November 21, 2020, 10:31 AM | #1 |
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A classic auto
I don't own any plastic guns and likely never will. Further, I am a revolver person, not an auto man. Nevertheless, I do like classic autos like my Browning High Power.
I have never been a fan of the factory wood grips on a HP however, so mine wears Pachmayr rubber wrap arounds. Also, I have always liked the looks of a round rowel rather than the spur hammer that came on this gun...so I swapped it out for the rowel as in my photos. I have also removed the useless magazine safety, but did not find a huge improvement in the trigger pull. This auto is one of the most reliable functioning (note that I did not use the term "running" or "run".) auto I have ever owned. Note: that is not rust in the slide serrations...just an artifact due to lighting. If I remember correctly, it came with that ambi safety...not a big fan. |
November 21, 2020, 10:37 AM | #2 |
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The rubber grips are quite a dichotomy when you talk of "classic" autos. Your gun, your choice. But for classic beauty nothing beats wood.
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November 21, 2020, 10:53 AM | #3 |
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I agree...but all my guns have to be "shooters" first...and I find that the rubber grips provide a significant improvement over the factory wood grips while shooting.
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November 21, 2020, 12:32 PM | #4 |
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Nice, hope it runs well for you.
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November 21, 2020, 12:58 PM | #5 |
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I had a HI Power back in the 80s, blued commercial Browning, with adj sights. Really nice gun. The factory wood grips fit my hand well and actually was the best feeling grip on a 9mm I'd ever run into. The pachmyrs don't detract from that to my eye at all.
My big complaint was the trigger. It took (almost literally) "three men and a boy" to pull the trigger. The safety was small, and did not positively "click" into position like my 1911A1s did. The magazine disconnector (I refuse to call it a "safety") was a royal pain, though I did learn my finger is just barely long enough to reach and trip it with the mag out...not everyone's is.. and lastly it was "only" a 9mm. (I was a .45 guy back then, and with good reason, back then) It's a trim, elegant gun, has served on both sides of every war since it was made, and still is in use today by civilians around the globe. Not a bad record for a 1935 pistol.
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November 21, 2020, 01:08 PM | #6 | ||
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November 21, 2020, 01:25 PM | #7 |
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"...did not find a huge improvement..." Without the mag safety the trigger pull is going to be better than with it.
"...did no fitting..." Oddly some of those parts that we all know require fitting sometimes do not. Replaced the sear in my Inglis(tried to polish it), years ago, with a CF issue sear(knew a weapons tech. Got a pair of .30 Browning flash hiders several years later, the same way.) that dropped right in with no fuss. I think they're investment cast. Dunno for sure. My one plastic gun fires a stream of water. snicker.
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November 21, 2020, 01:34 PM | #8 | |
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Not anything of any practical value, just one of my handling quirks, I like to be able to lower the hammer, mag in, OR mag out, as I can with 1911s and many other pistol designs. From what I have heard, the magazine disconnect was requested by the French, and after it was included in the design, they declined to buy the pistol, anyway...
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November 21, 2020, 02:15 PM | #9 | ||
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November 21, 2020, 02:17 PM | #10 | |
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November 21, 2020, 02:25 PM | #11 |
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While I have seen some aesthetically pleasing wooden aftermarket grips for HP's, the grip panels that came with my gun, albeit being walnut, were plain and ugly. I offered them up for sale a few years ago and some guy jumped on them...good riddance.
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November 21, 2020, 02:59 PM | #12 |
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???
I have to agree that the BHP is a classic, furnished with wood grips. Then it begs the question;
Can we still consider BHP-Practical, a classic as well ? Be Safe !!!
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November 21, 2020, 03:03 PM | #13 |
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Those slide serrations are looking a little rusty, you might want to clean them up a bit with some Ballistol and a light abrasive, then maybe brush on a bit of cold blue.
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November 21, 2020, 03:05 PM | #14 |
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I agree about wood making a better grip than rubber or plastic. This is my Gunsite BHP in .40cal.
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November 21, 2020, 03:12 PM | #15 |
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I think the Hi-Power is a fine gun, but the web of my hand has a series of ladder-rung like scars from hammer bite. I don't like to bleed on guns. It makes them rust.
But thats just me. I have no experience with this idea,but IIRC Cylinder and Slide makes some trigger components for the Hi-Power that may help your trigger pull |
November 21, 2020, 03:29 PM | #16 |
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That comes from not reading all the posts, and then posting. Read the original post...that is not rust, it is a play of light that just looks like rust. As a matter of fact I could not get a true representation of that that gun looks like...in reality, it looks almost as new with a really good Blue finish. whereas the photo of the gun makes it look well-worn.
Last edited by dahermit; November 21, 2020 at 03:36 PM. |
November 21, 2020, 03:33 PM | #17 |
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while I agree that your grips look better than my Pachmayr rubber grips, the original grips that came with the gun and are shaped as the G.I. grips, are not as good as rubber. In my opinion just for shooting, Pachmayr grips are better. Admittedly though, I you want a pretty gun to look at...yours are better.
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November 21, 2020, 03:40 PM | #18 | |
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Nothing ergonomic about the originals at all. Nor is anything about them aesthetically pleasing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Browning-Hi...UAAOSw8pFftfQz Last edited by dahermit; November 21, 2020 at 03:46 PM. |
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November 22, 2020, 12:59 AM | #19 |
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dahermit, The Hi Powers are one of my longtime favorite 9MMs. I've owned, I don't know how many, since the '60s, both stock and custom. As you've discovered, removing the magazine safety/disconnect results in minimal trigger pull weight reduction. I'd done it in past, but quit removing it years ago. The down side for me in removing the mag safety, is that the mag safety spring also helps move the trigger forward to reset. So if the mag safety and spring are removed, trigger reset gets even soggier than on a stock Hi Power. That slow, and long, trigger reset is not desirable to me. If the mag safety is removed, the older pre-MK III 2-coil type trigger spring is a bit stronger, and can be installed to help regain some of the crisper trigger reset.
I still have three HPs, one a MK III like yours. I think the MK III is one of the last 9s I'd want to part with.
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November 22, 2020, 01:26 AM | #20 | |
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November 22, 2020, 08:14 AM | #21 |
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Even though my FEG is only a pretender, it’s a marvelous gun. For a steel gun it feels surprisingly light and balances very nicely. With the magazine disconnect removed the trigger is pretty decent. Mine has been as accurate and reliable as any pistol I own. I picked it up for $250.00 a few years ago just for S&G’s and was very pleasantly surprised at just how nice it is. Maybe someday I’ll get the real deal but for now this one works for me.
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November 22, 2020, 10:16 AM | #22 |
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S&W revolvers and 1911 guns for me(do own a few others but the these are what get shot mostly). Some have rubber grips but what you gonna do?
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November 22, 2020, 10:32 AM | #23 |
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They have been making those rubber Pachmayr grips for about 45 years, that is pretty "classic" all by itself.
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November 22, 2020, 08:47 PM | #24 |
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I like the slimmer wood panel grips by Hogue on mine....the Pachmayr's were too fat in the mid-section for my taste. Too each his own. Rod Here are the Hogues on one if my 9mm's and a Tom Threepersons open top OWB holster I made up for it.
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November 22, 2020, 10:02 PM | #25 |
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If you would not mind, post a picture of the back of that Tom Threepersons style holster so we see how a belt is attached.
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