New ATI HP9 - DA / SA, Turkish Hi-Power ?

[gsbuickman]

Hiya Guys ...



I ended up with a nice little bonus that I wasn't expecting the other day so I made sure all the bills were paid, and I paid off my PayPal credit line and a couple other things & I decided to poke around the local gun Grapevine to see what was available and see if there was anything that piqued my interest ..



I decided that I really don't need another Rifle right now but what I could use was another full Duty size autoloader to replace the Llama Max-1 .45 that I sold awhile back. I was finding a whole lot of, kglocks, shields, xd's and caniks but I didn't want anything striker-fired nor did I want anything made by Rubbermaid. I was looking for something with an aluminum or steel frame & slide & hammer fired.



After looking at several different options I decided to pull the trigger on this American Tactical Imports HP9 - which is another Tisas Zigana import from Trabzon in Turkey which primarily makes firearms for the military and law enforcement.



I've had several Turkish firearms come and go over the last several years the last of which was a Tisas Zig 1911 & I still have a nice Legacy Escort 12 gauge & this HP9 is everything I expect from a Trabzon import. The fit and finish is really nice, I don't see any tool marks anywhere inside or out and the lock-up is nice and tight. It has a Browning linkless Barrel design with a full size guide rod and internally it looks just like a CZ 75 w/ a decocker instead of the Hi-Power / 1911 style safety. It has a commander style hammer and nice 3 dot sights that are adjustable out back. The magazine release and the slide release are right where you'd expect them to be and remind me of a 92fs. It is a DA / SA with the da pull being real long and about 13 lbs. I would guess and the SA pull is much nicer & about 5 lbs. and real smooth. Suprisingly it came with a Mecgar 18 rd mag w/ a +2 button on it for 20 rds of 9mm. I do have to say I really like the takedown on this thing., it's gotta be the slickest take down I've seen yet. Just flip the takedown lever down that's on the left side of the frame just in front of the slide release and the slide Falls right off. To reassemble it just slip the slide on the frame and press check it back just far enough that you can rotate the slide release back up in the little notch in the slide and you're done. Overall this is everything I was looking for and a little more and a real nice deal for 3 Ben Franklin's. The only thing I would like to find for this is some nice wood grips to put on it because these polymer grips have got to go other than that it's really nice . If you'd like to read a little more about it here's a write-up on it :



https://www.tactical-life.com/firearms/american-tactical-imports-hp9/

 

[gsbuickman]

 

[Blkhrt13]

Quite interesting that it’s a hybrid of 3 designs.

 

[gsbuickman]

Quite interesting that it’s a hybrid of 3 designs.

Yep, it is, but with this kind of quality and the features at this price it's definitely a keeper. It looks like a high-power with the way the barrel and frame taper, but on the inside it looks like a hi power or a CZ 75 that setting on top of a Beretta 92 style frame. I've had hi-powers, a CZ75b Omega , Beretta 92's & Taurus PT92's and the best thing I can say about the HP9 in comparison is I'm glad it's not as bulky and wide as a 92 series which is exactly why I no longer own any 92's, they're just too damn fat. Thanks to the thinner slide profile it feels considerably thinner & good in the hand and it points naturally .

 

[Blkhrt13]

It seems Turkey is quite the hot bed of goodness for guns. I handled a stoeger cougar this past weekend it was hard to pass up. I have other things I needed to do...

 

[bannockburn]

Interesting! Kind of reminds me of a Walther P88 in some ways.

 

[gsbuickman]

It seems Turkey is quite the hot bed of goodness for guns. I handled a stoeger cougar this past weekend it was hard to pass up. I have other things I needed to do...

Yep, it sure is . I've heard a lot of good things about the Cougars and they're quite popular on the Calguns board too . I've seen and handled a lot of Turkish import firearms and they've all been high quality and very nice, especially for the price. The last one I had was a Tisas 1911 & I still have a Hatsan Legacy Escort MP2 12 gauge .

 

[Kookla]

For starters- I heartily approve of Yoda, the AT-AT, stormtrooper, TIE Fighter and Millennium Falcon

That pistol looks interesting. Kinda like a kaleidoscope of different pistols. At first I see a Beretta, then it's a hi power, then it morph's into a Ruger P89.... It's kinda cool.

 

[gsbuickman]

After comparing this thing side-by-side with several other handguns I pulled out of the safe I think you can say this is a DA / SA Hi Power variant, kinda like the DA / SA 1911 varient that was made for awhile .

 

[Mike P Wagner]

I amn a little puzzled by the market for this gun. When I have contemplated buying a Hi Power, it’s precisely because it’s a classic SA design. An DA/SA variant seems like it avoids the essence of what is a Hi Power to me.

Is the appeal of this gun that it’s a slimmer DA/SA? How does the attraction of the looks of a Hi Power with a diffent internal mechanism work?

Please understand that I am not criticizing the pistol - lots of people have different tastes.

 

[gsbuickman]

I amn a little puzzled by the market for this gun. When I have contemplated buying a Hi Power, it’s precisely because it’s a classic SA design. An DA/SA variant seems like it avoids the essence of what is a Hi Power to me.

Is the appeal of this gun that it’s a slimmer DA/SA? How does the attraction of the looks of a Hi Power with a diffent internal mechanism work?

Please understand that I am not criticizing the pistol - lots of people have different tastes.

Idk, I appreciate both nice single and double action autoloaders and I own both. I'm sure there are a ton of people out there that are like me and there are also a ton of people that prefer to carry double actions over single actions because the double action triggers are safer for EDC than a light single action trigger. I also think there's a group of people out there that collect and appreciate high power style handguns and it's looking like I'm becoming one of them since I own several myself, but what could be better than having a few high-power styled handguns in both double and single action ?. On another note I appreciate having a slimmer da / sa autoloader because I'm not a fan of wide bulky handguns like the Beretta 92's or maybe the ruger p series.

 

[Mike P Wagner]

Idk, I appreciate both nice single and double action autoloaders and I own both. I'm sure there are a ton of people out there that are like me and there are also a ton of people that prefer to carry double actions over single actions because the double action triggers are safer for EDC than a light single action trigger. I also think there's a group of people out there that collect and appreciate high power style handguns and it's looking like I'm becoming one of them since I own several myself, but what could be better than having a few high-power styled handguns in both double and single action ?. On another note I appreciate having a slimmer da / sa autoloader because I'm not a fan of wide bulky handguns like the Beretta 92's or maybe the ruger p series.

Different strokes, as they say.

As nice as my Turkish made Armalite 24 is, I would love to see a Turkish Hi Power clone with the same trigger as a classic Hi Power, but no magazine safety. There might not be enough of a market for such a weapon, but I would be sorely tempted.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Different strokes, as they say.

As nice as my Turkish made Armalite 24 is, I would love to see a Turkish Hi Power clone with the same trigger as a classic Hi Power, but no magazine safety. There might not be enough of a market for such a weapon, but I would be sorely tempted.

Thanks,

Mike

Look no further my friend! Tisas is now making a direct Hipower clone under the Regent brand name. Brownells has the BR9 in stock for $500 and the BR9SS Stainless (!!!!) For $550!

They do still have the mag safety, but this is easy enough to remove.

I have yet to see one, but the reviews and pics are amazing. Finally, a true stainless HiPower!
I think a few members here have already snatched one up....I'm just waiting on my commission check.....

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Yep, it is, but with this kind of quality and the features at this price it's definitely a keeper. It looks like a high-power with the way the barrel and frame taper, but on the inside it looks like a hi power or a CZ 75 that setting on top of a Beretta 92 style frame. I've had hi-powers, a CZ75b Omega , Beretta 92's & Taurus PT92's and the best thing I can say about the HP9 in comparison is I'm glad it's not as bulky and wide as a 92 series which is exactly why I no longer own any 92's, they're just too damn fat. Thanks to the thinner slide profile it feels considerably thinner & good in the hand and it points naturally .

Very cool, OP! I love that there are still a few original pistol designs coming down the pipeline that aren't polymer-flavored!

The first few Tisa's 1911s I saw in the States were pretty atrocious, but they have come a long way in a short time.

Unfortunately, that idiot Erdogan is trying to reassert the Ottoman Empire using the Emperor Palpatine playbook for despots- if things keep going his way, we may well see sanctions cutting off our supply of fun Turkish guns and ammo.

 

[Mike P Wagner]

View attachment 789046 Look no further my friend! Tisas is now making a direct Hipower clone under the Regent brand name. Brownells has the BR9 in stock for $500 and the BR9SS Stainless (!!!!) For $550!

They do still have the mag safety, but this is easy enough to remove.

I have yet to see one, but the reviews and pics are amazing. Finally, a true stainless HiPower!
I think a few members here have already snatched one up....I'm just waiting on my commission check.....

Thanks,

Mike

 

[modifiedbrowning]

The HP9 looks like a Walther P88 Compact copy that has been uglified.

 

[gsbuickman]

Nnnnnaaaaahhhhh , the HP9 is a full Duty size autoloader, not a compact like my high standard Crusader 1911. On another note overall I think it's a pretty nice looking handgun. If you want to see something ugly look at a high point or a Glock or maybe even a shield for that matter

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Nnnnnaaaaahhhhh , the HP9 is a full Duty size autoloader, not a compact like my high standard Crusader 1911. On another note overall I think it's a pretty nice looking handgun. If you want to see something ugly look at a high point or a Glock or maybe even a shield for that matter

I don't think it's a bad lookin gun......especially compared to, say, a Croatian PhP:

 

[bannockburn]

NIGHTLORD40K

I don't think it's a bad lookin gun......especially compared to, say, a Croatian PhP:

On that my friend we are in complete agreement! The PHP MV reminds me of something that was designed by committee and assembled in a dark closet somewhere in Croatia!

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

NIGHTLORD40K



On that my friend we are in complete agreement! The PHP MV reminds me of something that was designed by committee and assembled in a dark closet somewhere in Croatia!

I would say designed by Sauron and forged in the fires of Mt.Doom.....

 

[someguy2800]

If you ask me they took a hi power and added the two features I hate most on a pistol. A double action/single action trigger, and a backwards slide mounted safety. If the safety is also a decocker then it will make the perfect trifecta of hate.

Of course if you like such features on a gun and browning hi powers then this will be great, so its all relative.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

I think you can say this is a DA / SA Hi Power variant, kinda like the DA / SA 1911 varient that was made for awhile

Some folks say the same thing about the CZ-75..This new gun, like the original CZ-75, may LOOK a little like a Browning Hi-Power, (or FN High Power) but there's no way that this gun (or the CZ-75) can be called a variant of the Hi-Power. There's almost no way to make a SA Hi-Power into a DA/SA gun without a major redesign -- and that big of a redesign wouldn't be a variant..

Almost NOTHING about thus gun (internally or externally) ,except for the shape of the front of the slide, resembles a Hi-Power.. The barrel design is quite different, with no lugs on the top of the barrel connecting the barrel to the slide, and the recoil assembly is different, too. And then there's the external trigger bar (like the 92/M9), while that same function is performed by an assembly in the SLIDE(!?) of the Hi-Power.

Compare the HP9 and Beretta 92 slides and frames, where the take-down levers are located, where the slide release is positioned and you'll see that the HP9 looks more like a slimmed down variant of the Beretta M92/M9 than a Hi-Power. But, I think that was a point you made earlier in your original comments. Maybe you've found a quality 92/M9 for less?