Hi-Power Mk III or CZ75B?

I agree the Ruger looks as nice as these and also even less expensive, the Taurus don't look bad at all. I don't have much 9mm shooting experience so, I would agree with CZ in original selection. And they look similar with CZ looking shorter length.
 
The "FM" Hi-Powers are made in Argentina under license. They typically either don't have any of the upgrades made since the 1980s or they have upgrades/design changes totally separate fron the FN Hi-Powers.

All FN Hi-Powers are built in Belgium. In the mid-80s, assembly went to Portugal. I haven't noticed any difference in quality myself other than many of the "Assembled in Portugal" Hi-Powers have the latest upgrades - improved sights, cast frame, improved slide stop, ambi safety, etc. But that has more to do with timeline than where they were assembled.
 
You already have a Hi-Power. Get the trigger tuned (or do it yourself -- with parts from C&S or just do some polishing.) Get "Stephen A. Camp's HI Power Disassembly Guide" which is worth its weight in gold. (You can find it online with a search engine.) The Hi-Power is a much simpler gun, and shouldn't be a problem to detail strip or tune.

(Stephen Camp was once a regular on this forum, and a wonderful source of knowledge about both CZ-75s and Hi-Powers. He died far too young [at 59]. A gentleman, in the finest sense of the word, and a scholar. He is missed. His books are still available.)

That done, look around for a used CZ-75B. (If it has any miles on it, it'll have a much-improved trigger over a NIB CZ-75B.) Or shop until you find a sub-$500 deal as WVSig did.

Then you have both and will probably have both with less money spent -- and you won't continue wondering about a CZ.

I've got both, both have been tuned, and I like both.

The Hi-Power fits a smaller hand better, and since it's Single Action Only, you don't have the long DA trigger pull of the CZ. Happily, you don't have to start the CZ from double-action, as it can also be carried or started from cocked & locked, just like the Hi-Power. The after-market hammers from CZ Custom or Cajun Gun Works will, alone, make it a much better SA guns.
 
I would get the Hi Power (and yes, I am biased). But ultimately, I'm too greedy to make decisions. :D

In terms of concealed carry, I always prefer DA, but you can get a holster with a strap that actually blocks the hammer on the Hi-Power from falling for an extra degree of safety.

For range/open carry, I definitely prefer the feel of the HP. The only thing I don't particularly like about CZ 75 series is the very short slide, which is not as easy to grip. Everything about the HP feels fantastic to me, and even better since I added some slim Hogue cocobolo grips.
 
I own/have owned both and shot them extensively. The only advantage the CZ75 has over the BHP is DA/SA. Unless you have really big hands and/or long fingers, you will only use the CZ75 in single action mode and carry it cocked and locked. The BHP has superior ergos, fits everybody's hand, is slim in the waistband, and is easily improved. The BHP is the #2 worldwide handgun of all time after the 1911 for a reason, which is why CZ used it as the foundation for their model 75.
 
Between my own CZ 75B and my BHP it's really difficult to choose one over the other. I know the OP said he couldn't do both, but both are really nice to have. I think I'd choose a CZ75B first, but I'd make a nice LN MKIII BHP the next acquisition.
 
The BHP pictured just needs some flat type checkering to make it really fine ! On front and back straps .
 
SGT PEPPER said:
The BHP is the #2 worldwide handgun of all time after the 1911 for a reason, which is why CZ used it as the foundation for their model 75.
Click to expand...

The two weapons have almost nothing in common except a generally similar appearance and the use of Browning's Locked Breech Short Recoil design. That Browning design feature is also used by the vast majority of all other 9mm and greater caliber semi-autos.

The BHP wasn't the foundation for the CZ-75. As you note, even the ergonomics are even different.

The original poster already has an IDF BHP, by the way...
 
Those idf while really cool for history is refinished and makes the controls really gritty. A newer HP is going to feel MUCH smoother.

That said you could clean it up with C&S parts and get used CZ 75 this way you could have both platforms. This is just for variety sake. The CZ 75 is way too unbalanced whether you have the straight or stepped slide
 
Do you want a single-action only gun or a double-action/single action? When you answer that question, you will know which of the two guns to purchase.
 
I have owned both....

MUCH prefer the BHP as I have smallish hands - like several others said, that CZ has a long trigger reach. However, if you have large hands that probably is not a deciding factor for you. On top of better ergonomics, I found my BHP(s) more accurate, more reliable, and better finished/fit than the CZ. None of this is a true knock on the CZ - I would LOVE one if there was a version with a shorter trigger - but you did ask what the BHP offers over the CZ. As you can see, the price points reflect those items I mentioned. Perhaps a little haggling will get that BHP down to around 650-700?

J
 
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