I have wanted a Browning Hi Power for some time and I have held off because the time vs. money equation is never quite right.

The other day I see a set of Spegel inspired Uncle Mike's grips on EBAY and for some reason had to have them.

Probably over paid but some day when I find that Browning and the time is right I will be ready with the grips!

Does anyone here have any experience with the custom Brownings, IE: Novaks, Robar, etc.... and what are your impressions?

Is it worth the cash to send one off to have reworked?

Thanks

The Spegel designed Uncle Mike's are the best grips for a Hi-Power.

Sounds like you are off to a good start.

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Only a cold warrior

I have had several BHPs and love them EXCEPT the short tang allows a very painful hammer bite on the web of my right hand..OUCH !! Just thought that you ought to be aware of this design shortcoming...

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NRA PATRIOT BENEFACTOR LIFE

The bite varies from person to person. I have High Powers with both hammer types, large hands, and have never been bitten.

You will find the right one for you. They are absolutely wonderful pistols. If you can afford to have one customized for you I would certainly do it. I have owned a couple of them over the years and still have a nice custom that has had the action done, S&W sights mounted and milled into the frame and custom grips. there are several renowned pistol smiths out there that specialize in doing custom work on HP's. Any number of us here on the forum can point you in the direction you would like to go once you find your base gun.

I once overpaid for an obviously classic floral tooled holster from a famous American saddle maker. None of my guns fit it. So the obvious solution was to walk into the local over-priced-but-got-everything LGS and drop the holster on the counter and say..."find me a gun that fits this".

Turns out it fit a Colt OP.

You might check with Nighthawk Custom in Berryville , Arkansas when you find the BHP you want to have work done on.

They put Heine slant pro rear and a gold bead front on one of mine. Excellent plus work and customer service for what seemed a very reasonable price.

Get ready to fall in Love with that gun.

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LEX ET ORDO

Those Spegel grips aren't worth very much, but if you want to send them to me I'll reimburse the postage.

Browning Hi Power is one of my all time favorite, got to have one pistols. Got my first one in Vietnam (Belgian FN production) from a NVA officer who had no further need for it, brought it home as a registered "war trophy", and carried it as an off-duty piece and plain-clothes duty pistol through most of the 1970's. That one was stolen in a burglary of my home and never recovered. I later acquired a more recent Mk III (Made in Belgium, Assembled in Portugal), just as reliable, just as accurate, and it has better high-profile sights and ambi-safety (although I don't like the phosphate finish as much as the old FN high-polish blue). It also has the spur hammer, which is preferable to the ring-style hammer for those of us who use a high grip on the pistol (hammer bite, as others have described).

I still take it to the range a few times per year, and occasionally carry it. Great pistol overall. I have thought about having it gone through, trigger job, mag safety removal, etc. But it just continues to work perfectly, so why mess with perfection? Feeds and functions perfectly with any ammo from cheap surplus to premium SD ammo, including any reloads from 9mm-specific bullets to .357" semi-wadcutters up to 145 grains. My usual carry ammo is old stock Speer 124-grain Gold Dot +P, which I caught a deal on 10 boxes about 10 years ago.

So, a 50-year love affair with the Hi Power, and the only reason I don't carry it more often is my prejudice in favor of the full-size 1911 in .45ACP.

They grow on you. I believe the center grips are what you are referring to. Get yourself one because they won’t be getting any cheaper.....

Well, if it means anything, I bought a set of grips a year ago for a gun I have not bought yet.

As for the Browning HP, I have never had a bite from mine, but then again, it has not been fired in 45 years. Cost 94.00 brand new in 1971. I have Hogue rosewood panels on mine that I recently got as NOS.

They are beautiful guns!

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Custom gunsmith pistol work is not cheap and I would guess the average cost for trigger, sights, safety, and accuracy work is over a thousand bucks and can go much higher quickly with refinishing, checkering the front strap, new barrel, etc. I bought a used 1994 MKIII about a year ago for $440 with 4 magazines and I put some $30 checkered walnut grips on the gun and it could use a little trigger work but doesn't need anything else. It's very accurate and reliable.

There was a T-series shooter for sale on this very forum recently for an amazing price. That would be a great choice. Factor in the cost of mags and a hammer and trigger (they have all bitten me so I get the C&S no-bite hammer and their trigger is nice):
For less than $800 you have a great gun.
The Tisas guns are good if you get the right parts in them. Specifically a hard sear, a firing pin retainer, and a good extractor. Put those in a Tisas Regent and you have a winner. The Spegel grips are in fact the best and even the rubber ones cost a bloody fortune.

326MOD10, Down to three now, a GP, T-Series, and MK III, but I've had a variety of Hi Powers since the '60s. They were all quality guns, even a ratty old INGLIS I once had. Wish I'd kept them all, I'd have quite an accumulation by now. I've had custom work on some, and used S&W, Novak and Heinie sights on this or that Hi Power along the way. My favorites were the S&W adjustables. Were I buying a HI Power to actually shoot now days, as opposed to just collect and admire, I'd choose one of the MK III versions. I've owned both cast and forged frame MKIIIs. The cast are said to be more robust, but my personal preference is still the forged frame guns. I have a couple of sets of the Spegel grips mentioned. They are excellent in all respects IMHO. I also have Navidrex, Hogue and Nill. All good options.

I know I am biased about Hi Powers, but I suspect you would not regret owning one....

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NRA Life, COTEP 640