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.
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.
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!
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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Curiosity Killed the Cat & The Prairie Dog “Molon Labe”
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!
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.
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...
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.
Last edited by local_dirt; 10/19/21.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
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!
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.
That just tilted the scale for world dominance back to CZ
LOL
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Curiosity Killed the Cat & The Prairie Dog “Molon Labe”
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.
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.
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!
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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Hey Beav, can you school Ruger4life a bit? Coulda swore this thread was about Hawk shooting his beautiful Hi Power.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
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.
Yes, that's the one I purchased in the late 1980s.
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.
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.
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
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
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.
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.