[Danus ex]

While I prefer that most of the money I put toward guns goes out the barrel and into the target, I have an FN Hi-Power here that could use some work. I've read most of Stephen Camp's site, and I've perused the archives here and elsewhere trying to figure out what upgrades truly help this pistol the most without breaking the bank. I'd prefer not to spend $1400 on smithing at Cylinder and Slide on my $400 CDNN Hi-Power. Maybe someday.

I've been shooting mine when I can, and find the following to be the top three things that need to be addressed:

1. Trigger
2. Safety
3. Grips

Grips are easy--some Spegels are already on the way. The plastic things FN supplies are terrible.

The safety and the trigger will require skilled gunsmithing, however. The safety looks like an easy one, I'm finding all kinds of people who can furnish and install parts like the C&S strong side safety for little money. Fixing that awful trigger (which is unacceptably bad for a single-action pistol) doesn't appear to be exhorbitantly expensive, either. Places like The Action Works and Yost-Bonitz will do a trigger job for a reasonable price, but I'm probably going to have to specify that the gunsmith should not only reduce the trigger pull to a reasonable weight, but also remove that ridiculous magazine disconnect safety. The long travel of the trigger/reset could also use attention--is there a cost-effective way to do this? Some kind of stiffer spring stuck in that Rube Goldberg trigger linkage?

The hammer hasn't been an issue for me and my girly hands. Those of you with massive meathooks probably need the hammer cut or replaced. Still, if a nice hammer bob was cheap (it probably is), I'd have that done, too.

Accuracy, pointability, and reliability appear to be non-issues with the Hi-Power--quite a trifecta, but the things I mentioned earlier keep this pistol on the verge of fantastic.

So, what am I failing to consider? What would you have done or do yourself? What do you think are the most impactful modifications?

[Furncliff]

I think I could manage the heavy trigger if I could rack the slide! :eek:

[pete f]

There are local people who can work on BHP;s and do a fairly good job of making them crisper, try jeff at J and S guns down in burnsville/lakeville, palmer out at gunstop, they both have a good record on fixing them up.

A bit farther away is Ahlmans down in morristown. (it is worth going there on a weekday as the Sat. shift is just counter help. If you can swing getting there, they were and i believe still are a factory authorised repair site for browning, colt, smith, and remington. they would be worth the call. Last time they did work for me on a shotgun it was done in a week, on time, on bid and worked perfectly.


If you have any ability at all, the C&S drop in trigger job parts do an amazing job of making the gun feel good. not cheap parts but a less expensive way to try.

[Gun Wielding Maniac]

Trigger reset is apparently very difficult to improve on the BHP. I'm having Don Williams do a trigger job on my FN Hi-Power right now with that option. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The mag disconnect is actually very easy to remove. I did it myself in about 15 minutes... and 10 of that was looking up instructions on the internet. Its simply a matter of field stripping the weapon, tapping out the pin in the trigger with a punch, tapping out the pin in the frame with a punch (that the trigger rotates on) and then pulling the trigger down and out of the gun. You can pull the mag disconnect right off the back and then reinstall. Too easy.

I also added skateboard tape to the front and rear of the grips. This improved the grip quite a bit. A professional stippling job would look better... but not perform better and would be much more expensive. I think you are better off leaving the gun stock, with a trigger job, remove the mag disconnect, replace grips, add grip tape to the frame, and then spend the money you saved on some good 15 round Mec-Gar magazines and a nice holster.

[Danus ex]

I'm looking at the C&S parts now, specifically the strong side safety, the wide trigger, the 'combat' spring kit with the extra-power trigger return spring, the no-bite hammer and sear, and the extended slide release. Are things like these easily installed by an amateur like me? (I'm actually very good with mechanical things, but I haven't tried detailed work on guns yet. I can run a punch and a file, though.)

[Dr.Rob]

I had a C&S safety installed locally for under $100, though it's been a few years. Did the disconnector myself, Houge monogrips, skateboard tape on the backstrap.

I wish the sights were better on my FEG clone... but the gun fits me nearly perfectly now.