Did Browning quit making the Hi-Power

T

The Silver Bullet 1719

New member
I just got a e-mail from a on-line gun store saying that Browning quit making the Standard model. So is this true did Browning quit making all of the Hi-Powers?

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AK-47, When you absolutely have to kill every mother&%$#er in the room...accept no substitutes.
 
As I heard it Browning is not making HPs this year. Seems inventory is backed up. When current stock starts to run down they will resume production.

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TFL's official "Curmudgeon Member" and damned proud of it!
TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
seemes browning did discontinue all centerfire pistols due to lack of sales and interest from the general public.seemseveryone is swiching to kimbers and glocks around here,
 
I heard they were not going to import the 9mm into the US anymore, maybe not any.

FN will be selling the DA version though. The real DA BHP, not the BDM.

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I thought I read in one of the gun rags that Browning is planning to discontinue the Hi-Power. If I find the magazine I will post further.
 
All I know is this: The full line is in their catalog and (last I checked) on their website. My local gun dealer said that no one can get them but didn't seem to know many details. I emailed Browning asking what the deal was and never got a response. In another post a while back, someone said that Browning had announced a forthcoming end to the HP line last year, but I haven't seen anything to support this. All this just when I was about to order a .40 in Silver Chrome :(. If they have discontinued or stopped importing them, I have no idea what the reasoning would be. I mean, it's the "original", that would be like Ruger discontinuing the Mark II or Beretta dropping the 92 series........
 
I was talking to Kurt Wickmann a month ago about this and he said that the HP will no longer be imported to the US. Apparently the US market had been going down for some time, and the straw that broke the camel's back was when that dude in Hawaii shot all those people he worked with, he used a HP (in addition to another pistol that I can't remember). So I guess they didn't want the bad publicity.

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Strength does not come from physical capacity.
It comes from an indomitable will. -- Mahatma Gandhi
 
First, Browning does not make HP's, they import them, they are made by FN. I spoke with Browning at SHOT (see the SHOT Show reports day 1 I think). Browning took a production run each year from FN for a fixed number of pistols. FN made the same number of guns each year. Last year Browning did not order any due to a warehouse full of leftovers. The pistol has remained relatively unchanged for 65 years and sales had been dropping. With DA alloy and plastic guns coming on the market the HP sales were dropping. When work got out that the HP was not being made, everyone who ever wanted one bought two or three and the shelves were pretty bare, at least of 9mm, by Sept 1999. FN was scheduled for a full production run this year to ship to Browning, but those pistols were not expected until the end of summer, I believe he said August. That is why they are still in the catalog yet unavailable. If you hear rumors about Browning not selling guns or Colt not selling guns because of politics it is all just that, rumors. No truth to it. S&W on the other hand, well we all know about that.
 
Browning discontinuing the HP can't be because of the Xerox shooting here in Hawaii. The wacko used a Glock 17, not a Browning.

No matter - It'd be a shame if they drop it from their line. They are truly fine pistols. At least I have my two, a 9mm and a .40.

Tom
 
I was just in a local gunshop yesterday in he search of the HP's and the owner of the shop said as of Jan or Feb this year they quit making them and wouldn't be making anymore.

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WHEN IT COMES TO FRIENDS THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT
TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
I just got a reply from the place that told me that Browning quit making the Standard, the new e-mail said that they quit making all of the Hi-Powers. Looks like I'll try for a CZ-75 compact in dual-tone...

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AK-47, When you absolutely have to kill every mother&*$#er in the room...accept no substitutes.
 
i personally called browning in november 99 and asked them about the hi power. the lady informed me that as of mid october they, browning, would no longer be selling the hi -power except for inventory on hand, and when that's gone browning had no current intentions of bringing them back.
 
I was standing next to my dealer when he called Browning to ask about the Hi-Power. Browning said they are no longer importing the Hi-Power. Bought mine used a week later.
 
OK, here is what I know on the subject. I called Browning personally when it was rumored they would be following the Smith & Wesson deal (February?) and asked them what the problem was with finding a Hi-Power (after getting a reassurance that they wouldn't cave in).

The customer service rep I spoke to indicated that the company imports batches from FN and that they had run out of their last batch. He indicated that they would be importing another batch in November/December of 2000 and that this could be the last batch imported due to the fact that the guns weren't selling well on the market (competition from polymer guns).

My second source on this is the Hi-Power forum at www.fnhipower.com. They indicate (as of April) that Browning will discontinue the Hi-Power this year in all models except the MkIII Standard in 9mm.

Now, that we have thoroughly muddied the water here - maybe someone else has a source?
 
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