Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns HiPower for Concealed Carry?

Who uses a HiPower for EDC?

Is it comfortable enough?

Nice guns

I carry one sometimes.
Bob

Use mine for my going to the big town gun. Holds more ammo and offers faster reloads than my normal 2” J or K frame carry guns. I carry it in a leather IWB made by some Israeli company. Holster was only $30 or so and is a good unit.

I bough an Israeli FN, had it cut for Heinies, trigger worked, Cerakoted, etc...turned into a very nice gun with intention of carrying it. Gun shoots incredibly, and I have always loved the Hi Power. After all that, I found I still prefer to carry the plastic stuff. More bullets, less weight, less money, no worries.

I am undecided if the Hi Power will continue to occupy a place in the safe, or move on down the road. i am not much on safe queens.

Kevin Gibson used to. I did for a little while back in the late 1980s Nothing wrong with it at all if you're already accustomed to flipping off a thumb safety when you draw. Of course there are many better choices available today, that don't require the use of a thumb safety, such as Glocks. It's kind of Old School Cool, though.

When I did bodyguard work, I always carried a Hi Power with a S&W 442 as BUG. In the '90's I carried in a Summer Special, but once the Versa Max II was created, I thought that was HUGE step in the right direction; and IMO it still remains one of the best (although I rarely carry in one anymore).

I changed guns, and carried the Hi Power for another 12 years; and I always thought it was comfortable for daily carry if you have a very good carry rig. I carry in a HBE Com III (which is very similar to a Sparks Nexus, but a little nicer). Finally a friend just HAD to have my Hi Power, and I moved to a LW Commander for about 13 years. These days I still carry the LW Commander sometimes, but mostly I carry a CZ P07.

BUT WAIT...

I recently scored what has always been unobtanium... A Lightweight Hi Power. And I have to say, the Lightweight Hi Power is the best, most comfortable full sized carry gun I've ever worn. The one I got was a former Belgian Detective gun, so it has been carried a lot, and used very little. I have plans on building it into my ultimate carry gun, and that will likely be the gun I wear until I slip into the grave.

Why do I like the Hi Power?

Well in factory, out of the box form, I’ll say it’s not all that impressive. Trigger sucks for a single action pistol, I hate the stock ambi-safety, and Browning factory grips do their best to ruin the ergonomics on probably the most ergonomic pistol ever built.

I remove the magazine safety and carefully tune the trigger. I add Spegel grips (the single most amazing change you’ll ever make to a Hi Power), Novak sights and I’ll hard chrome this one because I’ve never had a better finish on a carry pistol than hard chrome.

In much of humanity's opinion the Brown Hi-Power is the best combat 9mm pistol ever devised. The objective complaints are the price and weight. The Hi-Power is going to cost more than a polymer pistol squirted out at the factory and that counts for something. If I know in the morning I'll be crawling around under a truck I'll pick a different pistol to drag around on the asphalt. At around 32 oz. the Hi-Power is heavy for a 9mm. I'm not small, so while the weight is noticeable when donning the pistol, in a good holster it fades to background after a few minutes. The weight is also one of the factors that make a Hi-Power easier for many people to shoot well. The Hi-Power is flat and very comfortable on the hip, but the weight warrants a good holster and appropriate belt, which adds even more to the price.

Lots of shooters find the sights on 'modern' Hi-Powers acceptable, but I always change them on carry pistols. That's not necessarily a knock on the pistol because I change them on almost every pistol I carry.

The Hi-Power's balance and feel are unsurpassed and make it a bullet hose at the range. In my opinion choosing something else is the choice of a lesser pistol for less cost and less weight, but I often make that choice myself. However, the Hi-Power definitely gets its turn in my rotation.

You're making me want to dig mine out of the safe and shoot/carry it some. They do feel great in the hand, carry nicely, and shoot real well.

This is a '67 T series that's Israeli surplus. I had the mag safety removed, along with the trigger creep. Rear sight notch was opened up and the pistol was re-parked. The gentleman that did the work is a great Hi Power mechanic who worked in a pawn shop next to a topless joint outside of FT Bragg. It's a great shooter that for awhile was my only handgun when I was back on active duty at the Special Warfare Center. I even jumped a couple of times with it, just for fun. The Sgt Major took a dim view of that though, even though he was a fellow gun freak. A lost pistol somewhere on the DZ that was personally owned would have made for an interesting report up the chain of command.

It's never malfunctioned with anything I fed it, after a couple of thousand rounds of mostly free ammo. Probably my favorite High Power so far. If someone was looking for me, this is the one I'd want around, along with my old S&W Bodyguard.
Bob

There is no pistol that benefits greater from considered customization than the Hi Power. Out of the box they're downright decent. Address the grips and trigger, just those two things, and it becomes something REALLY special. Any other customization beyond that is optional at the users preference.

Its a more sophisticated pistol from a more refined age.

biggest drawback with the HP for me, was the crappy safety. Tiny lever, and no real solid engagement. For CCW use, that was not acceptable. Several times I found that the safety had slipped off. I no longer carry one.

The newer ones from Browning come with a nice, snickity, thumb safety.

And Cylinder and Slide makes a good replacement for the older guns.

I liked the idea of carrying a HP. But I had the same problem, I just didn't trust the safety, seemed to be too small and not a (like you said) solid engagement. Finally went down the road. Wish I still had it, I would have sent it off and changed somethings.

Welcome to 1982!

Mine is in no way as fancy as some of yours but is what I consider my ideal carry HP. All work done by a local small time smith.

is it hard to de-cock?

for me it began far longer ago than that.

If I ever owned a HP again that would be the one...nice gun Bob...

Had one back about 1973 that was a friends who had the trigger worked on that was real decent. Never failed to feed the year I had it... But the two things that I just don't care for are the small safety without a solid feel and the short tang. I just get bit too often when doing draw and fire practice vs. target shooting.

The nicest thing is the slim slide...just balances and points nice...that said the Commander size 1911s do everything for me...

Bob

My first experience with a High Power was one I shot back in 1988, or thereabout. It belonged to a friend of a friend. We all went out shooting together, and we all were taking turns shooting this guy's High Power. It was an old school High Power, with the small, non-clicky, safety, high polish blue, fixed sights. I knew then that I had to have one. My friend and I both ended up buying one shortly after that, but of the more modern design, with the better safety, flat black finish, which I believe is called a Mk III.

Been using this holster lately for occasional concealed carry. It's an Israeli IWB that's pretty good. No extra bulk. Comes off and on easily and stays tight up against the body.
Bob

It's a single action...why would you need to de-cock it? For those of us who grew up in the age of external hammers, we have no more issue lowering a Hi Power's hammer than most other pistols, but there's really no need to do that. It should be carried in condition 1 with the safety on. Otherwise, unload, point in a safe direction and pull the trigger. From the factory it does have a 32lb mainspring so the hammer is good and stiff.

In other words, yes, it's a pain to de-cock.

I carry a Hi-Power (and most double stacks) with the magazine downloaded by one (12 rounds). When unloaded the +1 round is stored in the magazine and the pistol is left slide locked. To load the pistol insert the magazine, drop the slide, safety on.

[quote=GunGeek] For those of us who grew up in the age of external hammers, we have no more issue lowering a Hi Power's hammer than most other pistols, but there's really no need to do that. It should be carried in condition 1 with the safety on. Otherwise, unload, point in a safe direction and pull the trigger. [quote]

Yeah, I reckon since I'm one of those guys that grew up then, I'd be capable of doing that. I was just making a funny about the spurless hammer in the pic. Personally I'da put on a combat hammer like yours, instead of the goofy bobjob.....

The "Commander" hammers always bit me bad. I like the spur hammer, with about a 1/4" cut off the spur. No hammer bite thataway, still got lots of mass to hit a firing pin, too.

For you boys that want to improve one of the best guns ever made.

Especially the complaints about the safety lever.

Take a look at these people.


https://bhspringsolutions.com/


Spend some time on their site. Good people.

Good stuff...thanks!
Bob

Nice sights, RGK!

I "bobbed" my commander hammer to make it look like a spurred hammer. Much less hammer bite, but I still get a little, as I hold my meaty clubs way up on the grip.

If you can find one, the Detective models make for a great little carry gun-

Very nice, indeed.

I haven't packed a BHP in years, but back when I did it gave me great comfort. I see no reason for that to be any different today. I'd replace the factory grips with something thinner, pull the magazine safety, and put night sights on it, but that's all it needs.


Okie John

Words of wisdom.
Bob

Yeah, if you wanted a single action 9mm, the Browning High Power, set up like that, would be about perfect.

My favorite Hi Power story...

I'm at the Little Rock PD range doing some shooting with the LRPD SWAT team. The then Governor's wife, Janet Huckabee was there for a little trigger time on an MP5-SD...she loved it, and asked "Now why are these illegal?" (Gotta love that!!)

So after all the fun and goofing off with the Gov's wife, the SWAT team starts to do some real range time. I'm there to do the first US review of the Cornershot from Israel for Guns Magazine. So I'm doing that, and there's a guy that a few instructors are working with trying to get his scores up with his G23, and he's struggling.

A little later I match his 7 yard scores from the 40 yard line, and then all the instructors wave me over... "What on earth are you shooting?" I was shooting a custom Hi Power that I built at the time.
I hand the Hi Power to the guy who was struggling, and he immediately cuts his groups by about 70% in the first magazine. Dood's mind is freaking BLOWN!!! He immediately turns to his boss...

"Yo, L-Tee... Tell me why the Fugg we're not using these?".

LT responds... "That's Champagne, we're on a beer budget; keep shooting your Glock". (which was a freaking GREAT comeback I might add)

ETA - I even have a photo from that day

Kevin, I've occasionally related a similar story here at the Fire, when back in (I guess) the 1990s, I was shooting a 1911 and a cop next to me (getting ready for qualifications) was shooting his double action only S&W 659. He was shooting shotgun sized patterns at the same range I was making small ones. He finally asked me what I was shooting. I let him have it, and he immediately cut his group size in half. I shot his S&W and also cut his group size in half, LOL. I just shot it as I would a double action revolver. I guess, though, that a lot of cops are handicapped by their equipment.

No, they aren't. They are handicapped because they think, like many, that a change in hardware will solve what is actually a software deficit. Any modern, quality handgun will shoot more than well enough to win a gunfight as long as the shooter will stop reading gun magazines, worrying about trigger reset and bore axis, etc...and just shoot.

This was, indeed, one of those cops who isn't any more into guns than a plumber is into his wrenches. I think he only shot when he had qualifications coming up.

It's a bit of both really, but your point is well made. Good trigger control is good trigger control, and it translates whether you're shooting a finely tuned 1911 or the worst Mosin-Nagant.

More words of wisdom. Train to fight and win with whatever you have. The gun is almost irrelevant. Probably not the most popular thing to say on a gun forum, though.
Bob

Agreed, for ordinary combat distances, most commonly used service handguns are more than adequate to the task. No need for a target gun in the vast majority of cases. That's not to say that a more accurate gun doesn't provide a certain addition to one's comfort level.

I remember an early period after switching from a 1911 to a Kahr P9, I was at the outdoor shooting club to which I belong. I'm of the habit of going when there's the highest likelihood that I will have the whole place to myself (we each get the combination to the front gate). Anyway, I was shooting rifle this day, and there was one other guy there, someone I didn't know. He was shooting a Beretta Storm 9mm carbine. Anyway, while I was down range checking my target (an area with almost zero cover potential, and no escape route apart from the direction of the benches), he hung back. I remember the thought occurring to me that if this guy suddenly went homicidal (Yes, to paraphrase General Mattis, I'm always devising a plan to kill everyone I meet, LOL), I'd sure have had a lot more confidence if I had my 1911 on (with its more precise trigger break and longer sight radius) as opposed to my Kahr P9.

I'd like to see some pics of that pistol, I bet it's pretty sweet.

[img]https://photos.app.goo.gl/PEtIero6LCyNaHeF3[/img]

[img]https://photos.app.goo.gl/53mZ96iFJ0UbYw9A3[/img]

liliysdad, That's a good looking Hi Power! Thanks for posting.

That IS nice!
Bob

RGK, That's a sweet HiPower you have there as well. Really like the grips.

Thank you. It did turn out very nice. I still need to get a set grips for it, likely something in G10....

That being said, I have kind of lost interest. I ran a couple of hundred rounds through it, and its been sitting in the safe since. I am really leaning toward sending it on down the road.

FN is not going to make anymore BHP's after 2017. Just got verification from BHSprings. Might want to keep it.

Doesn't really influence me either way...they've been threatening it for years, and they are already rare as hens teeth new. The market is what it is.

....except when I killed my water heater decocking my 1911. Actually had butter on my fingers. Cost me $500.

That's why I generally discourage people from doing that on a loaded chamber. I grew up shooting guns with exposed hammers. Hunted with a Winchester 94 and a Remington 1889 Hammer gun, so I got pretty adept at manipulating a hammer. To do it on an auto pistol takes a very practiced hand...minus the butter

FN has been trying to shut down the Hi Power line for at least a decade, but their military customers who still have tons of Hi Powers still demand parts for them.

Go on to BHsprings solutions website. They live and breath along side of FN.

Parts, no problem.

Made in India, no problem. Don't take my word for it.

It might be temporary, but there it is.

It is not a rumor.