17rd Magazines for BHP?

D

Dave R

New member
A local store just got in some 17rd. mags for Hi-Power. Labeled as original equipment, government contract. Presumably made by Browning in South America.

Anyone ever owned one of these?

I've always thought BHP=13 rds. Would the 17rd mag compromise reliability?

Would like to get some experience from the experts before I buy.
 
They work great, but they are a be-yatch to load without a mag loading tool!

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Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.
 
I picked up a couple.

Rex, you were right on both counts. They work fine. They're hard to load (stiff spring!) Good thing they come with the loading tool, which works.

Tecolote, thanks for the tip. I needed that immediate gratification, though, so bought 'em locally.
 
Hey I feel like I got gipped here...mine didnt come with a loading tool....dang it guess Ill have to order some more.....they work great, Ive had no malfunctions...fubsy.
 
I got 3 of them and one mag loader. They function fine and with the base plate don't look like an extended mag. I like them

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For those who haven't seen these before, here's a picture .

Say, how does one take these apart? I've look at the basepads of mine and they look semi-permanent. Do they come apart from the top by compressing the spring and canting out the follower?
 
Have now put in a range session and a plinking session with two of these 17 rounders. So far perfect reliability. Yeah, they're tough to load without the tool. Could _maybe_ get 13 rounds in without the tool, if I had good thumb callouses.

Anyway, I really like 'em.
 
I just purchased two of the mags from CDNN. Do they provide the loading tool, or do you have to get one elsewhere?

BTW, anyone have any leads on original Belgian HP owners manuals? I just bought a beauty, a Novak-custom T-series HP. Their Special Ops Package is very impressive.

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"I love to do things that scare me, for without fear there is no courage..."
 
Paladin: I bought my 17rd mags from CDNN and each mag came with a mag loader - which you will definitely need. Even with the mag loader I couldn't load more than 15rds. at first. I have finally got one mag to take 17rds.

If you visit http://www.fnhipower.com/ they have an online reproduction of the 1969 manual for the T-series Browning Hi-Power. That should be close enought to your T-series to help (even though it is 5 years later)
 
I'm having Mitch Rosen make a belt mag pouch for the Hi Power extra mag. Does the 17 rounder have different dimensions than the 13?

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"I love to do things that scare me, for without fear there is no courage..."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paladin1:
I'm having Mitch Rosen make a belt mag pouch for the Hi Power extra mag. Does the 17 rounder have different dimensions than the 13?

[/quote]

I have a Milt Sparks double mag pouch (D-4C). The 17rd Hi-Power mags work fine in it and release with a firm tug - not too tight and not too loose. The stock 10rd mags stay in there like they've been glued though.
 
Why would the lower cap rounds stick harder in the pouch than the hi caps?

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"I love to do things that scare me, for without fear there is no courage..."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paladin1:
Why would the lower cap rounds stick harder in the pouch than the hi caps?

[/quote]

No idea... the finish on the stock mags seems to be a rougher, phosphate finish. Aii I can think is that the rough finish against the rough leather is the problem - but you wouldn't believe the difference.
 
The smoother finish of the 17 rounders has another benefit. If your HP still has the magazine safety, as mine does, the smoother magazine finish on the 17 rounders translates into a smoother trigger pull.

That's another tip for all you BHP shooters. If you have a mag safety, and complain of a gritty trigger, polish the surface of your mags where the mag safety contacts. Noticeable difference. Cheap trigger job.

My gun had a gritty trigger pull with the factory mags. First "after-market" mag I bought had been polished, either by wear or by design, and the difference was remarkable. So I polished all my mags. But these 17 rounders were so smooth, I didn't bother. They feel great.
 
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