The Browning Hi-Power

[Misternt]

I dig my BHP but yes it's passed it's prime. My magazine disconnect was a pain to remove. The gun was cutting edge in 1935. Far surpassed by modern 9mm handguns IMO.

The 1911 at least has a really nice trigger and a lot more US military service.

 

[Mistman]

Agree, I'm more of a 1911 guy myself, would sell my last BHP before my last 1911.

Hi-powers aren't flawless, mine are all super reliable but they're not perfect (hammer bite, mag disco in some, they're big). I just really like shooting them.

 

[Colts4me]

I will trade any one of you guys a NIB 9mm glock for a NIB 9mm BHP I will even throw in a box of shells

 

[Colts4me]

Brownings had their problems, about the only reliable hollow point rounds they would shoot was the Federal 9bp or the Remington 115 hollowpoints. I made up a factory duplication load with the Remington bullets and IMR 4756 and it became the most accurate 9mm I ever shot until the Glock came along. However the Glock could only match the accuracy and never beat it on paper. I shot the Browning for a lot of years before Glocks came along.

 

[SUPER X]

I became really interested in HP (and clones) just in the last year or two, and it seems like the BHPs I used to see for $400-600 on GB are all racing up weekly toward $1000 - and a lot more if they have unique roll marks, original ring hammers, matching numbers, shiny bore, nice bluing vs coating, decent wood, custom shop offerings, etc. I've learned a lot more about them in the past few months, so maybe I just have better taste now.

There's the matter, too, of getting a nice old Belgian one (with who knows how many thousands of rounds down the pipe?) vs a newer daily shooter with a much lower round count. Or maybe not.

A lot of the clones are not the same they just resemble the hi power. There are a few that are identical and interchange parts with the Browning hi power .

 

[teflon6string]

A lot of the clones are not the same they just resemble the hi power. There are a few that are identical and interchange parts with the Browning hi power .

In the process of finding all that out. Some BHP clones are the same as the genuine article, some have a different barrel, and some (the P9R in particular) have different actions based on the S&W 59 (DA/SA) using a slightly different magazine too. If I could identify a reliable source of reliable mags for the P9R, I'd find one in good shape and buy it. I should have a better understanding of those differences after I study this on my 4-hour flight to Texas this weekend.

 

[UserNameInUse]

Brownings had their problems, about the only reliable hollow point rounds they would shoot was the Federal 9bp or the Remington 115 hollowpoints....

This is true of pre 1983 HiPowers that had humped feed ramps. They changed to a straight ramp around 1983 which improved hollow point feeding significantly. Mine shoot 124 gr HST's just fine.

 

[RicInOR]

The Legendary Browning 'Hi Power' Pistol Ends Production

 

[DeanMk]

The Browning Hi-Power goes out of production - Browning Ends Hi-Power Production - The Firearm Blog

 

[HB of CJ]

Yep. Interesting business plan decision indeed.

 

[HB of CJ]

Yep. An interesting business plan decision indeed.

Sorry for double post. Dunno why.

 

[DeanMk]

...makes me wanna go out and buy a new one, right now.

 

[Jamie6.5]

The Legendary Browning 'Hi Power' Pistol Ends Production

A sad day indeed.

I've never had another pistol that points like my Hi Power for me.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Hey, who changed the title of this thread?
I can see including the discontinuation here (that thread was moved to this one, no problem and proper) but changing the title how it is leads one to believe that the whole thread is only about the fact that this model was discontinued.
Please change it back.
@AndyinEverson etc. thanks

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Title changed...hope it reads better...
Andy

 

[Hun Shooter]

I dig my BHP but yes it's passed it's prime. My magazine disconnect was a pain to remove. The gun was cutting edge in 1935. Far surpassed by modern 9mm handguns IMO.

The 1911 at least has a really nice trigger and a lot more US military service.

It doesn't take much to make a BHP trigger like a 1911. Remove the magazine disconnect and replace the sear. I have EGW sears from Midway in both of my BHP clones by FEG and the triggers in both are better than some of my 1911s. I think for an average person with some mechanical skills it's easier to make a BHP trigger better than a 1911.

I love them both but if my life depended on it and I were in a gunfight I would prefer to have a BHP over the 1911 any day. The BHP grip is sculpted so much better, no grip safety to worry about and having the extra magazine capacity could make a life or death difference. By today's standards both of them are outdated, I own them because I appreciate history. I wouldn't carry or use for self defense either one unless that's all I had. My beside gun is a CZ75 SP-01, night sights, 18 round magazines, attached light etc.

Arguably John Moses Browning was the greatest gun designers in history. Along with the BHP and a few 1911s I own a few Browning inspired handguns. I find it very interesting how the rest of the world adopted his design elements in certain firearms, most notably CZ, Star, Tokarev etc. and be fortunate enough to own and experience what is it like to shoot them.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Title changed...hope it reads better...
Andy

No it doesn't. This is the Hi-Power thread, not the "No Longer Produced Hi-Power" thread.
might as well change all the thread titles of all the no longer produced guns.. the '03, Mauser, the...
odd

 

[ricsha]

Clearly it was a business decision based on sales volume; but a sad day for all who appreciate the remarkable designs of John Moses Browning. That so many of his designs are still around shows how far ahead of his time he really was. I only have a couple of Hi Powers, vs. many 1911's, but they are interesting, fun and reliable guns to shoot. Sure, there will remain various copies around, but just not the same...

 

[Jamie6.5]

I dig my BHP but yes it's passed it's prime. My magazine disconnect was a pain to remove. The gun was cutting edge in 1935. Far surpassed by modern 9mm handguns IMO.

That may be, but the all steel High Power is heavy enough and strong enough that even when empty it's a weapon formidable enough to bludgeon your enemy into a stupor when used as a club.

Jus' Sayin'

 

[DeanMk]

...the all steel High Power is heavy enough and strong enough that even when empty it's a weapon formidable enough to bludgeon your enemy into a stupor when used as a club.

Jus' Sayin'

​

So is a Daewoo DP51, but its slightly more compact and easier to get into.
As I always said about it, if you can't stop the threat with 13 shots, just throw the thing at it. That'll hurt!
Paper stats aside, heft one some time. They're deceptively heavy.



Dean