Browning Hi Power hankering

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Just got my BHP back from my local gunsmith, who I've used 3-4 times in past 6-7 years. $56 total, including range test. No parts needed. Reassembled the trigger, hammer, and sear...PROPERLY.

Basically, the hammer-follow was the result of a poorly done "excessive" trigger job and magazine disconnect to result in a way too light (but sweet) trigger (about 4 lbs). Oh, and it was not reassembled properly, had a slightly bent trigger spring, and some minor filing done in a few spots. But the sear was untouched and had "great contact" (his words). The gunsmith had seen and fixed this sort of thing before. He did say that Browning recommends a new spring if it is bent at all, but in his experience, it should be 100% fine when he bent it back. He's the expert (but I'd have been fine with replacing it). The "new" trigger pulls right at 6lb but still breaks very cleanly. I'd say it is just right! He recommended I retest it as he did, with many magazines loaded with 2-3 bullets each to look for hammer follow or any other issues.

I'm ordering some Hogue wood grips (Kingswood) and already ordered some additional MecGar magazines. I'm going to suck it up and get the Novak tritium sights installed, which will require me sending my slide to Novak.
 
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Just took it shooting, exactly as recommended by the gunsmith. Spun like a top, and I fired 3 types of ammunition, including two different JHPs. Zero issues, including another 100 rounds or so (maybe 125 total).

I also shot it very well, but my almost 51-YO eyes need a brighter from sight to pick up at longer ranges. But the Novaks will take care of that. I'm really digging my BHP.
 
WVSig: said:
To the OP. Do not over pay. People are paying stupid rediculous prices for BHPs these days.
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About a year or so ago I could walk into one of the reliable gun shops I know of located in the sticks back east & find a decent but used MKIII for around $750, or I could get the name & number of someone with either a spare or project gun at a “decent” price. I might have to toss in something I could part with into the deal, and I don’t have many of those these days. Based on my last trip east in June, that just ain’t the case any longer!

Case in point, BHP Standard fixed sights, excellent condition gun with the disconnect still in it, asking price is $1,849.00 sitting in the Gun Library of the local Cabelas right now & they ain’t budging on price.

Going back a few years that new MkIII sitting in the case for a grand doesnt look quite so bad right now, does it?
 
I have a near mint 1968 Belgian-made Browning Hi-Power. I got it for FREE from a friend's neighbor. He died and his wife gave me his three handguns: 1) the BHP; 2) a S&W 6906 (also mint, NIB); and a S&W 36 (Exc.). Also some ammo, extra mags. She hated guns and wanted them gone. She also gave me some ancient rifles I thought were almost worthless. (I got $850 for each!) At first I thought of selling the BHP, but I've gotten mighty attached to it. As well as the others. I gave her all the money I had at the time: $800 and I think I could have charged her to dispose of them!

Here's my Browning:

Browning_Hi-_Power_003.jpg

It's got its case and three spare mags!

Since I got it it's gone way up in price.

.
 
There has been a Python on the bulletin boar of the local range priced at $3,500. That note has been there about 2 months now. Same for the 586 priced at $750.

I'm curious to see where the HP is going to be in 1-5 years from now.
 
In the 80+ years of continuous manufacturing there have been over 1.5 million BHPs produced.

To keep it round numbers, lets say 500k have been lost or destroyed.

If the average BHP is going for $1,000 that would mean the intrinsic value of the total BHP market would be $1 billion dollars

I don’t see it. There’s just too many of them
 
Confederate

I have a near mint 1968 Belgian-made Browning Hi-Power. I got it for FREE from a friend's neighbor...1) the BHP; 2) a S&W 6906 (also mint, NIB); and a S&W 36 (Exc.). Also some ammo, extra mags. She hated guns and wanted them gone.
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Would love to have a neighbor like that! Mostly all I have ever had for neighbors have been a bunch of cranky old folks who never wanted to talk to you, let alone give you any guns!

Years ago I had a '66 T Series Browning Hi-Power; one the nicest looking factory built guns I have ever seen. Had Minute of Barn accuracy with an off the scale trigger pull and those tiny little sights, but brother was it a real beauty on the outside!
 
Batty, are you sure that your gunsmith was talking about the trigger spring and not the sear spring? Hammer follow can happen with weakened (or straightened) sear spring, but the trigger spring has nothing to do with it. Furthermore, every time you slap that hammer on half-cock the sear's engagement edge gets beaten up - are you sure you really have good contact still? Because the half cock notch is only a safety feature - it's either to stop igniting a round if the hammer slips from full cock, or the later to be lowered gently on it for carry, but the sear is not designed to take repeated beating from it. A word of advice: when the gun is disassembled, do not push on the sear from the top - it would drop the hammer right against that fine engagement edge. Once or twice you may get away with it, but it will most definitely lead you to a ruined sear's engagement edge.
 
Could be it was sear spring. But I distinctly recall him saying the trigger had been reassembled (very) incorrectly and the sear contact was very good. I thought that seemed like a bit of a non sequitor.

It worked flawlessly and I shot it very nicely. I think I’m hooked!

This gunsmith is absolutely top rated across the board and has been in the business for decades. I suspect I’m just describing “the fix” poorly. Sorry.

Just packed up slide to head to Novak’s tomorrow.
 
3 coil trigger spring - lighter, for models with firing pin safety.
2 coil trigger spring - heavier, for earlier models.

If someone is wondering.
 
Nevermind... Not worth the effort to explain the same thing over and over again. This is not directed at the OP but about the current state of BHP pricing.
 
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RA40 said:
There has been a Python on the bulletin boar of the local range priced at $3,500. That note has been there about 2 months now. Same for the 586 priced at $750. I'm curious to see where the HP is going to be in 1-5 years from now.
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Well, they won't be seeing mine on the market! Because they can be found all over the planet, I imagine many are destroyed for various reasons. Like anything else, there's a market. With all the high-quality clones around, people may just lose interest in the originals. My gun was made in 1968 -- a great year and one I remember fondly. Also, with the environmental impact of quality bluing nowadays, you'll find less and less guns that have beautiful blue finishes. I'm not a fan of bluing for using, but for collecting they're gorgeous. I also love wood used for grips. Older guns with quality craftsmanship simply aren't going to wither away. People are always going to want them. At the same time, they can't be unrealistic in what they ask for them. That 586 may have a great bluing on it that's no longer available, but that card's gonna be there for a few more years before they get a serious nibble.

bannockburn said:
Years ago I had a '66 T Series Browning Hi-Power; one the nicest looking factory built guns I have ever seen. Had Minute of Barn accuracy with an off the scale trigger pull and those tiny little sights, but brother was it a real beauty on the outside!
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Use the force, Luke! Don't use the sights. And Luke...get rid of the magazine safety!



.​
 
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Confederate

Use the force, Luke! Don't use the sights. And Luke...get rid of the magazine safety!
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Don't use the sights? Isn't that why they're there? No problem at all with the sights on my Mk.II; easy to see and spot on. As for the magazine disconnector; that was the first thing we thought of but that didn't make any difference to that uber heavy trigger pull. Now my Mk.II had a great trigger pull, right out of the box, and I never touched the magazine disconnector. A buddy of mine removed the magazine disconnector on his FEG PJK-9HP and had problems with the trigger after that so I decided to leave well enough alone, going with that old adage "that if it isn't broke, don't fix it".

G39jFmH.jpg
 
The factory trigger on my MkIII leaves some to be desired. Yes I'd have an easier time if the trigger was like the 1911 but that is a user issue for me to run the gun well. Mine retains the mag safety and will remain in that configuration. I'd called a local 1911 guy if he did any BHP work and it was a simple "no".


Brownming-hipower (1 of 1).jpg
 
RA40 said:
The factory trigger on my MkIII leaves some to be desired. Yes I'd have an easier time if the trigger was like the 1911 but that is a user issue for me to run the gun well. Mine retains the mag safety and will remain in that configuration. I'd called a local 1911 guy if he did any BHP work and it was a simple "no".


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I like those grips with the emblem. Were those OEM? I’d love to have a pair like that
 
Nature Boy

First thing I did after getting my Hi-Power was to take off the factory grips (which I really didn't care for), and replaced them with the Pachmayrs. Normally I cut off the front grip strap portion on their 1911 grips; mostly because I feel it makes the gun feel a bit too wide for my smaller size hand. But when I put the grips on the Hi-Power it just felt right. Have a pair of Hogue grips for those occasions when I want to "dress-up" my Hi-Power but the rest of the time it wears the Pachmayrs.

urd2NQL.jpg
 
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