Plus P Or No Plus P in BHP

[PT-Partners]

I retail custom 1911 and over the years as well as lately acquired several of the custom and standard BHP's. (For retail as well as possessions)

So I ask this to gain information and be knowledgable about the guns I market and own.

For all of you Browning Experts out there.

I have gotten a couple of bits of conflicting information on the Browing High Power and its capacity to digest the Plus P 9mm ammo.

The is what I have heard multiple gunsmiths, Browning owners, and shall we say rumor control and others.

PLEASE add your knowledge and experience.

The new cast frame Browning's will handle Plus P but insure the gun has the recoil springs for the load.

The American version or some the forged frame guns (frames are softer) will not handle plus p as the American SAMMI spec for 9mm is less than European 9mm.

The guns from FN and other Milspec Browning handles Plus P fine as the European 9mm is hotter than US 9mm. For example the Glock (ugh, cough, gag) had to be made to handle the reduced power US 9mm, hence the US tag on the back of the Glock (ugh, cough, gag) serial number.

Just insure the gun has the springs for the Plus P. load.

Personal experience here. I have a newer cast frame Belgain/Portugal Browning Mark III with a heavier recoil spring from Wolff and had a couple of thousand plus p and plus p plus 124 Gold Dot 9mm through it and various 115 Plus P Plus. Shoots great, no jams, never any problems.

ARE there some BHPs that can handle 9mm for example; the euro made milspec guns, and some BHPs that can not for example; the american or U.S. spec guns?

Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

http://www.pt-partners.com

Do your research but:

You get what you pay for front end or back end.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I claim no status as "expert," but do shoot BHPs more than any other handgun I own since about 1969.

Before +P or +P+ loads existed, I shot almost exclusively handloaded ammo. It blew out a 115 gr Sierra JHC (now PJHP) at about 1300 ft/sec. I fired many thousands of these through my early HPs with no problems, although I did note wear, quite a bit of it.

When Wolff began producing extra power springs...or I noticed them, I've routinely replaced the factory standard 16lb spring with their conventional 18.5lb spring. In the last several months, I also use a shok buff from Buffer Technology as added safety. With these in place, I have no concerns firing +P loads in my HPs, both old and new MkIIIs.

I have never fired +P+ ammo in my HPs, or don't remember it, so I cannot really comment on its abuse of the gun or lack thereof.

I currently shoot 124 gr XTPs at about 1244 ft/sec, very close to CorBon and Triton's velocities (nominal 1250 ft/sec)and have noted no undue wear. I do shoot factory +P in these guns with no problems, but at the cost of factory +P, I don't think you'd shoot enough to matter.

So, in a nutshell, what I'm saying is I don't know about +P+, but feel OK shooting the hotter handloads and +P commercial in my HPs providing I've got the heavier recoil springs and buffers in place.

In the new MkIIIs with cast frames, there should be less problem, but I'd still go with the heavier springs to slow down the unlocking of the bbl lugs from their recesses and avoid any "rounding" of their edges.

Best.