Hi Power Hijinks

[BryanP]

I've always liked the look and feel of the Hi Power, but I could never convince myself to buy one. Then I ran across a used Hungarian FEG PJK-9HP at a local shop. I talked them down from $250 to $210, which seemed quite fair to me. It's not the prettiest thing - it's got a little bit of surface pitting but looks like it could be refinished nicely if I ever decide to have it done.

I brought it home and field stripped it according to some illustrations I found online. While fiddling around with it a part came loose from above and behind the trigger. ***? I realized shortly how it happened and it was my fault.

I looked online and apparently this part is called a lifter? I spent about 15 minutes trying to get it back in place before I did a little more research. In reading an article on how to remove the magazine disconnect safety it mentions that the lifter has to be in place on the trigger assembly when you reinsert it back in to the pistol. Well great. That means I have to remove the trigger assembly.

Have I mentioned I'm not the most mechanically inclined person?

Anyway, I spent the next half our or so fumbling with trying to hold the lifter in position, depress the magazine disconnect safety and fit it all back inside the trigger guard and get it up inside where it's supposed to go. I finally gave up and decided that if I just removed the mag disconnect - which I planned to do anyway just not tonight - I might have better luck. Out to the garage with the trigger in hand. Improvisation time. Pin punch? Yeah, right. I ended up laying it across two pieces of wood and and tapping the pin with the tip of a drywall screw and a hammer. That got it started enough that I could grab the pin on the other side with a pair of pliers and get it the rest of the way out. Voila, no more disconnect safety.

With that gone it only took three more tries of fumbling to get everything back in place. Like I said, I'm not the most mechanically inclined person around. But hey, success is success.

Now I just have to find time to take it to the range and play with it. Probably Saturday.

Oh, and here's a pic of the newest addition to the family:

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Most of the FEG's I've shot have done quite well. Hope you enjoy yours and keep us updated on how it does at the range.

Best.

 

[BHPshooter]

A spittin' image of what mine was like a while ago!

I replaced the hammer for a Browning spur, I reshaped that safety with a dremel, replaced (and fitted) a Browning slide stop, and due to a broken spring, had to put in one of those Gold Browning triggers.

I sure miss the looks of the ring hammer... don't miss being bitten, though.

IMO, you got a good gun. They are the bee's knees to tinker with. Amazingly easy to detail strip -- just did mine tonight, actually.

In case you haven't been there yet, www.fnhipower.com is your friend. They can answer ALL KINDS of questions for you there.

Congrats!
Wes

 

[BryanP]

Thefumeagator, Mr. Camp

Yes, I've seen the fnhipower forums. I plan to spend some time there. As for the ring biting me, I haven't tried it yet but I will have some bandaids on hand. Literally.

Thanks to reading Stephen A. Camp's website - thank you sir for a most informative site; I will be ordering your book on shooting the Hi Power - I've been looking at Cylinder & Slide's web site. They sell what appear to be very nice blue triggers, not that goddawful gold thing Browning carries, so you might go there. If I do have problems with the ring biting me I'll probably order the "chamfered no-bite ring hammer." Thanks again to Mr. Camp as I had no idea there was such a thing.

This is my first handgun with >10 round capacity. It's weird watching most of a box of 50 disappear in to 3 mags.

BTW, we share a distaste for gold accents. When I narrowed my choice of a .22lr pistol to the Ruger 22/45 vs. the Browning Buckmark I bought the Ruger because all they had were Buckmarks with the goddawful gold trigger. I was very upset to see an absolutely beautiful blued SIG P220 yesterday with a gold trigger, slide release, decocker and hammer.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello and thank you. Glad to have been of some help.

Best.

 

[Marshall]

I kind of like the single gold trigger on the Buckmarks, but I grew up shooting Browning shotguns, all had gold triggers so i guess it looks classy to me. Now, all those other gold accents, puke.

Glad you got it, I never had an FEG but do have Hi-powers, you should like it.