Been considering one of these, although the $1200 price tag is a bit steep. Don't know how well these are selling, but do you think that FN has a long production run ahead of them, or will this gun slowly fade away?

quote:

Originally posted by Dawes:
Been considering one of these, although the $1200 price tag is a bit steep. Don't know how well these are selling, but do you think that FN has a long production run ahead of them, or will this gun slowly fade away?

IMO it’s going away. People who want the experience of owning a Hi Power will either pony up for a FN/Browning/Inglis or get one of the many replicas available now for as low as $300. The new monstrosity is an aesthetic nod to the original but is thicker, heavier, homelier, more expensive and does nothing really unique, other than be a full-size SA pistol in a niche market.

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Originally posted by 1KPerDay:
The new monstrosity is an aesthetic nod to the original but is thicker, heavier, homelier, more expensive and does nothing really unique, other than be a full-size SA pistol in a niche market.

I agree with 1KperDay. On impulse, I purchased a retro FN High Power when they were first introduced. While I would describe the pistol as accurate, reliable and well built, I was not overly impressed. For a modern, full sized steel-on-steel service pistol I much prefer the CZ 75. As mentioned, for those interested in the original Hi-Power design there are several options available at or (well) below $1200.

Ironically, now that FN has discontinued making the originals, they seem to have a resurgence in popularity.

It's neat but I don't really care for a modern fighting version. I bought an SA35 for a decent price I'll probably shoot once a year tops.

Get the real Deal FN/Browning Hi power or clone. You can get a clean bright blue for about the same money or one of the surplus FN imports, military or PD surplus from another county for about half that. Or the Springfield or a Turk clone. Just my opinion

I think FN went a little too far with the updating. If they had just updated some of the original's shortcomings and did things like an improved trigger and positive detents on the safety and kept compatibility with magazines and holsters it would be a whole lot more successful. Or maybe have done things like a chopped down compact or allow frame version.

As it is, there's a lot of shortcomings for an expensive pistol. I'd look for an original FN or Browning or one of the new Springfield Armory clones.

Yeah, just updating as 2000Z-71 describes would probably have been the way for FN to go. I've been a Hi Power fan since the '60s. I did handle one of the new FN guns. Bigger, heavier; yes sorta Hi Powerish. No doubt a good gun in it's own right, but nothing I'd be especially interested in owning...ymmv

According to FN America's website:

"With improvements to ergonomics and fire control design, shootability and accuracy bests any clone of the original FN High Power, pointing naturally with driftable steel sights and shooting with pinpoint precision, thanks to the smooth, single action trigger. FN adds an industry-first 17+1 capacity in a High Power.

At 40-oz., the robust design keeps the signature rake of the dust cover and long arm slide release, adding ambi-controls for instinctive operation. An extended beavertail and raised hammer fit perfectly in hand. The FN High Power takes down instantly for maintenance, deletes the magazine disconnect, and ensures that most modern factory loads feed smoothly over the polished ramp of the cold hammer forged barrel."

From what I gather, probably the biggest knock against it is that it's a somewhat bigger, heavier gun than the original. Some folks are also wondering why an optics cut wasn't added since that's almost a "must" in today's market.

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Originally posted by ElToro:
Get the real Deal FN/Browning Hi power or clone. You can get a clean bright blue for about the same money or one of the surplus FN imports, military or PD surplus from another county for about half that. Or the Springfield or a Turk clone. Just my opinion

On top of that, with a little care, a real vintage Hi-Power will appreciate in value. These new models are going nowhere but down. It won't be long after they're discontinued that spare parts & mags will dry up, and you're left w/ something for Forgotten Weapons.

How does FN f' up the Hi-Power? It defies reason.

You want a “new one” look at the Springfields or the Ingals (their case harden ones look really nice!). The only bad thing Ive heard was the extractors had a tendency to break on the Springfield. I don’t know if that was fixed or not.

There’s still some originals out there for $600-$800, but you gotta hunt for them.


The current “BHP”, if that’s what you want to call it… I think it’s what you get when someone who has no idea goes “Hey, let’s make this all new and improved”.

There’s the old parable of how the government decided to re-invent the horse and came up with a camel. Now look at the new FN BHP.

Well, no, the new gun is absolutely a better pistol than the original. The original has a lot of fans, mainly due to nostalgia. It’s a poor gun. The trigger is horrible, the accuracy is fair at best, the design is weak, the recoil impulse is terrible, reliability is nothing special, etc, etc.

That being said, it’s the nostalgia that keeps people coming back to the original and the new one doesn’t have any. Better gun, but it’s also much different.

I have several Browning Hi Powers and I like them for their history. They are simply collectibles for me. I don’t shoot them nor do I get any pleasure over shooting a Hi Power. They are terrible shooters as far as I’m concerned. Unlike something like a 1911 or CZ 75, the Hi Power design never developed, mainly cause there isn’t much to work with. I’m glad it’s gone, save for that Turkish stuff (yes, the SA uses Turkish frames and slides also).

I've heard that Springfield uses Turkish frames and slides, but I wasn't sure if that was fact or just Internet scuttlebutt.

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Originally posted by bac1023:
The original has a lot of fans, mainly due to nostalgia.

Agreed. Had the fictional James Bond carried a Mauser HSC, there would little interest in the Walther PPK today. Similarly, if the P35 were known colloquially as the Saive Hi-Power, I doubt there would be nearly as much demand.

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Originally posted by Dawes:
I've heard that Springfield uses Turkish frames and slides, but I wasn't sure if that was fact or just Internet scuttlebutt.

I heard from a couple reliable sources that they are. They are built in the States, but like a lot of guns in that price range, they use some foreign parts.

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Originally posted by hjs157:

quote:

Originally posted by bac1023:
The original has a lot of fans, mainly due to nostalgia.

Agreed. Had the fictional James Bond carried a Mauser HSC, there would little interest in the Walther PPK today. Similarly, if the P35 were known colloquially as the Saive Hi-Power, I doubt there would be nearly as much demand.

Yes, the PPK is another poor gun that’s popular for other reasons. I look at things a lot more objectively.

It's priced like a classic that still sells to collectors, but its primary virtue is that it's not a classic Hi-Power.

At the same time, it's not really all that much (if at all) better than comparable pistols.

FN has had decades to improve on the Hi-Power, but never really got around to it during the years when an improved Hi-Power stood a good chance of not only selling but developing a fan base. Then, suddenly, we're offered an improved version out of the blue.

Is it just me, or is this really just another HP-DA?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_HP-DA

I think 2000Z-71 put it best. FN America updated too much of the design and now, instead of just being an otherwise welcome HP reintroduction, it has to stand almost completely on its own. These days, that’s always difficult for anything that isn’t polymer-frame and striker-fired. What FN America should have done is what Walther Arms (Fort Smith) did with the PP, PPK, and PPK/S.

FN Herstal’s decision to change the floor plate on the Five-seveN magazine is just as annoying though. So it seems FN is doing weird stuff on both sides of the pond.

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Originally posted by Il Cattivo:

Is it just me, or is this really just another HP-DA?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_HP-DA

It’s a much beefier and heavier pistol than an HP-DA, not to mention it’s not double action.

I compared an original HP, a SA35, an FN, and a Girsan, including range testing (several friends had these models.) I chose the Girsan. It was less than 400 bucks, and since it's a "fun gun" anyway and NOT a defensive weapon, I took a chance. I'm pleased. 500 rounds in, I can say it's a pretty good shooter.