The low down on the High Power?

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Clifford

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So whats the deal? I am an avid 1911 fan but my next handgun will be a Hi Power. Problem is the only things I know about them is as follows.

1 Hammer bite can be a problem (I get pinched by 1911's with spur hammers).

2 Many say the mag saftey can give you a iffy trigger pull.

3 Some HP's dont wear well (10000+ rounds and allready shot out)

4. No stainless model made

So thats it. I really only buy american made weapons but I dont think that is an option with this purchase (I think the Browning guns are FN mfr). I am not collecting the weapon, it will be a shooter. I really like stainless guns but I dont think anyone makes a HP in stainless. Any advise on what makes to look for and problems I might encounter would be great.
 
The later cast frames are beefier and more durable than the earlier forgings; should be plenty sturdy for 9mm use. Look for fore/aft serrations on the bottom of the frame around the magwell to tell if it's a later cast frame. They moved to the cast frame to take the beating of 40S&W, so in 9mm it should last a good long while.

C&S makes many hammer combinations to avoid bite, although I've got spur hammers and like them more than the rowel hammers.

Mag safety sucks, and fortunately it's easily removed if you are so inclined. Removing it makes a big difference.
 
4. No stainless model made
Click to expand...

No, but they did make them in hard chrome, examples of which turn up frequently on Gunbroker.

C&S makes many hammer combinations to avoid bite
Click to expand...

And while you're at it, get their wide combat trigger. Gives your finger a better purchase and eliminates the mag safety in one stroke.
 
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I am no high-power expert - much as I like the looks and design, the double stack magazine has just been too wide for my comfort. I have regretted this for ages as I like the design very much. But I do know that good information can be had on them by reading what Stephen Camp has written (google his name), and he also moderates a sub-forum on the BHP at 1911forum.com. Hope that helps you find some good dope.
 
The factory grips (especially the walnut) make the grip much fatter than necessary. The Navidrex Combat grips are a significant improvement.
 
Mr. Camps website has alot of info, thanks. But I didnt see any info on the different mfr's of HP's. I wonder is any real difference found between FN made guns and others?
 
BHP in .40 S&W

I'm a 1911 fan and have several of them in different configuations and that is what I usually carry. I also have an FN BHP in .40 S&W and I never feel compromised when I carry it.

It has digested thousands of Valiant 180 grain, truncated cone, hard cast lead bullets without a bobble and never a hitch with factory SD ammo either.

Even though I haven't removed the mag safety yet, I find the trigger pull on my BHP to be acceptable and I really enjoy shooting it.

No complaints about the wide grip, but it only has the frame safety and since I carry it cocked and locked I would feel a little more comfortable if it also had a grip safety like the 1911s. :(.....9x23
 
"1 Hammer bite can be a problem (I get pinched by 1911's with spur hammers)."

I get bit by older 1911A1 hammers, but not HP spurs. The HP ring hammers get me. YMMV. You can always wear a glove or snip off a bit of the hammer end.

"2 Many say the mag saftey can give you a iffy trigger pull."

Not always the case, some have very nice factory-complete triggers. You can easily remove the offending part.

"3 Some HP's dont wear well (10000+ rounds and allready shot out)"

Don't believe it. Proper maintenance and avoidance of ++PP++ ammo will take you as far as you want to go.

"4. No stainless model made"

I hate stainless and shiney guns. However, if you really want one, I believe there was a US-made stainless HP. Very few made. Can't recall the details.

Get one and enjoy it.
 
Hi-Powers wearing out fast? That's a new one for me. The trigger will never be as good as a 1911 (few are), but can be worked to give a nice, crisp break.

The Hi-Power is, in my humble opinion, one of the best pistols out there.
 
FN makes the "Browning" Hi-Power. They only real difference is the roll marks.

FEG (Hungarian?) also built the parts for the Charles Daly version.

FM (Argentine?) is a different company also making Hi-Powers though I haven't seen them in person, they are out there.
 
My humble opinion on the BHP is that you have to love it for what it is. It's a bit like a Harley Davidson motorcycle: you either love the look, feel, and experience of it, or you don't. A HD motorcycle "on paper" is heavier, slower, and more costly than the competition. If you buy one and love it, then it speaks to you, and that goes way beyond the statistics.

I bought a brand new BHP about 8 years ago, after reading people talk about them with such high praise that I felt I needed to own one. Out of the box it had one of the worst triggers I'd ever felt, but was otherwise nice and solid, if unremarkable. I ended out sending it out to Novak's and dropping about $900 on improvements that should have made it a world class gun. It was much improved, but for a total investment of about $1,500, it was not as accurate as and (still) had a worse trigger than my P7M8, or my STI 9mm 1911, which both cost several hundred dollars less. (After it sat as a "safe queen" for several months, I sold it here on THR.)

So, my point is that a BHP is what it is, and either you have to have a realistic idea of what that is, or hopefully you have some other kind of attachment to them which will transcend what the gun is "on paper". As always, 'try before you buy' if you have the chance.

Just my humble opinion, based on my limited experience.
 
MyRoad has one of the best analogies I've heard on the merits of the BHP. You can argue both sides infinitely. I have a fairly late model and love it and it gets fired quite often. If I was forced to give up all my nines the last two would be my BHP and CZ75B. It's tough after that but I'm sure the last one would be the CZ.
 
Myroad hit the nail on the head. If I just wanted a hi-cap 9mm I would buy a Glock. The HP's I have handled just feel right, cold steel and warm wood you dont get that with most other 9's.
 
It is a classic which appeals to some but not others. It is as much a work of art as it is a world class pistol.

Hammer bite can be corrected with a C&S hammer. I have upgraded a few in my collection.

My favorite is this one: 1972 all Belgium base gun. Novak night sights, C&S hammer, wide trigger, C&S sear, C&W Wide thumb safety and a perfect trigger job, mag disconnect removed, with the nicest reset on any BHP I have come into contact with. All work was completed by Wild West Guns.

BHP2.jpg

BHP.jpg
 
I love my Hi Power. I was skeptical at first , but I read a lot of Stephen Camp's writings, then I got one.

Now I thing "what took me so long to see the light?"

If you own a 1911, and enjoy the history in the design, then you should definitely get a Hi Power.
 
My HP is a HiPower. I believe it has a minor redesign to reduce hammer bite.
Mine hasn't bit me, but neither has anything else.
The trigger is allegedly better on the CD version also. Mine felt good enough i did not feel compelled to remove the mag safety.
The CD version is a real bargain if you can find a nice one - about half the price of a used Belgian
 
I put EGW's hard sear into my only BHP. That, and no mag safety make for as nice a trigger as any but one or two of my 1911s.

Kept the looks stock. The fine blue, fine checkered french walnut, and original ring hammer make for a nice pistol that is too much a feely toy to put to any use, so it is kept socked up and locked away now.

Bummer.


Rellascout - Do you know if C&S still makes that hammer? I like it but haven't seen it on their site. That's something I had a mind to do last time I had mine apart because the stock ring hammer is such a large almost silly looking apendage, like one of Obama's ears. But I chickened out and put it back together in original configuration. I bought some Novak sights made for the pistol too, but chickened out of milling my slide too.

I'm just chickensh*t when it comes to cutting on a BHP pistol, is all, and need to be kicked.
 
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It is a C&S Hammer.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=179510

image
 
The C&S parts ruin the Hi-Power for me, especially their arse-ugly hammer. I've never found anything wrong with the factory commander style ring or standard spur hammer, the factory ambidextrous safety or the factory trigger.

What I do find objectionable about the Hi-Power MKIII is the light trigger return spring. This is easily fixed by installing a Wolff Springs pre-MKIII trigger return spring. Also, the removal of the magazine safety is a must.
 
Mark IIIS after a trip to Cylinder and Slide . . .

HighPowerMkIIIS.jpg

1) Hasn't bit me with the C&S hammer, and I've got very large hands.

2) Mag safety does suck on mine -- with it removed, trigger pull is a nice, light (5 lb-ish) deal. With the mag safety installed, even after a trigger job, it's noticeably heavier and feels very gritty with some magazines, smooth with others.

If you have the option of removing the mag safety, though, it's a non-issue and gives you a pretty nice trigger.

3) I've been shooting High Powers pretty much my entire adult life (got my first one in my early 20s), including a vintage "Mark I" that was going on 40 years old when I bought it and have never seen any personal evidence of them failing rapidly.

4) The hard chromed ones do have that shiny look to them, if that's your concern.
 
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