A 99% 1968 Browning hi-power

THANKS for sharing! That's a beautiful pistol. Does your friend intend to just "collect" it, or will he eventually shoot it?

Very cherry Hi-Power.

I had one that I got cheap. I shot it awhile and didn't really become enamored with it. It was too heavy for just a 9mm Luger cartridge imo. The original owner contacted me about 5 years later to see if I still had it. When he heard, "Yes", he wanted to buy it back so I sold it back to him for a slight increase to make up for inflation.

I hope your friend enjoys his.

BHPs are one of my favorites. That one is a beauty.

tark

That's a beautiful looking Hi-Power you're holding for your friend! Nothing quite like that highly polished blued finish on a vintage Hi-Power!

Thanks for the photos!

Yep thats a beaut!

Had a hard chromed Buenos Aries Police HiPower and an FN commercial with factory nickel, but now Im down to just this T-Series with extra "target" slide:

They are sweet shooters, Tark, you should try one- you wont be dissappointed.

tark

You should listen to NIGHTLORD40K (and me too), that you definitely owe it to yourself to try a Hi-Power!

Mine goes with me every time I go to the range and yeah it doesn't have that gorgeous deep blued finish but brother can this gun shoot!



My Browning Hi-Power Mk.II dressed up a bit with some nice Hogue grips!

tark said:

I actually know very little about these guns beyond the fact that JMB didn't have much to do with their development. But I know this much, this is one of the most beautifully polished and finished pistols I have ever seen. In this respect, it rivals a commercial P-210.

Since I can't shoot it, I'll drool on it for the next five years.

Click to expand...

Other than the magazine, JMB designed everything, and had there not been a military buyer requiring the high capacity, I am quite certian it would have gone into production as originally designed.

As far as that goes, I suspect JMB would have redone it with high capacity had he been alive to do so.

Beautiful gun for sure

It looks a lot like the FEG "clone" that I bought brand-new in 1988, but with much nicer finish.

Congratulations to your friend. People will say what they want, but High Powers are plenty effective IRL. I'm not saying I want to carry one around all day every day, but mine sure does go bang every time.

Nice gun. Personally I am not a fan of "collectors" who never shoot their guns but to each their own.

newfalguy101 said:

Other than the magazine, JMB designed everything, and had there not been a military buyer requiring the high capacity, I am quite certian it would have gone into production as originally designed.

As far as that goes, I suspect JMB would have redone it with high capacity had he been alive to do so.

Beautiful gun for sure

Click to expand...

This is almost 100% incorrect. Saive designed the higher capacity magazine at the request of his employer FN Herstal who were approached by the French Military to design a high capacity pistol for their troops. The magazine design was completed before the pistol was even started. JMB at the time thought the exact opposite of what you stated. He saw no reason for a high capacity magazine. He believed that for a side arm which was not a primary weapon for military troops 7 rounds was enough. As a result he declined to work on the contract. So they gave the task of developing the magazine to Saive.

FN then took the magazine to JMB who designed 2 prototypes around that magazine. Two designs, one direct blowback and one locked breech were designed using the new magazine. Both were striker fired. This can be seen in the patent pic below. Theres is no hammer. Saive made it a hammer fired gun later in its development. The French chose the locked breech design for further testing. The blow back design was never developed further. JMBs last patent was for the Grand Rendement pistol. The last gun that JMB designed is not the gun we call the Browning HI Power of the Browning High Power depending on which market they were to be distributed in. This is the last pistol that JMB designed.





It was never put into production. They were still working on the French contract when JMB died. When you look at the patent above you can clearly see how this pistol differs from the gun we shoot today. So it is impossible for JMB have designed everything. He did design a lot of the pistol but what he "wanted" was not really part of the equation. The BHP was a contact pistol. He designed the gun to meet the contract requirements. What he "wanted" did not enter into the equation. If they had wanted the gun to have a 6" pink fluted barrel with blue grips he would have built a pistol to match that spec. He was a contractor for FN. He was not their employee like Saive. He was paid to design the guns and then got royalty for each pistol produced. He design pistols at the request of FN and Colt exclusively at the time of his death.

Saive took what JMB had created and refined the design. Colts patents on the design of the 1911 expired while the BHP was still in development. Saive took some of the tech within the 1911 and add them to the BHP. He greatly altered the pistol from its original form. There is a lot of JMB in the pistol but he did not "design" everything besides the magazine. In the end his design was never produced. Saive's was.

Saive was an excellent designer in his own right. He designed the FAL and the Baby Browning. FN then submitted the gun to the French as the Grande Puissance. They did not adopt it but the Belgians did in 1935. Which is why many in Europe refer to it as the P35. Here is a pic of Saive who on this side of the pond never seems to get the proper credit he deserves for the development of the BHP.

TARK, That is certainly a very nice, high condition, T-Series. I used to fancy myself a small time, very small time, collector of Hi Powers and had several C and T-series, and others, along the way. Still have one T-series, and do shoot it occasionally. Much as I like the P210s, if I could only have one or the other, it would likely be a Hi Power. You're welcome to shoot this one if you're in the area.

BTW, What WVsig said as to the genesis of the Hi Power as we know it.....

I recently acquired this "C" Series. I would like to change the hammer and the safety. (don't care for hammer bite)
I would keep the old parts in case I ever wanted to return it to original.

C&S hammer and sear set are the way to go. That and a few spring changes and you are set. I would also swap the grips. The factory French walnut look classic but are not the greatest for extended shooting. IMHO

Bo said:

I recently acquired this "C" Series. I would like to change the hammer and the safety. (don't care for hammer bite)
I would keep the old parts in case I ever wanted to return it to original.
View attachment 844444
View attachment 844445

Click to expand...

tark said:

I am holding this beauty for a friend. I have never fired one and I'm not gonna fire this one! It is so close to new if I had a box to put it in.... I would be be tempted to call it N.I.B. My friend tells me it has never been fired. I believe him.

I actually know very little about these guns beyond the fact that JMB didn't have much to do with their development. But I know this much, this is one of the most beautifully polished and finished pistols I have ever seen. In this respect, it rivals a commercial P-210.

Since I can't shoot it, I'll drool on it for the next five years.

Click to expand...

Very nice

The old BHP's from the 60's and 70's were awesome guns.










Sig P210's are much, much stronger and tighter, but I see what you're saying from a finish standpoint.

bc1023

Always a pleasure to see your outstanding collection!

tark said:

The Hi-power I'm holding does have a tiny bit of side to side play in the slide to frame fit. It is very tiny and above average, but it can't quite measure up to a P-210. But then again, what does?

Click to expand...

Not much, actually.

The Hi Power is actually a fairly fragile pistol, compared to a lot of others, while the P210 is one of the strongest and most durable.

I love the Browning Hi Power and always have. Just making a general comment.

The P210’s design is incredible from many standpoints.

Here is an updated version.
I changed the grips, all new springs, and added the SFS system, all work performed by Mark at BH Solutions.
Oh, and he also installed a Garthwaite trigger he had on hand.

How about a report on the SFS system? It looks quite interesting.

Bo

Like the modifications you've had done; especially those great looking grips!

Beautiful pistol, how does she shoot?

I took it out Monday, it's a tack driver. Since Mark replaced all the springs, not one malfunction. I found out I have one bad magazine but, that's it.
It's my new EDC.