The Browning Hi Power...

Have owned three over the years; a Browning, a Feg, and one of the new Springfields. The Feg has been a project over the years, been tweaked a few times. Once I got the Springer I sold the Browning. The Browning was a MkIII of not great distinction. The Springer was better is every way; tighter, better trigger, more accurate.

I like the platform but its a bit of an acquired taste. A lot of folks jump into them not understanding their quirks. The trigger is just adequate, there are typically more accurate pistols out there, the mushy safety, the mag safety, hammer bite, etc. But there is a certain air about them.
 
I've owned a number of them over the years but never ended up keeping any other than a few military issue guns (Canadian Inglis and Nazi marked FN guns) for my collection. Good guns, but just not my cup of tea for carry or target use.
 
The HP is still one of the best feeling and pointing handguns out there for my hand and its approaching 100 years old. I like everything about my MK III and I installed Herrets checkered grips and a ring hammer and have no problem with bite. Trigger is a little gritty like many guns from the 1980s but decent for a combat weapon and I could have it tuned, but I own many other guns with sweet triggers if I need one. It's one of the top classic handguns of all time!
 
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Same day in early 1970s got Brn HP, S&W 39 & Colt Commander 9mm
The HP was most accurate shot of rest, the trigger was not bad, sights were tiny and hard to see.
The 39 was easiest to shoot accurately, best sights and trigger about same as HP.
The Colt was lowest score of three in all departments except function. It would shot and cycle anything we put in it. Poor sights and worst trigger.
I now have the Comp model HP. Trigger is Target grade as accuracy. The most accurate 9mm I’ve ever shot. Have shot a SIG 210 yet but I doubt at my age if I could use any advantage it might give.
 
I wanted one from the days of my misspent youth when I learned about them in the movie "Serpico". Some years ago I had the opportunity to acquire this one and I like it - it's way too big for me to carry but it is fun to shoot and I started my point shooting training with it some years ago - and I surprised myself on my inherent ability so I continue to practice that skill.

I changed the stocks; I really like these:

iscs-yoda-albums-pistols-all-brands-picture21448-browning-hp-portugal-assembly-custom-grips.jpg
 
I have a couple of Israeli police Hi-Powers a Kareen and a FN MKIIIS. I have a Argentine, FM I picked up years ago, I also have a variation called the Arcus 94 - it's a Hi-Power but odd looking - feels good in the hand, though!.

Hi-powers are the one of the few that I don't change to thicker grips. They're good shooters once you get used to the trigger and the safety.
 
A Practical model with Spegel grips, it appears some scalawag has removed the magazine safety. ;-) And a Girsan Match (I think that's they call it, I can't keep up with all the acronyms and numbers these days) that shoots about as good as the Browning, but I still prefer the real deal, probably psychological. I love Hi Powers, but I wish their grip frames were about one-half inch longer - big hands problem.

 
Bought mine in 1967-my first handgun, still have it. Only flaw in the HP design is that since JMB and Dieudonne Saive designed it around the 9MMP it can't be chambered in 45ACP w/o a major re-design and tooling.
Bought the Ciener unit for mine, fired it more w/that than w/centerfire.
 
I have always had a soft spot for the BHP - Even though they bite the webb of my shooting hand. They feel a lot like a CZ-75 to me, which is to say, very good in the hand. I have two now, a "real" BHP, and an FEG clone, which is just as well, or better finished than an earlier blued BHP I once owned.

Larry

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I have three left, having sold two back when I did a herd thinning several years ago. A new Springfield picked up recently, a Browning badged example with holster wear and a late '40s war horse than has been there and done that written all over the wear patterns. I keep the last one to have something to tinker with. It has had ejection issues since I got it, but it was only $275 so I don't mind working on it.




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I'm one of the few who does not see the Siren like allure of the HP. My FEG rattlebox shoots quite well given how far the slide moves as you squeeze the trigger. Yeah, it's that loose. HP users I knew in the in the UK were not convinced about their long term durability.
 
FEG's do have some slop in the slide when you pull the trigger, but my two Brownings don't at all. I do wish they had the trigger of a 1911, but other than that I like the overall improvement.
69 "T" series and my ~80's MkIII
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69 T again
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I read the SAS only fired hot smg ammo in their hp's and it wore them out much quicker than regular ammo would have.

LVSteve said:
I'm one of the few who does not see the Siren like allure of the HP. My FEG rattlebox shoots quite well given how far the slide moves as you squeeze the trigger. Yeah, it's that loose. HP users I knew in the in the UK were not convinced about their long term durability.
Click to expand...
 
I have a 1982 model. I'm not a fan of SAO pistols, and it's the only one I have, but I can't bring myself to sell it. It's beautiful and accurate, and the trigger pull is actually pretty nice, even with the magazine disconnect intact.
 

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Years ago I visited Dances Sporting Goods in Petersburg Virginia, as I often did when I was in the area for business. In the used gun case was one of the ugliest firearms I’ve ever seen. It looked like a Browning Hi Power but it had an internal extractor like a 1911 and said “Inglis” on it. I told the guy it looked like some crappy copy of a Hi Power. Upon getting home I started researching with this Internet thingy and learned all about Inglis Hi Powers made during WWII.

A day or 2 later I wandered back to Dance’s and offered them $300 cash for that crusty junk and they said “OK”
thetinman-albums-miscellaneous-picture27278-inglis-hi-power-1944-a.jpeg


It might not be worth more than $300 today but I love it! The frame was made in 1944. It has matching serial numbers on the frame, slide and barrel - only in 3 completely different fonts and the barrel looks like another number was ground flat before this one was stamped. The slide and frame both say “FTR 63” with a cartouche someone kindly identified as an armory in England. My guess is that is when the slide, barrel and frame came together and got painted black. Yes, it is thick, cruddy black paint. Who knows why? But it runs like a top.

If only guns could talk…
 
I have an Argentine FM Detective, not a fan of magazine safeties so I pulled it out. Haven't fired it in years but it shot well with whatever I ran through it. My only complaint is that it's a real pain in the butt to load the mag's. I can't get more than 6 or 8 rounds in the mag before I have to use the loader to top it off.

I dug out the second HP clone I have, it's an FEG, beautiful firearm, haven't fired it yet.
 
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