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goodheart
Picture of sjtill
posted
From Popular Mechanics:

quote:
Small arms manufacturer Browning has ended production of the Browning Hi Power semiautomatic handgun. The legendary pistol served in armies worldwide, from Nationalist China to the British Special Air Service and was one of the first high capacity pistols ever invented. An invention of prolific arms designer John Moses Browning, the Hi Power was the inventor’s last pistol design.

As noticed by The Firearm Blog, the pistol‘s product page was quietly changed to include the words, “no longer in production” and the prices were removed. The Hi Power pistol was in continuous production for 82 years.


The Hi Power was the brainchild of American small arms legend John Moses Browning, a prolific inventor who also created the M2 .50 caliber machine gun, still in use with U.S. military forces today. He also invented the M1911A1 handgun, otherwise known as the Colt .45, and literally dozens of other pistols, shotguns, rifles, machine guns, and even a cannon. Browning was working on the Hi Power when he died in 1926, and the gun was eventually finished and sold by his manufacturing partners in Belgium in 1935.

The Hi Power had little in the form of commercial success before World War II, but was used by both sides during the war. Belgium’s surrender to Nazi Germany saw plans for the gun smuggled out of the country to Canada, where they were built for Nationalist Chinese forces and British and Canadian paratroopers and special forces. The tooling left behind in occupied Belgium went on to produce handguns for German military forces, particularly paratroopers and the Waffen SS. After the war the gun was sold to civilians and armed forces, particularly those belonging to NATO, and eventually more than 50 armies and 93 nations adopted the Hi Power as their standard sidearm. More than a million Hi Powers were eventually produced.

The Hi Power was in many ways the Glock of its day. Easy to disassemble and with a large magazine capacity, the Hi Power was a leap ahead from contemporary gun designs when it was first introduced in 1935. The Hi Power used many features in Browning’s other famous pistol, the 1911A1 but showed considerable refinement, including such features as a twin-row, double-stack magazine that accommodated 15 rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition. That was up to twice as much ammo as other semiautomatic pistols and is where the pistol gets the name "Hi Power".

The Hi Power was eventually outclassed by other handguns in its class such as the Glock 17, Sig Sauer P226, and Smith & Wesson M&P, that offered modern features at a lower price point. Unusually, the Hi Power was never updated with modern features such as an accessory rail, night sights, and the use of polymers. John Browning’s last pistol stayed true to form until the very end.


Link

Feel free to post pix of yours!


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“ What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.”— Lord Melbourne
 
Posts: 18018 | Location: One hop from Paradise | Registered: July 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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quote:
Originally posted by sjtill:
Unusually, the Hi Power was never updated with modern features such as an accessory rail, night sights...


Although both are available as aftermarket accessories.
 
Posts: 32430 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The end of a classic handgun, but it appears that a Turkish company is producing a clone in both blued/black steel, and stainless......and for less $$$. They have only very recently been imported into the USA.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GT-40DOC,
 
Posts: 6601 | Location: Az | Registered: May 27, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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It didn't need any of the "features such as an accessory rail, night sights, and the use of polymers." I am glad it died instead of adapting an accessory rail or polymer. Its main problem was it was expensive to build and today's cheapy market went in a different direction.
 
Posts: 1248 | Location: Northern Nevada | Registered: December 22, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gracie Allen is my
personal savior!
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I kind of hope they find something to replace it with. It seems a little odd that the Hi Power dies just 9mm Commander-type 1911s seem to be flying out the door. I understand they're different designs, but there still seems to be a market for a pistol that provided what the Hi Power did.
 
Posts: 27291 | Location: Deep in the heart of the brush country, and closing on that #&*%!?! roadrunner. Really. | Registered: February 05, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Peace through
superior firepower
Picture of parabellum
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Posts: 107266 | Registered: January 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bone 4 Tuna
Picture of jjkroll32
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^ handsome photo and handsome pistols boss. I admire that trio.


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Long Live the Super Thirty-Eight
 
Posts: 11143 | Location: Mid-Michigan | Registered: October 02, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Doin' what I can
with what I got
Picture of Rob Decker
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by GT-40DOC:
The end of a classic handgun, but it appears that possibly a Turkish company may produce a clone in both blued/black steel, and stainless......and for less $$$.


Woohoo!

Reviews of the Stoeger Cougars were very positive.


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Death smiles at us all. Be sure you smile back.
 
Posts: 5540 | Location: Greater Nashville, TN | Registered: May 11, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Mr. Waffles
Picture of cherokee2u
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Say it ain't so Joe.....My first pistol was a 1968 High Power



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A shepherd must tend his flock....and at times fight off the wolves
 
Posts: 2988 | Location: Carolina | Registered: March 29, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Doin' what I can
with what I got
Picture of Rob Decker
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I sincerely hope the beautiful Hi Power pictures keep coming.

And also that the Turkish ones are good. Does anybody other than Nighthawk offer custom ones (that don't require a donor)?


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Death smiles at us all. Be sure you smile back.
 
Posts: 5540 | Location: Greater Nashville, TN | Registered: May 11, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Tisas of Turkey has been making a Hi-Power copy for many years.
 
Posts: 838 | Registered: September 27, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
E tan e epi tas
Picture of cslinger
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Well in honor of its passing I salute thee with mine.





"Guns are tools. The only weapon ever created was man."
 
Posts: 7631 | Location: On the water | Registered: July 25, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of P250UA5
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob Decker:
quote:
Originally posted by GT-40DOC:
The end of a classic handgun, but it appears that possibly a Turkish company may produce a clone in both blued/black steel, and stainless......and for less $$$.


Woohoo!

Reviews of the Stoeger Cougars were very positive.


My co-worker's .40 Cougar shoots like a 22lr compared to my 357Sig P320C.




The Enemy's gate is down.
 
Posts: 15154 | Location: Spring, TX | Registered: July 11, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Waiting for Hachiko
Picture of Sunset_Va
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Thread in the 1911 Forum/sub Forum : Browning Hi Power about the Tissas Turkish Hi Power.

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=896346

I bought 2 Hi Powers in 1983, my first, one was an adjustable sight blued, and the other was a standard blade front blued.

I put the adjustable sighted one up, and shot the fixed sight model. I shot it a lot too!

Probably my favorite of all I've had, and most fun. Since those first two, I've owned about 3 other Hi Powers and 2 clones (FEG).


美しい犬
 
Posts: 6673 | Location: Near the Metropolis of Tightsqueeze, Va | Registered: February 18, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Rail-less
and
Tail-less
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That Tisas HP had a tiny upswept beavertail...nice! One of the best HP’s I ever owned was a clone that was put out under the Charles Daly name in the mid 2000’s. It came factory with XS Sights. Gun ran great for $400.


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Use thumb-size bullets to create fist-size holes.
 
Posts: 13190 | Location: Charlotte, NC | Registered: May 07, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
The Unknown
Stuntman
Picture of bionic218
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quote:
a clone that was put out under the Charles Daly name


I believe those were also FEG clones. And - by most accounts - excellent pistols.

But it's hard to beat the shiny blued forged versions like Para's pictured above. Sad day indeed. Long live the King o' Nines!
 
Posts: 10729 | Location: missouri | Registered: October 18, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Dusty78:
That Tisas HP had a tiny upswept beavertail...nice! One of the best HP’s I ever owned was a clone that was put out under the Charles Daly name in the mid 2000’s. It came factory with XS Sights. Gun ran great for $400.


Still have mine. Great shooter.
 
Posts: 1359 | Registered: October 19, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Membership has its privileges
Picture of P-220
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Sorry to see this classic discontinued.

I have always admired the beautiful lines of this handgun, whether new or well used.


Niech Zyje P-220

Steve
 
Posts: 36834 | Location: 45174 | Registered: December 09, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I've always wondered why the 1911 continues to thrive and the BHP died a slow death. The BHP was, in my experience, always more reliable than stock 1911s, but the 1911s usually had better triggers. I think the 1911 survives while the BHP dies for 1 main reason: Caliber.

Shame. BHP was an amazing handgun.
 
Posts: 1087 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: September 25, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Waiting for Hachiko
Picture of Sunset_Va
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I think the majority of HP buyers, buy on the aesthetics side vs the function side.

Years ago, of course, HP had the capacity edge, but after that was eclipsed by newer pistols, I really think most buyers were swayed by the HP's looks, and small grip size.


美しい犬
 
Posts: 6673 | Location: Near the Metropolis of Tightsqueeze, Va | Registered: February 18, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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