What is so special about the BHP?

[Alan Fud]

I purchased a BHP a couple of decades ago ...

... but never devloped a liking for it as I had expected. While it's extremely accurate with FMJ ammo, it won't feed hollowpoint and after several attempts to correct the problem, I still get at least one jam per mag (often more). While it's a nice gun to take to the range, I just don't feel comfortable relying on it for self defense purposes -- which isn't the case with some other guns that I own from that time period such as my S&W659 ...

... which feeds everything that I give it. Did I just get stuck with a bad gun or am I missing what's so special about the BHP?
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[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Your older HP has the old style "humped" feedramp that sure could be problematic with JHPs. During this time-frame, I noticed also that it was a "maybe/maybe not" proposition when buying spare magazines if it would hold the cartridge up at a slight angle or just straight ahead. This was no big deal with ball as they'd "go," either way and FN was still producing the pistol for use with ball. I am not entirely sure, but I don't think that Mec-Gar was making the magazines at that time, even though some are marked "Made in Italy." I suspect Sile was the maker, but again, don't know for sure on that detail.

With the advent of the Mk II Hi Power, feedramps came "throated" from the box and feed most any JHP reliably. Ditto, the current Mk III pistols and variants.

I don't have an older BHP bbl around that still has the hump in it, but you might compare your bbl ramp to the one shown in this picture, which is from a MkIII.

Also, note the small flat at the lower left edge of the feedramp. On the humped bbls, sometimes just rounding that off a little and contouring with the ramp will alleviate reluctance in feeding JHPs.

If you opt to throat your bbl or have it done, don't get too carried away; it's somewhat easy to do too much and wind up with less than adequate case support.

Best.

 

[Tim Schlosser]

Stephen as always is right. My BHP is from about ten years ago and will feed anything you shove in it and the accuracy is definitely above average. My Hi Power is definitely a keeper in my collection.

 

[denfoote]

Gee Alan, your BHP looks...just exactly like mine!!!!!! Mine was made in 1986 and acording to Mr. Camp it is a model called "The Vigilante". According to him, (feel free to jump in at any time Stephen) it is a late MK-I BHP, which was not designed to feed hollow points. Thus, you have to choose your ammunition very carefully!! The best performer I have found in this gun is the venerable Federal "classic" Hi-Shok round in 115gr. The catalog number is 9BP. I assume this works because the bullet shape is much like hardball.
Hope this helps.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Yes, it's a "classic" BHP, but I remember it as "Vigilant." I could be wrong as I didn't see that in print much at the time, but it definitely has the old style ramp for ball.

Best.

 

[Tecolote]

Have you thought about selling you BHP?

 

[gryphon]

For me the BHP has a special place because it is so close to the 1911 in functionality. The 1911 is my favorite platform. I have the FEG clone and it has worked very well for me.

 

[sanchezero]

I recently got a '69 hipower and it chomps up everything I've tried in it with regularity. I have had 1 malf, but its with this cheapo range reload that screws up in all guns.

 

[beemerb]

Mine was made in 74 and feeds everything I stick in the mag.My carry mags are 17 rounders that I got from CDNN.Made in South America for the South African police.At 20.00 each they are a steel.
Bob

 

[BigG]

The old Belgian made Brownings had all the class of their fellow Brownings of the era. Other than that I am not sure what is so special.

 

[ACP230]

IMO the BHP has one of the best grip shapes ever put on an autoloading handgun. It fits most people very well.

John Moses Browning was involved in the design. I know Mr. D. Saive finished it up, but the touch of "Le Maistre" as they called JMB in Belgium, can still be felt and seen in the gun.

The BHP was made by so many firms, for so long, that making 13 to 17 round mags that work is well understood. Supply is great and there are still BHP mags available for a relatively reasonable price years after Klinton's criminal mag ban passed in 1994.
I used to buy whatever mags I could find for $1 per round, or under. They came from different manufacturers and were of differing styles but they all worked.

I have one, and am considering getting another.

 

[Serpico]

My 82 Belgium HP feeds hollow points just as well as fmjs....I'm not sure what kind of ramp I have but it works just fine....if you get a ramp job, some better sights, an extended safety and a trigger job you will fall in love with it all over again....wish I could carry mine but alas, it is the Beretta for duty and P7 for off...guess I shouldn't complain...I could do a lot worse...

 

[Dobe]

I had and sold one that was made in the mid 70's. The gun was beautiful, and would feed most, but not all Hollow Points. I sold it because I had tried to have the trigger worked on twice, and it still was not acceptable. I also had seen one IPSC shooter's BHP that had a cracked frame, and he told me of another that he had cracked. I know the fellow, and he claimed that his loads were not hot loads.

While reading "Combat Handgunnery" by Massad Ayoob, I saw that he had been wittness to many of the same cracked frames. He feels that the ones he had seen or heard of were becuase of various loads, I think from S. America.

But, I wouldn't mind having another. I looked at one this weekend for a little over 500 (mk III).

I do have a question. What makes a MK III diferent from the others in the past? Has Browing incorporated one of the "firing-pin blks"?

 

[Zak Smith]

What's so special? Mechanical simplicity, reliability, "high"-cap, but extremely thin, easy to carry, classic JMB design.

Many 'smiths know how to remove the hump and make your old HP feed JHP's. For exmaple, Ted Yost's price list indicates he'll do it for about $25.

-z

 

[P95Carry]

Used to have a fairly early Hp but admit . in them days it only got fed round nose ... lead, or jacket - but lot of em!!

I have now got a FEG .... and gotta say it is as sweet as my ole original HP ...... it will not get the thrashing I used to give the HP and so will I think ''go the distance'' with ease. It readily copes with Hydrashocks tho haven't tried other hollow points as yet. I sometimes switch to this for carry ..... do love the feel of it.

 

[Alan Fud]

Thank you for the replies. As soon as I get some cash coming in, I'm gonna look into having that "hump" removed.