Curious... Why Hi Power didn't go the way of the 1911

October 14, 2018, 02:29 PM

To my mind, the P-35 and 1911 are each very different pistols, with different capabilities and potentials for wider success. To the limited degree the P-35 was popular commercially, it’s because it was adopted and available in spite of it’s technical limitations. I believe the 1911 would have become commercially successful in any regard.

-Bruce

Designer and custom pistolsmith at Grayguns Inc. Privileged to be R&D consultant to the world's greatest maker of fine firearms: SIG SAUER

Visit us at http://opspectraining.com/product-cat/videos/ to order yours, and Thank You for making GGI the leader in custom SIG and HK pistolsmithing and high-grade components.

Bruce Gray, President
Grayguns Inc.
Grayguns.com / 888.585.4729

October 14, 2018, 02:35 PM

x0225095

quote:
Originally posted by g26s239:
I suspect the horrid trigger was a factor. The only BHP I ever fired was a late 80s commercial model from Belgium with beautiful bluing and the shittiest SA trigger pull on any auto pistol I ever tried.

LOL....

THIS ^^^^

The bluing on mine was a belle. The trigger was a brick.

I didn’t want to spend the cash to make it shootable.

October 16, 2018, 09:24 AM

Lefty Sig

How about cost? Towards the end a BHP cost around $1K which is simply too much for what you got. A Beretta 92 or M9 is little more than half the price, and a CZ is also a lot less expensive.

I regret not picking up an FN HiPower for $399 or $499 when they were importing non-Browning versions a decade ago. Browning just marked them up too much.

And I agree - the hammer bite, stupid mag disconnect and crappy SA trigger required lots of work out of the box. Had they fixed those things, I would have one now. Nighthawk and Novak's do an awesome job on BHP's but then you're up in the $3K range.

And, for a double stack all-metal 9mm - The P226 kind of took over anyway, so can't really argue with that.

October 16, 2018, 10:04 AM

jhe888

I don't disagree with any of the above. I do think the 1911 fits a wider variety of hands. As noted, the Hi-Power is not well suited to larger hands.

But I think the main reason is that the 1911 was the service pistol for 80 years, and is still in use by the U.S. military.

October 16, 2018, 10:30 AM

PASig

Wasn't the Hi-Power supposed to be all that the M1911 wanted to be but never was? I got the impression that the HP was supposed to be an upgrade of the 1911?

October 16, 2018, 12:33 PM

Jim Watson

Not the design criterion.

The 1911 was Browning and Colt's response to US Army requirements.
The BHP was Browning, Saive, and FN's response to Belgian and other European military requirements.

Although the Continent could have had the Grand Browning - 1911 design in 9.65mm - if they had been smart.

October 17, 2018, 11:35 PM

jimmy123x

quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
Wasn't the Hi-Power supposed to be all that the M1911 wanted to be but never was? I got the impression that the HP was supposed to be an upgrade of the 1911?

It might have been had John Browning been able to finish the design before he passed. Patents with the 1911 still in place, prevented Browning from using them in the Hipower. Saive who finished the design did additions (like adding a magazine disconnect safety (for a French military contract that never happened) that took away from the pistol. Had JMB finished the design it might very well had been better than the 1911.

October 18, 2018, 01:41 AM

2000Z-71

quote:
Originally posted by esdunbar:
For me it comes down to a couple issues with the BHP.

First the safety: it’s mushy and doesn’t flick on and off. Also it’s shape is weird. If it swept more like a 1911 safety, it would be much better. As much as I love the beretta 92, I think its safety holds it back too.

Second the slide release: it’s long and looks/feels old. The 1911 slide release looks/feels modern.

I’ve long thought about a custom BHP with those two issues fixed, but they’d be custom parts which means expensive and I can’t find new ones if I need them.

Otherwise, it has a good trigger, is super thin and has a relatively short overall height (think g19).

I would love to see the industry update those older two parts and make it a viable modern contender. In its original form, the 1911 wouldn’t be a contender today. It was only because we settled on some new updates for it. (Safety and sights being the main ones that come to mind).

The safety on the MKIIII's clicks on an off.

I actually prefer the long slide release on the Hi Power in that it is used to aid in field stripping the gun.