn't picked it up already. Anyways, I went back the next day and bought it and I am glad I did . It's a dang nice gun and sweet to shoot.
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11-23-2019, 10:41 PM
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Here is a Belgian Browning that was customized by the late Austin Behlert, the legendary gunsmith and Hi Power specialist.
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11-23-2019, 10:47 PM
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Our LGS just imported 150 Browning High Powers. From what their gunsmith told me there quite a mix of them.
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11-23-2019, 10:47 PM
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I like milsurps so my only HP is a 1941 with the tangent sight. I think the graduations to 500 meters is pretty optimistic. No import marks so it could be a bring back.
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11-23-2019, 10:49 PM
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Absent Comrade
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Great Carry Gun
Despite being full-sized, the slimness through the slide makes this gun very comfortable to use with an IWB holster. On the negative side, an extended safety is needed if the gun is to be carried in Condition One.
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11-23-2019, 10:55 PM
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Decoding the FEG Hi Power is also a very good resource that covers the FEG made copies of the Hi Power.
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The FEG P9 is a very faithful copy of the pre Mk II Hi Power and has 100% parts compatibility.
The first generation P9M is a P9 with a 1911 style slide release an extended safety, and larger 3 dot sights. Other than the slide release and smaller cut in the slide, it has 100% parts compatibility with the Hi Power.
The second generation P9M uses a S&W locking system and while it looks like a Hi power it isn't and has very little parts compatibility.
Unfortunately KBI imported all of them as the PJK-9HP, so it gets confusing.
FEG made Hi Powers for both military and civilian contracts and produced them to the customer specifications with blued or parkerized finish, wood or plastic grips, round or spur hammer, and in the P9 or either P9M configuration. Their commercial pistols were almost always blued, but you'll otherwise find the widest variety in the commercial pistols as companies like KBI often were not picky about the specifics and FEG used whatever parts were on hand.
This is a commercial P9 made for KBI but it has the later P9M extended safety and larger 3 dot sights. The polish and blus is quite good and the over all quality is excellent. The FEG pistols all came with the Pre- Mk II humped feed ramp which can cause issues feeding some hollow points, but I've had excellent reliability with all four of the FEGs Hi Powers I have owned with both Hornady XTPs and Remington Golden Sabers.
I converted a P9M to the SFS Hi Power configuration to match my factory FN SFS Hi power. Other than having to fit the restyled DFS slide stop to the 1911 style slide cut, it was no different than fitting the SFS parts to any Browning Hi Power, requiring some minor hand fitting of the safety.
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FEG also made counterfeit Browning Hi Powers for sale to mid eastern nations under arms embargoes. These have browning roll marks but can be identified by their B series 5 digit serial numbers (an FEG format). The idea was that if these arms were captured FEG would have plausible deniability.
FEG also sold FEG marked Hi Powers directly to Israel and later supplied complete parts kits to Israel for assembly in Israel. This culminated in the the Israeli Kareen.
The Hi Powers that have been imported in the last few years from Israel include a mix of FN made Hi Powers, FEG made Hi Powers, Kareen Hi Powers and some FEG counterfeit Hi Powers that were probably captured by the Israelis. Condition of these imports however is generally poor.
KBI also imported parts from FEG with the final machining and assembly completed in the US, with KBI selling them under their Charles Daly brand. The first 500 or so were completed by Dan Wesson and and the remaining 2500 or so were completed by Magnum research. These are very well made Hi Powers. The Charles Daly Hi Powers were discontinued in January 2008 and at the time they sold for around $400, compared to around $600 for an FN/Browning Hi Power. At $400 KBI was losing money on them, and at much more than $400, customers were opting for a Browning or FN made Hi Power.
KBI closed its doors in January 2010, and FEG nearly went bankrupt around the same time and stopped producing the P9 and P9M at that time. With FEG out of the Hi power business, FN/Browning Hi Power prices started climbing - to the point they stopped selling them in large enough numbers to warrant production. Competition is a good thing.
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The Argentine FM (Fabrica Militar) Hi Power was made under license from FN from about 1970 to 1990 and this included final inspection by FN staff. These Argentine made Hi Powers are actual licenced made Hi Powers meeting FN acceptance standards.
However, when that agreement expired in 1990, FM started making a clone of the Hi Power, the FM 90 with some changes such as a more 1911 looking slide. FM also started making the FM 95, a compact version of the Hi Power in 1995. The fit and finish on the FM 90 and FM 95 isn't up to FN standards but they are still good shooters.
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There are a lot of FN and Browning made variants including wartime Nazi marked Hi Powers made by FN as a subsidiary of DWN, wartime Inglis made No 1, No 2 and No 2 Mk 1* Hi Powers for Chinese, Canadian and British contracts, later British L9A1 Hi Powers, a large number of FN Hi Powers made for various police and military contracts, many with their own serial number series, the commercial C and T series Hi Powers and the later MK II and the stronger cast frame MK III Hi Powers, the latter also available in .40 S&W with a heavier slide, and the SFS Hi Power, and in epoxy and various polished blue and nickel plated finishes.
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Now that FEG and FN have both discontinued the Hi Power, TISAS (Trabzon Silah Sanayi A.Ş) is now making a clone of the Hi Power called the BR9 Regent. It has MK III features such as the flat feed ramp, but an older style flat safety lever. It also has dovetailed 3 dot sights but appears to be using proprietary dovetails dimension rather than the Novak dovetails used on the Mk III.
I haven't shot one of these yet, but it's on the list. Bill Laughridge from Cylinder & Slide has had nice things to say about them and other than using a slightly larger sear pin and the sights, they appear to have full parts compatibility with the FN Hi Power and are reported to be very well made. They also have a stainless steel version, which is a first for the Hi Power.
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11-23-2019, 11:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jay72
Here is a Belgian Browning that was customized by the late Austin Behlert, the legendary gunsmith and Hi Power specialist.
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I have a S&W PPC revolver built by A.F.Behlert, very accurate. What Have I Got?
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Last edited by AJ; 11-23-2019 at 11:12 PM.
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11-23-2019, 11:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
The tang is a bit too short on Hi-Powers, resulting in hammier bite to the web of the shooting hand. This should have been known early in the Hi-Powers life yet the manufacturers never thought to fix it.
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Not enough folk in Europe with fat hands for it to be considered a problem. If my hands are getting mixed up with the moving parts of anything mechanical, I must be holding it wrong. This especially applies to small autos and Hi Powers.
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Last edited by LVSteve; 11-23-2019 at 11:12 PM.
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11-23-2019, 11:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
The tang is a bit too short on Hi-Powers, resulting in hammer bite to the web of the shooting hand. This should have been known early in the Hi-Powers life yet the manufacturers never thought to fix it.
Some of the quality aftermarket magazines with a polished blue surface allow the magazine disconnect to move more smoothly with less friction. For some, a magazine change may obviate the need to remove the disconnect.
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If you are getting bit with a ring hammer, you are most likely holding it with too high a grip. The high grip is a more recent development that became popular long after the Hi Power was designed, so blaming FN for it is a bit misplaced.
For some folks with large hands and a lot more than average flesh between thumb and index finger, the movement of the right thumb to operate the thumb safety is what results in the grip being too high.
Hammer bite with the Hi Power is also greatly exaggerated with the small minority that get bit apparently whining very loudly about it. The same shooters who get bit by a Hi Power more often than not also get bit by the 1911 and the PP series pistols. Generally, it occurs with shooters who have both large fleshy hands and a very high grip.
The commander style ring hammer solves the problem for most shooters. If you have a spur hammer, there are a few things you can do. You can bob it about 1/8", or you can hog out the "bottom" of the hammer like Novak and Wickman both do, you you can get a no bite hammer from Cylinder and Slide. The SFS hammer is also a no bite hammer and adds an ambidextrous safety.
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But the bottom line is that for most shooters, the Hi Power offers one of the most ergonomic grips available on a double stack 9mm, especially when it has a set of Craig Spegel profile grips. Once you start adding over sized beaver tails, etc to "fix" the hammer bite, you start messing with those ergonomics. FN understood that.
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11-24-2019, 12:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LVSteve
Not enough folk in Europe with fat hands for it to be considered a problem. If my hands are getting mixed up with the moving parts of anything mechanical, I must be holding it wrong. This especially applies to small autos and Hi Powers.
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Mine has the hammer with a spur not the rowel type. It doesn't bite.
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11-24-2019, 12:13 AM
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Mine. With original zippered case and manual. Purchased NIB in 1972. Had fixed sights. I added Millet adjustable sights many years ago.
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11-24-2019, 01:03 AM
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SWCA Member Absent Comrade
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HOUSTON RICK
.... What, in your opinion, is the best (shooter and collectible) Hi Power and why? I think that I would like a Mauser with Wermacht markings (someday). but that is a completely uninformed wish...
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Just a note about this in case you weren‘t aware:
There are no Mauser Hi-Powers with Wehrmacht markings. All Nazi-marked Hi-Powers were made at FN in Belgium under the occupation. The Mauser-branded Hi-Powers that appeared much later were actually made by FEG (see BB57‘s excellent explanation).
Last edited by Absalom; 11-24-2019 at 01:06 AM.
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11-24-2019, 01:23 AM
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IIRC...1980 vintage.
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11-24-2019, 01:42 AM
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Here is mine. Parts from Belgium, assembled in Portugal.
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11-24-2019, 01:55 AM
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I've got two HPs left. One is a pristine Practical and the other is an Israeli surplus I picked up from that fella Tenn. who's warehouse burned down.
I had my smith do a complete trigger job (now around 3 lbs) and duracote it. It's one of my favorite guns.
Oh, Steven Camp's remedy for hammer bit: grind off a bit of the hammer. I had my guy do it before the duracote and it's a very well-behaved hammer now.
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11-24-2019, 03:27 AM
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I have a Belgium and an FEG. It is surprising how well the FEG is made and finished. My photo skills suck they look better in person. The round hammer spur on the FEG helps with bite.
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11-24-2019, 04:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
Despite being full-sized, the slimness through the slide makes this gun very comfortable to use with an IWB holster. On the negative side, an extended safety is needed if the gun is to be carried in Condition One.
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I carried mine daily on and off duty for most of a decade in Condition One using the factory ambidextrous safety. No incidents of any kind.
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11-24-2019, 07:30 AM
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I currently have two FN M35's, a matte T-series from 1968 and a Belgian made gun from 1988. I enjoy shooting them and find both easy to shoot well. I could not find differences in quality, or accuracy, in between the 1962 and 1988 vintage guns.
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11-24-2019, 09:11 AM
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1967 "T" series I've owned for many years.
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11-24-2019, 09:33 AM
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I've got two of the Mk IIIs; a matt and a bright blue.....................
1. The ambi-safety on the Mk III is a great improvement
2. Add a Millet ramp front sight to both..... the one that was standard with the Practical it has a large white stripe...... great for flash sight pictures with 60+ year old eyes.
3. Spegel Grips....... Hogues are good also
4. Got a few Mec-gar 15rd flush fit mags. just in case!
If I still carried cocked and locked it would be one of these............
I've had two FEGs in the past..... wish I'd kept them. IIRC KBI was in Harrisburg Pa. so they were not uncommon in LGSs in the area (live there for about 10 years) Nice guns, most local gunsmiths spoke well of them but they weren't "Browning HP" so somewhat looked down on by BHP owners at the range!
Last edited by BAM-BAM; 11-24-2019 at 09:37 AM.
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11-24-2019, 10:18 AM
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The only "Hi-Power" I currently own. An Argentine FM-90, late production, 3-dot sights, factory hard chrome finish. It seems to be accurate enough and reliable.
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11-24-2019, 10:25 AM
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One of each! favorite?...depends
Love the BHP. Mine is a 1988 serial number, made in Belgium, assembled in Portugal. Nice gun...a specific very accurate favorite of mine for bucoo years. Usually made every range trip, even when big bores were what we were shooting.
Then last year I stumbled into a like new, in box, S & W Model 39-2 and lo and behold...same ammo, same range, same day, just had to put one against the other and range results pics below.
My favorite? Very, very, hard to tell right now. Probably still the BHP because of capacity (13 rounds vs 8), but that Smith is a sweetheart too. In any event I just had to take on a third range bag so both could accompany bigger and smaller bore brothers and sisters.
Collectibles? I don't really know.
Accumulators? definitely BOTH...grab onto them and you'll see .
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11-24-2019, 11:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biku324
I carried mine daily on and off duty for most of a decade in Condition One using the factory ambidextrous safety. No incidents of any kind.
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Like most things firearms, it'll work for some and not for others.
I cannot and will not carry a Hi-Power with the ambi-safety because deactivating it on draw pinches the holy heck out of my trigger finger.
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11-24-2019, 11:57 AM
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False Assumptions and Fat Hands
Apparently, my comment on hammer bite led some to assume that the problem is limited to corpulent shooters. I have average-sized and non-fleshy hands, yet, more correctly, I sometimes get pinched, rather than bitten, between the shank of the hammer and the tang. I estimate that a tang perhaps one eighth inch longer would have solved the issue for both large and average-sized shooters. The excellent ergonomics of the Hi-Power is such that the handgun will seat itself with the tang resting on the web of the hand during multiple shots.
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11-24-2019, 12:16 PM
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Here's my Mk II that is my daily carry. I got lucky with it; it had trigger work done before I got it. I picked it up literally a couple of days before FN ceased production and prices skyrocketed.
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11-24-2019, 12:20 PM
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This FEG Hi-Power has been sitting in a local gun shop for 4-5 months. I think it's a '86 model which would be first year production. I've been reluctant to get it out and look at it. They have a bad habit of coming home with me after I get my fingerprints on them.
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11-24-2019, 12:21 PM
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Me too, Federali. No one has ever accused me of having fleshy hands, though I have to admit mine are getting to look rather old. Try the Cylinder & Slide hammer if you are being “victimized” by the BHP. It’s cured the problem for me. Of course if one takes an extra firm grip and holds the gun low like a “timid little youngster,” he may not need it. Your comment about the BHP seating itself into the web of one’s hand seems correct to me. I think that is what makes the design of the grip seem so natural and comfortable.
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11-24-2019, 12:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
Apparently, my comment on hammer bite led some to assume that the problem is limited to corpulent shooters. I have average-sized and non-fleshy hands, yet, more correctly, I sometimes get pinched, rather than bitten, between the shank of the hammer and the tang. I estimate that a tang perhaps one eighth inch longer would have solved the issue for both large and average-sized shooters. The excellent ergonomics of the Hi-Power is such that the handgun will seat itself with the tang resting on the web of the hand during multiple shots.
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Well, I'm 6'2" and 235 lbs and have never been touched by my stock hammer in 25 years and thousands of rounds.
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11-24-2019, 12:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
Apparently, my comment on hammer bite led some to assume that the problem is limited to corpulent shooters. I have average-sized and non-fleshy hands, yet, more correctly, I sometimes get pinched, rather than bitten, between the shank of the hammer and the tang. I estimate that a tang perhaps one eighth inch longer would have solved the issue for both large and average-sized shooters. The excellent ergonomics of the Hi-Power is such that the handgun will seat itself with the tang resting on the web of the hand during multiple shots.
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I have smallish hands, between a small and medium glove size. Definitely not fleshy. The one time I fired a Hi-Power, I was left with a little red welt on my hand from the hammer spur.
This is going to be an individual thing. Some people will get bit, some people won't.
For those that don't get bit, congratulations...
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11-24-2019, 12:48 PM
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I'm 5-9 and 185 with M-L hands and have never been touched by the ring hammer on my MKIII. The dished out white bar sights are great in dim light but not that great in the day time but I could "black them out" and they would be fine but I'll probably just leave them as is. The guns trigger is light and crisp enough but gritty, not too hard to fix but getting the hammer in and out is tricky if you don't have three hands.
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11-24-2019, 12:57 PM
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Best I can do is this first year (1969) C series.
Hasn't bit me yet. Just lucky I guess....
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11-24-2019, 12:58 PM
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Here is one of mine....
WWII WaA140 vet bring-back (stock is for an Inglis I own).
I am a fan of the BHP (and 1911 / 1911A1 for that matter).
I have no problem shooting a BHP. I get a nip on a rare occasion, but no blood. A 1911 can present more of an issue for me.
HiPowerLeftSide.jpg
browningwithstock.jpg
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11-24-2019, 01:02 PM
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The first two shown here were made by the John Inglis company in Canada during WWII. The Germans overran the FN plant in Belgium and some of the FN people who escaped assisted Inglis in setting up their machinery to manufacture the High Power.
This is an Inglis Type 1 (with adjustable sights), made in August of 1945. The shoulder stock/holster is stamped 1945.
(click for larger picture)
This is an Inglis Type 2, made in December, 1944. It has fixed sights and was arsenal reconditioned in 1962 with a painted finish. The marking is "F.T.R. 62" for Factory Thorough Repair - 1962.
This is an FEG clone of the High Power that I customized to my tastes.
(click for larger picture)
John
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Last edited by PALADIN85020; 11-28-2019 at 11:43 AM.
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11-24-2019, 01:15 PM
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Argentine Hi-Powers
While visiting my son in Salta, Argentina, I notice that virtually all male police officers were carrying Hi-Powers (hammer down) although I couldn't identify the specific manufacturer. Years of use and rain, rendered the guns rather gritty-looking but I would not have refinished it had I been able to legally procure one. Female officers, on the other hand, carried what appeared to be a SIG 228 or something very similar. I did not see any female officers with Hi-Powers.
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11-24-2019, 01:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Absalom
Just a note about this in case you weren‘t aware:
There are no Mauser Hi-Powers with Wehrmacht markings. All Nazi-marked Hi-Powers were made at FN in Belgium under the occupation. The Mauser-branded Hi-Powers that appeared much later were actually made by FEG (see BB57‘s excellent explanation).
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As I said, my views on Hi Powers are/were uninformed. Thank you for expanding my awareness.
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11-24-2019, 02:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
While visiting my son in Salta, Argentina, I notice that virtually all male police officers were carrying Hi-Powers (hammer down) although I couldn't identify the specific manufacturer. Years of use and rain, rendered the guns rather gritty-looking but I would not have refinished it had I been able to legally procure one. Female officers, on the other hand, carried what appeared to be a SIG 228 or something very similar. I did not see any female officers with Hi-Powers.
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Interesting and odd...................................
Maybe a single stack 225?
IIRC Wasn't there a South American made HP clone....... alloy frame? and a short slide "Detective" model ????????
Edit: See posts # 3 and 29 above.
Last edited by BAM-BAM; 11-24-2019 at 02:14 PM.
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11-24-2019, 02:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 22lrfan
This FEG Hi-Power has been sitting in a local gun shop for 4-5 months. I think it's a '86 model which would be first year production. I've been reluctant to get it out and look at it. They have a bad habit of coming home with me after I get my fingerprints on them.
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I bet if you went there with 3 Benjamins he would get the paperwork going for ya right away.
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11-24-2019, 02:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andyd
I currently have two FN M35's, a matte T-series from 1968 and a Belgian made gun from 1988. I enjoy shooting them and find both easy to shoot well. I could not find differences in quality, or accuracy, in between the 1962 and 1988 vintage guns.
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What is a M35? In all my years they have been refered to as P35's. Is yours different?
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11-24-2019, 03:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike, SC Hunter
What is a M35? In all my years they have been refered to as P35's. Is yours different?
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The nomenclature for the pistol that started its official career as the “FN Model 1935” (there had been other developmental names earlier) is all over the map. P35 is as right or wrong as M35; either one may or may not have been the designation used in one of the dozens of countries that adopted it. The Germans during the war called it Pistole 640(b).
Even the trade name isn’t spelled consistently across the literature. Since I started reading gun-related stuff in the early 70s, I’ve usually seen it spelled as the FN Hi-Power, with or without hyphen, and not just in English, but Anthony Vanderlinden, the foremost FN historian, always spells it High Power.
From Vanderlinden's book:
Last edited by Absalom; 11-24-2019 at 04:19 PM.
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11-24-2019, 05:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by federali
While visiting my son in Salta, Argentina, I notice that virtually all male police officers were carrying Hi-Powers (hammer down) although I couldn't identify the specific manufacturer. Female officers, on the other hand, carried what appeared to be a SIG 228 or something very similar. I did not see any female officers with Hi-Powers.
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Of course not. Women don't carry Hi-Powers. Too much metal-to-fingernail contact with a single-action auto. Might chip the nail polish. Not good. How can you be a fashion icon with chipped nails??
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11-24-2019, 07:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Absalom
The nomenclature for the pistol that started its official career as the “FN Model 1935” (there had been other developmental names earlier) is all over the map. P35 is as right or wrong as M35; either one may or may not have been the designation used in one of the dozens of countries that adopted it. The Germans during the war called it Pistole 640(b).
Even the trade name isn’t spelled consistently across the literature. Since I started reading gun-related stuff in the early 70s, I’ve usually seen it spelled as the FN Hi-Power, with or without hyphen, and not just in English, but Anthony Vanderlinden, the foremost FN historian, always spells it High Power.
From Vanderlinden's book:
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GP 35, short for "Grande Puissance" is also used fairly regularly. I've heard it translated as both "Great Power" and "Major Power" but I think the correct translation is probably the literal translation of "High Power" for obvious reasons.
The "grande puissance" term was a carry over from the 1921 French request to FN for the development of a new service pistol that they called the "Grand Rendement", French for "High Yield", or alternatively "Grande Puissance". This request led to the Browning designed Model 1922, Model 1923, and Model 1924. In 1928, two years after Browning's death in 1926 and after the expiration of many of the Colt 1911 patents in 1926, Dieudonne Saive redesigned the pistol using a blend of Model 1924 and COlt 1911 features and eventually developed the design into the Hi Power in 1934, which entered production in 1935.
The French military, being French, did not adopt it and instead adopted the Modèle (Mle.) 1935A designed by Charles Petter, a Swiss engineer working for the French company Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (SACM). However, despite losing the French military competition to the Mle 1935A, the GP35 designation still stuck to the Hi Power in French use.
The Mle. 1935A was chambered in 7.65x20 / 7.65 MAS, and much like FN and the Hi Power, SACM also produced the Mle 1935A as the Pistole 625 (f) for the Germans after the Germans acquired the SACM factory.
As an aside, in 1937 a license to produce the SACM Mle 1935A was acquired by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) who used it as the basis for the Model 47/8 which became the SIG P210.
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11-24-2019, 09:24 PM
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Here is one of the Austrian Gendarmerie P-35's that were imported around 20 years ago. It came with 2 matching mags and the front gripstrap is marked with a property number and region where it was issued. This one was from Salzburg and carries a 1955 proof code.
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