Browning Hi Power, Discontinued

what a bummer. This has me concerned. I wonder what spare parts one should have on hand for a BHP? my practical has about a thousand rounds through it so far, and I plan to use it for awhile to come.

Monac said:

Wow, that must be a service issue gun. Mine has different markings and a gray Parkerized finish.

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that's a BHP "practical" model. I have it's adjustable sight twin.

Sear, extractor, and firing pin, at a minimum.
Then hammer & trigger.
Springs, pins. Mag latch. Safety.
Denis

I would add a couple of firing pin retainer plates. Even if they do not wear out, their are the type of small part that could get lost.

And mags!
Denis

Mizar said:

There you go, Cooldill - Indian Pistol Auto 9mm 1A:

View attachment 647445

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I like it! Hard to find any new Indian made firearms in the US. If you can find one, it's something like an old bolt action military Enfield or something.

Wonder what the going rate for a minty or LNIB Hi-Power is going to be in five years or so.

Sear, extractor, and firing pin, at a minimum.
Then hammer & trigger.
Springs, pins. Mag latch. Safety.

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I agree with sears, extractors and firing pin but hammer, triggers, springs, mags and pins are available from several aftermarket makers. Honestly on mine which have seen a fair amount of use I have not had to replace much beyond extractor & recoil spring due to failure.

RPZ said:

Wonder what the going rate for a minty or LNIB Hi-Power is going to be in five years or so.

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About as much as they sell for now if you are still buying smart. If everyone panic and starts buying up all the used BHPs on the market price increases will be a self fulfilling prophecy. IT makes no sense to me that people who would have never bought one at $900 NIB are now looking at them just because they are discontinued. IMHO people have always overpaid for BHPs because they don't know where to get them.

WVsig said:

About as much as they sell for now if you are still buying smart. If everyone panic and starts buying up all the used BHPs on the market price increases will be a self fulfilling prophecy. IT makes no sense to me that people who would have never bought one at $900 NIB are now looking at them just because they are discontinued. IMHO people have always overpaid for BHPs because they don't know where to get them.

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I paid IIRC about $500+ for my brand new MK3 during the late 90s at a LGS. Not spending more than you have to is common sense. Availability can be an issue with any particular gun; at one time I wanted a Walther PPQ but couldn't find one locally, and did not want to buy one unless I was able to handle and examine it first. My budgets have usually put me in the mid to upper mid priced brackets, and I shop by design, features, ergonomics, build quality and maker. In other words, when I wanted another Hi-Power it did not matter that I could have bought another pistol that "could do the same thing" for $100 less - I wanted a BHP.

Ian from Forgotten weapons just posted a video about some Swiss Hi-Power clones from the 40s. Not really related to this thread, but nevertheless an interesting info for the BHP enthusiast:
https://videos.full30.com/bitmotive.../6476c145bf19a952ebc52bd2b9f870a0/854x480.mp4

Mizar said:

Hello. Not exactly correct - Mk. III & Standard in 9mm Luger are still listed as "current production", they discontinued .40 S&W models and several others. But I did read on some other forum, from a guy that spoke with Browning representatives, that the future of Hi-Power is entirely dependent from this year sales - if they did not report increase in sales, BHP will drop from production in 2018.

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problem with increasing sales is they dont make and import enough. none sit for very long. actually kinda a hard gun to find consistently much like the cz sp01s.

sometimes i often wonder if the makers pay attention what sells and what doesnt.

An earlier post -- #134? -- said a forum member contacted a Browning rep who said that production has stopped and the last shipment is already here.

That was me.
Final FN shipment received in March, Browning has no more.
Denis

jhb said:

problem with increasing sales is they dont make and import enough. none sit for very long. actually kinda a hard gun to find consistently much like the cz sp01s.

sometimes i often wonder if the makers pay attention what sells and what doesnt.

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I don't know what the others do but CZ sends guns to CZ-USA in batches, which I assume means they build them in batches. Almost everything they make goes through periods of feast and famine, supply wise here in the US. Batch size typically depends upon sell-out rate. For example, they may send 1000+ 75 PCRs over, but only a relative hand full of CZ 550 Varmints.

a world without hi powers is a terrible one. browning and fn are wrong.

I feel your pain - a world without Hi-Powers is like a playground without kids. A sad, lonely place where only winds gather to howl...

jhb said:

a world without hi powers is a terrible one. browning and fn are wrong.

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There will be plenty to go around, but you better grab them before the Collectors get to them first. They'll be climbin' in yo windows, snatchin' yo hi-powers up!

Seriously, blame the Collector communities stinginess for the disappearance of affordable Hi-Powers (and so many other guns). As long as they're stuck in someones safe next to sometimes literally dozens of identical guns, never to see the light of day, everthing will be A-okay because the gun community panders and gives in to gun collectors, it's all built around THEM not the shooters, not the ones that actually take guns to the range.

Cooldill said:

...Seriously, blame the Collector communities stinginess for the disappearance of affordable Hi-Powers (and so many other guns). As long as they're stuck in someones safe next to sometimes literally dozens of identical guns, never to see the light of day, everthing will be A-okay because the gun community panders and gives in to gun collectors, it's all built around THEM not the shooters, not the ones that actually take guns to the range.

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There isn't really a "Collector community," that will cause a shortage of Hi-Powers or a rise in HP prices. True collectors are NOT a community -- they're a bunch of individuals who buy for their personal collections and generally keep what they buy. As often as not, they buy from individuals. And they've probably already got their Hi-Powers.

The folks who'll rush out NOW to buy a Hi-Power and pay a higher price aren't really collectors -- they're folks who THINK they see a chance to make some money, or want a chance to buy a gun they've thought about buying for years, but never did.


Gun dealers will make some money -- that's why they're in business!! -- because they are the ones who have might have a small but dwindling HP inventory -- but I'd bet that darned few of them really do much Browning or FN business. The only folks who'll make any money on Hi-Powers are the folks who will sell HPs to the last-minute buyers. (If you had one for sale, you'd try to get as much as the traffic would bear, too!!)

CDNN 4-5 years ago sold bunches of NEW Browning and FN HPs for around $400-$500 (+/-). People snapped them up. AIM Surplus sold a bunch over the past year or two, Surplus from Israel for $400-$500, too, and they got snapped up, too. They were selling refurbished/rearsentaled ones again, recently, at a higher price. The prices have been going up for a while, and that was before there was concern about production being stopped.

If you think you'd like a Hi-Power and don't have one, bite the bullet, pay a higher price if you must if you find one, and hang onto it. But forget about making any money. Keep it and pass it on to one of your kids -- if we're still allowed to have guns 30-40 years from now. (My will says my son -- a State Trooper -- gets my guns and gun safe when I die... He'll get a number of guns, including a pretty nice T-Series Browning HP.)

I think it will only be the new or LNIB HP prices that will climb some. The folk that offer used ones, even in excellent+ condition will probably try and turn a buck on a relatively nice clean pistol, but I think they will follow the course of many over priced guns that sit forever on txguntrader.com and other online selling venues, and the occasional gunshow table. They usually say things like "no low ball offers", etc.

Here's a super nice one I was watching on GB, ended last night. I managed not to bid on it (because I already have one), but it makes the "refinished" AIM ones look about $200 over priced, IMO.
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/667793335

The HP design won't vanish from the face of the Earth, if FN stops production. There are literally millions floating around. I have one of the early FEG clones, it's basically a 100% match. Browning parts drop in.

Someone mentioned Indian manufactured, ... I have a Turkish 1911, nicely made (and cheap to buy). Made by Tisas. I checked their website out, they have (or did have) a Hi Power too. Don't see it currently marketed here in the US, but they do have an inroad already with the 1911s and Zigana pistols, and I'm seeing cheap Turkish brass 9mm ammo (I have some Yavex at a good price). If the market shows a demand for more new HPs, I could see the Turks trying to fill that niche with more exports.



google "tisas zig 14"

Keep in mind that you can get a Tisas 1911 NIB from Buds for at or under $400, especially for the standard USGI config. I don't think they'd go higher with the HP.

I fully realize that the HI-Power won't vanish instantly, not the point.
The point is that manufacture of a long-running classic icon has ceased.


Colt fans were dismayed to see the Python dropped.
I was unhappy to note the end of the Walther P38 manufacture.
Not overjoyed to see the end of the Smith 19, 27, and 28. (Don't bother mentioning any current S&W "repros" of those classics).
Will be saddened again when Colt eventually lets the Peacemaker go.

The issue is not that there are still samples in circulation, or that clones exist, or that there may be "better" designs out there.
The issue is that as each one of these icons ceases to be produced, it marks an "end of era" situation, and that's where the sadness lies.
Denis

I already have two: a mkIII and a C series, so I suppose I don't need any more. but still, it marks the end of an era.
When Ford quit making the Bronco, I was bummed out then, too.