quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by Batty67:
In maybe a Sigforum first, unanimous opinions.

If I get one, it will be the stock version. So, anything in particular I should be looking for, good, bad, ugly when I take a look, including basic disassembly?

Umm, no. BHP is overrated, imo, especially in stock condition. Yes, I get it that it's a classic, and many folks like classics. But, that's where it ends for me.
-Trigger sucks. Yes, I know about the mag disconnect.
-Tiny safety sucks.
-Smooth front and back straps are a no go for me. Any pistol with smooth both front and back straps is a killer for me.

Yes, I've owned a few of them years ago. Tried to like them, but no, it didn't happen.

These are much of my thoughts, I had a forged frame BHP mark III 9mm and once I got a CZ 75 SA, I sold the hipower as it feels and shoots so much better, I never warmed up to the boxy hipower grip or very short trigger reach. However, I kept and do seem to like my BHP .40 caliber mark III for some reason.

Yes, forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder.

quote:

Originally posted by Batty67:
In maybe a Sigforum first, unanimous opinions.

No.

There are two pistols.

Buy both.

Hi,

The BHP has a LOT going for it- with some noticeable defects.

My thoughts: AFTER making changes to the sear/hammer/trigger- I love mine.

Even after the changes, there is still a LONG reset between shots.

The firearm 'fits' my hand, and my shortish for size fingers, very well. It is a natural pointer. I group well with it.


I have a 1959 Austrian Police Hi Power, in stock form.

I have a 1994 Hi Power MK III, not in stock form.

Both have sweet triggers- but the MK III is lighter/crisper, and I can use more +P in the cast frame of the MK III.


I liked the design so much I bought a .40S&W Hi Power.


I never thought of trigger reach- but that makes sense. Without the E2 grips and thin trigger, I cannot feel comfortable on any SIG in DA mode.


Don't get the magna-port: waste of time/money/sight picture [at night], for performance gains that don't justify the cost. [IMHO]


IF you want one to have one, and like the history of them, I'd get the unaltered one.


IF you want one as a daily-carry, with +P ammo, and don't want to spend much money- I'd skip it.


IF you get it- parts I would change:

• Trigger [I like Garthwaite's straighter trigger, but the C&S seems to reduce pull more].
  
• Hammer/sear combo [I like Elite Warrior's True Radius Hi Power Sear/Hammer combo, with squared off FP Stop plate. Yet, C&S is easier to find. If you want ONLY a sear- EGW is the way to go!]
  
• Safety [only one I've found to order is C&S, or MK III. Garthwaite and others make a cool one as part of custom gun builds].

If you really want to shell out the $, there are gunsmiths who do a mod to the trigger/sear lever in the slide, to change the leverage force required, and lighten the trigger pull.


Last thought regarding carry: I do NOT know when FN [browning] began adding firing pin block levers to the BHP. It might have been in the 1960s, or 70s. I am pretty sure that they had it by the 1981 MK II. The 1989 MK III [forged until 1993- then cast until last year's end of production?] has the firing pin block.

I bring this up as that might sway you if you are considering the gun for carry.

If you feel comfortable with a standard 1911 C&L on your side, then it shouldn't be a worry.


To be honest- I'd sell all of my [2] Sigs before I sold my BHP.

And, to be honest, a good 1911 in 9mm feels almost as nice to me as the BHP. [Or, Star Model B- in 9mm [not 9mm largo].]

My T-series is a sweet shooter. It has a REAL nice trigger, especially for one that still has the mag disconnect intact. I do like this gun a lot. But I'll never buy another. In general it doesn't do much else for me. It doesn't point well because of my Glock-inspired predisposition. The sights suck. The safety design sucks. Even though it doesn't readily impose itself on the trigger action, the magazine disconnect is still there.

In a brief window of time in what seems like another epoch ago, I once toyed with the notion of buying another. But every other non-altered BHP that I've handled since has had a mediocre at best trigger, an instant hit to the wallet for additional work to sort things out correctly. No instant gratification here. Hate the idea of buying something and then instantly turn around and send it away to 'fix it'. Though all of those cheap ex-Israeli examples from a couple or so years ago almost got me to bite. But I didn't. I just wasn't inspired enough.

And then there's the whole historic John Moses Browning halo/aura/divinity thingy. Many (usually Americans) consider it one of John Browning's finest efforts, but historically that wasn't even completely true since he died long before the P35 was completed, and the final design changed considerably from where JMB had last left it. It may have been spawned by JMB and he received patents for it in its earliest iterations (a STRIKER gun, for Pete's sake), but it was Dieudonne Saive who ultimately gave the gun its soul, though ironically ONLY after the 1911'd own patents expired two years after Browning died. Perhaps if JMB's ticker hadn't given out he might've come up with something that resembled the final gun, but we'll never know. Saive was keen to incorporate concepts from the 1911 but would JMB have done the same? It's the 'Been there, done that' effect...I mean, where's the innovation in falling back and repeating yourself? And Browning was indeed damn good at innovating.

So no, I don't follow the majority as well.

I have a late T series,

while well worn, (maybe 70% finish) it is a damn good shooter, decent trigger even with mag disco intact,

wife is very accurate with it,

I also picked up a late 50's commercial gun, practically mint, no rug unfortunately, with 2 boxes of period correct Remington ammo (13 rounds missing, from the original owner)


so a safe queen, and a shooter,

and for giggles, I came across a MKIII slide and a 41ae barrel, mags and ammo,,,

I have yet to install that and take it for a test drive, but will one day

Taking a pass on both. The front sights are welded on and given the state of my eyes, I need really easy to pick up front and rear sights, and getting them drilled just does not seem worth it.

I guess I'll keep on the look-out for an already tricked-out more modern version. No rush.

Thanks for all the great and candid feedback folks...

quote:

and for giggles, I came across a MKIII slide and a 41ae barrel, mags and ammo,,,

I have yet to install that and take it for a test drive, but will one day

I have a .41AE barrel also: but $75 for 50 rounds isn't attractive to me. If I could get 5 rounds for less than $35, I might try it.


I have the .40S&W Hi Power also, so that caliber is basically met.

IF you are willing to do some fitting/playing, and can be patient- Ciener also makes a .22lr conversion for the BHP.

quote:

Originally posted by Batty67:
Taking a pass on both. The front sights are welded on and given the state of my eyes, I need really easy to pick up front and rear sights, and getting them drilled just does not seem worth it.

I guess I'll keep on the look-out for an already tricked-out more modern version. No rush.

Thanks for all the great and candid feedback folks...

While you are out looking, take a serious look at a CZ 75B SA (Single Action only.)

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

While you are out looking, take a serious look at a CZ 75B SA (Single Action only.)

If I didn't already have a few Hi Powers, I'd probably buy one of these. The DA/SA CZ 75 is just a smidge too big for my shortish index finger, but the SA version feels nice.

I have yet to try one off the shelf that was under $1100 and didn't 'need' trigger/hammer/sear work to be as smooth as I want- but that is true for all of my firearms.

The CZ 75 SA is pretty nice. Good suggestion.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by Batty67:
Taking a pass on both. The front sights are welded on and given the state of my eyes, I need really easy to pick up front and rear sights, and getting them drilled just does not seem worth it.

I guess I'll keep on the look-out for an already tricked-out more modern version. No rush.

Thanks for all the great and candid feedback folks...

While you are out looking, take a serious look at a CZ 75B SA (Single Action only.)

Will do. I might be selling my CZ RAMI BD, which I shoot great, but is two "fat" for me CC (I use a SA EMP in 9mm).

quote:

Originally posted by Batty67:
Will do. I might be selling my CZ RAMI BD, which I shoot great, but is two "fat" for me CC (I use a SA EMP in 9mm).

The CZ 75 SA won't be much less 'fat', but the grip will be longer- so CC wouldn't be 'better', to my thinking.

If this is for CC, the BHP isn't my first choice- but I live where summers are over 95 for half the time.

What is it you really are 'hankering' for?


I will withhold any other suggestions until I have a better idea of if you want other suggestions, and what the 'role' of the new handgun will be.

Too many options otherwise.

I have a springfield EMP for CC. Very good, but I seem to be shooting high (but not a huge deal) with it.

BHP was merely a "cool" factor gun for me. Perhaps the $700 in plumbing bills that just hit today will dissuade me.

Why in the world did they weld the sights? How incredibly stupid to bubbafy a gun in such a way. Definitely a good call to take a pass on such idiocy.