browning hi-power for newbie?

[Badger_Girl]

Hi guys,

i have been a long time reader. I am about to buy my first hand gun. I am looking at a 1980 built browning hi-power. a friend told me not to pay more than 600 for it....does that sound like too much or just right?

Thanks,
Badger_Girl

 

[HorseSoldier]

Where I live, $600 seems to be the going gun-show rate for a used, good condition High Power (price seems to have been steadily going up from $400-ish a few years ago).

 

[Sistema1927]

There are Browning Hi-Powers, and there are Browning Hi-Powers. I would probably pay $600 for a true Belgian made FN Hi-Power in excellent condition.

 

[10X]

$600 is right on the mark.

 

[Badger_Girl]

wow, guys, thanks for all the quick replies....I'm so new at this....I need a ton of help.

 

[skinewmexico]

Here, I'll start a war. Great gun, but probably simpler to use choices for a newbie.

 

[dourdave]

Ski--

Don't quite understand. Give some examples of a "simpler" handgun.

This Spring I was amid a bunch of shooters. We were on a farm and there was a family gathering. One petite young lady, well versed in handgun shooting, was using her husband's Ruger 9mm. Not doing too well. I let her try an HP (her first time with one) and while standing behind her, giving encouragement, she outshot most of the "marksmen". She operated it very well.

It is easy to use, easy to maintain, and accurate enough to make you feel good with the targets. It may be a bit expensive for a starter, but most shooters end up with one (or more) anyway.

 

[skinewmexico]

Here goes the war. A Glock is simpler. So is an XD, or M&P. Point and shoot.

 

[Harold Mayo]

Depends on the condition of the gun as well as your location. For a typical 1980-vintage BHP, I would NOT give $600. No more than $500 but that's just me. For about $600, I can get an almost-new Practical model. Very location-dependent.

 

[skinewmexico]

If it's Belgian, I would buy it though.

 

[res1b3uq]

You might also shop around for an FN. Same gun, same factory, lower price.

 

[rellascout]

You might also shop around for an FN. Same gun, same factory, lower price.

Not anymore. CDNN blew them out and they are now the same as other BHP guns.

A 1980's Hi power is a good gun but before I say go for it I would ask what you will use the gun for. Defense or Range. Check the sights. They maybe smaller blade sights, adjustable rear with large front blade or 3 dots. Most people refer 3 dots.

Older guns are more expensive to modify. Of the top of my head I cannot remember if 1980 they were MKII or MKIIIs

 

[Browning]

I paid a little over $500 with tax for this one 7 or 8 years ago.

Then I bought a second BHP for $600 + tax a couple months ago.

It looks exactly like this one.

So yeah, that seems like a fair price to me just so long as it's in good condition.

 

[wishn4more]

I love my Hi-Power

Badger_Girl, a Hi-Power is a great choice for a 1st handgun. Here are my reasons:
1) Single action only! The trigger pull is very consistent. I think that's the easiest way to shoot. You don't have a long pull then short pulls, or any other combination thereof.
You could buy double action only in some other pistol to get consistent trigger pull, but it seems too long to me.
2) Honest-to-goodness safety.
3) Non-polymer.
4) Classic beauty.
Really, the best reason to buy a Hi-Power (or any other gun) is that it fits your grip, and functions as you expect (for me that means single action). If you like the grip, the weight, and the way the trigger pull feels -- then it's a good choice.
Like anything else you buy, you can shop by price, features, brand or any combination. A Browning in pretty good shape for $600? That sounds fair to me...
Best of luck!

 

[rellascout]

Here is my custom Hi Power. Built on 1972 all Belgium gun. Lots of C&S parts, Spegiel grips, Trijicon night sites....

 

[poet]

Only complaint about mine that I have is too many nooks and crannies when I clean it. Them Europeans apparently like nooks and crannies. I clean it old school, unlike some of my buddies that use gun scrub or brake cleaner.

 

[Browning]

July 2008 Pricing Of Browning High Powers/FN GP 35 Pistols

I decided to try and do a little leg work for you in regards to pricing.

(What can I say? I really like BHP's and I like it when others discover them too).

I just checked at a couple firearms auction sites just to be sure my recent find was about in the middle (my recent BHP purchase wasn't too much, nor was it a really inexpensive bargain that defies all logic and to me it seems like it was about in the middle) and $600 really isn't that bad at all.

Large Selection Of BHP's From $494 To $3,395 With Most In Between The $650 To $1200 Dollar Mark

http://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=Browning%20High%20Power

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Higher End BHP's

$1350.00
http://www.gunsamerica.com/906313674/Guns-For-Sale/Gun-Auctions/Pistols/Browning-Pistols/High-Power/Browning_Early_Nazi_High_Power.htm

$1269.00
http://www.gunsamerica.com/976694151/Guns-For-Sale/Gun-Auctions/Pistols/Browning-Pistols/Hi_Power_JMB_150th_9mm_Ne.htm

Cylinder And Slide Custom Job / $999.00
http://gunbroker.net/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=103592806

$1003.00
http://gunbroker.net/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=103239213

$835.00
http://www.gunsamerica.com/912510176/Guns/Pistols/Browning-Pistols/High-Power/Belguim_Browning_HiPower_9mm_Pistol.htm

Some of the HP's above are semi-rare models (anniversary models) and some are from the German occupation of Belguim during WWII which usually makes them more valuable in the eyes of BHP collectors.

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Less Expensive BHP's

$450.00
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=103886312

$460.00
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=103656877

$650.00
http://www.gunsamerica.com/906038761/Guns-For-Sale/Gun-Auctions/Pistols/Browning-Pistols/High-Power/Browning_HP.htm

 

[Northslope Nimrod]

Excellent choice. Fits small hands well. Get a trigger job and you will be even happier.
Another option is a 1911 in 9mm but you will pay $750 and up (usually).
I love my BHP. I will never part with it. But I've always wanted a 1911 in 9mm. I think I'm about to opt for the Kimber Pro Carry (4" barrel). They can be had for $750 around these parts.
Just a thought.
Both are top notch pistols with the ambiance of history.

 

[OFT]

The Hi Power is an excellent pistol and I certainly like mine. Recently a friend bought one of the knock-offs made in Argentina for $300.00. The finish looks cheap as it appears to be baked on. However, when it comes to shooting it seems to be about as accurate as my Belgian model.

 

[Cliff47]

You could select many a worse platform to get a new shooter started. Not many that have the native pointability of the Hi-Power (be it Browning, FN or an early FM). The pistol almost points itself. Remember that at one time thirteen rounds was a LOT to have at your disposal in a 9mm firearm. Today, the fifteen and sixteen round magazines are more commonly found, but not the entire package as concealable as the Hi-Power. For being a double-stack magazine, it still is concealable, not to mention accurate.

Granted, there is no grip safety, but look at it this way, the best safety is the one between the ears. Get the tyro shooter to think about what they are doing until it is almost second nature.

Something else, an early FM Hi Power can be found as cheaply as $200, and has the same ergonomics as the FN HiPower Mark II, and will take the same custom parts from Brownells, Cylinder & Slide, etc. The FM is made in Argentina on FN licensed hardware. Something to consider.

 

[Fishman777]

Simpler isn't always better for newbies...

I think that "safer" is actually better than "easier" for newbies. The majority of gun owners will never use their guns to defend their lives, but every gun owner faces the very real possibility of screwing up and having a negligent discharge.

There was a poll that appeared on this website within the last year. The poll asked people to honestly admit if they ever had a negligent discharge in their lives as shooters. To my surprise, over 30% of people on this forum, that replied to the poll, admited to at least one negligent discharge. 30%!!!!

That poll got me thinking even more about safety. I'm sure if polled, probably less than 5% of regular civilians on this forum ever had to use their guns to defend their lives from a criminal or a wild animal.

Glocks, XDs, and M&Ps are great guns, but lets face it, they all have very light triggers and very little in terms of relevant, built-in safety features (with the exception of the XD). True SA hand guns are as safe as it gets: unless you cock the hammer, that gun will not discharge by pulling the trigger. It doesn't get any safer than that. You will not find a gun safer than a single action autoloader or a single action revolver. I think that the Hi-Power is an excellent choice for a beginner, or for that matter an advanced shooter.

I own a single action .22 lr/.22 magnum revolver. It is a pain to load and unload, but I bought it primarily to teach my wife about shooting. I could have gotten a lot of other guns, but I decided on the single action gun so that she'd have the safest platform to learn on.

 

[Coronach]

I'll participate in the war.

I think the BHP is a fine starter pistol. Here's why:

Great ergonomics for most people.

Great trigger (here's where the 1911 guys get huffy, but they just forget the a $100 bottle of wine is still good stuff, even if it's not as good as a $120 bottle of wine).

Gentle recoil.

Cheap to shoot (assuming 9mm, as opposed to .40, which is still not that expensive).

SA with manual safety and exposed hammer.

My rationale for the last one is that it helps demonstrate visually how stuff works in a handgun. Oh, the hammer is down...oh, the safety is on...oh, the hammer is back...etc. I actually think that a Glock/XD/M&P style pistol is not the best choice for a new shooter, because they are VERY unforgiving of Rule Three violations. To be fair, a SA auto with the safety off is no more forgiving, and you can build up a false sense of security by relying on the "oh, the safety is on" logic, too.

Mike

 

[belus]

I would pay a premium for the MkII over a MkIII. The MkII is missing the firing pin block and as a result has a stronger slide and a slightly better trigger pull.

I've heard great things about the FM copies too. If 600 (usually a fair price IMO) is getting high then don't discount the Argentine pistol.

As a close alternative, the CZ 75 SA is slightly larger, but also a bit cheaper. I'm not sure which I'd chose over the other.

 

[dourdave]

Hey, Ski-----

This isn't a "war" without you. Ca'mon. Where are we going wrong ?

Seriously, I think the SIG 239 is one of the softest 9mm's I've ever used. It is my daily carry and I am comfortable with it. The HK P2000LE is also a nice shooter. Plastic frame, but still nice. For plain function, they are great guns. However------

Like the 1911, the p35 has soul. And, it always functions.

 

[burningsquirrels]

i could go on and on about CZs, BUT - to respond to your question: 600 sounds fair, but not a deal. it's hard to assess without it in my hands, but of course, try go to as low as you can. 550 would be better.