Browning Hi Powers, I know that there are...........

[lawandorder]

.......at least a few of us around here that hold these pistolas near, and dear. This one has been with me for many years after an exciting acquisition. Decided it needed a facelift.

As my friends down Georgia way say, I am right proud that some of the great custom gun Folks have an address in these old Ozarks. One of the best is just down the road, and when I saw they were adding BHPs to their line up I contacted them to see if they would work on my old gun.

Yes they would, so I dropped it off and can only say that the entire experience with everyone at Nighthawk was great, some of the best customer service I have encountered in my old life.

They installed Heine Slant Pro rear sights with a gold bead front.
Picked it up Monday and hope to get to the range soon.
Further enhancements and embellishments percolating in my mind.

 

[younggun22]

thats a great looking Hi Power!

 

[rwt1405]

She came out beautiful lawandorder, I'd be proud to own her!

Oldster, I can't wait to see your safe queens, the two you posted look great!

 

[Lonestar57]

Love the looks of these guns. Nothing feels and points better in my opinion like a Hi Power. Too lazy this morning to post any pics of mine so I'll just sit back and enjoy yours.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Yours looks good

I am also a BHP fan, having owned eight of them. Here is a photo of number eight, a .40 S&W; and number two, a Belgian made 9mm. A few years ago I gave the .40 and a Bianchi Askin's Avenger holster to my son. I will keep the 9mm until I die.

The three brand new MecGar mags in the packages were stolen by the illegitimate son of a female dog who burglarized my home in February 2011.

 

[03hemi]

Have to admit, 9mm being a wimpy round and all, I'd still love to have one of the Belgian made one's. I know a gun shop that has "several" Belgian made, some with adjustable sights, new in the box for like $1,200 and "several" assembled in Portugal, new in the box for around $1,000. Overpriced, but easily available. Anybody interested, comment and let me know and I'll steer you in that direction. South GA.

 

[ColbyBruce]

#8 above is a "Made in Belgium, assembled in Portugal" BHP that has never skipped a beat. Tolerances are tighter on later production guns, many seem to shoot better and eat HP ammo with ease, which some of the older Belgian built guns do not do. My first BHP was a "T" series that only ate FMJ ammo reliably. The round hammer from #1 is in #2.

 

[steamloco76]

I've purchased and then sold far too many 9mm pistols over the years, Smiths, Sigs, CZs, Glocks, and others, however my 1980's target sighted HP-35 is not leaving! She runs like a champ and is more accurate than I can hold most days. Wearing Herrett's grips.

 

[moralem]

It was only recently that I came to acquire a Belgium made 1975 HP. I am pretty much a SW and Colt accumulator and never got around to the HP. Well one appeared on my local gun board and after some negotiating because the wear on the gun was greater than what the seller thought, I came away with my first HP......not sure I need to have several but I do like this one with some honest wear, you can see the wear marks in the last picture. The back of the stocks looked to be painted red......not sure what that is about but they do look original.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JayFramer]

Very wimpy round indeed. All of NATO, countless Western and Eastern armies and police forces around the world, the U.S. military, and 55% of U.S. police departments should know better to use it.

I love my Mk III:

 

[cmansguns]

The only 9mm I own (sold the 41byf Black Widow years ago).

This one's staying in the stable.

Don't know what the blue lights are in the take-down photo. Probably flash reflection somehow, if not....then alien 3 dot sights installed by some bubba who thought 13 shots meant that old sour mash stuff out of the holler near Lynchburg before working on a gun.

 

[welldoya]

I bought one the last year they were made (and assembled) in Belgium. Sometime in the mid 80s.
A friend bought one at the same time. I never got around to shooting mine before I acquired his in a trade.
So, I have mine still NIB and have his as a shooter.

 

[03hemi]

Very wimpy round indeed. All of NATO, countless Western and Eastern armies and police forces around the world, the U.S. military, and 55% of U.S. police departments should know better to use it.

I love my Mk III:

That's because its cheaper to make and shoot. It's all about the Benjamins.

 

[fyimo]

Here's mine

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I am not sure about 9mm being a wimpy round considering the havoc that caliber has accomplished - good and bad from our point of view - for 100 years or so.

I have always loved Browning Hi-Powers and I finally acquired a nice one just a couple of years ago. Assembled in Portugal doesn't bother me. I don't use it often but I did use it last year for a Close Quarter Pistol Craft course where it performed flawlessly.

I never took its picture. I owe y'all a picture.

 

[Darkenfast]

Moralem: the red paint on the back of the High Power grips was a feature for many years. Its purpose is to resist moisture getting into the wood.

 

[shottist]

ALLHi Powers are made in Belgium and later models are assembled in Portugal under FN supervision and quality control. Further the newer guns are stronger and have better tolerances than the older guns. Forged frames were changed to cast as the weaker, forged frame broke when chambered for the .40

 

[moralem]

ALLHi Powers are made in Belgium and later models are assembled in Portugal under FN supervision and quality control. Further the newer guns are stronger and have better tolerances than the older guns. Forged frames were changed to cast as the weaker, forged frame broke when chambered for the .40

Sides can argue that one is better than the other.......and so when I said my was Belgium it was not to denigrate the newer models. I happen to like the old school methods and techniques and results. That's just me.....just like I don't like MIM and IL S&Ws......just a preference and yes all Browning parts were made in Belgium some just happen to me assembled out of Belgium......I prefer Belgium made parts and assembly......I make no assertion one is better than the other just that I prefer the Belgium assembled versions.......

 

[moralem]

Moralem: the red paint on the back of the High Power grips was a feature for many years. Its purpose is to resist moisture getting into the wood.

I learn something new everyday.......thanks.

 

[WVSig]

Sides can argue that one is better than the other.......and so when I said my was Belgium it was not to denigrate the newer models. I happen to like the old school methods and techniques and results. That's just me.....just like I don't like MIM and IL S&Ws......just a preference and yes all Browning parts were made in Belgium some just happen to me assembled out of Belgium......I prefer Belgium made parts and assembly......I make no assertion one is better than the other just that I prefer the Belgium assembled versions.......

Some BHPs have been assembled in Portugal since about 1973 some even say as early as 1971 in small independent shops. In 1973 FN bought the factory in Viana Portugal.

By the 1980s all assembly of the BHP was moved to Portugal. Browning rollmarked guns got the rollmark somewhere in the early 80's due to an misinterpretation of the US import laws.

The FN rollmark guns which were assembled in the same plant on the same lines never bore that rollmark. In all honesty there is no way to know where a BHP past 1973 was made because FN views record keeping as an art form vs a science.