Browning Hi Power sights question

[ZXJohn]

Hi all. Having a problem with a Browning Hi Power Mk I, and hoping somebody who knows a whole lot more about them than I do (which wouldn't be hard) can advise.

Mine is utterly gorgeous, that deep blue that looks about as deep as the Marianas Trench and about the nicest trigger I've owned - on a par with my Dan Wesson .357 in SA. But its rear sight is adjustable - the original "A" sight I think it's called, and it having flown apart ~four times now (ever since I put a spring in it, in fact; it was hitting in the 5-ring at 5 o'clock, so I tried to raise the sight only to find out that the spring was missing; I think I know why now) , I've just about had it with the sight and want to replace it.

So out on eBay and bought me a Mk III sight. Will it fit the Mk I? And if not, does anybody have any recommendations for what adjustable sight would be best for the job, and where I can get one?

Thanks!

 

[dogtown tom]

ZXJohn Hi all. Having a problem with a Browning Hi Power Mk I,

There is no such animal as a Browning Hi Power "Mk I". They were just referred to as the standard model before the introduction of the MKII in the '80's.


Posting a pic and the first four digits in your serial # would be helpful.

 

[johnmcl]

ZXJohn,

Executive summary is that a Mark III sight will not fit a Mark II or a Pre-Mark II, or Classic HP.

Steven Camp writes the following to help you ascertain which generation of the BHP you have:

Classic Hi Power (Pre-Mk II): Most often seen in bright blue with checkered walnut grips. Small single-side thumb safety. Has either a spur or ring hammer, depending upon year of manufacture. The fixed sight gun has a staked on small front sight and a dovetailed rear sight. Humped feed ramp which could make some of them picky as to which JHP's they'd readily feed w/o modification to the feed ramp. Forged frames. No firing pin safety. Has magazine disconnect. Some were offered with adj sights. Front sight was pretty high and is silversoldered to the slide. Rear sight was "roundish" and is sometimes referred to as the "coke can" sight. Elevation was with a single screw with windage set by loosening and tightening opposing screws on either end of the sight.

Mk II: Introduced about '86 or so. Extended ambidextrous thumb safeties. Early runs did not have internal firing pin safety; late runs did. Spur hammer. Finishes were matte blue and some were parkerized with black, dark gray or dark green finishes. Dovetailed rear sight that had a wide notch and different shape than the Classic. Small keel-like rib atop the slide with the front sight integral to it. Small hole in front of slide below the muzzle, presumably to allow water to drain from the holstered pistol in some military scenarios. Grips were normally blk checkered nylon with thumbrests. Some guns came with lanyard rings and some without. Has magazine disconnect. Straight feed ramp and normally feeds about any JHP. The fixed bushing extends a bit farther than on the Mk III as do some of the mid to late-70's Classic Hi Powers. Both the Mk II and Classic have the traditional shaped ejection port. I have only seen fixed sighted Mk II's.

Mk III: Those that are sold in the US are actually the Mk IIIs, with the "s" indicating the internal firing pin lock. The Mk III comes with a dark matte finish and a different style ejection port; sort of reminds me of the 1911's. The matte finished guns come with the same blk nylon grips as the Mk II and have the same extended ambi's. Has magazine disconnect. Both front and rear sights are dovetailed in the slide and larger than either the fixed sighted Classic or Mk II. Early guns had forged frames; later runs including today's have cast frames. The Mk III-based Hi Power is also available in a bright blue version that is identical to the Mk III other than finish and having the classic style checkered walnut grips. This model is called the "Standard" and I've seen them in both fixed and adj sight versions. Straight feed ramp and feed most any JHP. Though it appears not be being made right now, there was also another variant known as the "Practical." It came with Pachmayr wrap around grips, a hardchromed frame and matte finished slide with a more sloping front sight in the fixed sight version, though it could be had with either fixed or adj sights. Same safeties, usually a ring hammer, has magazine disconnect and internal firing pin safety.

 

[ZXJohn]

Classic with coke-can sight, then; build date 1980. And re: the "Mk. I" thang, I thought I'd already been through this with my Ross rifles; "It's not a M-10! It's a Mk. I, II or III!" " - but it says M-10 right on it..."

Picture, eh? Why didn't I think of that myself?



- complete with Pachmayr grip (I've used the CF Inglis HP's with bakelight grips; meh), spur hammer and flipped-open coke-can sight; the dovetail looks like 0.285". I call it "Serana", after a beautiful vampire in the Skyrim video game; like her it's gorgeous, and like her it gives love-bites that draw blood.

So I gather I'm a'shopping for a rear sight with a 0.285" dovetail; Midway lists several, but natch, they don't ship to Canada. Alternately, does anybody know the screw thread to the coke-can sight base? I get the distinct impression I need a longer screw, which if it fit would save me lotsa trouble and lotsa bucks.

And the old screw? I'll look for it, but it'll go in the little baggie with the magazine disconnect...

Edit:

1) typo...

2) Well, just back from the hardware store; the screw is metric #4-40. So back to the range with a Dremel to shorten the screw to length, and this time I'm going to glue the spring into its hole so it's less likely to take-up flying on me again...