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Browning High Power in .40 S&W? Login/Join 
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Picture of pulicords
posted
A few weeks ago, I succumbed to buying a circa 1954 "Ringhammer" FN P35 (Browning High Power), which in all probability will remain a "Safe Queen." Last week, I spotted this BHP (assembled in Portugal) in .40 S&W which had been worked on by a well respected local gunsmith. It has a Novak rear sight, gold bead front, a decent of stocks, a nice looking hammer which actually doesn't "bite" and (most important of all) has a virtually creep free trigger that breaks every bit as clean as my best 1911s do. For $700.00 OTD, I thought it was a decent deal and since Browning has discontinued this offering, I went for it.

I shot the .40 yesterday and found it not nearly as "snappy" as I was expecting (of course its all steel construction helps) and it was far more accurate than the 1970's vintage BHP (9mm) which I carried as a duty weapon for nearly ten years. I received three ten round magazines with the piece and they are all of the "improved" design that ejects from the well with a lot of force. I'm seriously considering using this pistol as my "Travel Gun", for those times when I have to return to my old home state (CA) for business or pleasure and am restricted to 10+1 rounds. I know these don't supposedly hold up well over time in this caliber, but I'm not planning on shooting thousands of rounds out of it. What's the verdict?



"I'm not fluent in the language of violence, but I know enough to get around in places where it's spoken."
 
Posts: 10187 | Location: The Free State of Arizona | Registered: June 13, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Nice score. I have a BHP .40 Mark III, and I like shooting it. It is pushy in the recoil department, not so much snappy, but it's a lot of fun to shoot. (I had a 9mm BHP and didn't like it and sold it and kept the .40). The one thing I don't like about it, is all of the springs are incredibly heavy. Loading the 10th round in the magazine is almost impossible. Racking the slide takes a ton of effort, much more than any other semi auto I have owned or shot. Other than that, it's a fun gun. At 15 yards mine has much different POI-POA with .165 grain compared to 180 grain. .165 grain shoots about 8" high, 180 is right on the money.
 
Posts: 21335 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
:^)
Picture of BillyBonesNY
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I like the BHP in 9mm, the. 40 doesn't seem to balance the same and as mentioned, the springs are tough.

Otherwise, I'd be tempted to get a barrel in. 357 Sig if the right one came around Smile


The only. 40 I've handled was a beat-up "practical".

Looked like it took a skid on pavement.
Otherwise, I would have bought it.


----------------------------------------
http://lonesurvivorfoundation.org
 
Posts: 7177 | Registered: March 19, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Old Air Cavalryman
Picture of ARMT Guy
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I picked up a .40 High Power Tactical back in the mid 90's.

Good shooter, ( from what I remember, ) but my Dad fell in love with it and so it became his.

I do have a .357 SIG barrel for it, just never fired it.




"Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying who shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me."




 
Posts: 7464 | Location: Georgia | Registered: February 19, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have one, it is currently being worked on by fletcher customs.

I should have it back soon. It is getting a 357sig barrel also.
 
Posts: 6633 | Location: Virginia | Registered: December 23, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Rule #1: Use enough gun
Picture of Bigboreshooter
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I had an FN Hi-Power in 40 for a while, but I never even shot it.




When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. Luke 11:21


"Every nation in every region now has a decision to make.
Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." -- George W. Bush

 
Posts: 14826 | Location: Birmingham, Alabama | Registered: February 25, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of pulicords
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quote:
Originally posted by Bigboreshooter:
I had an FN Hi-Power in 40 for a while, but I never even shot it.



How did you like that "Fast (Safe?) Action Trigger"? I always thought they were interesting, but never owned a BHP with one, though I kinda wish I had.


"I'm not fluent in the language of violence, but I know enough to get around in places where it's spoken."
 
Posts: 10187 | Location: The Free State of Arizona | Registered: June 13, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
3° that never cooled
Picture of rock185
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That is nice! I'm not even a .40 fan, but if I'd seen that one for $700.oo, I might have injured myself getting my wallet outWink

ETA, I had a .40 Hi Power and a SIG P229 in .40 back in the day. Both boringly reliable, with the SIG being the more accurate of the two. At the time, I had no special concern about the long term durability of the .40 Hi Power, and never experienced any issues. I remember Richard Heinie commenting in some firearms publication years ago, that he might have to start including a BarSto,IIRC, barrel with his .40 Hi Power builds because accuracy with the factory .40 barrel was not as good as with the 9MM barrels. My experience with the .40 HP was consistent with what Mr. Heinie indicated. But then, pistols vary, and perhaps mine was below average in the accuracy dept.


NRA Life
 
Posts: 1561 | Location: Under the Tonto Rim | Registered: August 18, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Rule #1: Use enough gun
Picture of Bigboreshooter
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quote:
Originally posted by pulicords:
How did you like that "Fast (Safe?) Action Trigger"? I always thought they were interesting, but never owned a BHP with one, though I kinda wish I had.

I only played around with it when dry firing. I never got around to taking the gun to the range before selling it. Roll Eyes

Just another on the long list of guns I wish I still had.



When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. Luke 11:21


"Every nation in every region now has a decision to make.
Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." -- George W. Bush

 
Posts: 14826 | Location: Birmingham, Alabama | Registered: February 25, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of mcs1564
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Nice score on the Hi-Power. My first was a .40, however I never put a round through it. Went straight to Don Williams for conversion to 9mm:



No. 1 with No. 2, a 9mm to .30 Luger conversion (Another worked on by Don):



Eventually, I'd like to find another HP-SA in .40. Good luck with it.


------------
SP2022 - 9mm
 
Posts: 1260 | Location: CT | Registered: January 28, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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You guys will cringe when I say this. I got my FN marked .40 bhp with 3 mags and case new from cdnn several years ago for I think it was $440 new or something like that. I wish I bought a few of them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimmy123x,
 
Posts: 21335 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of lechiffre
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quote:
Originally posted by jimmy123x:
You guys will cringe when I say this. I got my fun marked .40 bop with 3 mags and case new from cdnn several years ago for I think it was $440 new or something like that. I wish I bought a few of them.


Same here.


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Posts: 608 | Registered: May 11, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Chris Anchor
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Over the years I have owned a few HPs but have never seen a 40cal in any of the LGS around here. I will have to say for me it's they most comfortable firearms I have ever owned but for some reason I can't shoot them for S#$%. I guess I'm doomed to run Sig P series. Chris
 
Posts: 1832 | Location: Cecil Co. Maryland | Registered: January 08, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
addicted to trailing-throttle oversteer
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Totally off-topic: we got our 2019 Browning dealer 'workbook' earlier in the week. It turns out that the the Hi Power ISN'T retired and discontinued, at least completely. But you probably shold have to have the personality of Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi to want one of those. 'Bling' doesn't even begin to describe them. Engraved to the max, pewter and gold tone finishes...something I guess one might expect for a gun on its 'final tour'. I'll try to post a pic of those if I remember when I get to work later today.

I like the Hi Power in 9mm, which is what mine is in. I've never tried one in 40S&W but I've long imagined that it would be a 'softie' since the P226 and P229 in 40S&W are such mild shooters compared to most polymer-framed guns. Congrats on your find.
 
Posts: 8983 | Location: Drippin' wet | Registered: April 18, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Waiting for Hachiko
Picture of Sunset_Va
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I have one in 40 SW, with a 357 Sig barrel, my second one. I much prefer it to the 9mm version.

I paid $900 for mine several years back. Do consider, the parts tied in to the 40 cal version are much harder to obtain. Eg, extractor, etc.

I installed the SFS system in mine.


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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Picture of SiGagain
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quote:
Originally posted by pulicords:
quote:
Originally posted by Bigboreshooter:
I had an FN Hi-Power in 40 for a while, but I never even shot it.



How did you like that "Fast (Safe?) Action Trigger"? I always thought they were interesting, but never owned a BHP with one, though I kinda wish I had.


I bought one of these new from Cabela's years back...beautiful pistol but the slide stop would work its way out while shooting and stop the pistol.

Mine had something wrong with it as I know several who own these with the SFS and have not had the issues mine had...

Mine was imported new from someone other than FN USA so they could not take the gun for warranty work (despite what I was told when buying from Cabela's) and mine was then sent to the importer...well known for importing many pistols and they did nothing but keep it for 8 weeks and return it saying "fixed"...

nothing was fixed and after cleaning it and returning to the range it did what it always did, the slide stop popped out and the gun was scar'd again...Cabela's bought it back from me for what I paid as they could get no one to repair it or warranty it...

I liked it because, sadly, the Hi Power is a pistol I have liked since way back but the regular one's are biters for me...even with other hammers and the SFS didn't (because of it's design) but I couldn't keep a pistol that was unreliable...

I would have no issue owning a Hi Power or 1911 pattern pistol with the SFS...

Bill


Fast is Fine...Accuracy is Final
*SiGARMS GSR Revolution STX
*SiG/Sauer*P220*P226*P228*P230*P245*SPC2009*P365

NRA Benefactor Life/LEAA Life Membership
 
Posts: 2410 | Location: ChicagoLand, USA | Registered: November 28, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of mcs1564
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quote:
Originally posted by jimmy123x:
You guys will cringe when I say this. I got my fun marked .40 bop with 3 mags and case new from cdnn several years ago for I think it was $440 new or something like that.


Just one of the many opportunities I’ve missed over the years...


------------
SP2022 - 9mm
 
Posts: 1260 | Location: CT | Registered: January 28, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Congrats! Great find! Love the BHP 40.
Picked up two in the 90s, sent both to Novak's. Browning beefed up the classic rather than just throw the 40 S&W through it. Some thought it threw off the balance of a classic. Of course, for me, they retained the same awesome feel and grip. I thought it was more an upgrade, specifically the three locking lugs. Lots of rounds down range with no problems. Although I did convert one with a Bar-sto 9mm conversion; serious light recoiling 9mm! Both have been crazy accurate and admired at the range. Sorry, still don't do pics....


Semper Fi
Madmatt

SIGs, BHPs, CZ PCRs, HKs, 1911s, S&W 625-3 45 ACP, HK/Benelli M1S90, Colts 6721/LE6920, Steyr SBSs, Emerson and ZT Knives, Rubicons, Harleys & APBTs
 
Posts: 416 | Location: USA | Registered: November 05, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by mcs1564:
quote:
Originally posted by jimmy123x:
You guys will cringe when I say this. I got my fun marked .40 bop with 3 mags and case new from cdnn several years ago for I think it was $440 new or something like that.


Just one of the many opportunities I’ve missed over the years...


I've missed many like turning my nose up at a near perfect Colt nickel python 4" for $1000 in 2008 or 9 with box, thinking there was no way I was paying that for a revolver. But my other good score was a HK P7 PSP grade B for $625 and a perfect S+W model 19 6" nickel for $225 in the late 2000s
 
Posts: 21335 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Quit staring at my wife's Butt
Picture of XLT
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I had one in .40 and put a .357 barrel in it great gun, the only thing I didnt like about it was how hard it was to pull the slide back, probably why it wasn't snappy.
 
Posts: 5574 | Registered: February 09, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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