I recently obtained a FN Hi Power Pistol with an aluminum frame and coded as having been used by the Belgian Police at an earlier time. The pistol ismarked with the following code: GV A 894 84 which broken down means “police light version” whic describes the pistol to a t. I would post photos but the site tells me my transfers are too big...compared to the standard Weight Hi Power this would be considerably easy to carry even though the same size. I have so many Micro pistols probably will not carry this one unless special circumstances. I will report further after a second session and several boxes of ammo.
Light weight Hi Power
- Thread starter Ibmikey
- Start date
Bartholomew Roberts
Moderator
The alloy framed Hi-Powers used to be rare; but quite a few surplus alloy Hi-Powers have been imported as different European agencies have upgraded to more modern handguns.
Congratulations on an awesome BHP! I love my alloy HP - I've put thousands or rounds through it in IDPA and IPSC matches, and it swings so well that my target transition time has probably gone down by half.
I put a .40 HP recoil spring in mine, and it runs beautifully with my full power competition loads as well as my home made carry loads.
I use it as a carry gun in cold months and mountain hikes and it is so much more comfortable than my beloved all-steel HPs.
I put a .40 HP recoil spring in mine, and it runs beautifully with my full power competition loads as well as my home made carry loads.
I use it as a carry gun in cold months and mountain hikes and it is so much more comfortable than my beloved all-steel HPs.
Seven High
New member
There is an interesting segment on you tube from Forgotten Weapons about the development of the aluminum frame hipower. Does yours have lightening cuts in the slide?
Good article on the alloy frame Hi-Powers, Seven High. Thx for posting the info.
I own a pair of Hi-Powers: a beautifully blued and adjustable sighted .40 Mk lll and a two-tone Practical in 9mm. Both give me all the accuracy that 73 yo eyes can wring out of them; something a bit less than 3" at 25 yds. My 41 yo son, does better with selected loads.
The .40, though beautiful (almost too pretty to holster carry), carries the necessary heavier recoil spring and is a bear to cycle by hand...a press check is tough. I find it's most accurate with 135 gr JHP's by Nosler with my own handloads. It'll feed LSWC's with no problems if you get the LOA right and is equally accurate.
The 9mm Practical is a joy to shoot...accurate, with that beautifully sculpted grip that makes all Hi-Powers so ready to hand and easy to shoot well. While some pistols need a good bit of range work to establish the hand/muscle memory necessary for an instantaneous 'firing grip', the Hi-Power does it for me every time, no matter the speed. This particular gun shoots a bit high for my liking, about 4" at 25 yds with 125 gr bullets at any muzzle velocity. And the 115 grainers show very little improvement (about 3" at 25 yds).
My own history with the Hi-Power goes back to 1970 when, flying as a newly minted 2nd Lt., I was assigned as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) to a Special Forces unit operating in lll Corps, RVN. Living in the "B" camp at An Loc, the Air Force had issued me a S&W Model 15, .38 Special. My predecessor, another AF Lt, was headed home and sold me his Jimmy Clark accurized 9mm HP for the princely sum of $100. Remember, this was when a Rolex Submariner went for $155 at the BX...so $100 was no trifling sum and I was making $440 a month including Combat Pay. I bought it, carried it for the remainder of my tour; selling it to one of the Green Berets I'd worked with when I DEROS'd. I'd spent many a night in the 81mm mortar pit, listening the tinkling of the concertina wire as we were probed, comforted by it's heft on my hip. I'd readily give 10x the original amount to get that old war-horse back.
Enjoy your new alloy HP, lbmikey, shoot it some with moderate loads and enjoy the best feel of a gun in hand that's ever been produced.
Best Regards, Rod Pics of my Practical 9mm with Hogue grips on it; and another of the .40 in a minimalist holster I made for it.
I own a pair of Hi-Powers: a beautifully blued and adjustable sighted .40 Mk lll and a two-tone Practical in 9mm. Both give me all the accuracy that 73 yo eyes can wring out of them; something a bit less than 3" at 25 yds. My 41 yo son, does better with selected loads.
The .40, though beautiful (almost too pretty to holster carry), carries the necessary heavier recoil spring and is a bear to cycle by hand...a press check is tough. I find it's most accurate with 135 gr JHP's by Nosler with my own handloads. It'll feed LSWC's with no problems if you get the LOA right and is equally accurate.
The 9mm Practical is a joy to shoot...accurate, with that beautifully sculpted grip that makes all Hi-Powers so ready to hand and easy to shoot well. While some pistols need a good bit of range work to establish the hand/muscle memory necessary for an instantaneous 'firing grip', the Hi-Power does it for me every time, no matter the speed. This particular gun shoots a bit high for my liking, about 4" at 25 yds with 125 gr bullets at any muzzle velocity. And the 115 grainers show very little improvement (about 3" at 25 yds).
My own history with the Hi-Power goes back to 1970 when, flying as a newly minted 2nd Lt., I was assigned as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) to a Special Forces unit operating in lll Corps, RVN. Living in the "B" camp at An Loc, the Air Force had issued me a S&W Model 15, .38 Special. My predecessor, another AF Lt, was headed home and sold me his Jimmy Clark accurized 9mm HP for the princely sum of $100. Remember, this was when a Rolex Submariner went for $155 at the BX...so $100 was no trifling sum and I was making $440 a month including Combat Pay. I bought it, carried it for the remainder of my tour; selling it to one of the Green Berets I'd worked with when I DEROS'd. I'd spent many a night in the 81mm mortar pit, listening the tinkling of the concertina wire as we were probed, comforted by it's heft on my hip. I'd readily give 10x the original amount to get that old war-horse back.
Enjoy your new alloy HP, lbmikey, shoot it some with moderate loads and enjoy the best feel of a gun in hand that's ever been produced.
Best Regards, Rod Pics of my Practical 9mm with Hogue grips on it; and another of the .40 in a minimalist holster I made for it.
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Seven High
New member
I have watched the segment on you tube several times. The aluminum frame hi power should have had further development. If the Belgian police were issued it, someone must have done more work on it . IMO the concept is still viable.Nice looking hipower you have there rodfac. Thank you for your service to our country. Have you ever tried to locate the green beret that you sold your hipower to? If he survived the war, he might still have it.
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Rodfac, This is my Hi Power number sixteen but already I can see it will not reside in the safe with the others. Today it will be dropped off for a Cerakote refinish and then a few more rounds down range to see that all is well, by this time next year we shall see how many Texas feral hogs it has put down. My Light Weight has the unit markings on all major parts and magazine and queries have been made to FN and also the Military Museum in Belgium to see if I can glean any further history on the pistol’s use, the wear marks would support holster carry on a motorcycle.
I had a similar experience with a 1911 in Korea and being unwilling to bring a pistol without a s/n through customs sold it to a pfc who smiled and slid through the customs check with it in his waistband. By the way the customs inspector asked me if I had anything to declare and moved on to the next fellow without waiting for an answer, I could have brought the Thompson I normally carried, hung over my shoulder and he would not have seen it
.
I had a similar experience with a 1911 in Korea and being unwilling to bring a pistol without a s/n through customs sold it to a pfc who smiled and slid through the customs check with it in his waistband. By the way the customs inspector asked me if I had anything to declare and moved on to the next fellow without waiting for an answer, I could have brought the Thompson I normally carried, hung over my shoulder and he would not have seen it
.