Argentine FM-90 "High Power" back home!

[Random 8]

Several years ago, I traded this handgun to a friend who was in need of a defensive handgun and had a T38 carbine in pristine condition that I always coveted. He was never happy with the FM90. He's a bad shot and it is slightly ammo fussy, requiring pretty warm loads to function reliably. He just never shot it well. I had always loved the FM90, but I guess I just let him talk me into the trade and that was the only way I was getting the T38. I thought at the time I'd be able to replace the FM90, but it was right at the time they dried up on the surplus market. I love the T38, shoot it occasionally, but I always missed that Argie high power. The most seller's remorse I've ever had over a trade/sale.

Fast forward some 6 or 7 years, and he was shooting my Witness P over the 4th of July and absolutely loved it. I offered to trade it even for the FM 90 and he said "done deal!!!!" Now I have my FM 90 back, and the wife says I NEED to replace the Witness. I've been looking at CZ 75s also. First world problems I guess, but at least I have my High Power back! For those who own both a Witness and a 75, which do you prefer?

 

[jar]

Carrying my FM Model 95-Classic today.



Took it to the range yesterday and it got to go WalkAbout for the first time in about two decades. Ran a very basic SD drill using a couple old 10 round magazines (also have some 13s and 17s). Gun safe and on table, eyes on the ground, pick gun up and swipe off safety as I raise my eyes and three quick COM shots (only two on last set) at 3, 5, 7 and 9 yards. Was satisfied with the results and still find the HiPower a natural pointer.

 

[Random 8]

Mine is the straight military model burl walnut grips as the 1980s rubber ones failed shortly after I got it. Still a fine defense handgun and the most accurate for precision fire I have owned. It rivals my hunting revolvers in that department.

 

[Tallball]

"For those who own both a Witness and a 75, which do you prefer?"


My 9mm Witness is slightly larger than my FiL's CZ75. I don't know if that's the case with the newer Witnesses. Mine is pretty old.

The Tanfoglio (Witness) and CZ are both good shooters and good quality pistols. As far as trigger and so forth, one's as good as the other.

Some of mine are too old to be called Witness. I think the box of one had "TA90" as the model.

The P model polymer ones were ridiculously cheap used some years back, and I have a couple of those.

My favorites are the older steel-framed ones. They used to be available as surplus from Israeli military shooting clubs. Maybe they still are.

Tanfoglio Cohai TA90 9mm

• Tallball
• Apr 6, 2020

 

[5-SHOTS]

My dad has two CZs: a 75B Stainless and a P-01. Having had the opportunity to carefully examine them and shoot both with numerous CZs and with numerous Tanfoglio, I must say that I prefer the Tanfoglio. The workmanship is generally more accurate and also the finish seems better to me, especially the hard chrome. The grip of the Tanfoglio is slightly different from that of the CZ and in my opinion is more ergonomic. If you get the chance, try to buy one of the Tanfoglio race pistols, such as the Match, the P21L, the Limited, the Stock I, the Stock II, the Stock III and you won't be disappointed. Of course you will not go wrong if you decide to buy a CZ.
In my opinion another CZ clone to consider is the IWI Jericho 941.

 

[lysanderxiii]

I had an Argentine FM once way back when. I sold it to finance the purchase of another HP, an Inglis No. 2, Mk 1*, fresh from FTR.


I never like the fact that the Argentines omitted the lightening cuts at the muzzle, but I still miss it. It is the only pistol I ever sold . . .

 

[amd6547]

The FM90 I owned cracked the slide at the ejection port. Only problem HiPower I’ve owned out of several different HiPowers both surplus and commercial.

 

[trackskippy]

I had three of them back in the 90's. Gave one to each of our boys for their birthday when they turned 12.

They always seemed well made and shot well. They werent as nicely finished as some of the other HP's I had, but they weren't the worst either.

The only thing I remember being an issue with them was, their mags would not fit my Browning and Inglis guns, but the commercial and military mags from those guns would work in the FM's. Not sure why that was either.

 

[Smaug]

I never like the fact that the Argentines omitted the lightening cuts at the muzzle, but I still miss it. It is the only pistol I ever sold . . .

I wonder if the omission of the lightening cuts near the muzzle is part of why they don't function well without warm ammo...

In reading about trials for the new French military pistol in the early 20th century, I saw that one of the criteria was that the new pistol should be able to kill a man at 50 m with a 124 gr. bullet. (thus, our now-popular 115 gr. load is considered light) Random 8: Have you ever had a failure with a 124 gr. or heavier load?

My only Hi-Power is a Charles Daly, which has a bit of surface rust on the slide from being stored badly in a damp basement for a few years. It has odd sights, which I intend to replace. The rear sight is a V with a line pointing up the middle, and a white dot front. I thought that sight would be OK for combat-style shooting, but I still hate it a decade later.

 

[lysanderxiii]

I wonder if the omission of the lightening cuts near the muzzle is part of why they don't function well without warm ammo...

Well, the slide is noticeably heavier.

In reading about trials for the new French military pistol in the early 20th century, I saw that one of the criteria was that the new pistol should be able to kill a man at 50 m with a 124 gr. bullet. (thus, our now-popular 115 gr. load is considered light) Random 8: Have you ever had a failure with a 124 gr. or heavier load?

The standard German load for the Pistolenpatronen 08 was a 8.0 gram FMJ (123.5 grain) at 330 m/s (1083 fps).

This was pretty much the standard 9mm Parabellum load until the British, in 1941, introduced 9mm Ball, Mk I, that used a lighter 115 gr bullet at a slight higher velocity. At the same time the Germans, with a shortage of lead) were going to even lighter bullets (6.42 g, or 99 gr) at even higher velocities (1300 fps).

As a result, the NATO standard for 9mm is pretty wide, 108 gr to 128 gr, and a velocity sufficient to get a muzzle energy of 524 to 614 Joules.

 

[Random 8]

I wonder if the omission of the lightening cuts near the muzzle is part of why they don't function well without warm ammo...

In reading about trials for the new French military pistol in the early 20th century, I saw that one of the criteria was that the new pistol should be able to kill a man at 50 m with a 124 gr. bullet. (thus, our now-popular 115 gr. load is considered light) Random 8: Have you ever had a failure with a 124 gr. or heavier load?

My only Hi-Power is a Charles Daly, which has a bit of surface rust on the slide from being stored badly in a damp basement for a few years. It has odd sights, which I intend to replace. The rear sight is a V with a line pointing up the middle, and a white dot front. I thought that sight would be OK for combat-style shooting, but I still hate it a decade later.

I have only had a malfunction with very light 124gr handloads. Typically my gun requires full power 124 or hot 115 to function reliably

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I have a similar story with my first handgun which was also an FM90 Hi Power. I sold it to a friend who later traded it in to a gunshop. 8 years later I spotted my exact FM90 on armslist and was able to get it back.