I was surfing the Interwebs today looking for that ever-elusive great "deal" on a Browning Hi-Power 9mm when it suddenly occurred to me that there isn't a single Tisas Regent BR9 Hi-Power clone left for sale, new or used, in the entire country.

What gives on that? Were those Hi-Power clones discontinued and nobody told me? Or are they just sold out everywhere because of the Great Firearms & Ammo Run of 2020?

Anybody know?

Browning quit making them about a year ago and prices are sky rocketing, better buy an original while they are still affordable they are worth it. I've heard the Tisas are a pretty good clone and almost got one but I found a MKIII 9m/m HP at a great price.

I would assume the international supply chain and the plague gun run have doubled down on the inability to find one... just a theory on my part and based on no market knowledge... just glad I found 2 BHPs last fall and winter...

Word spreads fast, and Tisas came out with a high quality clone of the BHP at extremely low prices right around the same time that Browning discontinued the Hi-Power, so they've been in high demand and short supply ever since.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

1972......$114.00......New in it's case........Still have it.

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S&W Accumulator

Mike, I'll Zelle you $342 right NOW, and you've tripled your investment!
NICE.

Yeah, I think Forte flat nailed-it. Almost like the Turks had insider information from Belgium, LOL. I have only seen one in the wild, a stainless one at a show last year. I know the dealer wanted aruond $600 for it, or thereabouts.

I had a stainless Tisas--it never extracted empties properly despite trying different ammo, polishing the chamber, changing the recoil spring and fitting a new extractor. I sold it to a friend who has a lot of HP parts and so far he hasn't gotten 100% reliability either.

Looks and feels great but it doesn't run (as far as I'm concerned). The 4 genuine Brownings I've owned and shot all ran 100% out of the box and all of them could hit a golf ball sized target at 50 feet if the shooter did his or her part (btw, golf balls make dangerous targets that can come back and bean you, so I don't recommend them).

Buy the original and be happy.

Wasn't the Arcus 94 some kind of semi Hi Power clone? They uglied it up with a horrible beavertail IIRC.

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Release the Kraken

Jc2721 I have a stainless tisas that has ran everything I have put in it . From 115 to 147 gr ball or hollowpoint. I even took it to Indiana and had BHPsprings put their sfs system in it.I have had a little experience with hi powers since 1976 when I got my first.This runs as well as any I have had.I am sorry you got a lemon but it could happen with any brand

I also have one along with 3 hipowers and I find them as equal to the hipower. The turks have a war going on over there, that info came from cylinder&slide when I was on the phone with them about some browning parts.

Yes, the Arcus 94 is based on the Hi-Power. The Arcus 94 had a funky looking, hooked trigger guard, and either had no beaver tail at all, or a weird, downward sloped beaver tail. All of them seemed to have blocky looking slides. Things like that can make holster selection a problem.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

The Tisas get mostly favorable reviews over on the HP forum. However, If I were looking for another HP, I'd search for a nice example of the Argentine HP; an exact clone of the Belgian, and the only "real" HP manufactured outside of Belgium. Made by Fabricaciones Militares, under license and supervision by the Belgians.

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John

The "Tisas" importer is LKCI,LTD of Newark, Ohio. When these were first reviewed, I attempted contact. Phone has never been answered nor e-mail returned. I had a local shop attempt to secure one though his distributors ,,,No Joy! I have yet to see one at any Ohio show. I would guess a supply chain issue. BUT,,,, they still have fine reviews

I wouldn't call the Tisas a "high quality clone". I have a stainless one, and I have turned it into a decent pistol, but I replaced almost everything except for the slide and frame, and even the frame needed a slight modification with a file.

I knew, going in, what I wanted, and decided that a stainless HP was worth the cost and effort. However, I would never, in a million years, be able to get out of it monetarily what I have put into it. I did so some upgrades that weren't absolutely needed for function such as the SFS and C&S trigger, but items like the firing pin stop and extractor are junk on these pistols as they come from Turkey. That, and the small safety and horrible looking grips.

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Only a cold warrior

Yes and no. I think their license expired in 1989 and FM continued to produce slightly modified Hi-Power style pistols. The FM-90 used a cast steel receiver, which is actually a good thing, and the slide eliminates the lightening cuts found on real Hi-Powers and the FM Hi-Powers produced under license. The FM-95 had better sights and I think a firing pin safety, but the metal quality of the FM-95's has been called into question. So if looking for a FM, best bet is one that looks like the classic Hi-Power.


By the way, I have a late production, hard chrome finished FM-90. It's ok and most parts are compatible with a Hi-Power.

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Back in those days all I shot in it was Super-Vel and my reloads. Was amazed at the time that the 112 gr 9mm Super-Vel would bust an 8x8x16 concrete block.

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S&W Accumulator

I'm pretty sure that Tisas is now imported exclusively by SDS Imports, but that may only be for their 1911s, so don't quote me on that.

Keep in mind that often times the importers of foreign firearms by manufacturers who lack a domestic presence change hands frequently over the years. I remember that at one point Tisis was being imported by Zenith, then Century Arms International, and I think that they may have been imported by European-American Arms at one point as well, so it's possible that LKCI may no longer be the importer of the Tisas BR9. In addition, sometimes these importers go out of business, so it's also a distinct possibility that is why you cannot reach them by phone.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

My BR9 is better build quality than my Browning T-series.

The Arcus looks like a cross between a Browning HP and the Browning BDA pistol. That larger trigger guard looks like it was intended for gloved hands.
Bought my Browning HP for $110 in 1967.

I swapped a $57 Chief's Special for a T-series Hi-Power and a 50 round box of 9mm ammo in 1967. Immediately went out and bought another $57 Chief.

I got a stainless Tisas earlier this year and it shoots great w/ zero malfunctions so far... Quality seems good to me, nice fit and finish.

I’ve had three Browning Hi Powers, still have two of them. I suppose there’s nothing like the original, but I like the platform and I like that I can just use the SS Tisas as a shooter and not have to worry about it. All I’ve done with it is replace the grips with a set of Cocobolo Hogue panels (real nice, and a good value...). The trigger is probably better than my Browning’s, but like any Hi Power, it would be better with some work. I really like the sights, definitely a big improvement over my T Series. The safety is small, but that’s a Hi Power thing.

Overall, I think these are a very good deal (I think I paid $600 OTD, maybe a little less...?), and having a stainless Hi Power is pretty awesome. This all said, I’ve thought about selling it because I’ve got too many guns and don’t have time to shoot these days...

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NRA Life Member

The Turks might have a war going on but they're exporting a lot of nice guns. Jus' sayin'....

But, to respond to the subject at hand, you might also try an Israeli Kareen. They're pretty nice guns, as you might expect. A little rough from wear but that just adds to the mystique.

I haven't checked to see what the supply is, however........

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Come and take it!!

I use to own a Browning Hi Power (Belgium made) years back. It was an exceptionally well made, accurate and reliable pistol however I sold it here on the Forum about 11 years ago. What I did not like about it was the fact that for the round it fires (9mm) it is too large and heavy a pistol - at least for CCW, IMHO. I believe that a 9mm is basically a SD/EDC gun and should be more appropriately sized like they make them now. It's a shame too because the Belgium made guns were simply gorg! Not familiar with the copy.

I have 2 BR9s, a MY 18 and a MY 20, and have found both to be completely reliable out of the box.

With the Arcus it is also a model thing.
The model 94C ( C for compact )is a little blocky on the outside but is straight up single action HP on the inside with parts fitting with little touchup.
The square trigger guard and beaver tail are subject to taste but , the hammer has NEVER bit me.
These are my drag around ,beater , fearless to carry , never a hiccup packin guns.



The Arcus 98DA/DAC is the double action and looks a little like a BDA.

I picked up an Inglis No 2 Mk 1 from my local dealer a few years ago. He did not know what it was and was "not a happy camper" when I showed him the illustration on the front cover of a book that he was selling on his rack with the same pistol but 10 serial numbers different. My FFL 03 made the purchase rather easy! This is used at times alongside my Browning HP in 0.40 S&W, one of the last ones made. I also have 2 BDM's which were designed to supercede the HP but ran up against the Clinton HiCap ban, though I do have the 15 round mags for these. Dave_n

I'm a serious Hi-Power junky having owned and carried them on and off for 25 or more years.
I picked up a Regent BR9 SS that came into the shop where I work in January. It had already had the magazine safety removed, but was in like new condition, virtually un-fired. I did do a quick feed-ramp and throat polish, and installed a Wolff extra power firing pin spring and 18.5 pound recoil spring, as well as adding a set of Herrett's cocobolo grips.
It has a wonderful 4.5 pound trigger pull and has been utterly reliable and a joy to shoot, to the point of becoming my EDC pistol.
I tore that gun down to the last pin to really get a look at how it was made and am quite impressed with the internal machining, slide to frame fit, and overall fit and finish as well as the quality of the small parts. It passes the "click test" (look it up) perfectly and frankly is the equal or better of any FN Hi Power I've ever handled or worked on.
If the metallurgy of these guns is as good as the build quality I predict that I'll be shooting this one for a good long time.
I'm impressed. And when it comes to guns and me, that's a tall order.

I should add that, in looking at my MY 18 and MY 20 Regent BR 9s, to the extent that "internet experts" claimed when the BR 9 was first released that modifications to the frame and barrel were necessary to make them feed reliably, those modifications have been made by the manufacturer to the MY 20.

Again, both my MY 18 and MY 20 have been reliable with all brands of ammo and bullet profiles.

I am guessing that means M-odel Y-ear(made-in), 2018 and 2020?
If so, how did you determine the date? Is the box-label so marked?
Thanks.

Most, if not all, of the Turkish pistols I've handled have the year of production as the first two numbers of the serial number. Tisas does this with the Regents I've seen (mine is an '18) and I see that Canik does this on their TP9s, and Stoeger on their STR-9s, as well.

Yes, the Model Year is in the serial number stamped on the gun. As others have pointed out, many manufacturers put the model number in the serial number. Others, such as CZ, stamp it on separately.

T-Series on top, BR9 on bottom.
Mags are 20 round Beretta FS92 modified to fit.

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Sold, per forum rules. I'll pm you.

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And just because people like pictures:

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Only a cold warrior

Sistema1927
I have identical tisas hp.I took mine to BHPsprings and had the SFS installed.It is now my favorite carry Hi Power.

I have two Brownings and an FN, and I still wish I'd picked up a Tisas when they first hit. I also wish I'd picked up a FEG while they were still cheap.

Last weekend, I saw a basic production SD9 sell for $600, very little else will surprise me.

A few years ago I bought a gently used BHP (made in 1990), complete with ring hammer and magazine safety removed. About a year before they were discontinued I bought a new BHP (for once I times things right) and it’s still NIB. I’ve got an adult daughter who will appreciate it when the time’s right.