Question on Browning high power

A

Al205

New member
Can anyone please tell me if the High power is good in terms
of reliability , and not jamming ? Iam thinking of purchasing one
because my friend has a copy made in Hungary. And it is very
accurate , and reliable . It has been fired around 1,000 times and
never one jam . I was just wondering if the original Browing is
just as good or better ?
 
I think that in general the BHP has a very good rep in this area. Some earlier models may have had problems with aggressive-profiled HP ammo (like the 1911 is was designed with ball ammo in mind), but that seems to have been rectified nicely. All manufacturers have produced lemons, but I think the browning has a pretty top-shelf rep.

FWIW, Mine is reliable. A (very) few jams over the years...mostly with crappy ammo.

Mike
 
I've got 6 different varients of the Browning HP, 4 of which are Browning and 2 are Kareen HP(israeli made with built in beavertails). In all of them, after thousands of rounds I have had only 3 malfunctions and all have been traced to aftermarket magazines. My HP's are all stock with the following exceptions:

1. All have Bar-sto barrels
2. All Brownings have Wilson Armor-tuff finish
3. Both Kareen's have NP-3 finish.

I've owned BHP's for 30+ years and they are the fine handguns, you can't go wrong.

Stick with factory magazines. Their are magazines available from South Africa, I have many, and while they function flawlessly, their finish is a little to be desired but nothing NP-3 or Armor-tuff can't fix. The SA mags do have just a slightly thinner mag body but doesn't deter from functionality.

If you do get one you can get it tuned by a good BROWNING QUALIFIED gunsmith to smooth the trigger pull, BUT DO NOT DEACTIVATE THE FACTORY MAGAZINE SAFETY. Lot's of people will say it doesn't matter and will give you a better trigger pull, and while the fact that it will give you a better trigger pull is true, the fact is if you were ever to be prosecuted for any reason and this gun is used, you can be certain that the fact you deactivated a FACTORY safety will come up. In both Criminal (state) trials and Civil(victims family sues YOU). And the burden of proof is MUCH lower in a CIVIL trial.
 
Coronach is right on. In the past, Hi-Powers did seem to have a problem feeding hollowpoint ammo. One friend owns five Hi-Powers. Of the five, two of the earlier HPs had feeding problems with hollow points. Both of them were fixed by Browning free of charge (Browning offices are about a half hour drive from his house). Since then they have had no FTFs.

His newer ones have all been 100% reliable and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy one. I've fired six different Hi-Powers in 9mm and .40 and have never had a FTF with any of them. Now if I could only find one in good condition for a reasonable price. . .

Shake
 
Re magazine safety.

If shooting was intentional, magazine safety disabling should be irrevelant. Disconnecting magazine safety actually makes tacticle reloads safer.

If shooting was accidental, with an "unloaded" gun, having a disconnected magazine safety could have bearing on finding of fault.

I plan for my shootings to be intentional.

Sam
 
I have owned my MKIII for 7 years and thousands of rds. Not one jam yet of any type. It is also the most accurate handgun I own however the CZs are pushing it now!
 
A reliability problem I've had with my BHPs was stovepiping due to a weak extractor. This happened with two of my guns, but I think it's unusual for a Browning. Another was a minor feeding problem due to a rough breech face. This is even more unusual, in my experience. On the whole, the BHP is one of the most reliable pistols in the world.
 
Dinosaur: I've been considering getting a BHP in .40. How does yours handle? Accuracy and does it have an overabundant recoil?

Thanks,
 
Sousana, I've got a BHP in .40, and I think it's totally controllable. It produces a level of recoil that feels more or less like a 1911 shooting .45 acp, and everyone can get used to shooting that cartridge/pistol combo. It's nothing near as difficult-to-get-used-to as my old micro-Glock 33 in .357 Sig. Blast is minimal (nothing like a .357 mag. out of a 4" tube), though it increases somewhat with the 135-grain rounds (I prefer the mass of the 165-grainers, though).

Handling is pretty subjective. I've never heard anyone say they did not like the way the .40 BHP handles. I was struck that there's a small but noticeable handling difference between the .40 and the 9mm HPs. The 9s feel absolutely perfect ergonomically; the .40's blockier and heavier slide changes the balance slightly for the worse. As far as the usefulness of the controls, they are well-placed and do not interfere with my ability to fire the pistol quickly and on-target.

Regarding accuracy: I can shoot 1" 10-shot groups offhand (when I'm shooting well and taking my time) at 30'. Good enough for me.

You might dig around over at http://www.fnhipower.com/ , especially using the "search" function in the forums to see what others think about their .40s.

I'm more satisfied with this pistol as a full-sized personal defense pistol than any of the others (including S&W revos and autos, 1911s, Glocks, etc.) I've used to date.
 
Erich, Thanks, thats just what I was looking for. My local dealer has a Browning HP in .40 with a silver Wilson Armor-tuff finish.

One other question, how does the BHP .40 hold up to the .40 caliber? For example, it won't fall apart on me after 5k rounds would it? I know, I know, I've got a BHP mark III with 29k rounds and is factory perfect, but the .40 is a slightly bigger round.

Thanks
 
Sorry, I'm not Dinosaur, but I'll tell you my experience.

The times I've shot my friends HPs, the .40s have been just as good of shooters as the 9mms. There is more recoil, but it is very managable. They handle great. I shoot better with one of his .40 HPs than I do with any of the 9mms. He shoots better with a 9mm Hi Practical.

If you want one in .40, I wouldn't hesitate. I personally prefer the 9mm in HP just becasue it is one of those guns that "belongs" in a certain caliber (i.e. 1911 style in .45). No real tangible reasons though.

Shake
 
I have a MK. III that malfunctions often. It could be the South American military-surplus mags, it could be my reloads, it could be a number of things. I like the gun a lot, and when it gets sorted out, I'm sure it will be one of my favorites.
 
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