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Old February 6, 2013, 09:54 PM   #26
WVsig
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I'm curious to know if a Hi Power owner carrys it on a daily basis, in what condition is it carried. Cocked and locked? Loaded with the hammer down? No round in the chamber? Or other.
When I carry mine it is always cocked and locked.

Quote:
My biggest objection to the Browning Hi-Power is that since John M. Browning/Dieudonne Saive designed it as a 9MM it can't be manufactured as a 45 without major redesign and tooling.
The BHP was a contract gun. The contract called for a 9mm pistol built to a particular spec. If the spec had called for it to be chambered in 22LR that is what JMB would have designed it in. The same holds true for the 1911. Much of what it became was based on what the spec said it had to be. Faulting it because it is a 9mm seems odd to me.
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Old February 6, 2013, 10:01 PM   #27
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The Canadian WWII pistols were aluminum framed.
Not true.
The 3 I own are all steel.
I heard they made some alloy frames aftermarket by someone in FL though.
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Old February 6, 2013, 10:22 PM   #28
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There are alloy frame BHPs which came out of the FN factory....

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/index....ua8983k2m0za87

and this one customized by Yost.



There was a batch of them that came in maybe 5 years ago through a reimporter IIRC.
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Old February 7, 2013, 02:26 PM   #29
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Its simple..

Elegance!

1911 was made for down and dirty usage,
the BHP was refinement of the 1911 for the 9mm.

Love both and carry both, C&L!
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Old February 7, 2013, 05:23 PM   #30
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Every time I bring my browning to the range. I let the Glock and XD guys shoot it. They are always impressed with how well even they can shoot it. The only thing I don't like is the trigger reset. I have no idea how to shorten it.
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Old February 7, 2013, 05:42 PM   #31
WVsig
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1911 was made for down and dirty usage,
the BHP was refinement of the 1911 for the 9mm
I am not sure why you would think this.... The BHP was a contract gun for the military just like the 1911. They were both designed to be combat pistols both have served different militarizes all over the world in the down and dirty. IMHO the BHP has actually seen a lot more combat than the 1911 when you consider how many people have adopted it all over the world vs the fairly limited use of the 1911 by militarizes world wide.

The BHP is not a refined 1911 it borrows aspects from JMBs other designs like the 1911 but there is no documentation to support he used the 1911 as the starting point for the BHP. In fact it was already in development before the 1911 patents expired. Some of the 1911s patent elements were introduced by Savie but this does not make the BHP a more refined 1911. It is its own design built to meet the specs of the French contract. The Belgians used it but the French never adopted it. I hear this claim all the time but there never seems to be any real basis for it in fact.

That does not change the fact that the BHP is a great pistol.
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Old February 7, 2013, 05:57 PM   #32
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Wasn't the bhp the first double stack mag? This used to be a favorite to customize by Austin behlert, one of the best.
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Old February 7, 2013, 10:42 PM   #33
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The slide lock lever

Dumb as it sounds, first time I tried to take a friend's bhp apart, I was knocked out by the brilliance of the slide lock. All I could think was, this is a serious combat gun. This was the 9 mm sidearm the Germans coveted in WW2 not their own Luger or Walther. Wish I had one.

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Old February 7, 2013, 10:53 PM   #34
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My high powers are made in Belgium thank you very much guess its the hard chrome that I mistakenly thought was stainless. so pretty though.


Sent from my phone...expect typos.
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Old February 8, 2013, 08:39 AM   #35
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Quote:
I was knocked out by the brilliance of the slide lock.
This sure does make disassembly and reassembly easier for cleaning than having to hold the slide in one position to pull the pin.

I love the BHP for weight distribution, single action, and of course classic elegance.
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Old February 8, 2013, 10:03 AM   #36
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JMB never thought the double column mag would work. The co-designer of the gun , Saive, designed it and it works fine !
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Old February 8, 2013, 10:26 AM   #37
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I was never planning on owning anything other than 1911's and revolvers - (not for any snob reason, just loved those two models)

But I stumbled onto a HiPower deal that was too good to pass up. Once I picked it p, I knew it belonged in my hand. Darn thing is certainly not a light gun, but it sure did feel nice. Once I got it to the range - I have never shot a pistol so well, the first time I handled it.

It's the one gun I have that I can grip correctly on instinct alone. all my other handguns require me to make a slight adjustment, or at least double check my grip for bullseye shooting. (although I will admit that that is most likely a function of experience)

my .02 on what makes it special?
I like the lines. Like the 1911, (okay - I'm still all about the 1911's Style, IMO that is websters textbook definition) it's got a great looking design, nearly iconic in itself. It also shoots well for me. I went from "okay - it's a good deal and I can sell it in a heartbeat if I don't like it" to "I will never sell this as long as I'm breathing" in one magazine.
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Old February 8, 2013, 10:44 AM   #38
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They're just great guns that feel fantastic in the hand and as someone else mentioned earlier, you can pick shooters up for reasonable prices.

I got an Argentine FM Hi-Power for under $300 at a local gunstore, that shoots dead on on with Wolf 9mm and never skips a beat. The Mil-Spec ones have crappy triggers, safeties and hammers, but they're great plinkers. Or for use as a base gun to customize.

I'll keep my Glock and Sig for serious work, but I don't like shooting them as much as my Hi-Power.
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Old February 8, 2013, 10:50 AM   #39
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It is "an elegant weapon, for a more civilized age".
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Old February 8, 2013, 10:55 AM   #40
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I've always thought they were ugly... and my opinion hasn't changed.

I understand that they can be reliable, although my first experience with one was the guy next to me at my CCW class and he couldn't get through a single magazine without it jamming up. That might be part of what initially turned me away.

I have shot and seen others shoot some that were reliable, so I'm sure that it was just an issue with his particular gun... but I still think they're butt ugly.

I started a thread a couple of years ago on the subject. I had a few people agree with me... but most people thought I was crazy. Seems to be the story of my life.

For reference: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387308
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Old February 8, 2013, 11:51 AM   #41
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Quote:
So what makes the HP a gun people enjoy shooting?
A few reasons:
* Compared to other pistols of the same era, it was sleek, reliable, accurate, and easy to manipulate. Compare it to an Astra, P38, Makarov, Luger, etc.
* Good ergonomics, it points very naturally and the trigger is in the right place.
* Very durable in service, making it one of the most enduring 9mm service pistols in the world. 75 years is a long time for service weapons (rifles or pistols).
* Like most of JMB's designs, it is very intuitive to operate and field strip, making it a favorite of armorers and troops.
* The magazines are easy to load, and they hold lots of ammo (again, compare to the Astra, P38, Makarov, Luger, etc).
* Compared to other pistols of that era, it is easy to manufacture. Maybe not on the same scale as injection molded ABS plastic, but compared to other steel pistols of its era.
* Plus, they are just flat sexy looking.
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Old February 8, 2013, 12:00 PM   #42
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While it is surrounded by John Browning's other creation, in the center is my Wickmann HP. Great ergonomics and natural pointing qualities.

All this HP talk can't help but to remind me of Stephen A. Camp and all his contributions to firearms forums. He will continue to be missed.

Last edited by JohnO; November 25, 2013 at 06:44 PM.
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Old February 8, 2013, 12:41 PM   #43
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Browning

John Moses did not finish the HiPower, but he got a big lick in on it. ANd Browning firearms have a certain feel and pointability to them, .......except maybe the Rem 8/81 family. maybe that's just me. You point/shoulder one and it seems right.

The 13+1 capacity of the HP was way ahead of its time.

Funny, but I cannot ever recall reading an outcry against that when it was introduced pre WWII.
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Old February 8, 2013, 08:19 PM   #44
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I will not repeat the praise above. Here is one of my Don Williams customized MKII HPs. The second one is a well used Israeli import MKII sent to Don. I prefer the removal of the mag safety, a trigger job and ambi safety to make an ideal carry piece and better sights on the older models. My favorites are the T series guns from the 60s. The only limitation for pre MKIII guns is the use of standard pressure ammo only. I have had good luck with the older M90 FM guns I got at bargain prices but the fit and finish is nothing near the FN guns. Second pic is of an FM M90 and M95.



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Old February 8, 2013, 08:33 PM   #45
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Although a little on the heavy side, it is an all steel handgun, and a little big, the Browning High Power still competes very well with all the modern handguns of today.

I have three, two nines and one fourty, the nines have 15 round magazines and some 20 round magazines from Mec-Gar.

Very accurate, carried cocked and locked, all mine have the magazine safeties removed.
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Old February 9, 2013, 12:09 AM   #46
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" Compare it to an Astra, P38, Makarov, Luger ..."

The BHP design was pretty well firmed up by 1928, so only the Astra and the Luger were of that era. The P.38 didn't come along for ten years, the Makarov for over 20.

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Old February 9, 2013, 02:30 AM   #47
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When I tried carrying my P-35 in my 1918 GI flap holster intended for the 1911 I found that the magazine catch button contacted the leather pad inside the holster. If I picked the holstered pistol up the wrong way the magazine would pop out, same if the holstered pistol was bumped against something while on the belt.
Carrying a P-35 in the wrong sort of holster may be where the concerns over the magazine disconnect came from.
I have read of a LEO, Canadian IIRC, losing his magazine while drawing his piece and being killed because of it. Thats got to be an extremely rare occurance. I've never had a magazine pop out of any pistol other than the instance I mentioned.
I suppose it could happen while stuggling over control of a pistol in a close encounter.
My FN 1922 has the heel type mag latch, so its unlikely the magazine could be disengaged accidentally.
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Old February 9, 2013, 05:53 AM   #48
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Quote:
What makes the Hi-Power special?
Pick one up and handle it.
Shoot it a few times.
Field strip it and clean it.

If by that time you haven't figured it out for yourself, then there's not a whole lot more to tell you - other than the history of the HP.
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Old February 9, 2013, 03:56 PM   #49
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Its what the 1911 should have been.

It appeals to me because it feels good in the hand and is simply the most reliable semi auto pistol I have ever fired. I carry a handgun for self defense and couldnt care less about "trigger creep" or whatever everyone always complains about when talking about a hi-power. I have never noticed a dern thing about the trigger when rapidly triple tapping a target.
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Old February 9, 2013, 08:58 PM   #50
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The same factor that seperated Grace Kelly from, say, rosie o'donnell.
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