What I need now is a Browning Hi Power...

[Grayfox54]

3 hours ago, i1afli said:

Any of you hi-power folks remove the mag safety, a common mod., to improve trigger feel? (And I hope this isn’t considered a thread hi-jack...the OP is, in his own words, looking for an education on the Hi-Power).

I removed the mag safeties in the FEG and FM. It did make a small difference in the trigger pull. However, for me the big thing is that now magazines drop free when ejected. I decided to leave the MK III  all original. 

 

3 hours ago, papa61 said:

for the fun of it, there is a nice HP that came up on armslist in Knoxville today. $1325. 

Yep, I've seen that one listed in the Memphis Armslist. The seller has it listed as a  Belgian gun when its clearly a standard MK III which states on the slide and is readable in the photos "Made in  Belgium, Assembled in Portugal" .  This is not the same as a true "Made in  Belgium" pistol and does not command a premium price. 

BTW: up until a day or so ago the was a nickle plated Hi-power with gold accents listed. Darn thing is too pretty to shoot. 

[Verne]

17 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

I removed the mag safeties in the FEG and FM. It did make a small difference in the trigger pull. However, for me the big thing is that now magazines drop free when ejected. I decided to leave the MK III  all original.

Forgot about the mags dropping free. That was probably the biggest and best change. I have the parts in a bag and labeled so I can put them back any at any time.

 

Later,

 

Verne

[Moped]

6 hours ago, Verne said:

Forgot about the mags dropping free. That was probably the biggest and best change. I have the parts in a bag and labeled so I can put them back any at any time.

 

Later,

 

Verne

Back in the day, I don't think the mags dropping free was a desirable feature.  They wanted them to eject about a half inch or so. Less chance of losing a mag in the heat of battle. and empty mag can be reloaded.  A lost or damaged mag, can effectively make a semi-auto, a single shot.  Europe was especially slow about adopting a drop free mag.  Remember the original Glocks didn't drop free either.

[papa61]

11 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

BTW: up until a day or so ago the was a nickle plated Hi-power with gold accents listed. Darn thing is too pretty to shoot. 

not sure about too pretty to shoot. but I'm the guy who would drive the wheels off of a one of one vintage movie star multi million dollar green mustang.

[Snaveba]

Cars are meant to be driven, and guns are meant to be shot. 

[Chucktshoes]

A gun that isn’t shot, isn’t loved. 

[Grayfox54]

Well that's why I wasn't interested in buying it. I shoot everything I own. 

[gregintenn]

20 hours ago, i1afli said:

Any of you hi-power folks remove the mag safety, a common mod., to improve trigger feel? (And I hope this isn’t considered a thread hi-jack...the OP is, in his own words, looking for an education on the Hi-Power).

No worries here, my friend. I'm the king of thread drift!

[papa61]

18 hours ago, expendable said:

Knoxville ?

I think it’s in Memphis.

I get those two mixed up all of the time, they are soo much alike.  

memphis +river...Knoxville=foothills

I'm VERY sorry for the confusion, but I'm old(ish)

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, papa61 said:

memphis +river...Knoxville=foothills

I'm VERY sorry for the confusion, but I'm old(ish)

Same difference.

[1gewehr]

What's not to like?!  Saint John Browning's final design.

It's easy to tell older Hi-Powers from the newer series.  The slide always tells the story!  Older ones until the mid-60's had an internal extractor like a M1911 .45.  Later ones have an external extractor visible on the right side of the slide, or you can see the hole for the roll pin that retains it from the left side.

Several countries made the Hi-Power.  Canadian and Argentina ones are very good.  Argentina started cutting corners towards the end and the difference is obvious.  for some reason, both countries liked a black paint finish.  The Argentina-made pistols are a relative bargain.  FN made the dies and set up the production line in Argentina, so parts are 100% interchangeable.

If you have large hands, beware of hammer bite.  Get one with the round versus spur hammer and that is much less likely.

WWII with Nazi markings should be avoided except as a collector piece.  FN had a LOT of slave laborers who took shortcuts and sabotaged parts.  I almost bought one that had a locking shoulder made of soft iron.  

I ALWAYS remove the magazine disconnect.  It's a dumb idea and I can not think of single incident where someone was happy it was there.  An idea that only a bureaucrat or chair-born ranger would like.

 

[papa61]

6 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Same difference.

been to both, I plan to retire to Macon Co.

If I live that long 

[gregintenn]

6 minutes ago, papa61 said:

been to both, I plan to retire to Macon Co.

If I live that long 

Me too. My plan is this October. Already in Macon County.

You’d better hurry though, it’s filling up fast.

Edited March 12, 2021 by gregintenn

[papa61]

35 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Me too. My plan is this October. Already in Macon County.

You’d better hurry though, it’s filling up fast.

If I don't make it before then, I'll take a dirt nap in Haysville stone is already there.

[gregintenn]

17 hours ago, papa61 said:

If I don't make it before then, I'll take a dirt nap in Haysville stone is already there.

I walked that cemetery over a couple of years ago when we were repaving highway 10. I didn’t realize until then, but it has been there a long, LONG time!

[papa61]

4 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I walked that cemetery over a couple of years ago when we were repaving highway 10. I didn’t realize until then, but it has been there a long, LONG time!

very long. My parents are buried there as well as brother in law. was very open area last time I went through.