SD ammo for 1981 Browning Hi Power

[Ironicaintit]

That barrel has not been altered that is what it looked like when it left FN.

I hesitate to 2nd guess the man who I regard as THE FN Hipower authority on the 'net (and Stephen Camp). But I dunno, it sure looks like it's been futzed with to me.
Hey @Agsalaska , could we get another photo, showing just the profile of the feed ramp?

 

[.455_Hunter]

I suggest the Remington or UMC 115 gr JHP or the Federal 115 gr JHP (9BP). They are very feed friendly and offer good performance.

 

[WVsig]

I hesitate to 2nd guess the man who I regard as THE FN Hipower authority on the 'net (and Stephen Camp). But I dunno, it sure looks like it's been futzed with to me.
Hey @Agsalaska , could we get another photo, showing just the profile of the feed ramp?

OPs Barrel. It could have been futzed with but the to my eyes the hump is still there and the sort of wonky off center profile is not abnormal. I could be wrong it is definitely known to happen just ask my wife.

A side view will be more telling.

 

[WVRJ]

I have the Springfield SA-35 and so far it will eat anything I feed it.The Hi Power is by far one of the best handling pistols there is to me.They have a natural point/sight alignment that makes them a joy to shoot.Trigger could be better,but they're hard to get a good pull that is safe.

 

[JWF III]

Remington HTP. I have a couple Star BMs, and this was the only jhp that they would cycle out of about a dozen assorted loads.

Wyman

 

[bubbatime]

Not a single person mentioned anything about the 43 year old springs. FIRST thing I do when trying to revamp an old gun into something I might use for defense, is to replace the springs. And get a new Mec-Gar 15 round magazine as well.

Once it’s been refurbished with new springs I would then take a few different brands of hollow points to the range and give it a go.

 

[WVsig]

Not a single person mentioned anything about the 43 year old springs. FIRST thing I do when trying to revamp an old gun into something I might use for defense, is to replace the springs. And get a new Mec-Gar 15 round magazine as well.

Once it’s been refurbished with new springs I would then take a few different brands of hollow points to the range and give it a go.

Replacing springs is not a bad idea but please explain to me which out of spec spring is causing this malfunction with JHPs only. Mag spring is the only one I can think of and seems unlikely. If the spring was too weak to feed the JHPs you would most likely see issues with FMJ as well.

Also if you are looking for the highest level of reliability from a BHP I recommend sticking to 13 round mags the gave more reliable followers.

 

[Agsalaska]

So to bump a very old thread.

I do have a new Mec Gar Magazine. I did not replace any springs.

Remington UMC 115gr JHPs fed better than the WWB 115gr JHPs, but with both I still had a jam about every 1.5 magazines. I put the project away for a while as I have been distracted by other bright shiny objects, mostly in .45, but am back to this. I found a good deal on some Federal 9bp 115gr JHPs and am ordering them today. I think after quite a bit or research that this round will have the best chance of making this hi-power a usable self defense pistol instead of just a range toy.

Last-everyone understand this is all elementary. The chances of me actually loading and using this hi-power in an SD capacity is small. I have Sigs and HKs for that. But as the saying goes, ya never know and I like to know so...

 

[halfmoonclip]

Few things are more maddening than spending good money, trying to find a defensive load that runs reliably, and then buying enough of it to make sure.
Good luck!
Moon

 

[Jim Watson]

Just like a 1911, the P35 was designed to shoot hardball at foreigners. Better ball that works than hollowpoint that might.

 

[MrShooter]

PSA has Norma MHP 108 grain for 7.99 a box of 20. It's free shipping over 10, so you can't beat the price. At 1312 fps and 413 ft lb of energy, they're worth a shot. They run in my Walther pps m2, and the 45s run in my 1911s.

 

[whatnickname]

Most, if not all of the older Browning Hi-Powers were manufactured to run ball ammo. I have one that dates back to 1973 that was re-worked by a gunsmith in Atlanta that specialized in Hi-Powers. He re-contoured the feed ramp and did a trigger job on the gun. That pistol shoots anything I run in it and has a 4.5 pound trigger that breaks like glass.

I also have a 1983 vintage Hi-Power with adjustable sights that is completely stock, magazine disconnect and all. Try running that with anything but ball and it’s a “ jam-o-matic “. Then I acquired two Springfield SA-35s. Springfield undertook to correct the gripes about the Hi-Power…no magazine disconnect, 5.5 pound trigger pull right out of the box, more easily engaged thumb safety, beveled magazine well, re-contoured grips, revised hammer and blackstrap to eliminate hammer bite and ability to run hollow-points. Mec-Gar makes the magazines for the SA-35. Had the 1983 Hi-Power and a SA-35 at the range one afternoon. Decided to try the 1983 Hi-Power with the SA-35 magazine and hollow points and it ran perfectly.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Springfield has offered us a great alternative to original BHPs. All these pictures have me wondering how the feedramp looks in the Belgian one.
Moon

 

[Jaywalker]

I've had my 1980 BHP since it was born and it has always fired everything except 147gr. I have never fired +P in it, however - best to avoid that.

 

[tark]

I have never fired a Hi-Power, but I do own one that has never been fired! T-series from 68. Wish I had the pouch it came in but I don't. A friend bought it new, didn't like the sights, or the trigger and he hated the safety. He decided to keep it as an investment. He never took it to the range.

Agsalaska, your gun looks to be better than a 95% gun. I don't see any edge wear at the front of the slide, or the high points on the gun. A very nice gift!

I know something about that, as my T-series was gifted to me!

 

[halfmoonclip]

OPs Barrel. It could have been futzed with but the to my eyes the hump is still there and the sort of wonky off center profile is not abnormal. I could be wrong it is definitely known to happen just ask my wife.

View attachment 1145840

A side view will be more telling.

View attachment 1145842

View attachment 1145843

Hey WVSig, what is the purpose of the half cylinder peg above the breech opening in 2 of 3 of your BHP barrels? It is present on my Belgian gun, and the SA-35. BTW, the Belgian has a very slight 'bump' on the feedramp. It has been a 100% runner on my 1100'sec reloads, but ball only. My feedramp also looks off center.
Thanks,
Moon

 

[Agsalaska]

I have never fired a Hi-Power, but I do own one that has never been fired! T-series from 68. Wish I had the pouch it came in but I don't. A friend bought it new, didn't like the sights, or the trigger and he hated the safety. He decided to keep it as an investment. He never took it to the range.

Agsalaska, your gun looks to be better than a 95% gun. I don't see any edge wear at the front of the slide, or the high points on the gun. A very nice gift!

I know something about that, as my T-series was gifted to me!

It is an absolute peach. He is, by FAR, my favorite uncle.

 

[Agsalaska]

Ammo came in yesterday and I made it out there today. Federal Hi-shok 115gr. The 9bp stuff. I was cautiously optimistic after seeing the older hollow point bullet profile. And I am using the new mechar mag. But unfortunately I got similar results, though different types of failures, as the old school Remington and Winchester stuff. I had 2 failures in 54 shots. The 11th and the 54th. But while the other two failed to feed these were failures to eject. I am fairly certain the feeding bullet was trying to feed faster than the fired shell could eject. I had this failure one other time I think in the past tests with the other two types of ammo but also had the traditional FTF issues with the bullet hanging on the feed ramp. But still about the same failure rate.

Also, the gun did not want to load using the slide release. It would just jam the bullet into the ramp. Instead I had to manually rack the slide to get it to feed on a new magazine.

HOWEVER, I have had a 20 round box of 124gr Hydra-shoks sitting in my closet for at least ten years and I brought it with me just for fun. It shot them just fine. I shot one mag with seven rounds in it and one with thirteen and other than the 2nd mag doing the same thing with the slide release they all went bang.

Edit to ass- I also in the end shot a box of 124gr FMJ Blazer. Shot perfectly.

Two thoughts

1. I think it wants me to find a 124gr solution. I am going to buy more of the 124gr Hydra Shocks and start there. I see the issues I had today as a timing issue.
2. That gun is an absolute peach to shoot. Other than my Sig 226 that is my favorite 9mm I own. It makes me want to buy another one, a newer one, one without the hump. It blows away any striker fired whatever.

 

[5-SHOTS]

With this Browning HP I'd stick with european 124gr FMJ-RN (Fiocchi, Geco, Sellier & Bellot, RWS, etc.) or others full power 124gr ball ammo made by Federal, Winchester, Remington, Magtech, etc.

 

[Agsalaska]

With this Browning HP I'd stick with european 124gr FMJ-RN (Fiocchi, Geco, Sellier & Bellot, RWS, etc.) or others full power 124gr ball ammo made by Federal, Winchester, Remington, Magtech, etc.

Oh yea it feeds all 124gr ball perfectly. I am really just messing around trying to find a hollow point solution. More for fun than anything else.

 

[Jim Watson]

Back in the 20th, I traveled with a real USGI surplus 1911, a Norma or Super Vel hollowpoint in the chamber, ball in the magazine, because it would not feed either HP.

 

[5-SHOTS]

Oh yea it feeds all 124gr ball perfectly. I am really just messing around trying to find a hollow point solution. More for fun than anything else.

If you find hollow points that guarantee 100% reliability with this pistol and at the same time have an edge regarding accuracy and the correspondence between POA and POI then fine, otherwise I'd stick with ball ammo which are also cheaper than hollow points, I think.

 

[outerlimit]

I would probably just run FMJ in it. It works.