Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Return of the Browning Hi-Power

Last year when the Browning rep was at the store, I asked him why they quit importing the P35. He said the sales reps weren't happy about it but were threatened to not bring it up in meetings. We're having a special promotion this week at work and yesterday we had the FN rep in. I asked him why FN didn't just import it. He laughed and said that they told Browning that if they didn't do it, FN would import it under the FN brand. He said that Browning relented and is supposed to start importing it again.
I don't understand Browning. Except for the Auto 5, the P35 is what everyone imagines when "Browning" is mentioned. Yet, they slap their name on junk knives and flashlights made in China. Winchester and S&W are the same way. If they can make a penny on it, they'll sully their brand by putting their name on junk.

Non-gun-people are in charge of decision making.

That's the problem everywhere. I have a friend that started out as a Mech Engineer. He works for a pipeline company. When he was promoted, he had to get an MBA. Even he says that the MBA is the worst thing to happen to American business. The engineers, etc, who used to run manufacturing and other companies have no say anymore. Everything is run by "numbers people" with no concept of the product.

Yep.

Not only should they import the Hi-Power they should manufacture a compact version like the Argentinian FM Detective. Have you seen what those things are bringing on Gunbroker? Obviously there is demand for a compact version.

Iron Truth.

As much as I love the P35, I can’t imagine that Browning was moving a ton of them when they were discontinued. We had 3 brand new ones that sat in our display case for a couple years without much interest when I was working at the gun shop. They have poor sights by modern standards, factory grips suck, and most of them have the poly finish, actual high gloss blued ones were more $$.

If they’d do a mild update they might make them more appealing, but they’re dated and not what Joe public wants in 2019.

Yeah, just like 1911s. They don't sell a lot, but Chrysler didn't sell many Vipers and GM sells relatively few Corvettes. It's all about prestige.

They didn’t seem to go out of their way to keep them current. As you said, sights and grips could certainly have been improved. They have about 10 versions of the 1911-380, but only had about three versions of the Hi Power when they ended sales.

I actually think that a lot of people didn’t even know there was a SAO 9mm other than various 1911 versions - not much marketing. They were also pretty expensive relative to a lot of modern striker fired 9mms.

Stainless version would be neat. Night sights.

If they’d keep the ambi, cut them for tritium Novaks, Spegel profile grips, ring hammer, and a black nitride, melonite, PVD or whatever you want to call it finish. Be nice if they’d add a beaver tail, though that would be a much more major overhaul than the above suggestions. Market it as the HiPower Black or Combat Classic Dark or some such. They might catch some 1911 aficionado type buyers. Otherwise I’m not seeing much interest in 1980’s tech auto pistols with tiny sights and safeties and it will die again.

Beavertail grip it and fhuqk the rest.

Hint...............

True. Personally, I just own one for nostalgia. Mine is the standard, polished blue, version. I've only carried it once or twice, and rarely shoot it, even though it shoots real nice.

Now, if for some reason it was all I had, I would feel perfectly well equipped, would shoot it often, and would carry it daily.

So this is from memory and I just had two shots of tequila...so...

Importation of the Hi Power has been dependent on military parts sales. FN has no desire to manufacture the Hi Power anymore, as the Hi Power is not a very profitable pistol for FN (especially in comparison to modern pistols). The Hi Power is no longer militarily relevant for new sales, and the only market is spare parts for military customers who refuse to let go of the Hi Power. . So it doesn't make much sense to change manufacturing processes from the old processes to the new ways when orders of parts are rapidly decreasing. So FN stopped production and put the equipment in storage in 2000(IIRC), to make room for new equipment for new products.

Meanwhile, Browning imported Hi Powers up until around 2001 when they quietly dropped the Hi Power since production had stopped.
By late 2002 FN had secured large orders from military customers for Hi Power parts. Management looked at past civilian sales, and the size of the military parts orders, so it made sense to pull the old equipment out, and resume production. Just one problem...Browning wasn't buying!

So for the years 2003-2004 FN brought in Hi Power's under the FN logo. These were not the full line of HP's that Browning imported. Most were baked enamel finish, with some blued guns. There were no pistols with adjustable sights, tangent sights, etc; just the military models. But this included many that were brought in with the SFS trigger/safety system.

Finally, around 2005 Browning started buying again, and all returned to normal. Actually, very few people really noticed anything had happened. Either that, or the only one's who remember are us Hi Power geeks.

Finally, on up to the announcement in Feb 2018 (IIRC). Considering who FN really is, it would take a HUGE demand from the military sales side for them to ever tool back up to produce the Hi Power.

Now, there does lie an opportunity for some company who wants to emulate what DS Arms did. They bought up the equipment for manufacturing the FN FAL and are now THE producer of FAL's worldwide. Equipment to make Hi Power's is laying in an FN warehouse in Belgium, as well as a DGFN warehouse in Argentina. I'm not holding out much hope, using that equipment only makes economic sense when you're producing large quantities of pistols, and I just don't think there's that much demand for Hi Power's anymore.

In the mean time, I'm hearing very good things about the Tsisa's Hi Power's coming out of Turkey.

Kevin, I was wondering if this topic would bring you back.

Hell, he took two shots of tequila before hand, just to prepare for the azzhats who always yap at him like Yorkies...

I don’t participate here anymore specifically because of the azzhats. In my older age I’m much less tolerant of closed minded fools; I don’t suffer them too well anymore.

Anyhow, stumbled on the thread, thought I could add something of value.

I love Hi Powers and have owned one since I was 18. However, the changes I would like to see are Novak sights, modest beavertail, ring hammer, stainless steel, thin grips and a detent safety or SFS system.

I left the Guns and Ammo forum specifically for that reason.

well as to kevin, i have always ejoyed what he wrote. an article on the cast bullet forum was extremely helpful on 2400 powder hercules, to alliant.
There are good and bad on these forums, but i tell people there is a lot of knowlege and i like to utilize it.

+1........good to see Kevin back........this place used to be a daily check-in for me......now maybe once every couple of weeks.....still, there are some very good people on this site.