24,432 rounds on a Browning Hi-Power

[Bartholomew Roberts]

1995 Hi-Power MkIII now has 24,432 rounds on it...

So far I've broken:
KKM Match Barrel snapped its lug @ 7,102rds (13,102rds total on gun) - as you might imagine, this pretty well stopped the gun. I replaced the original Browning barrel and the gun still puts them where you aim it.

Crack in ring on Recoil Spring Guide ~ 16,500rds - weapon continued to work fine; but discovered the crack during maintenance.

Broken Firing Pin Retaining Plate ~ 17,500rds - weapon continued to work fine, discovered the problem and missing parts during maintenance

Ejector snapped off ~ 20,000rds - Stoppages started running 20-30% which was irritating; but the gun was still functional as fast as you could clear them.

Cracked Slide Stop ~ 20,500 rds - weapon continued to work fine, discovered during maintenance.

No stoppages or parts failure in the last 4k rounds. I've been shooting CCI Blazer 115gr pretty much exclusively for the last 10k or so. Key to good operation has been cleaning/preventive maintenance and good magazines. As long as those two factors are met, it runs like a top. My pistol shooting has dropped off quite a bit and I am onbly averaging 2-3k a year now on this pistol...

 

[fvf]

Thanks for the info

As an owner of a MkIIIs, its good to know what to look at for down the line.

 

[Dienekes]

I have a 1996 Israeli Mk III that came to me almost unfired. I am only up to about 2K rounds in it but I like the gun.

May have to order in some spares for it from Brownell's some time.

Good info.

 

[StrikeEagle]

Long live the BHP!

What kind of ammo was that... standard vel, hot surplus, reloads, Plus P or just a mix of everything?

 

[sm]

I appreciate the great report and sharing.

BHP a favorite of mine, and always enjoy reading about this proven, platform with a history.

Steve

 

[bluto]

That's amazing! Great info. I have an older Belgian proof-marked Hi Power that probably has about 2K through it. I guess I'd better go out and buy 10,000 rounds of 9mm and break it in!

 

[bobaloo]

I have a .40 HP with about 13,000 through it. The tip of the extractor cracked off at about 9-10K, other than that not a single issue.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

That is a mix of several different ammo types... mostly 115gr and 124gr factory ball ammo; but probably close to 700 rounds of 124gr +P ammo and at least 500rds of gun-show reloads.

Another tip for BHP owners, FN redesigned the slide stop for the Hi-Power around 2000. Based on the changes in design, I would say that the crack in the slide stop was a design issue and that FN is aware of it. Good news is that post 2000 Hi-Powers have the new design.

The most important thing I've picked up is good inspection during cleaning will pick up most problems before they reach the catastrophic failure level. Also, technically the 1995 is a MKIIIS, not a MKIII (though I do have a 1991 Israeli MkIII).

 

[HPJeep]

Great report! Had 5000 rounds through my Practical with zero issues. Stupid me traded it for a World War II Inglis because I have a shoulder stock sitting in the safe. Now I need another MkIII soon! I consoled myself by getting a Hungarian PJK-9 which is a HP clone. Run about 1000 rounds through it so far with no issues yet.

 

[BHPshooter]

Thanks for the report, Bart.

How is the NP3 holding up? How is the Rogard?

Also, you have Novak night sights on this one, correct? If so (I can't remember), how are they holding up?

Wes

 

[IMtheNRA]

Hello, it's great to see my fellow BHP nuts over here!

I'm not familiar with the Mark-IIIS - can you please explain the difference between it and the Mark-III ?

Also, I've seen some Isreali surplus HPs called "Mk-II and 1/2", presumably because it incorporated some features of the Mk-II and -III. I'm not sure what combination of the two was common to the Israeli HPs from AIM. Can you help me figure out this bit of HP trivia?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

How is the NP3 holding up? How is the Rogard?

Both are doing well on the exterior. The Roguard is showing holster wear on all the high points of the gun around the muzzle; but beyond that looks pretty good. The NP3 is showing wear on the safety and was showing wear on the front of the older slide stop before it broke. It is very difficult to notice the wear though as the silver-greyish color of the NP3 is very close to the color of the bare metal.

Internally, there is a lot of bare metal these days! Pretty much anywhere two parts contact each other is worn down to bare metal now - examples would be where the barrel cams, where the hammer drags along the bottom, etc.

Also, you have Novak night sights on this one, correct? If so (I can't remember), how are they holding up?

The vial in the front sight cracked and released the tritium gas so it no longer glowed. Trijicon replaced the sights under warranty (don't remember exactly when I noticed that; but around 19-20k). Otherwise, no issues.

I'm not familiar with the Mark-IIIS - can you please explain the difference between it and the Mark-III ?

Also, I've seen some Isreali surplus HPs called "Mk-II and 1/2", presumably because it incorporated some features of the Mk-II and -III. I'm not sure what combination of the two was common to the Israeli HPs from AIM. Can you help me figure out this bit of HP trivia?

Not only can I help you figure it out, I can kill two birds with one stone. A MkIII is a Hi-Power without the firing pin safety. They were not distributed by Browning in the U.S. except by special request and you generally only see them in guns imported by other means. The MkIIIS is a Hi-Power with the firing pin safety. It is the gun commonly imported and sold in the U.S. as the MkIII Hi-Power.

The Hi-Power MkII represented FNs first attempt to modernize the HP for the competition that the Beretta M9 eventually won. Most of the MKIIs imported into the United States lacked a firing pin safety; although the last year MkIIs were imported, Browning started to import them with the firing pin safety (MkIIS model).

When Browning went to the MkIII model, they imported only the MkIIIS (firing pin safety). So American gun owners are often under the misunderstanding that the MkII has no firing pin safety and the MkIII does. However, for foreign customers in less litigious societies/military, FN continued to produce the MkIII without the firing pin safety.

The Israeli Hi-Powers sold on the surplus market here around 2000 represent mostly the MkIII model (with a few MkII thrown in). Because some American gun owners believed that no firing pin safety = MkII and firing pin safety = MkIII, they didn't know what to make of Israeli guns with plain MkIII features but without a firing pin safety. Instead of recognizing the difference between a MkIII and a MkIIIS, they just started calling them Mk2.5

 

[Poohgyrr]

Thank you for the information regarding MKIII/MKIIIS, and the update on your Hi Powers.

 

[Dienekes]

I think the Mk 2.5 BHPs were so called because they also had the old "too small" original style safety, and not the bigger, easier to thumb off one. I removed it on my Israeli was to fit up a C&S LH one.

And some flat black paint on those annoying white lines of the sights.