Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Shot the Browning Hi Power

Long overdue.



I've been in and out of Browning Hi Powers going back to the late 1980s. My first was a Mk III, purchased down in Ft. Lauderdale.

I first discovered the Hi Power when I went shooting with a friend and his old college buddy, who brought along his old Belgian Browning Hi Power to shoot with us. I can't even recall what my friend and I brought to the range that day. I was too enamored with the Hi Power to pay much attention to that. I fell in love with that Hi Power. So classic and cool, and shot great. Within days, I went to the gun shop and bought one.

Not realizing you could still (in the late 1980s) buy one with the more classic features, I bought the one they had in stock, which was the Mk III, which had a dullish matte black finish, with black plastic grips and a more modern style safety, instead of polished blue steel with wood grips, and the old fashioned style safety like my friend's old buddy had at the range.

Years later, I got into some older Belgian Browning Hi Powers, but by the time I moved back to Florida around 2002, I had sold all of them. A few years before Browning discontinued it, however, I had decided I needed to remedy this missing spot in my collection, and bought a new one (just luck. I didn't know they were about to discontinue them). I only wanted one with the classic look, polished blued steel, and checkered wood grips, and that's what I got, or at least the closest to that they still offered (it had the modern safety and more modern style sights). But it satisfied my itch for a classic Hi Power. I shot it a bunch at first, but it's been in the safe pretty much the whole time since then till today.



I had forgotten how much I liked it, and how well it shot. There's something about it, despite not having the best trigger of its type, that allows for great precision. Something about the geometry, the way the backstrap fits the palm, the way the trigger seems to break straight back. Not sure what, but it's easy to put them where you want them.

Here's a pretty careful ten yard, off hand, group.



Without the flyer up top, that's a two inch group. The human silhouette target is half sized.

I put the target frame back to 15 yards, and took some faster off hand shots (I think that's two mags full).



I shot 150 rounds total (which went way too fast), and function was flawless, as expected.

I will definitely not allow so much time to pass before taking it to the range again.

If you remove the wretched magazine safety, the trigger pull will improve, hugely. That's usually all a HP needs to make them good shooters. They aren't as crisp as a 1911, but they can be very, very good. I had a Mk II that was awfully good, 1.25" groups at 25 yards with a good handload. It wasn't a pretty one, like yours, but I didn't care. It was parkerized, had a skinny little rib on top, and the ambi safeties, and somewhat better sights than the previous versions. Nothing else, but nothing else needed, either. I had Spegel checkered walnut grips fitted to it, and put some anti-slip tape on the frontstrap, and it was good to go.

I could shoot it almost as well as my compensated .45 I was using for USPSA/IPSC matches. I did have to cut about a 1/4" off the hammer spur, to avoid hammer bite, but I have to do that to any HP.

Yeah, I had the mag safety removed from the Mk III I bought in the late 1980s. The gunsmith who worked at the shop where I bought it did that for me right there as I bought it. I need to have it done to this one, too.

PS 150 rounds, and zero hammer or slide bite.

Nice shooting! I’ve often lusted for a HP Nazi made, WWII proof marks, etc.

Two years ago my wish came true when my Mother in law’s new husband ( lost my FIL to Lou Gehrig’s) had a WWII bring back with provenance. Twist in the story is it was given to him by a Wehrmacht soldier who emigrated to the US after the war. It was his personal carry gun during the war. The soldier was a best buddy of the new FIL for years and presented it to him shortly before he passed away. I have a written statement attesting to the history of that pistol stored with it. It has a tangent sight and for kicks, a buddy and I raised it to 100 meters and were able to shoot clay pigeons pretty dang regular on the 100 yard range!

Nice Hi Power!

Thanks. They really hearken back to a different world, don't they?

They are awesome weapons!! I’m jealous.

Love the HiPowers, bought one new in the early 90 's I guess, bought the two tone. Most reliable auto I have ever had, and accurate too. Going to look for the blued model, passed on one last year for a great price, think the guy still has it.

The Hi Power is a fine weapon, I have a 1971 made in Belgian model. Will never sell it.

Hi Power & 1911 are two of the greatest handguns ever designed.

Third is the Glock.

Can't argue.

CZ-75 is an improvement on the Browning High Power. The CZ is considered by many to be the most reliable semi-auto pistol in the world. There is a reason why the majority of Military and LE personnel carry it as their duty sidearm, Worldwide!

Thanks for that valuable contribution.

Nice gun and post Hawk...
A nice Hi power is on my short list but just seems something else always pops up

My Dad is really into BHPs. My grandfather, who was a WWII and Korea vet, suggested he take a BHP with him to Vietnam. Dad said it was great advice, and suggested I get one too. However, I never shared his enthusiasm for the BHP. I saw it as an antiquated design and never gave it a second thought.

Fast forward 20 years and a nice girl I know was widowed and needed the money more than the guns. Her husband had a MkIII in his collection and I went ahead and bought it.

I’ll be damned if it hasn’t become my favorite 9mm! New grips, removal of the magazine disconnect, and a new hammer have made all the difference in the world. I just wish it was blued instead!

That looks real nice. Other than the finish, the hammer (which you replaced) and the grips, I think it's identical to mine. Same sights and safety. Maybe mine is a Mk III too, but one with wood grips and polished blued steel.

Beautiful Hi Power

back in the 70's client had a hipower during a period of mostly revolvers.
i shot it offhand into a tire rim at about 50 yards and had a cosmicexperience. no he wouldn't sell it to me.
so ended up later with a belgian, a belgian made for the austrian police circa 1949,a israeli,a feg, a argentine and probably a couple or others i am forgetting.
often said john brownings best invention after learning out to make a pistol out of a 1911.

I love my Hi Power mines beat to [bleep] compared to TRHs though. I’ve been thinking about sprucing it up

back in the 70's client had a hipower during a period of mostly revolvers.
i shot it offhand into a tire rim at about 50 yards and had a cosmicexperience. no he wouldn't sell it to me.
so ended up later with a belgian, a belgian made for the austrian police circa 1949,a israeli,a feg, a argentine and probably a couple or others i am forgetting.
often said john brownings best invention after learning out to make a pistol out of a 1911.

although the hi power gave me the experience to appreciate a better pistol in a lot of ways the cz75

Yeah, I decided that if I was going to have one, I’d make it as shootable (for me) as I could, rather than trying to be “correct”. That’s why the Mk III was what I wanted to start with. It had more usable sights and a more pronounced safety. The plastic grips were all scratched up, so I replaced them. The spur style hammer would hit my hand, so I went with a “no bite” hammer and kept the original parts, just in case.

I've owned several BHP's throughout the decades. They just never worked for me. Browning's patent of 1911 just felt more, well, "right"!

Aside from the Czech Republic using the CZ-75, the majority of sidearm pistols for LEO/Military in the world is Glock, H&K USP, Beretta 92, and Sig Sauer P226.

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Well, Poland’s special forces uses it.

Smarty pants.

The T model BHP's are my carry guns for fancy barbecues sometimes.

Having so many 1911's, I like to carry the BHP sometimes. It is so good that the BHP works well in most of the 1911 holsters.

The T's are outdated a little, but Belgium made (not just assembled) just tickles my fancy. They are all good.

No other auto fits my hand better.


TRH. My guess you will be shooting it more often in the future.

I can't argue with the first two. It's as if Browning was divinely inspired by God.

A couple of my older friends and mentors, one military, one civilian, were great fans of the Hi Power. I admire the design, but never felt like any of the Hi Powers I used suited my porpoises better than a 1911.

Nowadays, I never really know where I'm going with newer gun acquisitions. Things just seem to pop up at the right time.
If I found a nice specimen like yours I might well own one

And that, despite the fact that I've been leaning back towards revolvers again...

Back in the day that was the gun to have. It is a beauty..........

I'd like one of these in this kind of condition. Hickok45 has some nice guns. One like that would likely go for several thousand dollars.

Very nice HiPower, Hawkeye. And thanks for the report. Love the polished blue steel. I finally scratched that itch a while back with a MK III. And you're right. I've seen some like you posted in the Hickock45 video above in nicer shape than his going for stupid money. Recently saw a really nice one listed for $3850. That's getting into tippy top Python money.

A couple pics of my MK III. Picked up some after market wood grips for it that I need to finish coating.

That just tilted the scale for world dominance back to CZ

LOL

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That is a great point. The CZ 75 is a modern rendition of all the great features of the Browning hi power. If you want a great working side arm, get the CZ 75. If you want nostalgia, get the Browning hi power.

Hey Beav, can you school Ruger4life a bit? Coulda swore this thread was about Hawk shooting his beautiful Hi Power.

Yes, that's the one I purchased in the late 1980s.

Like the Hi Power doesn't work well.

I dont know. But from that video of Hickock45's 1952 version, I'd say it / he shoots pretty well. Lol

Hawkeye;
Good morning to you sir, I trust the day's shaping up well for you all down in Florida thus far.

Thanks for the Hi Power thread, you've got a nice example and a good shooter by the look of it.

The list of pistols I really and truly should have bought is a long one, but right after a NWMP Colt New Service that I had in my hands at a gun show in '83 would be the many Inglis made High Powers I've fondled, considered buying and then decided it was just too much money.... only to see them go up in price at the next gun show of course.

For those unfamiliar with the Inglis, here's a quick Larry Vickers video with a very fine example. His has the Canadian Maple Leaf sticker still on the front of the grip.



Anyways, if I had any confidence that Black Prince Shiny Pony and his Legion of Evil Minions wasn't bent on taking away all of my handguns - which they are and because they're registered they certainly can - I'd love to get an Inglis.

Thanks for the thread and all the best to you sir.

Dwayne

Thanks, Dwayne.

PS As I mentioned in the opening post, the trigger (as it comes from the factory) isn't the best (gritty and about 8 lbs break), and that's largely due to the magazine disconnect, which has been in the Hi-Powers since they first started selling them. Useless devices.

I decided to use YouTube as a guide, and take mine out. I got as far as punching out the pin in the trigger, but couldn't get the disconnect to come out as the procedure is described on several YouTube videos. Not wanting to use force, I took it down the street to my local gunsmith and asked him to remove it, which he did. The SOB charged me $25.00 for the job, but I'm happy with the results. All the grittiness in the take up is gone, and it crisply breaks at a hair under 6 lbs now, which is a good combat trigger weight, IMO.

PS He's not really an SOB (often he does things like this at no charge, so I really can't complain). Just seems like a lot for something that took him ten minutes to do. He said he had to remove the trigger entirely to get the disconnect out.

Nice pistol! Good shooting with that out of the box trigger.....

Thanks. Yeah, despite the heavy and gritty factory trigger, there's something about the geometry and mechanics of the way it fits the hand that allows for good precision. At least that's the way it seems to me. Now that it has a lighter trigger break, and zero grittiness in the take up, I should be able to do even better with it.

Great post and a great pistol.

I have only 3 Hi Powers:

A shooter, serialized 245NWXXXX

A T series T275XXX

and a 2W5NVXXXXX serial numbered .40 S&W

As I just got into loading 7.65 Parabellum (30Luger) for my DWM Luger, I am considering finding a 7.65 barrel for the shooter.

Hawkeye;
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

Indeed your experience with the magazine disconnect twigged a memory that had been misplaced until I read your post.

Way, way back in the dinosaur times, a family member had an Inglis Browning - complete with the ladder rear sight and slot for the wooden butt stock/holster - which he didn't have.

Anyways one fine winter day when we had time on our hands we decided to pull the mag disconnect out of the trigger and while we did get it back together, it wasn't as easy as we'd thought it'd be.

Again it was the first time we'd done it and as it turned out the only time for me, and it was likely about 40 years ago too now that I put some math to it all. It's been a wonderful ride in the interim, but somehow faster than I'd anticipated.

All the best again.

Dwayne

I had the same one ...I sold it ....why damit....😪

Jeebus, the Gunbroker prices are crazy. I’m guessing I won’t get one.

Broke Dick !

😝🦫

I know exactly what you mean.

I meant to remark on something someone said, but just forgot, so I'll do it here. Someone commented that the newer Hi-Powers were manufactured in Portugal and assembled in Belgium. It's actually the opposite. The parts were manufactured in Belgium and assembled in Portugal.

I just lined it up with my Glock 19. The grip frame is exactly the same length on both guns.

The grip frame being Glock 19 length makes for good IWB concealed carry characteristics. It happens to fit nicely in the El Paso Saddlery C-Force holster I carry my Glock 19 in, too.

Hmmm. Interesting.

Can't just be looking at Gunbroker. Prices there are typically over the top. I bought mine unfired in the box in a local gun shop that I like a lot for $1100.


For example. This is my exact gun.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/912714938

WoooH-Wee, that’s a spendy, but Beautiful Hi-Power.

Glad you got yours for a lot less.

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I feel the same way - I don't know what it is but it feels near perfect. Overall fit, balance, etc.

I have one Belgian, from 1974 and it's almost too pretty to shoot. I wish I had a purchased a second shooter grade Hi Power when prices were reasonable.

Everyone should have a least one in their collection.

Beautiful specimen you have there. Mine has the beer can rear sight.

I have an ancient Canadian Inglis That I'm really attached to.
It's a shooter,plus with the ladder sights I can shoot 500 meters.

I approve this message. Beautiful HP!!

Thanks, Beav.

I had one. It was factory chrome. I liked its magazine capacity but never shot it as well as a 1911.

Put some Spegel Grips on it. Much slimmer. Completely different feel in the hand.

TRH, that looks sweet!

as to that magazine disconnect, you tube is your friend, number of video's on how to do ti.
i did three or four of them last fall using youtube, it isn't rocket science.

Thanks. I think the Spegels really ups the looks, and I thought it looked great before. Feels better in the hand, too.

I watched a couple of YouTube videos on it, tried it, and ran into problems. Took it to a gunsmith and he said you have to remove the trigger to remove the disconnector, which contradicted the videos. Anyway, he did it for me, and charged me twenty-five fricken dollars. Huge improvement in the trigger pull, though. About two pounds lighter break, and all the grittiness in the take up disappeared. It's an awesome trigger now.

Come winter, I believe you will be packing that beauty. Spending $$$ on a fancy holster.

I'm a fan of both the 1911 and BHP.

I have a 1990 Belgium FN MKIII I customized with stippling of the grip front and backstrap as well as the slide top. Lots of Cylinder & Slide parts, Novak sights, and Spegel grips.



And here I have a 1992 Argentine FM M90 Detective ("chopped" Hi-Power) I've also customized with stippling, Cylinder & Slide parts, and Spegel grips.



In stock form before customization. Really too bad Browning didn't produce this form factor. Great gun!


Disconnector removed in both.

I hear springfield is coming out with one shortly.

Like something with a basketweave pattern?

That detective model is cool.

I'm kinda the same way. I had a late 60's model Belgian version, very pretty. Got it from my dad. But it didn't do much for me so I sold it for a good price a few years ago and bought a couple pistols that I really like and shoot often. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I've never seen the detective version before. That's a neat looking gun.

More on the FM M90 Detective:

"Back in 1994 I picked up, from my LGS, an Argentine FABRICACIONES MILITARES (Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares (DGFM) M90 Detective which is a modified shortened slide / barrel P35 made on FN equipment licensed to FM.

After breaking it in, determining that it was a "keeper," I decided in 1995 to customize it.

I bought and installed several Cylinder & Slide parts: CS025C Duty Carry spring kit (hammer & firing pin), CS037 trigger, and CS035 safety. (And yes, the C&S trigger and safety as delivered had a purplish hue for whatever reason.)

I removed the magazine disconnector and tweaked the trigger function. I also beveled the magazine well and stippled* the grip front and backstraps. Had a local shop reblue the gun and then added Craig Spegel madagascar rosewood grips and Hogue hex grip screws.

It uses either CZ75 Compact (Wolff #53917) or bhspringsolutions replacement recoil springs as factory springs have never been available in the States.

The pistol weighs 30 ounces unloaded and uses any Hi-Power P35 13x or 15x magazine.

It remains a favorite. "





* The long ago discontinued tools I used to stipple the gun:

That would work.