Ignoring Hi-Power

[AJ]

Markham Park is located on the North side of State Road 84, (Alligator Alley) and West of State Road 869, (the Sawgrass Expressway).
Was supposed to have a 600yd range.
More later, garden chores before the next rain.

AJ, what year was that from?
I was allowed to shoot at the Sunrise Police range long ago.
Just a trailer and a berm, plus Rattler skins on the wall.

I would assume the roads on that map have changed some with all the interstates being put in.

The last time I was on Alligator Alley was Nov. of 1971 with my Uncle hunting deer. Was home on leave, heading back to Viet Nam for my second tour.

It has a "Rev.1-66" printed on it. So I would assume Jan. 1966.

Also have a catalog from the "Shooter's Depot" in Hialeah, Fl. and it has a 1988 date in it.

 

[Grayfox]

I'm an old 1911 guy, but the Hi-Power is my absolute favorite 9mm.
My first was a Browning MK III I bought way back in the 1980s. Some years later I picked up a FEG clone. Pure dumb luck had me stumble onto a FM Detective BNIB. Then when Springfield came out with the SA-35, I just had to have one. Same story when I discovered the Girsan P-35 PI. This one I carry now and then.
I got a Ciener .22 conversion from a member here and its a hoot!

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I love the P35. To me it has the best feel in hand and best pointability of any autopistol, with the 1911 and S&W model 39 right there also. I've owned several, only have one right now but thinking about adding one of the Springfield Armory versions. Also a fan of the old 59s and have two of those. I am confident enough in them to make one my bedside gun.

 

[Patrick L]

I'm an old 1911 guy, but the Hi-Power is my absolute favorite 9mm.
My first was a Browning MK III I bought way back in the 1980s. Some years later I picked up a FEG clone. Pure dumb luck had me stumble onto a FM Detective BNIB. Then when Springfield came out with the SA-35, I just had to have one. Same story when I discovered the Girsan P-35 PI. This one I carry now and then.
I got a Ciener .22 conversion from a member here and its a hoot!

Mine looked exactly like the one upper left, but with the grips from the center one. Great family photo!

 

[03hemi]

1969 T and MIII

 

[BB57]

I love the P35. To me it has the best feel in hand and best pointability of any autopistol, with the 1911 and S&W model 39 right there also. I've owned several, only have one right now but thinking about adding one of the Springfield Armory versions. Also a fan of the old 59s and have two of those. I am confident enough in them to make one my bedside gun.

Most shooters who like the 1911 and find it points well for them wil also usually get similarly good results with the Hi Power, the CZ 75, and the S&W 39. The Model 59 with its straight backed, double stack grip frame can be a little large around the grip for some folks. If S&W had put some curve in the back strap it would have been much better.

 

[lawandorder]

They are addictive.

 

[BC38]

All I got is this old FEG, but she's a shooter...
I just wish I could find a well-worn FN-style slide lock to replace the one that is on it to cover up the notch in the slide and make it look more "normal".

 

[BB57]

All I got is this old FEG, but she's a shooter...
I just wish I could find a well-worn FN-style slide lock to replace the one that is on it to cover up the notch in the slide and make it look more "normal".

The FEG P9 was a 100 percent parts compatible clone of the pre Mk II Hi Power and had the small safety and half moon shaped slide release lever.

The First Generation P9M used a 1911 style slide release and an extended safety along with 3 dot sights. However the 1911 slide release had a small triangular stop and the cut in the slide matched it.

The top Hi Power is an FN with the larger slide cut, while the bottom is an FEG 1st Gen P9M. Note the difference in slide cuts for the slide release levers.

I converted the FEG to the same SFS configuration as the factory FN SFS.

However to do that I had to reprofile the slide release lever included in the factory FN SFS conversion kit to match the smaller slide cut on the 1st Gen P9M.

——

It’s common to find a P9 with an extended safety and or larger three dot sights as FEG would build them in whatever configuration and finish the commercial or military customer wanted - round or spur hammer, wood or plastic grips, blued or parkerized finish, small or large safety, standard or three dot sights, etc.

This P9 has the extended safety and the larger 3 dot sights. IMHO it’s the ideal configuration for the FEG P9.

Some importers like KBI looking for minimum cost would just take whatever FEG wanted to send and FEG in turn would use what ever parts they had handy on the shelf.

However, I have not encountered a P9 that used a 1911 style 1st Gen P9M slide release lever before. I guess the smaller catch on the slide release will work with the larger slide cut but it doesn’t seem like a great idea. I suspect it’s either a replacement part and not how it left FEG.

Alternatively the slide has been replaced with a P9 slide, but that would be obvious as the slide, frame and barrel serial numbers would not match.

——

Cylinder and slide does sell Browning Hi Power factory replacement parts including a slide stop. But it’s $157.

Slide Stop - Cylinder & Slide - Handguns parts and accessories

They no longer sell the SFS kit.

 

[BB57]

Shooting a Feg Clone High Power is like comparing a Rolls Royce (The original Belgium Gun) to a Yugo Automobile (dubbed the worst car ever made). Now I am not saying all the High Power Cones were bad but none ever came within a good country mile of the original FN High Power.

In reality the FN High Power has always been the "Gold Standard" of 9mm Hi-Capacity 9x19's. It had what most of the competitor's never had or ever will have and that was outstanding workmanship and outstanding accuracy.

The High Power's long history of being a military weapon of over 50 countries puts it in a class far above all the other "Wonder 9's".

In a recent TV documentary on the "High Power" the host Joe Mantegna said "You would not be at a disadvantage even today if you went to war with a High Power and not a "Plastic Fantastic" pistol.

I might also add its ergonomics is matched by very, very few pistols as it points like a finger. Only the Luger or the Sig P210 can be compared to it when one points the gun at the target.

Yes and no.

The Commerical FEGs when spec’d to high standards of fit and finish were very good and the polish and blue rivals that on the Browning expamples, and is much superior to the finish on expoxy painted FN/Browning examples.

Fit wise the FEG pistols are generally a little looser than the FN/Browning examples, however that lends itself to reliability under harsh conditions and when it comes to reliability under dusty conditions, I actually prefer the FEG pistols. The same is true of their Walther PP clones as they have slightly looser chamber dimensions that also make them more reliable than their Walther counterparts.

The major limitation with the FEG Hi Powers is the use of the pre mark II humped feed ramp that can be problematic with some hollow point designs.

Given FEG was forced to stop its firearms production in 2004 due to an arms embargo, the Hi Power clones on the market today are used and most often surplus arms in widely varying condition. The days of $300 Commercial FEG P9s are long gone.

FEG Defense did resurrect itself in 2016 but has not as of yet re-entered the Hi Power market.

 

[SKN25]

BHP and Girsan compact clone (MCP35 PI OPS)

I bought my BHP in 1976 and had it customized by Bob Chow of SF: extended slide stop and safety, match barrel, 4.75# trigger, blue mirror finish frame and slide with mat black top. I liked the magazine safety so I had him leave it in. I later added a Crimson Trace grip panel. It’s an excellent shooter and was a great carry piece for decades.

Recently purchased the Girsan compact clone. It’s all steel with 3.8” barrel, magazine safety removed, synthetic grip panels, optics ready (I will install a Holosun 507) extended slide stop and ambidextrous safety and straight trigger which I’ve never shot with anytime before. I took it to the range and though I found that it fit my hands well and was reliable, albeit only with the single 15rd Mec-Gar magazine provided but not with my BHP 13rd mags, it shot 3” low at 7yds likely due to the rear sight height affixed to the optics cover plate and the trigger weighed out at 10.6#. I took it to a local gunsmith who believes he can get it down to 6.5# after which the red dot will go on.

UPDATE on MCP35 PI OPS. Gunsmith reduced the trigger weight to 4.75# with smoother reset. I installed a CT Micro Rad 3MOA optic which is a little smaller than the Holosun I’d intended to make concealment that much easier. It fires now true to RDS and trigger is a lot better.

 

[press-1-for-english]

If it were up to me I’d call it the first wonder nine, even though it pre dated the concept by 35 years.

However a defining trait of the wonder nine is double action operation.

So would that make the Walther P-38 the first D/A wonder nine?

 

[BB57]

So would that make the Walther P38 the first D/A wonder nine?

It was the first DA/SA 9mm, and the first DA/SA locked breech design. The Walther PP was introduced in 1929 and the PPK in 1931, becoming the first commercially successful DA/SA pistols, although they use a blow back design.

The P38 also used the open topped slide and locking block design that was used by Beretta post war and continues in the current M9.

It was however a single stack design, like the S&W 39 and consequently doesn’t meet the Wondernine criteria.

It was however popular into the 1960s and produced until 1963 when it was replaced by the alloy framed P1. The P1 was produced into the late 1970s and remained in service into the 1990s.

Oddly enough it took until 1970 with the introduction of the H&K VP 70 for the double stack magazine and DA operation to appear in the same pistol design. The VP 70 was however DA only.

It was quickly followed by the DA/SA S&W Model 59 in 1971 (IMHO the first truly popular Wondernine)

It was followed a few years later by the CZ 75 in 1975;

And a year later by tBeretta 92 in 1976. Although at one point Beretta produced the single stack compact M version (left next to a double stack compact L) which isn’t a Wondernine but is notably thinner and easier to conceal.

The CZ 75 and Beretta 92 are the longest produced Wondernines and are still going strong, with the Model 59 and it’s successor 459 and 5900 series pistols going out of production in 1999 and the railed TSW version in 2004, replacing it with the M&P 9 was a major mistake IMHO. The M&P 9 never impressed me.

 

[WVSig]

They are ok I guess... That pic is not even close to up to date.

 

[A10]

Even the clones are nicely made. I don't care for them because of the squishy feeling safety....I do kinda like the old mousetrap mags though..

 

[AJ]

Saw a Girsan at the gun shop today. Looked decent and seemed well made. Priced at $499.00.

 

[canoeguy]

I bought a Girsan Hi-Power a few months ago, and like it a lot. Shoots well in my hands, reliable, and won't break the bank. Shown with a reproduction German Military holster, $29 shipped from World War Supply:

 

[AJ]

I bought a Girsan Hi-Power a few months ago, and like it a lot. Shoots well in my hands, reliable, and won't break the bank. Shown with a reproduction German Military holster, $29 shipped from World War Supply:

I had two Belgian made WW II FN's that were Nazi marked a fair time back. I shot them and decided I preferred my M1911's. Other folks want them for a lot more than I paid for them, so off they went.

 

[Ameshawki]

Have owned four and still have three. First was a Feg clone. Been mildly tweaked over the years, nice pistol. Second was a real deal Browning, followed by the new Springfield and then one of the new Inglis clones. After I got the Springer the Browning went down the road; the SA35 was better in just about every way possible. The Inglis clone is surprisingly nice for the price point. Very happy with it.

They can be an acquired taste. The trigger is generally meh, the safety not much better. The mag safety bugs a lot of folks, most remove it, and the Springer and Inglis came with it gone. Mine have been reliable, decently accurate (tho far from the best in the collection), and I don't get hammer bite. I like them for what they are. I don't use them as a carry piece, there is simply much better options out there today.

 

[Humdinger]

In early 2024 I bought an SA-35 for $699 as an affordable HiPower copy. I sold it after a couple of months as I didn't like the matte gray "bluing" nor the overly tight slide stop. Later last summer I came across online ads and videos for the Tisas manufactured Inglis HiPower. I bought one and have been delighted with it. It's finish is a black satin chromate which appeals to me as it looks more like the original Browning. The trigger pull is 4.5 lbs. out of the box and smoother than the SA-35. It has no MIM parts and like the SA-35 it has no trigger disconnect safety. IMO, the Inglis is a superior HiPower clone and a great value at $449 MSRP.