opinion of browning hi-power?

[mob]

ive been training with some former retired secret squirrel type guys and they have been talking about the browning hipowers that they have owned and that they seem to be better than the next coming of christ when it comes to guns and getting the job done when it comes to shooting, and was wondering yalls opinion on the firearm as far as shooting it, carrying it, reliability and price. ive done some online research on it and seems to be an interesting gun but i have yet to fire one ( as thats a few weeks out).

thanks

 

[swood40215]

I had one and regret selling it. It is probably the nicest pistol I have ever shot. Little kick, great ergonomics, very concealible, not too heavy, and accurate as hell! Eventually I'll get another one.

 

[Tetryl]

I've owned several - I think they were designed by God and manufactured in heaven. Does that explain it any better? The ultimate in single action semi automatic. The ultimate in double action is the CZ-75 and it's copy cats.

And finally, the ultimate in double action revolvers is the GP-100 followed by the single action in revolvers : the SAA Colt / copies: Uberties etc.

That pretty much sums it up in my views.

Tetryl

 

[bwsmg]

I own three and if you’re in the market to buy one, try to find an MkIII. The MkIII has the best metal harden process and is one of the most collectable. Some of the later Mk models had RockWell issues. Actually the CZ75 is a better choice for NIB.

 

[Tetryl]

Per bwsmg,

Amen.

Tetryl

 

[Surly]

I've owned several - I think they were designed by God and manufactured in heaven.

JM Browning was a man of GOD and Utah could be one of the many heaven's the west has to offer.

 

[carcass]

I love the BHP. It fits the hand like no other pistol out of the box. The only problem I have is with the serrated rounded hammer biting the web of my hand. I could go with a different hammer I suppose. For a 9mm pistol (I've never fired the .40 versions) it is one of the sweetest handguns ever made.

 

[ateamrob]

out of all the handguns I have owned, armored and trained with, I still say the BHP fits my hand the best, feels the best and is the one handgun that I own that I would NEVER sell. John Browning made the best pistol in the world when he made the hi power.

Rob

 

[BWE Firearms]

The BHP is one of the best handguns ever designed. I should never have sold the Belgium HP I had.

 

[Gelgoog]

It is the best all metal handgun every made imho. It fits my hand like a glove, it is lighter then its competiton, has a thing profile and a natural point of aim.

I think they do need a few mods to reach their full potential.
A) remove magazine safety, which will allow for drop free mags and will improve the trigger.
B) extended safety
C) 17 round mags (KDM or mecgars are fine)
D) nice fancy grips. I am rocking some nice speigal grips on the two of mine.
E) 18.5 spring and buffer if you plan to shoot alot of +P
F) a good buffing of the internals.

Now its good to go out of the box, but if you want a fighting pistol I think those mods listed will help alot. I don't think there is a better 9mm out there once those mods are done.

 

[ImpalaSS]

I have an Old Nazi marked Browning Hi Power 9mm,holster rig i use for WWII Renacting i have not shot live ammo out of it in some time but it works great shooting blank ammo with a BFA i use the short Cz 9x18 blanks from Sarco not sure if they still sell them and it cycles great

not maney people even know that the Hi Power came out in the 1930's

 

[HarperJt]

Had one and sold it. I'll probable buy another oneday. As for sweet pistol that have about the same feel try a CZ. Mine has one of the best SA and DA trigger pulls. I was double tapping the first time I shot it.

JEff

 

[Surly]

Hence the designation P-35.

 

[blueline541]

I have a pair of 'em and love the way they shoot and fit my hand. Both of mine are WWII bring back Nazi pistols.

 

[944turbo]

The best source of information is Steve Camp's hipowersandhandguns.com. Mr. Camp is very experinced and articulate and covers all aspects of the BHP and several other handguns. He also provides data and pictures to back up his opinions. I think his website is outstanding.

I have owned 3 Hi Powers, all MKIIIs, one polished blue with adjustable sights and walnut grips, and two with the black paint finish, plastic grips and fixed sights. I didn't care for the 'anti-aircraft' tall adjustable sights (made by Millett I believe). The liked the fixed sights with vertical white bars which were set to point of aim for 115 grain and low profile. The black plastic grips were more comfortable for me than the checkered walnut ones.

The Mec-Gar mags work fine and I used them almost exclusively. I had the 15rounders and the extended 20 rounders and all were reliable. The 17 rounders with the big plastic base that CDNN sells (sold?) also were reliable but less well constructed than the Mec-Gars. They wouldn't take all 17 rounds when new but would one 'broken in'.

I sold all of my BHPs because the grip was small for me (I have enormous hands) and thought the safety was 'mushy' and could be wiped off inadvertently. The guns fed pretty much everything fine and were decently accurate (not as accurate as my SIGs) but they didn't fit a need for me. A Bar-Sto barrel might improve that. I wouldn't feel bad to have a BHP if my SIGs vanished but it wouldn't be my first choice in handguns. Rent or borrow one and see if you like it.

I've seen conflicting opinions on using +P and +P+ ammo in MkIIIs. I almost never use 9mm ammo that is standard velocity and felt like the MKIIIs wouldn't hold up to a steady diet of the hot stuff although it worked fine in the small quantities that I put through them. The pre-MKIII models have inferior metalurgy and I have seen surplus examples that looked beaten to death probably from a diet of SMG ammo.

Novak's and Don Williams at The Action Works build BHPs that are works of art. Both 'smiths require $$$ and time.

If I wanted a single action 9mm I'd get a 1911 (blasphemy, I know) or a CZ-75, probably in stainless. The overall top score in my LFI class was done with a stock CZ-75.

In sum, a BHP is a fine handgun but there may be better choices. Rent them all and see what works for you.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Nomad 2nd]

Less practical than a Glock.

You need to get it, Take the mag safety off, Larger safety, Night sites...

There's one on my nightstand right now.

 

[Chuck38]

My First Choice To Carry

Mine is finicky about bullet shape. FMJ and hydroshok function flawlessly. Conical and semi wads FTF.

Replace the safety with an after market with longer thumb lever.

Remove mag safety so mags drop out.

Bought in early 70's

 

[kmw1970]

I'm another one in the "great gun, but I love the CZ-75" camp. The hi-power was the first pistol I really loved, because it just fits my smaller hands better than anything else I'd handled. That said, I carry a CZ-75 -- to me feels as good as the Browning.

 

[ImpalaSS]

I really like the looks of the Cz SP01.... how do you guys feel about this pistol ???

 

[mob]

lol thanks guys for throwing a monkey wrench into my researching and buying process, now i have to compare the cz75 and hi power