Browning HP .40 ?

R

Rex Feral

New member
I'm seriously considering adding one of these to my collection, however the HP in .40 violates one of my rules of thumb for self defense handguns: *Stick with the caliber that the gun was originally designed for!*

So I'd like to hear from owners, or others with long-term experience with this pistol. Give me the good, the bad and the ugly about:

1)Reliability with effective JHP's
2)See #1
3)Accuracy
4)Durability

Glockers and Siggers, please refrain from pointing out the error of my ways and telling me why I should only choose your favorite wondergun in .40. If it isn't cocked-n-locked I'm not interested :D

Thanks in advance.

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Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.
 
I've shot a couple of the BHP .40's and they seemed to work reliably. I have no interest in them though because they are very whippy compared to the 9mm version. If at all possible I would shoot one before you buy to see if you like it, since felt recoil/muzzle flip is much different than the 9mm gun.....
 
Great pistol! It is tough to rack the slide but once this pistol is in action it is the softest shooting 40 S&W I have tried and I have shot a bunch. If you find you don't like it go with the Glock 27. My opinion of this little Glock continues to grow. Regards, Richard.
 
I have 3 HPs in 9mm and 1 in 40cal presently. I prefer the 9mm and would not buy another in 40. My 9mms are all stock except for trigger jobs. The 40 was built for me by Alpha Precision and is great now but when new I did not like it's accuracy. Also the 20lb stock recoil spring is not only hard to work with but will tend to crimp easily and cause a jam during operation. I replaced mine with an 18.5 lb spring but I don't shoot hot loads.The 40 HP just doesn't have the same feel as the 9mm.
 
Hello all. I much prefer my 9mm HPs and .45 1911s to my .40 HP. The forty seems more ammo dependent for accuracy with great differences in group size between loads. Also, my particular forty HP is not reliable with as wide a variety of ammo as my nines and 1911s. Because of added weight to the slide, etc, it does not feel like the classic HP. Best.
 
I thought I would comment on the 40 cal part. I own a springfield p9 in 40 and like it a lot. I don't really think the accuracy is different from the 9mm. Most of what I have seen there is due to the recoil being very different. It isn't a push like a 45, it is a definate flip. Much "rougher" than a 9mm. The two guns will definatly shoot a lot different. I agree if you can rent one from a range do that first. I prefer to carry starfires 155 grains, or silver tips. I don't trust my self reloading enough yet to carry reloads. But if I did, I found that 155 or 135 grains loaded half a grain light are easier to shoot. Some books said that the 135 grains might not be deep enough for good expansion, so I stayed with the 155 in my carry load. Now I picked the 40 before there were limits on mag capacity, now that you can't have a 9mm with 15 rds in it, I think everything being equal, always use the bigger bullet.
 
Rex, I also am inclined to favor guns in their original calibers, but I got a .40 HP just about as soon as they came out, and I've been very pleased with mine. The recoil spring is indeed stout, as others here have noticed, but I don't regard that as a big problem. The black plastic Mark III grips are really horrible, but I replaced them with Spegel wooden grips. I also had a Bomar rear sight installed. I think it's a great gun. It's been thoroughly reliable with every ammo I've fired through it, which includes JHP as well as 180-gr lead. Regarding accuracy, I'd have to say I don't shoot bullseye matches with it, but it's been plenty accurate for my uses (occasional CC, some local league shoots, etc.). I don't understand why the gun isn't more popular. As far as I'm concerned it's got all the good attributes of the original HP but is in a better caliber.

[This message has been edited by David Roberson (edited March 17, 2000).]
 
The .40 BHP is a fine pistol. Mine has a lighter recoil spring, BUT I added the Sprinco recoil reducer to cushion the impact. The accuracy is fine with the stock barrel and the I have never had a misfeed, but I have about 1,000 rounds through it for IPSC shooting and they were ALL 180 FMJ. I will not be shooting any JHP until the BarSto hooded barrel is installed and that won't help with your reliablilty question.
 
What is the difference in size and weight of 9mm and the.40 BHP?The Browning No Americe website says their weight and demensions are exactly the same.
 
40cal empty weight=36 oz 9mm empty weight=32 oz with 10rd mags. Recoil spring weight 9mm=17lbs 40cal=20lbs. Barrel length=4.75in.
 
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