Picked up my first Browning hi power today

[SapperLeader]

As the subject says, picked up a browning practical with the duo-tone and spegal grips, along with three preban magazines from my dealer today. I purchased it from a fellow high-road member, at a very fair price, and I cant wait to shoot it! First impressions of the gun are great, though I was first sceptical, I now love the duo-tone look, and the trigger isnt as bad as I feared. Still has the magazine disconnect in place, so when I get the trigger done, there should be lots of room for improvement. Ill post a range report as soon as I make it to a range this weekend.

I was curious about the magazines though. I was looking on the bhp mag faq, and they seem to match up with the mecgar description with a pachymar pad installed. Anyone with a little more experience wish to confirm?

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but very well could be a MecGar. I have purchased several in the past in the same configuration. Let us know how it shoots.

Best.

 

[Hal]

Sweet...
Looks like a twin of my own Practical, right down to the grips.

Two things -

1.)
a.) You can lighten the trigger w/out removing the disconnect. Dop the magazine and look inside of the mag well. You'll see a plunger. Take some 1200 or finer wet/dry sandpaper to the face of it to polish it up. You can buy 1200 grit at an automotive store. 800 is too course. You just want to polish it, not remove any metal. Next, polish the face of the magazine where the plunger has left marks. 1200 grit should take it just about to a mirror finish. Just do the section that already shows wear.

b.) Put a dab of Tetra (or any other Teflon based) grease on the plunger and wipe a very small amount on the face of the magazine. Put the magazine back in, and just work the trigger a few hundred times. You don't have to dry fire it, or cock the hammer,,just work the trigger. After you're done, wipe the grease of - don't clean it off with any solvent, just wipe it off, - and put a drop - just a single drop of a light oil like Rem-Oil on either the plunger or the mag face.

It's not as effective as removing the disconnect, but it will make a dramatic difference in the smoothness of the trigger.

2.) The frame is Nickel,( just in case you weren't aware - a lot of people mistake it for hard chrome or stainless) so don't use Hoppes #9 to clean it. I use Ballistol on mine. It works well, and won't harm the Nickel. Anything with ammonia in it will discolor the finish.

 

[Sean Smith]

The frame is Nickel,( just in case you weren't aware - a lot of people mistake it for hard chrome or stainless)

Actually, that frame IS hard chrome, not nickel. It is quite obvious from looking at the gun close up (which I have) that it is hard chrome and not nickel; the two finishes look very different.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=007B&cat_id=051&type_id=005

 

[SapperLeader]

I thought it was chrome too, my brothers bersa is nickle, and it looks totally different then the practical finish. Either way, it looks awesome in contrast with the black slide, and in 48 hours, i can go shooting with it

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. It is hard chrome.

FN/Browning has offered Hi Powers in the E-nickle, but I've not seen any in years. It has a slightly yellowish hue to the it.

Best.

 

[Marshall]

Snapper Leader,

Congrat's! You've bought one of the most admired and copied pistols made. Mine are my most favored handguns.

Enjoy!

 

[Ala Dan]

Congrat's On Your Purchase Sapper Leader

The Browning "Practical" model is one fine shooting weapon;
and my favorite of the Browning's. I guess its the looks that
appeal to me; more than anything else? Enjoy~

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[WonderNine]

I haven't seen any FN/Browning Hi-Powers in actual nickel finish that were newer than early eighties. I really like the duo-tone look and would like to have an MKIII Practical duo-tone someday.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

SapperLeader,

Welcome to the Cult of the BHP!

I also have a BHP Practical, although mine has the original Pachymars that Browning shipped it with. If you want good, inexpensive standard capacity (i.e., high cap) mags, go to CDNN's website and order their 15 or 17 round Argentine mags. They are less than $20 each and they work great.

 

[WonderNine]

Yea, I prefer the factory wrap around grips as well, not the aftermarket Pachmayers with the big hump on one side though. I find BHP's with the hard chrome frame are too slippery for me. Blued is ok, but for me the hard chrome models gotta have the wrap arounds.

 

[Hal]

Well, I guess I stand corrected on the finish.

 

[theCZ]

Hey...That thing looks like a CZ!