Browning Hi Power

barrabas74

barrabas74

Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
8,169
I recently put some money down to Buy a Browning Hi Power in 9mm. It has fixed sights, pacmyere (if thats how you spell it) grips and original grips. A 10 round modified clip and 3 13 round clips that come with it. It was pre-owned but it looks very well taken care of by the lack of wear on well anything on the gun and the barrell looks like glass inside. I am thinking about getting adjustable sights and having the upper milled to accept them. I dont know what year it is but the gun dealer (whome I have purchased from and had good luck with for years) said it was one of the Belgian made models.

So my questions. I hear these are pretty darn good guns, do you all feel the same? Is it worth my time to upgrade the sights? The trigger is crisp but not the lightest, I am going to get it worked on. Is there any recommendations to upgrades or changes? I hear some people experience hammer bite but the way I shoot I doubt it will be an issue. Anyone experience this?

Thanks guys all help is appreciated.
 
Congrats! I'm a pretty big HP fan.

The trigger can usually be improved a lot by taking out the mag safety. Some people oppose this but it really helps the trigger.

A ringed hammer will help with hammer bite if you have an issue with it. If not, then I wouldn't bother changing it.

I would probably leave the sights alone but your call. Shoot it some and then decide.

I think it's a great pistol and a true classic, plus for me, it just fits my hand perfect.

There are also some good higher cap mags out on the market. CDNN used to have them, military models from South America I think they were. Tough to load but got you several more rounds.

Enjoy!
 
Great gun ! The trigger is ok when you remove the mag safety and smooth things .Make sure any mod is done by someone who knows what he is doing. When they came out with the 40 cal version they changed things and those changes were also made with the 9mm. Which means the newer ones made in the 1990s will take 9mm+P without problems .For earlier ones use standard pressure loads.I no longer have mine unfortunately but I did all the mods myself , accurize, trigger sights ,checkered front and back straps ! The sights were compact using a rear from a J frame S&W revolver.
 
The magazine safety actually rubs on the clip some when you pull the trigger. If you don't want to remove it you can polish the parts for some improvement. It can particularly help if you buff the surface where the safety rubs on the clip (buff the safety and buff the clips). A friend of mine, who always comes up with the fastest improvements for anything, found that putting a slick-surfaced plastic tape (I think it might have been clear Scotch Brand tape) on the contact area on the clip produced an immediate improvement. The pull was somewhat reduced, but more importantly it became very smooth and consistent.

There are tricks for peening the guide rails to tighten them somewhat. With minor tuning like this you can make it shoot extremely well with little change. I had a contest with a friend once. He had a High Power that had been tuned up by Bain and Davis in Alhambra. His had a Bomar sight rail added to the top. He had the clip safety removed. I could match him with my stock High Power with my minor home polishing and tuning.
 
Another fine design by John Moses Browning :thumbup: My only concern would be: is this an old FN original? You might be better off leaving it alone for its collector value, before making mods. Just my 2 cents.
 
mete said:
Which means the newer ones made in the 1990s will take 9mm+P without problems .For earlier ones use standard pressure loads.
Click to expand...
I am no expert, so take this with a grain of salt, but I thought I had read that that the original Hi-Powers was designed to handle standard NATO 9mm loads, which were much higher pressure than standard civillian (SAAMI) loads? I would suspect that older Hi-Powers would be able to handle +P just fine, but I would definetly check with a more knowledgable source (like a gunsmith familiar with the Hi-Power).
 
The Hi-Power is a fine weapon. I wouldn't touch the sights myself, the standard ones should be fine and will be more durable than adjustable sights. However, like someone else said at least give them a try before you make the change.

mdauben said:
I thought I had read that that the original Hi-Powers was designed to handle standard NATO 9mm loads, which were much higher pressure than standard civillian (SAAMI) loads?
Click to expand...

The original BHP was made before NATO was even thought of. :)
 
I don't have a Hi-Power but the British SAS has used them for a number of years. To me, that's a pretty heavy endorsement right there. It's only recently that they've replaced the HP with one from Sig Sauer.

Reason for the change was the the Sig was able to shoot tighter groups. To someone like me, who doesn't shoot often, that really wouldn't make much difference.

So, even if it's yesterday's model for the SAS, I'd say it's still a great pistol--another classic from John Moses Browning.
 
During WW2 the Brits used Hi-Powers that were expected to handle hotter Sten Gun rounds. I think the commercial models (with ordinary smooth finish blued surface rather than black Parkerized) always were intended for commercial loadings. On the other hand they are very forgiving and handle most any round I've loaded for them. This was Browning's last pistol design and it is particularly elegant in using a minimum number of parts. I think it was the first auto to fit a staggered box magazine in the handle and carry over 10 rounds.
 
mdauben said:
I am no expert, so take this with a grain of salt, but I thought I had read that that the original Hi-Powers was designed to handle standard NATO 9mm loads, which were much higher pressure than standard civillian (SAAMI) loads? I would suspect that older Hi-Powers would be able to handle +P just fine, but I would definetly check with a more knowledgable source (like a gunsmith familiar with the Hi-Power).
Click to expand...

Hi-Powers were not designed to take hot NATO loads. The Hi-Power was introduced in 1935, hence its designation P-35. NATO wasn't created until 1949.

Congrats on getting yourself a fine weapon. Mine is a .40 and although it doesn't shoot quite as nice as its 9mm brethren it is still the softest .40 I've ever shot.
 
An outstanding pistol from a master designer JMB. I wouldn't touch the sights, nor remove the mag safety.

A tune up from a gunsmith is all it should need (provided yours is in reasonably good condition) to last you for many many years.

The Hi Power has the best "natural point" ergonomics of any handgun I have handled. (IMO).
 
I have owned 5 of them and I edc'd a BHP for many years. I have fired thousands of rounds of 2Z velocity military rounds through my guns and I never had any problems. As previously stated the SAS used the weapon extensively.
I would contact Bill Laughridge at the Cylinder and Slide Shop http://www.cylinder-slide.com/
I have purchased a lot of custom parts from him for my BHP's and he knows the guns VERY well. If I lived in the States I would love one of his custom pistols...
Here is a pic of my custom BHP....
IMG_1233.jpg
[/IMG]
 
I had the mag safety removed. I did this because the trigger pull was instantly and cheaply improved and because I think mag safeties are the answer to a question that wasn't asked. Not one of my colts, sigs, walthers, hk's, etc. etc. has one and I seem to be fine without it. No one asks if they can retrofit a mag safety into a Sig P210. If you want a better trigger pull with minimal cost, remove it. Nice purchase, I love mine and will never willingly part with it. Enjoy.

Pete
 
The HP and the CZ-75 are the only two 9mm handguns that seem to "fit" me, they are comfortable and very accurate even in stock form.

Right now I own 4 Hi Powers- 1 Inglis, 1- Nazi production w/stock, 1- that I got in Israel from an old friend (fixed sights, no mag safety- was her EDC until she conned me out of my
satin nickle Colt Commander.) and 1- 1996 Browning Practical, 2-tone, adj. sights, no mag safety and Crimson Trace lasergrips. All of mine are currently using 17rnd. Argentine Military contract mags.

All of mine except the Nazi seem to prefer 124gr. +P loadings, producing sub 2in. groups at 25yds. and consistently hitting an 8in. plate at 100yds. The Nazi likes HOT 115gr. and produces similar results. All are reliable with hollow point ammo- preferring Winchester SXT.

Pics of Practical-
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0064.jpg
    DSCN0064.jpg
    36.2 KB · Views: 22
  • DSCN0063.jpg
    DSCN0063.jpg
    31.2 KB · Views: 26
Last edited:
I have a pair of Hi Powers in .40 and 9mm. They are awesome guns. Only thing I don't care for is the stock thumb safety, but that can be remedied.
 
Understand that the HP design predates the introduction of hollow-point ammunition. Some will eat it, some won't.
 
Gov't Mule said:
Understand that the HP design predates the introduction of hollow-point ammunition. Some will eat it, some won't.
Click to expand...

While this is true, it's a piece of cake to touch up the feed ramp. Any competent gunsmith can do it. The Hi-Power that I had wouldn't feed a certain brand of JHP; once the ramp was fixed, it would feed rocks.
 
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/
You should find lots of info on this site -more than any other.I think you'll find my comments about 9mm+P there also.The HP was at one time the standard sidearm of almost all Nato forces until the silly DA autos became the rage.
There are many myths about HOT European 9mm loads and tests of actual ammo demonstrate this. German military guns certainly like FULL loads. Here in the USA early 9mm loads were rather anemic and would often fail to cycle German guns as I found out !! The P-08 and P-38 also had a long mag to chamber travel and would often fail to function with shorter 90 - 115 gr ammo. BTW 90 gr loads go way back to the 1920s IIRC.
The ball loads of the 9mm leave much to be desired but modern JHPs especially +P or +P+ bring it up quite a bit !
 
Last edited:
look on side, these are some tips.made in belgian or made in belgian assembled in portugal.if its the good barrel when you study in light,1st part of rifiling is relieved .do'nt know the reason.these are not target guns leave sights alone.may need to blacken them to get good sight picture.next to my colt detective special still my favorite carry.won money with my 1st one outstanding shooter,at 30 ft.from bags would cut johnson grass stems.one day i was hot & busted 2 clays from a hand thrower.know you wo'nt beleive it. took 9 shots from rest 100 yds.to get drop figured,after that would hit a beer can at 100.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I'll look into having the gunsmith make those mods. I'll take ya'lls word for leaving the sights alone. I do plan on shooting it alot before any major mods like that take place. I am excited to get it as its probably the best presenting gun I have ever held. It has similar looks to my 1911's which I am a huge fan of and the whole thing just feels right. I am not really sure where the "mag safety" is but I'll buy a manual and learn how to treat it right.

Alfaholic thanks for the site. Thats a sexy looking pistol you posted there. Bigkahuna's as well. The one i am getting has a standard blue'd finish.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top