Over the years, I have heard and read that removing the magazine disconnect on your Browning High-Power will greatly improve the trigger pull. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this and if it is something I could do myself or will it require a gunsmith visit.
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Browning High-Power Magazine Disconnect
- Thread starter erikpolcrack
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I believe there are several youtube videos that show how.
My personal experience with HPs of any vintage has varied. If I could feel the disconnect I would remove it. If I could not feel it I left it alone. The texture of the pad and face of the magazine can make a difference.
Tom Kent
US Veteran
Yes, there are on-line videos that show how and I used one to remove the magazine disconnect from my BHP. It does improve the trigger pull. It is a win-win.
Polishing the pad surface on the disconnect and the rub area on the magazine will help the trigger pull a bit if you want to retain the disconnect feature. On the other hand, if you hate magazine disconnects (which reduce a gun with one round in the chamber and no magazine to the utility of a brick), just remove the disconnect. It's no big deal on a BHP and works way better than the polishing.
John
John
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target tech
Member
I removed it on my parkerized FN surplus HP and it helped a lot. I haven’t touched the one on my commercial C series because the trigger is beautiful.
LVSteve
Member
I removed the disconnect on a FEG clone and the trigger reset became erratic. Put it back in and realized there wasn't that much difference in the trigger after all. That gun is a minor collector piece so it will probably never be used in a self-defense situation where a disconnect might prove an issue.
Our old Belgian BHP, bought new, had a crisp but heavy trigger.
After removing the the mag disconnect it made the trigger a wee bit lighter and it's still as crisp as it always was.
After removing the the mag disconnect it made the trigger a wee bit lighter and it's still as crisp as it always was.
skeezix
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I had a gunsmith remove the magazine disconnect from mine. Trigger pull went from 9# to 4.7#.
I believe I read the new Springfield Armory recreation of the BHP has no magazine disconnect and the trigger is excellent.
Sistema1927
US Veteran
Make sure to remove the trigger pin starboard to port, and then replace the trigger spring with a two-coil from BHS and all is well.
The reason for the two coil spring is to improve trigger reset, since removing the mag disconnect can effect your reset.
The reason to make sure to remove the trigger pin the proper way is due to the fact that it is tapered, and doing it the wrong way can damage your frame.
While I don't use their magnets, preferring a bench block made from an old hockey puck, I do recommend the other tools in this video.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mkoc9FbQoI"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mkoc9FbQoI[/ame]
The reason for the two coil spring is to improve trigger reset, since removing the mag disconnect can effect your reset.
The reason to make sure to remove the trigger pin the proper way is due to the fact that it is tapered, and doing it the wrong way can damage your frame.
While I don't use their magnets, preferring a bench block made from an old hockey puck, I do recommend the other tools in this video.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mkoc9FbQoI"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mkoc9FbQoI[/ame]
I have two BHPs and I removed the magazine disconnect on both. It’s a simple process. I did it because I didn’t want a useless chunk of steel instead of a gun without the magazine in place. It seemed to lighten the pull a little on both.
Browning used the mouse trap spring on the bottom of the magazine to pull the magazine past the disconnect so the empty magazine would then drop free.
There are some very good after market Hi Power magazines, like those made by Mec-gar, that don’t have the mouse trap spring. If you plan on using one of those, and want your empty magazines to drop free, getting rid of the magazine disconnect is almost a necessity.
There are some very good after market Hi Power magazines, like those made by Mec-gar, that don’t have the mouse trap spring. If you plan on using one of those, and want your empty magazines to drop free, getting rid of the magazine disconnect is almost a necessity.
Yes, it seems to improve the trigger; I removed mine in half an hour and am assuredly not a gunsmith.
I bought a new High Power in 1994; the trigger wasn't awful, but inconsistent. As I bought it for uniform duty, I checked first with our agency's armorer, who told me removing the disconnector was an acceptable modification. I removed the the magazine safety and the trigger was immediately much better - a little heavy, but but crisp and consistent. It remains so 28 years and several thousand rounds later.
Mine is an early '90s model in 40 S&W.
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Grayfox
US Veteran
Two of my three Hi-Powers have had the disconnect removed. Honestly, I don't see that much difference in the trigger pull. To me the better reason for removing it is so that the magazines drop free. That and the fact that the gun will fire without a mag in it. I think its a worthwhile mod.
Its a simple procedure and there are several good videos on You Tube.
Its a simple procedure and there are several good videos on You Tube.
I take it out of all them. Have a small handful for sale if anyone sees the need to put one back in. I have ran across other pistols with mag safeties that improve trigger when removed. I never did see the need for this feature.
Unfortunately some (people) think when the magazine is removed the gun is unloaded. Too bad when they turn it on their little brother and kill him. I don't know if that scenario had any thing to do with JMB's design feature.,
There are no safeties that fix carelessness or stupidity.
At one time I had command of the portion of our agency in which the armory was housed. We had completed about half of the transition from 357 revolvers to 5906s when the 9mm failed miserably to perform to expectations in each of the first 3 shootings in which an officer hit attackers center mass. Our new Chief listened to good advice, then simply exchanged remaining new 5906s for 4506s (and a few 4566s for agents/lts & above) with our vendor and exchanged 5906s for 4506s in the field with officers who had already transitioned. We completed transitioning with 4506s.
I was easily available at HQ, so it happened that one of the higher-ranking elite needed to turn in his 5906 and had already received his 4566. He came to my office to turn in his 5906, but I was elsewhere, so he left it (in the box) with my secretary, who gave to me on my return. It had one empty mag in the well, and the 2 extras in the box.
I removed the mag from the well, pulled back the slide, and out popped a 9mm super-duper hollowpoint. If the dunce had pulled the trigger (remember, the mag was in the well, rendering the mag safety irrelevant), the pistol would have said, "Bang." I took it all to my boss, who 'handled it' by unkown, unofficial means.
Often wondered if the Governor was ever told the head of his security detail wasn't careful with firearms.
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My old man told story of a Navy work party in WW2. They were on a island the Marines had cleared. The Marines had pulled out and Navy parties were tasked with destroying Jap equipment. They were finding all kinds of Jap stuff. One guy brought Jap pistol back and snuck it below decks. He took out magazine and was showing it off. The one in chamber went off. The captain of ship was so pissed he ordered all Jap souvenir weapons thrown in the drink.
Grayfox
US Veteran
It was the French who originally commissioned the Hi-Power during their search for a new military handgun in the 1920/30s. They insisted on the mag disconnect. Although they eventually chose another pistol, FN never bothered to remove it. Thus it remains to this day. 
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