Hi Power Clone

[..]

Is a FEG HP clone as good as the FN or Browning? http://www.snipercountrypx.com/pc-3268-1577-feg-p9m-hi-power-9mm.aspx

 

[Noxx]

I don't know, but I'm going to say, "probably not".

I purchased an HP clone, a Charles Daly (truth be told, uh, I'm actually wearing it atm). It's a nice reliable gun. It works, it feeds FMJ and JHP reliably.... however the overall fit and finish is nowhere near that of an FN. I got what I paid for, and that's fine. YMMV.

 

[jonnyc]

A Daly HP is essentially a FEG. It is a good serviceable HP that will probably run as well as any FN HP will. Fit & Finish are not as nice, and FN parts will need a bit of fitting. I have 2 FNs, an FM, and an Indian, and I plan on getting a FEG if the price and timing are right.

 

[Noxx]

A Daly HP is essentially a FEG. It is a good serviceable HP that will probably run as well as any FN HP will. Fit & Finish are not as nice, and FN parts will need a bit of fitting.

Pretty much sums it up accurately there. I would not hesitate for a minute to investigate a problem on my property with that Daly in my back pocket, but a work of art it's not.

 

[bannockburn]

A friend of mine has an FEG two-tone that is a decent enough shooter. He did have to remove the mag safety to improve the trigger pull; seems okay now. For the money, I think he paid around $325 for it, it's a serviceable HP copy.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I have an FEG (I believe the model is PJK-9HP) that's supposed to most closely follow the Browning/FN design. The later 9M has some differences. From what I've read, the barrel locking lugs and slide stop are different from the Hi-Power. I've only done a couple of things on my FEG:

One, the barrel had a scorch mark on the lower edge of the feed ramp. Made not a bit of difference in feed and accuracy. Still bothered me enough that I bought a match grade barrel which dropped in, no problem.

The safety was rather small, so I had a Cylinder & Slide safety installed. This had to be fitted, but that part also has to be fitted on every other Hi-Power in existence as well. In hindsight, I wish I had gotten the stock Browning ambi levers installed (and may eventually do this).

I had to have the grip screw threads redone on the frame. Some monkey apparently used a power tools to install the screws at the factory and stripped the frame threads.

That's about it. Even with the defect in the original barrel and the crummy sights, this gun is easily the most accurate 9mm I own (I don't have a Browning/FN Hi-Power - I want a Practical and haven't come across one when I had the cash). Eventually, I'll probably have the sights redone, but the rear is staked in place, cannot be moved with a sight press and most likely will have to be cut out. A gunsmith who did the work on the safety told me he had one of these and the dovetail for the rear is the same as the Sig P226 family.

 

[jaydubya]

I have read on some posts that FEG's American importer has either dropped the line or gone out of business altogether. I love my T-series Browning Hi Power which still has, after forty years, a deep bluing that you could lose yourself in.
Cordially, Jack

 

[SouthpawShootr]

FEG had several American Importers. Century Arms International imported them for a while (and sold them with the addition of a ridiculous sight rib under the Mauser marque). KBI imported many of the the FEG line and sold them without any rebranding. Eventually KBI became Charles Daly. This is from their website:

Meet Charles Daly The Shooting Sports Specialist. The modern era of Charles Daly began in 1996 when K.B.I. Inc.'s president, Michael Kassnar acquired the brand. Kassnar and his family had been involved in importing firearms from around the globe for more than half a century and had actually been supplying Outdoor Sports Headquarters with Charles Daly products from 1976 to 1985.

In keeping with the Charles Daly tradition of selling custom crafted firearms, K.B.I. Inc., began importing Italian and Spanish over-and-under and side-by-side shotguns and marketing them under the Charles Daly name. The line expanded with the inclusion of Charles Daly 1911 pistols and took off with the addition of a line of semi-automatic and pump action shotguns.

What Charles Daly is trying to do is pull the same sort of thing Springfield did with the XD. They supposedly improved the finish, put some decent sights on the gun, stamped their name (rather loudly I must say), put rubber grips on it, and added about $100-150 to the price tag. They don't seem to be doing that well. One of the local shops got a Daly when they first came out. I can't remember the price, but I remember thinking it was high, maybe $450? It literally sat there for years. Finally, the in-shop gunsmith put a real nice finish on it and it sold, at a considerable loss. I don't know what this says about the gun, but evidently people around here were not impressed. I've read some good reviews of this gun online, though nothing sterling.