New Tisas Hi-Power clone

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rpenmanparker

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Interesting news that Turkish manufacturer Tisas is now offering a Browning Hi-Power clone, the Regent BR9. With other authorized makers no longer in the business, that is the only current source of new Hi-Power pistols. Only a few reviews but already BH Spring Solutions is offering an overhaul advertised to bring the $500 pistol up to custom gun standards for $228.

Any thoughts on any of this?

Mine: I am really interested in a Hi-Power, but I am not keen on searching all over creation for just the right used Hi-Power from the right time period, in the right condition, with just the right features, and then paying $1,400 for it. If this is good stuff, I am intrigued.

I’m sure that 1911 clones were disparaged when they first appeared.Seeing what has happened there and how the clones are the gun now would totally discredit such criticisms on Hi-Power clones if not based on actual poor quality and performance.

Let’s discuss.
 
Interesting news that Turkish manufacturer Tisas is now offering a Browning Hi-Power clone, the Regent BR9. With other authorized makers no longer in the business, that is the only current source of new Hi-Power pistols. Only a few reviews but already BH Spring Solutions is offering an overhaul advertised to bring the $500 pistol up to custom gun standards for $228.

Any thoughts on any of this?

Mine: I am really interested in a Hi-Power, but I am not keen on searching all over creation for just the right used Hi-Power from the right time period, in the right condition, with just the right features, and then paying $1,400 for it. If this is good stuff, I am intrigued.

I’m sure that 1911 clones were disparaged when they first appeared.Seeing what has happened there and how the clones are the gun now would totally discredit such criticisms on Hi-Power clones if not based on actual poor quality and performance.

Let’s discuss.

Sorry no disrespect to Slav and the others from BH Springs but there is more to making a custom BHP than swapping a few springs, parts and a quick polish job. They are not a custom house they sells SFS kits, springs and tools to work on your BHP. They are good guys but what they are offering does not = a custom gun.

The last time I spoke with Mr. Ted Yost about my custom build we talked about what does the BHP "need" to make it a "perfect" gun. The first two things that have to be addressed are the sights and the trigger. Everything else is to make them pretty and function pieces of art but really those are 2 two things they really need. BH Springs is doing nothing more than a simple polish job that could could do at home. They are replacing the hammer & sear with the SFS system. They do not address the sights. So in my mind they have not really addressed the "needs" of a BHP.

Things to consider which they do not address. The Regent sights are less than stellar. They are Novak knock offs. They really push the SFS which honestly is a solution looking for a problem. IMHO. It does nothing to improve the performance of the gun. It was only developed back in the day because FN/C&S wanted to try to sell BHPs to LEO who would not carry a gun cocked and locked. It does not make the trigger on the BHP better. It makes an already complicated system even more complicated. IMHO

I am not trying to harsh Slav and his company but to call what they do equal to a $3,500 custom gun which they do on their site in their review I think it really stretching the truth. Are the enhancements worth the $$. If you like the SFS system maybe but for my money there are better "real" BHP smiths that produce better results.

This clone is at this point of unknown quality. I have said it here and other places. It may end up being a great gun but today there are no high round count guns. They highest round count I have seen is 1,000 +/-. There have been 2 reported extractor failures. Both happened around 300-350 rounds. The claw sheered off both parts.

If you want a reliable proven clone look for a FEG, FM or Charles Daly. If it were me I would keep and eye on these clones. If a year from now people have put 5,000+ rounds through them and they have proven stout get one but personally I am not looking to pay $500 to be a beta tester. Personally I would just keep looking for a real FN gun. I have seen good examples of surplus guns sell for $500 as recent as last week on GB. I do not understand paying more for less.
 
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By the way, is anyone familiar with the details of the Hi-Power rear sight dovetail? Is there only one type no matter the age of the gun and type rear sight supplied? Is the dovetail the same as on the original MilSpec 1911? Basically what rear sights fit the High-Power.
 
By the way, is anyone familiar with the details of the Hi-Power rear sight dovetail? Is there only one type no matter the age of the gun and type rear sight supplied? Is the dovetail the same as on the original MilSpec 1911? Basically what rear sights fit the High-Power.

It depends on the vintage. Some have dovetails for the front and rear sights, MKIIIs, MKIIs have a smaller dovetail for the rear and a front sight that is part of the rib on the top of the slide which is not removeable. Pre MKII guns like T series and C series have small rear sights in a tiny dovetail and staked/soldered and has to be milled of to be replaced.

There are aftermarket sights that fit the MKIII dovetails but most of the major aftermarket sights like Novak, Bomar & Heinie require the slide to be milled to fit the new sights.

As far as the Regent goes all we know is that they used a Novak knockoff sight but we do not know if it is a real Novak dovetail.
 
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It depends on the vintage. Some have dovetails for the front and rear sights, MKIIIs, MKIIs have a smaller dovetail for the rear and a front sight that is part of the rib on the top of the slide which is not removeable. Pre MKII guns like T series and C series have small rear sights in a tiny dovetail and staked/soldered and has to be milled of to be replaced.

There are aftermarket sights that fit the MKIII dovetails but most of the major aftermarket sights like Novak, Bomar & Heinie require the slide to be milled to fit the new sights.

As far as the Regent goes all we know is that they used a Novak knockoff sight but we o not know if it is a real Novak dovetail.
That would be too easy. Thanks for the info.
 
I'm pretty excited about these, though I have yet to see one in the flesh. Unless they are total POS, I will probably get one just for the stainless chassis- even if I have to swap in all FN or aftermarket internals, IMO, it will still be worth it.
That’s what I was thinking. And if it does have a Novak dovetail, it will be simple for me to mount a red dot.
 
That’s what I was thinking. And if it does have a Novak dovetail, it will be simple for me to mount a red dot.

I would think if you wanted to mount a red dot you could do a custom milling job to properly fit it to the gun. Admittedly I am not a red dot guy but custom cuts seem to be the way to go.
 
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How is a Novak cut going to help you mount a red dot onto the Regent? Any Red dot is going to require you to mill the slide? Color me confused.
No, that is very old news. There are many mounting plates available for different red dots and pistols. The start with an insert piece that slides into the dovetail after removing the rear sight. Then a mounting plate attaches to that insert. The optic sits a little higher than on a milled slide, but it is cheap and doesn't irreversibly change the slide. Sometimes you have one set of screw to attach the red dot and to the plate and the plate to the dovetail insert. Sometimes two sets of screws, one for each operation. One of the available versions is for the Novak dovetail cut and Sightmark Mini Pro Spec, Burris Fastfire III, Docter (various), Vector Venom, etc. optics. Of course there are versions also for Glock dovetail cuts, Sig, MilSpec 1911, and many others. And other folks like EGW will custom fit an insert to an oddball dovetail cut for $125. Then you just screw on the mounting plate and are good to go. www.sight-mount.com is even offering dovetail insert rail type mounting plates for various pistols that accept Weaver and Picatinny mounting type red dots.
 
No, that is very old news. There are many mounting plates available for different red dots and pistols. The start with an insert piece that slides into the dovetail after removing the rear sight. Then a mounting plate attaches to that insert. The optic sits a little higher than on a milled slide, but it is cheap and doesn't irreversibly change the slide. Sometimes you have one set of screw to attach the red dot and to the plate and the plate to the dovetail insert. Sometimes two sets of screws, one for each operation. One of the available versions is for the Novak dovetail cut and Sightmark Mini Pro Spec, Burris Fastfire III, Docter (various), Vector Venom, etc. optics. Of course there are versions also for Glock dovetail cuts, Sig, MilSpec 1911, and many others. And other folks like EGW will custom fit an insert to an oddball dovetail cut for $125. Then you just screw on the mounting plate and are good to go.

Interesting. I am not a fan of red dots on a pistol. Too much bulk and the tech is not combat ready IMHO.
 
I own the BR9 is stainless and it is a pretty darn good shooter.
How is the trigger? I understand that in general the Hi-Powers were pretty bad and the BR9s might be similar. That is one of the things that BH Spring Solutions promises to improve. Your input as to whether any work might be needed would be appreciated.
 
How is the trigger? I understand that in general the Hi-Powers were pretty bad and the BR9s might be similar. That is one of the things that BH Spring Solutions promises to improve. Your input as to whether any work might be needed would be appreciated.

I think the trigger on the BHP and the BR( is pretty good, but I am not a trigger snob.
 
How is the trigger? I understand that in general the Hi-Powers were pretty bad and the BR9s might be similar. That is one of the things that BH Spring Solutions promises to improve. Your input as to whether any work might be needed would be appreciated.
On a stock FN HiPower, the trigger "feel" during take-up is largely dependent on how smoothly polished the shoe contact point on the front of magazine is- and there is quite a bit of said take-up before the break. A matte-parkerized magazine will produce a quite rough, gritty trigger action. Polish the contact surface smooth, though, and it gets much better. They have a crisp break with minimal over travel, but also a rather indistinct, mushy reset.

Honestly, during shooting, I hardly think about the trigger on my FN T-series at all- and that's a good thing. Its only during dry firing with an empty magazine inserted that it really offends.

Remove the magazine safety, and you eliminate the gritty feel during take-up, but you are still left with lots of travel and the crappy reset. This is where aftermarket triggers and springs shine on the HiPower.
 
On a stock FN HiPower, the trigger "feel" during take-up is largely dependent on how smoothly polished the shoe contact point on the front of magazine is- and there is quite a bit of said take-up before the break. A matte-parkerized magazine will produce a quite rough, gritty trigger action. Polish the contact surface smooth, though, and it gets much better. They have a crisp break with minimal over travel, but also a rather indistinct, mushy reset.

Honestly, during shooting, I hardly think about the trigger on my FN T-series at all- and that's a good thing. Its only during dry firing with an empty magazine inserted that it really offends.

Remove the magazine safety, and you eliminate the gritty feel during take-up, but you are still left with lots of travel and the crappy reset. This is where aftermarket triggers and springs shine on the HiPower.

I'm so glad we have some folks experienced with this stuff.
 
Robert

Years ago I had a T Series Hi-Power (built around 1966), that was so beautiful on the outside and so horribly assembled on the inside. To this day it had the worst trigger pull of any handgun I have ever tried. Had to estimate it at around 12+ pounds as the trigger pull gauge we used only went up to 10 pounds. The sights were also problematic as they were so tiny and hard to see. The thumb safety left a lot to be desired as it almost required a mallet to get it to move on or off. My brother bought new Hi-Power sometime in 1976 that also had a really heavy and gritty trigger on it, though not as bad as my T Series model.

Then in 1985 I heard about the MK.II Hi-Power and finally I had a trigger pull that was as crisp and light as any decent 1911. Right out of the box and without any need to replace springs, polish any parts, or remove the magazine safety, this trigger (along with higher visibility sights and an easy to use ambi safety), made shooting this Hi-Power a sheer delight. It may have taken awhile but I did ultimately find my Hi-Power.

So what does all this have to do with the Tisas Hi-Power: nothing really only that sometimes it even takes experienced manufacturers like FN a bit of time to get it right. At this point in time I would rather get a used Browning Hi-Power (or FEG or FM copy), than to take a chance on something like the Regent BR9. If in the long run it proves to be reliable, durable, and is supported by the factory, then I might consider getting one.
 
On a stock FN HiPower, the trigger "feel" during take-up is largely dependent on how smoothly polished the shoe contact point on the front of magazine is- and there is quite a bit of said take-up before the break. A matte-parkerized magazine will produce a quite rough, gritty trigger action. Polish the contact surface smooth, though, and it gets much better. They have a crisp break with minimal over travel, but also a rather indistinct, mushy reset.

Honestly, during shooting, I hardly think about the trigger on my FN T-series at all- and that's a good thing. Its only during dry firing with an empty magazine inserted that it really offends.

Remove the magazine safety, and you eliminate the gritty feel during take-up, but you are still left with lots of travel and the crappy reset. This is where aftermarket triggers and springs shine on the HiPower.

Smiths who know what they are doing can correct the vague reset of the BHP.

Don Williams can do it. Yost does it. Garthwaite does it. Karl Sokol does it. C&S can do it etc.... It is not just springs. It is geometry of the trigger and the sear surfaces. It is a "flaw" in the BHP design but a good smith can correct it.

None of these guns does not have a vague reset.

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What I hope is that the frame, slide and the barrel are sound enough in these clones that you can build a "perfect" BHP on them but only time will tell if that is the case. The reality is that if you want a BHP for casual range use and you never intend to carry it or put 10,000 rounds through it these guns regardless of their quality should fit the bill but then again so would a properly priced used FN/Browning IMHO.
 
Robert

Years ago I had a T Series Hi-Power (built around 1966), that was so beautiful on the outside and so horribly assembled on the inside. To this day it had the worst trigger pull of any handgun I have ever tried. Had to estimate it at around 12+ pounds as the trigger pull gauge we used only went up to 10 pounds. The sights were also problematic as they were so tiny and hard to see. The thumb safety left a lot to be desired as it almost required a mallet to get it to move on or off. My brother bought new Hi-Power sometime in 1976 that also had a really heavy and gritty trigger on it, though not as bad as my T Series model.

Then in 1985 I heard about the MK.II Hi-Power and finally I had a trigger pull that was as crisp and light as any decent 1911. Right out of the box and without any need to replace springs, polish any parts, or remove the magazine safety, this trigger (along with higher visibility sights and an easy to use ambi safety), made shooting this Hi-Power a sheer delight. It may have taken awhile but I did ultimately find my Hi-Power.

So what does all this have to do with the Tisas Hi-Power: nothing really only that sometimes it even takes experienced manufacturers like FN a bit of time to get it right. At this point in time I would rather get a used Browning Hi-Power (or FEG or FM copy), than to take a chance on something like the Regent BR9. If in the long run it proves to be reliable, durable, and is supported by the factory, then I might consider getting one.

+1
 
If you ad the price for the new tissas plus one the aforementioned smith (excellents btw) gun work you wont be so far from a new pistol.
For the new gun removing the mag disconnector and some usage wil give a nice trigger with good factory sights.
I do have a one with adjustable sights and an Argetinean FM, the last one print holes so tight that I will never part of it (besides of having a sentimental value since a friend of mine gave to me before he passed, knowing his faith). The Blue BHP probably I will pass down to my son.
 
So where we at now after a couple months? Anyone else picked one of these up?

I have to admit I have a bit of a craving for a stainless model. Or are they all stainless but one is painted and the other is not?
 
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