John Browning for President! Oh well, I'll take a Hi-Power then....

[nehalemguy]

I just got this article in my email discussing the Nazi era Hi-Power.

The Nazi Hi-Power: How the Germans Stole the Finest Combat Pistol of World War 2 | The Defender Blog

I got a tickle out of one line in the article....."The French ultimately rejected the Browning design." That goes a long way in explaining why France was the doormat that if was for the first half of the century.

It probably didn't malfunction reliably enough to suit their needs.

E

 

[DunRanull]

Just too excited to keep it to myself!

I picked up another Browning Hi-Power pistol that I found at one of my favorite LGS yesterday. This is the fifth I've owned but currently this new acquisition puts me at a grand total of two in the safe. However, this BHP is the first Mark II I've ever had the opportunity and pleasure to own. I didn't even realize it was a Mark II until I got it home and started researching it.

Manufactured in 1988 and judging by the serial number I'd say later in the year. This particular model had all the parts manufactured in Belgium and assembled in Portugal where my understanding is that the labor was/is cheaper. It came with one magazine. No box, manual or any other miscellaneous items that come with new guns. It had a minute bit of carbon on the feed ramp as if it had been put away after shooting a couple rounds without being cleaned. The gun was dry as a bone and begging for some oil. The barrel is shiny and pristine with sharp rifling which leads me to believe that this BHP spent most of it's life locked away in somebody's safe. It appears that it was shot very little. I promptly disassembled it, cleaned and lubricated it. The function test went just fine but was a pain to perform with the pesky magazine safety disconnect the the Hi-Powers are notorious for. The sights, also typical of bone stock Hi-Powers, leave much to be desired but they are functional.

I'll probably try to get some 9mm down range through this in the next day or two. I'm excited to have another BHP I can actually shoot. Several BHP's I've bought in the past were too collectible for my liking and I couldn't bring myself to shoot them, so I eventually ended up selling them. This one is a shooter and a keeper. My first Browning Hi-Power Mark II!!

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Looks like a nice "carry piece" Not a fan of parkerising but it sure wears better than destroying beautiful bluing! That sucka looks good. Carry, enjoy, and all the best!