totin a Browning Hi Power - gettin hooted at! ***UPDATE***

[simobros]

I was a 9mm holdout for decades. Always considered the round a little under powered. But I always used to say that if I did own a nine, it would be a HP. A couple of years ago I inherited a small amount of money and decided to use some of it to buy another gun that I didn't need.
Perusing the used guns for sale at a local gun shop, there was listed a NIB Hi-Power for sale for $1000. I went to look at it and bought it on the spot.
It's a basic matte blue gun with plastic grips that dates to '92 by the serial. I've probably put about a thousand rounds through it.
It's a great shooter. I shouldn't have waited so long!

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Back in 72. SUPER-VEL was my 9mm ammo of choice. Their 90 gr HP would turn a coon wrong side out and their 111 gr SP would bust an 8x8x16 concrete block into rubble with one shot. Thanks Mr. Jurras.

 

[Rock185]

I've been a Hi Power fan since the '60s and have owned several since. Down to three now, a GP, T-Series and MKIII.

No doubt your friends were just joshing, but many shooters seem to genuinely dislike the Hi Power; too expensive, too old, obsolete, too big, too heavy, too low capacity, trigger too heavy, no accessory rail, etc, etc. One criticism I share is, just like with the SIG 210s, the Hi Powers hammer bite me. But I enjoy the Hi Powers and 210s too much to dispose of them...

 

[gwpercle]

" Hoot's , grin's and Sarcasm " ????
Them boys just showing their ignorance...they don't know diddly-squat !
The 1911 in 45 acp and the HP in 9mm Luger are still proper fighting iron and as far as I'm concerned the best self loaders ever made for the job.
Don't listen to those Clowns...they're fools !

 

[WVSig]

What did the song say "Jokers to the right....clowns to the left" or something to that effect.

So..........USUAL EDC is J frame, stocked with +P, carried at 4 o'clock. This is what ALL the usual guys at local range know I show up with for practice sessions.

Just for the heck of it, (and cause I didn't want to overload the range bag as usual) I had my 1988 Hi-Power on my belt, left the 637 at home and was just going for some fun time and exercise on the old Hi-Power.

Boy........the hoots, grins, sarcasm, just rolled on and on...and this is from guys I know! Like: What...S&W go out of business?
Did they kick you out of SWCA? What are you planning with that underpowered relic?.....blah...blah blah.

I don't mind the ribbing, but evidently black plastic and Kydex are here to stay. Quite different than when I bring the Model 25 or the Model 29 (in my range bag)....then it is oohs...and ahhs and I have to be careful they don't slobber on the bluing.

Anybody else out there getting such disrespect for one of John Moses finest designs?

UPDATE: Thanks for all the comments about HiPowers being among the best bottom loaders ever made. I thought maybe I ought to explain that my range buddies are some pretty nice guys that are mostly envious of the S&W wheel guns that I show up with, and they really love it when some old warhorses (Garand, Ithaca 1911, Victory, Luger in older days) accompany me. Their chiding banter on the Hi-Power was all in good jest, as most all of them are younger, working stiffs, and about the best they can afford are the fantastic plastic, and usually quantity 1. I am really glad that I had several boxes of ammo on hand as again...they are not at all shy to handle, fondle, beg to shoot some of the treasures I show up with. For the most part these guys are paying by the hour so it is even more of a stretch for them to leave their lane and come over to see "What's Charlie got in his range bag(s)....sometimes 2 with me, today!

The one guy just acquired a finish challenged, mechanically very good, Model 10.....his first wheel gun, first S&W and he is already sliding on our slope!

This is where our new members are going to come from, so I accept any jesting, chiding, comments about my "fossiltility" (New word there folks) and just keep on enjoying what I have been fortunate enough to accumulate.

Just didn't want you all to think that all black plastic guys are jokers and clowns, and most of them know my daughter (a LEO) has a Glock 21 Gen 4 45acp as her duty piece AND that she routinely cleans my clock at this same range so all good fun.

Keep them Hi-Powers gunnin!

I like BHPs I have a few. I will point out that the gun we know and love as the Browning High Power was not designed by JMB. He died before the gun was finished. This is a pic of the last gun JMB designed. I bears a resemblence but it is not the same gun. Saive took this design built around his magazine design and built what we call the Browning High Power.

FN used to refer to JMB as “LeMaître”. They named the pistol after him out of resepect for The Master and for marketing purposes. History lesson over....

For many the BHP point naturally and is a soft shooter. Most people complain about the trigger, vague reset, weight and avg thumb safety. In the end all these are correctable. A very good smith once told me all a BHP really needs is a good trigger job, proper sights and a proper thumb safety. Everything else we do to them is to make them look pretty. Oddly enough that smith builds some of the prettiest BHPs on the planet.

Now for some pics...

Ted Yost Signature Grade I

Jim Garthwaite MKIII Custom

Don Williams Alloy Custom

APW Cogan Custom T Series

Wild West Guns AKA Jim West Custom C

Custom C series in Ford's Master Blue

Wheel of BHPs



Some other randoms in the collection.

 

[WVSig]

I was a 9mm holdout for decades. Always considered the round a little under powered. But I always used to say that if I did own a nine, it would be a HP. A couple of years ago I inherited a small amount of money and decided to use some of it to buy another gun that I didn't need.
Perusing the used guns for sale at a local gun shop, there was listed a NIB Hi-Power for sale for $1000. I went to look at it and bought it on the spot.
It's a basic matte blue gun with plastic grips that dates to '92 by the serial. I've probably put about a thousand rounds through it.
It's a great shooter. I shouldn't have waited so long!

Nice MKIII. The finish is not blued it is epoxy. Enjoy it!

 

[Protected One]

High Power did carry duty today. Felt good to know it was riding there.

 

[Narragansett]

Oh man..... You guys are killin' me. Y'all are a collective bad influence! Enablers you are, that's it, enablers. I've always liked High Powers, but I've never owned one of my own. Now, thanks to the members of this forum, I need to correct my inadequacy.

Today would be just fine!

 

[growr]

Hammer Bite BHP

I see where many complain about hammer bite....a friend of mine fixed that for me with this......he molded some kydex to form a longer beavertail and the used the grip screws to anchor it.....no more hammer bite ever!


Randy

 

[LEO918]

Picked up this "C" series from 1969 last week. It's only the second BHP I've owned, it's growing on me...

 

[ACORN]

You need to start hanging out with a better class of people.

 

[Hoosierville IRN]

BHPs are fantastic. Yes, the hammer bites some people, and the factory sights need replacing (just like Glocks). But in my mind they are the most iconic 9mm pistols made.

I would not carry one just because I would not like it to reside in an evidence locker. That's what Glocks and M&Ps are for. They are still in production and are easily replaced - also not nearly as good lookin'!

 

[JMV366]

No better steel frame single action 9mm pistol in the world.
FN/BHP is the king !!!!!!

 

[RickBunn]

WOW, I'm kind of new to the forum. I was a Dan Wesson snob for a while, but a friend got me started on S&W revolvers. I just picked up a really sorry looking Mod 15 and took it to a gun smith to have it finished and checked. I have 16 other S&W revolvers as well as a 41 and 52-2. BUT, I own two Browning Hi-Powers and LOVE them for their accuracy and erognomics. I also have several 1911s but I carry either the 642 or the Hi-Power depending on where I go. GOSH, the pictures are great eye candy.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

The Browning HP was the original wondernine. It's only flaw was since JMB-and Dieudonne Saive- designed around the 9MMP, it can't be produced in 45 ACP without a major redesign and tooling.

 

[JayFramer]

The Hi-Power is also one of the most photogenic and “show-offable” (for lack of a better term) semi-autos out there. It holds great popularity with forum members for this reason. Excellent guns all around, but I am of the opinion Browning’s earlier pistol, called the M1911, is the better design and the better fighting handgun.

 

[PALADIN85020]

There is much to admire about the classic High Power. Very reliable, accurate, sturdy, with good magazine capacity.

Never wishing to alter an FN or Inglis example, I shipped an FEG clone to Cylinder and Slide for ergonomic and sighting alterations, as follows: Novak sights. Extended manual safety. Beavertail to avoid hammer bite. Trigger job. Forward retraction grooves. Friction tape on front strap and mag safety removed (by me).

Took a while to get it back, but I was quite satisfied with the results. I'd feel comfortable carrying this one any day. Works for me!

John

 

[dockmurgw]

The Hi-Power is also one of the most photogenic and “show-offable” (for lack of a better term) semi-autos out there. It holds great popularity with forum members for this reason.

Well I definitely fall into this category. I shoot my FEG clone, but I'm afraid to leave a smudge on my HP so I'm yet even load the clip. I really need to get over that.

 

[BB57]

I carried an SFS Hi Power for nearly 10 years, and I've since purchased four FEGs (a pair of P9s and a pair of first gen P9Ms) and sold one to a friend). I converted one of the P9Ms to SFS configuration for carry purposes.

P9 with P9M extended safety and larger 3 dot sights:

FN Mk III SFS Hi Power and FEG P9M converted to SFS configuration:

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I'm in agreement that the Hi Power was the first wondernine - a good 30 years before its time. When the US military started looking for a new service pistol in 1977 it wanted a wondernine, but sadly also required double action operation.

FN entered what went on to become the SFS Hi Power (bottom) in the 1979-80 trials, but it was eliminated before it even got started as it was not a true DA pistol.

FN then developed the BDA / HP-DA (middle) and entered it in the 1984 trials, but it wasn't successful and we got the Beretta 92 instead. It's an ok pistol, but they should have retained the BHP's grip frame and grips rather than going for a style change.

Browning developed the BDM (top) for US sales. It offered a mode switch to allow DAO "revolver" mode or a standard DA/SA "pistol" mode. It's an interesting pistol, and thinner than any other double stack 9mm I've ever encountered. But it's my least favorite of the post BHP designs.

But neither the BDA / HP-DA or the BDM are as well designed as the Hi Power.

 

[BC38]

BB67, just curious what SFS, stands for. Not familiar with that nomenclature. Thanks.