Pisgah
Member
I picked up a gray frame/black slide version of the Girsan Hi Power last week, and after the usual tinkering I do on a HP I had a chance to run a quick-and-dirty 100 rounds through it this morning. I will cut to the chase and tell you that if you want a Hi Power clone, and want it for $5-600 or so, here 'tis.
Machining quality, fit, finish -- excellent. The slide is some flat-black nitride-looking finish that seems very durable and looks good, and the frame is Cerakoted (or identical). The trigger is Hi Power-ish -- that is, lousy. And it stays lousy if you don't remove the dubious magazine disconnect. It's easy to do, and believe me -- until it is gone the trigger will be long and very heavy, even if you manage to get it smooth. There's a broad plunger depressed against its spring against the front of the mag, which it ddrraaggss on with every shot -- I am grateful J.M.B. cannot be fairly blamed for such a desecration. It was, I believe, the French..
But once it is gone -- now we are talking. Very light first-stage take-up, a wall, then a super-crisp break at an average 4.9#. For me, ideal in a self-defense pistol. The sights are fine, but the original sight picture ws of 3 vertical white rectangles, and in a hurry it was darned hard to tell which was which. A swipe of Canary Yellow fingernail polish on the front cured that quite well.
All of the shooting I did today was standing, 15 yards, two-handed. About half-and-half slow/fast fire, no real attention to accuracy beyond combat-grade. Function was flawless from each of 2 magazines -- it only comes with one, but I was able to buy an identical mag (for the Springfield SA35) as a second. Ammo was PMC 115 gr. FMJ.
A sheer pleasure, as far as recoil goes -- wonder of an all-steel gun. And the accuracy? Well, the goal of combat accuracy was far exceeded. I did no shooting for groups, but easily landed all shots where they would need to go in an emergency. This, on a morning when that right-shoulder arthritis was barking a bit, was more than satisfactory for me.
One additional mod I have always made to Hi Powers is one that many shooters will have no need to perform. The rowel hammer has always nipped my pudgy hands something fierce right between thumb and trigger finger, so I long ago learned to modify that into more of a spur by careful grinding and re-bluing with cold blue solution. 10 minutes, looks good, no pinch.
I traded off my last Hi Power 20 years ago, and never realized how much it was missed. But I am very content to have a new one.
Machining quality, fit, finish -- excellent. The slide is some flat-black nitride-looking finish that seems very durable and looks good, and the frame is Cerakoted (or identical). The trigger is Hi Power-ish -- that is, lousy. And it stays lousy if you don't remove the dubious magazine disconnect. It's easy to do, and believe me -- until it is gone the trigger will be long and very heavy, even if you manage to get it smooth. There's a broad plunger depressed against its spring against the front of the mag, which it ddrraaggss on with every shot -- I am grateful J.M.B. cannot be fairly blamed for such a desecration. It was, I believe, the French..
But once it is gone -- now we are talking. Very light first-stage take-up, a wall, then a super-crisp break at an average 4.9#. For me, ideal in a self-defense pistol. The sights are fine, but the original sight picture ws of 3 vertical white rectangles, and in a hurry it was darned hard to tell which was which. A swipe of Canary Yellow fingernail polish on the front cured that quite well.
All of the shooting I did today was standing, 15 yards, two-handed. About half-and-half slow/fast fire, no real attention to accuracy beyond combat-grade. Function was flawless from each of 2 magazines -- it only comes with one, but I was able to buy an identical mag (for the Springfield SA35) as a second. Ammo was PMC 115 gr. FMJ.
A sheer pleasure, as far as recoil goes -- wonder of an all-steel gun. And the accuracy? Well, the goal of combat accuracy was far exceeded. I did no shooting for groups, but easily landed all shots where they would need to go in an emergency. This, on a morning when that right-shoulder arthritis was barking a bit, was more than satisfactory for me.
One additional mod I have always made to Hi Powers is one that many shooters will have no need to perform. The rowel hammer has always nipped my pudgy hands something fierce right between thumb and trigger finger, so I long ago learned to modify that into more of a spur by careful grinding and re-bluing with cold blue solution. 10 minutes, looks good, no pinch.
I traded off my last Hi Power 20 years ago, and never realized how much it was missed. But I am very content to have a new one.
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