Surplus Hi Power

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jhb,

what grips are those?

they look a lot like what I was told was a pre WWII factory option. thumb swells were not quite as aggressive. Gun they were on had full Belgian markings and Waffen amt marks so I suspect it was sitting in the factory when the blitz krieg got it. Yes oval firing pin retainer piece and all that jazz.

No pictures I sold in in the late 1970's.

-kBob
 
jhb,

what grips are those?

they look a lot like what I was told was a pre WWII factory option. thumb swells were not quite as aggressive. Gun they were on had full Belgian markings and Waffen amt marks so I suspect it was sitting in the factory when the blitz krieg got it. Yes oval firing pin retainer piece and all that jazz.

No pictures I sold in in the late 1970's.

-kBob
bh springs sells them. quite comfortable for shooting even being a southpaw.
 
I bought a excellent Belgium Hi Power hand picked direct from Mach 1 Israeli import has Star of David on frame. Good pistols for money. I’m happy
 
Love my 3 Hi Powers. Being left handed love the ambi safeties on the israeli Mk3s.
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This one has a rough finish but is my favorite.

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Had a great function test yesterday with the "cheap" Israeli Browning , 50 rounds with zero issues - even the beat up mag functioned properly.
At 11 yards I grouped about 2" left. The rear sight looks to be offset to the left ; I need to buy a brass drift punch.
I am very pleased with that old and worn Hi Power , in all ways.
 
I was just looking at these surplus HPs. I really want one but cant accept the 13 rounders. My state limits my capacity -infringes down to 10 rounds. I wonder about after market mags.

If I was in the market right now for a surplus BHP I would look at this guys GB auctions.

https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=4167750&PageSize=24

He sells them with no mags so you will avoid the 13 round hassle. The pics are of the gun you will get. Those who have been in the BHP surplus market for years will recognize the suction format. This guy used to work for / with Coles Distribution AKA CDI on GB. The best part about them as an importer is that they put the import mark on the barrel not the frame. It does not detract from the pistols appearance.

I have bought surplus BHPs from R Guns, Dans Ammo, Mach 1 etc.... and these guys and Dans Ammo are the best. They have conservative ratings. Ship quickly and do not disappoint.
 
I removed the magazine safeties from my 2 Mk3 HP's. Which helped the trigger pull. I put a Wolff trigger spring in the above beater Hp which made the trigger reset more crisp / positive. Loads better than the stock trigger.
 
Just about the only two things I know about Hi Powers are: (1) I want one; and (2) this site is often praised as a source of info: https://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/

The late Mr Camps site is very good. It is still maintained by his widow last I heard. She still sells his old materials as well via the site. It is getting a little dated these days but still good info.
 
The late Mr Camps site is very good. It is still maintained by his widow last I heard. She still sells his old materials as well via the site. It is getting a little dated these days but still good info.

While the info may be "dated" it is accurate for the BHP, which has not changed in design in decades--and will not now that it has been discontinued! If you enjoy Stephen Camp's writing style, you will want to read all the articles on his site. Very informative-- just remember-- one man's perspective. I ordered his illustrated BHP disassembly guide a few years ago. His wife sent it right out! Very nice and useful for a full (to bare frame) disassembly and reassembly. It comes on laminated card stock so it's easy to have handy on the bench. I don't think I could have replaced ALL the springs and removed the mag safety without it. Quite a resource!
 
While the info may be "dated" it is accurate for the BHP, which has not changed in design in decades--and will not now that it has been discontinued! If you enjoy Stephen Camp's writing style, you will want to read all the articles on his site. Very informative-- just remember-- one man's perspective. I ordered his illustrated BHP disassembly guide a few years ago. His wife sent it right out! Very nice and useful for a full (to bare frame) disassembly and reassembly. It comes on laminated card stock so it's easy to have handy on the bench. I don't think I could have replaced ALL the springs and removed the mag safety without it. Quite a resource!

I agree but some of the info there is not accurate and the site does not get updated. For example it is one of the primary sources sited and used for dating a BHP but it does not take into account the nuance of dating production of many BHPs. It helps but at the same time leads to confusion because it does not go into enough detail on certain points. Don't get me wrong it is a good place to cut your teeth when learning about the BHP but the more you go down that rabbit hole the more you realize that the site really just scratches the surface. I am not trying to be overly critical. I believe if Mr Camp was still alive the site would have been updated in many ways by now. I have many of his materials and have used them many times over the years. Before the days of Youtube the laminated stock card disassembly guide was the best resource available.

Many of the best knowledge basis when it comes to BHPs are no longer active on boards. Guys like Burgs, Submoa, Don William, Mr. Ted Yost all used to post in places like the 1911orum or LTW (Louder Than Words) but these days many have gone off line. Smiths like Mr. Williams and Mr Yost are too busy working on guns to spend time posting on boards. We are left with hacks like me who know part and pieces but have huge gaps in their knowledge base. There are lots of myths, legends and misstatements about the history of the BHP. Many are repeated so often they are mistaken for truth. I just wish there was a more current upto date place to find info about this wonderful pistol which I am rather fond of.

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I like my Israeli surplus BHP too. FWIW, I once read on a gun forum a guy found human hair in the butt plate of his, apparently used to knock some sense into a perp/terror suspect's head. That would beat up the mag floor plate also.
 
That's nice. The ones I've been seeing aren't.

My question for you is do these surplus guns serve as a good platform to have some work done to them and make them nice again?

Yes and no. It really depends on the gun. If the gun is in good shape and in the VG to excellent mechanical range and is only cosmetically challenged then yes. There was a time when you could get a excellent condition BHP for $500 and it was a great platform for a custom build. It is harder these days and the guns we are seeing look like they have been road hard and put away wet.

I have only used one surplus gun as a foundation for a custom build. It was an alloy gun and surplus was the only way to get them. It looked like this when I bought it.

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It now looks like this.

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If I could have used a none surplus gun I would have but in order to get an alloy frame you have to compromise. I spoke at length with Mr Yost about using a surplus T series and he said something like this. I am paraphrasing. "No one ever finishes a build and says man I am glad I used a surplus gun over a commercial one." I laughed. All of my custom builds have been on used guns. Not a single one has been on a NIB gun. So it really comes down to the pistol you are using and the amount of work you are looking to have done. If you have chosen a smith that knows their stuff they will be able to tell you if the gun you have is a good candidate for custom work.

If you are going full house custom get the best used gun you can for a base gun. That does not mean the most expensive gun. It means the best gun you can find. I have used C series, T series, MKIIIs both forged and cast framed. As I stated I also used an alloy. If you are putting $1000+ into the gun you want a good foundation. Now if you are looking to do you own work. Drop in a C&S sear, hammer, trigger and thumb safety and get it refinished in cerakote or blued then a properly source surplus gun can work. There you are talking about $250 in parts and $200 in a refinish give or take so the investment is not as high. You can even get it hard chromed for $155+ shipping from Mahovskys. You can take a rough looking gun and make it a gem. This one was customized before I got it but it was rough looking.

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After sending it to Fords for a Master Blue reblue it looks like this.

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If I was getting a surplus as a base gun I would get something like this.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/847234079

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/847234238
 
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