why dozens of 1911 makers, and only 1 hi-power?

[Don357]

I think FEG made great strides in the BHP dept. Their clones were great guns and then they made them a little better when they blended them with a Smith and Wesson SA/DA trigger system, and then went a step further and built it in .45acp and called it the GKK. One of which I have. Some were imported by Charles Daly and some by KBI, who had a controlling intrest in CD. The only problem is... very few repair parts and no customizing parts available.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I think FEG made great strides in the BHP dept. Their clones were great guns and then they made them a little better when they blended them with a Smith and Wesson SA/DA trigger system..

Aarhg! Well, that's certainly debatable.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If a bullfrog had a switch-blade, would a cottonmouth eat him?

If that same bullfrog had a square rectum and a muddy appatite, could he make bricks?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Are they 21 feet apart?

 

[vaupet]

The 1911 was issued, carried and loved by many people who were allowed to buy one whenever they wanted.

bhp were a typical police and military weapon issued mainly to carreer officers and in a caliber that was regarded strictly military and leo.
The bhp was issued in countries where private possesion of a handgun was discurriaged, if not forbidden, so there was no public market for it.

 

[Ash]

That last statement is probably the best. Nostalgia is as powerful a reason to use the 1911 as its functionability - I prefer my Springfield P9 in 45acp to a 1911. How can you, say, in Britain, buy a Hi Power just like you were issued? My friend the retired Ranger carries a Beretta for that reason. The big market for nostalgic handguns is the US, and we didn't carry the Hi Power. Had they built one on an enlarged frame for the 45acp and it was carried in WWII and all WWII movies, perhaps the 1911 would have become less popular compared with the Hi Power. Bullfrog and snake?

In any case, a great portion of those nations which issued the Hi Power is a handgun desert now.

 

[Dr.Rob]

The BHP was an old design when the term 'wondernine' was invented by some gun writer in the late 70's early 80's.

Go back and look at a Shooter's Bible or Gun Digest.. from the 60's there were NOT that many centerfire autos to be had back then.

By the time other manufacturers besides Colt started making reliable 1911's there was an up and coming market in 'wondernines' from S&W, Ruger, Beretta, HK, Sig, etc. By the time Glock became a household word the BHP's sales were WAY down compared to DA/SA pistols. And commercial Brownings were NOT cheap. One 1981 Gun Digest says MSRP for a stock BHP was $409 when the Sig they were selling as the BDA was $350. You could have a Colt for $300 or a SW 9mm for about $275.

Also I'd wager (and I could be wrong) while a lot of surplus 1911's ended up on the US market.. BHP's were still being used and issued or put away for a rainy day. The BHP didn't have the mystique of a Luger or a P-38 to a 'mail order collector' back then.

Even so... while I've never owned an actual Browning or FN made HP.. my FEG clone remains one of my favorites of all time. The HP influenced so many designs.. well.. and it's still being used all over the world. It's a good design.

 

[scythefwd]

Rob, I had a FEG as well. Liked it, but it was just the P9R, not the true HP clone. Solid guns, too bad they went under. Then I got a FN BHP.. and I'll tell you what.. the FEG is a good gun in its own right, but that BHP made it look bad.

 

[Dr.Rob]

An FN BHP has been on my want list for a long time--never seems like the stars and my wallet align at just the right time.

 

[kali13]

The Argentine military made a nice one you could get in the $3-400 range, and made them on Browning machinery but they stopped making them a while back. I had one and liked it. Kinda wish I hadn't traded it.
There is a firearms company in India that makes one, but I don't think they export to the US.

 

[Certaindeaf]

In the final analysis, I feel they are a good buy, given that you pay for what you're actually getting.
Let's say you pay $300 for a real beater or clone.. it's going to work. Let's say you get a fine and pristine Belgian Browning for say $7-1200?. it's going to work, and that's a good thing.
Let's say you get a 1911 for $300-3000.. who knows, chances are, nevermind.
I'd say a Belgian Browning (Hi-Power) is one of the best buys out there.