Double Action Browning Hi-Power

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FUD

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I vaguely recall FN making a double action version of the Browning Hi-Power at some point but I can't seem to find any of them around and the few gunshops that I talked to looked at me as if I had a screw lose. Was I dreaming or did this actually exist at one time?
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Do you mean the one you could change? They made (still make?) one that had like a switch in it you chould change it to DA, DAO, and SA. Polymer if I remember correctly. I still see a few at gun shows and browning dealers.
 
fud,
im not sure that fn ever made that pistol I believe it was a feg product, not fn.....but they did make the one mentioned above with that switch.......fubsy.
 
The switchable gun was the Browning BDM. Same basic look of a HP, but with a more flat profile on the frontstrap and did not take the std HP mags. It was an all steel gun. It did not sell well so production was stopped. They had clearance ads on them last year for around $269 NIB. There are few pre-ban full cap mags for the pistol and they run around $125 each.

FEG in Hungary had a DA version of the HP and it was imported by both Kassnar as the FEG and under the Mauser banner. It is no longer imported as far as I know. The ones I have seen have had DA trigger pulls of as much 25 pounds or more and the steel is not as good as the Belgium guns.
 
It's not the BDM that you guys are talking about. There was a double action BHP much like I believe the current LDA from Para-Ordanance. I believe that the Hungarian company that makes HP clones made some double action HP styled guns. There were double action BROWNING HP that were advertised. Had the pictures and price quotes somewhere in one of my GUNS illustrated catalogs.
 
I've been told at a local gunshop that Browning does make a DA Hipower, but hasn't ever imported them into the US. Now that they have stopped importation of the SA Hipower, maybe they will start importing the DA? I hope so.

FWIW, I got this second/third hand...
 
FN was the maker of Hi-Powers early on in the first part of the century if I remeber correctly. I remeber reading that Browning, FN, and a few other companies made Hi-Powers.

[This message has been edited by MrBlonde (edited April 05, 2000).]
 
Gino is right. I've got a picture of it somewhere. Well, there is a sub compact version of it in the Combat Guns book but it doesn't do the gun justice. They've had it for a while in Europe but never imported it. There was a rumor a couple of years back that it would arrive but I'm still waiting. Never did like the BDM and would have snapped up one these DA Hi-Po's quick like. Gotta find that picture.

- Ron V.
 
Some success. Not the picture I was looking for but...in A History of the World's 9mm Pistols & Ammunition, there is a write-up of the development of the BDA9 and a picture of the full sized pistol on page 30-31.

- Ron V.

A little more success. 3 photos and a write-up in Small Arms (sub) Pistols and Rifles, pgs 16-17.

- Ron V.

[This message has been edited by hksigwalther (edited April 05, 2000).]
 
If you can get your hands on a copy of The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol by R. Blake Stevens, there is an entire chapter on the development of the double action High Power.
Also, in the October 1989 issue of the American Rifleman, there is an article on the High power and the double action version as well.
Then in Guns And Ammo, October 1996 issue, an article titled, What's New in Auto Pistols, at the 1996 Shot Show Browning announced a double action called the BDA and a double action only called BDAO.
However, if the pistols were imported, they were not in any large quantities.
One other note, the 1987 Browning did have the BDA cataloged.
Hope this can help :)
 
What about the FN's with the alloy frame?
Seems that Novak himself has one of the only ones to ever make it over here. That should be a 'no-brainer' for the marketing folks at Browning. Breathe some new life into the design, sales wise, eh? :)
 
There was a double action model of the Hi-power. New Zealand Police had it on issue at international airports in the 1980's and early 1990's after an international agreement that all airport polcie would carry a 9mm semi-auto. At thew time the general issue handgun was still the S&W M10. It was replaced about 1994 with the Glock 17.

I handled one at one time, terrible trigger! the Hi-power design just did not adapt too well.

While styled on the Hi-power it was not made initally by either FN or Browning. It was manufactured in Europe and Browning stamped their name on it after the iron cutrtain fell down.
 
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