I would like to know the practical differences between the FN Hi Power and the very similar FEG Hi Power. I think that the FN has a rib on the slide , which may aid in pointing , and there appears to be slightly different front sights. Beyond that ...?
Bottom line - is the FEG inferior to the FN?
Input will be appreciated.
The bottom line answer is it depends on the gun you are looking at. Some FEGs will be better than some FN/Browning Hi Powers but some FN/Browning Hi Powers will be superior to FEGs. I look at it this way. You have a friend and he hands you 2 BHPs. One is a blued FEG clone that looks like this.
The other is a T series Browning that looks like this.
He then says take your pick? The money equation is taking out of the picture. You are looking objectively at 2 free pistols and you can only choose one. What criteria are you going to use to pick one over the other? For me it is about quality of materials, fit, finish and function. For me personally when looking at similarly specd guns I have always chosen the FN/Browning.
It is not that FEG clones are bad but I personally could never justify the small savings overall. The original FEG clone were made in the 1970 and were a very good copy of the original. They made a true and faithful copy. They IIRC reverse engineered the gun. These were T series copies. They had the small safety, ring, hammer and half moon sights. In the 1980s and then again in the 1990s FEG made clones which were imported by a lot of people.
Kassnar, KBI, etc.... The Charles Daley version was built on FEG parts assembled by Dan Wesson or Magnum Research.
Over the years quality and configuration varied but for the most part they are considered one of the better truer to the original design clones on the market. Some examples have really nice bluing. One of the big detractors for me is the rollmarks on the later pistols. The billboard style of the rollmarks is a big detractor from the elegance of the pistol. IIRC all parts interchange with FN/Browning and aftermarket parts. These used to be a bargain. They sold in the used market for $200-$400 and represented strong value. They don't anymore IMHO.
Still if I was going to buy a clone it would be a FEG or a FM which were made in Argentina originally under lic. I would avoid the new Tisas like the plague. As more and more have gotten into the hands of more dedicated higher round count shooters their flaws are becoming more common and they only have a 1 year warranty and are refusing to repair or replace parts that are know to be defective like extractors after 1 year of ownership.
Back to the OP question if you have the money and you know where to look and what to look for you can get a real BHP from FN/Browning for what you will pay for a FEG clone these days. It might be a little rough in the finish department but that is correctable. It also makes a better platform for a custom build and will hold its value as a custom gun better than a FEG will if that is a consideration. For a higher round count long term shooter I would always go FN/Browning but if you just want to add a BHP to the stable. Shoot it every now and then and leave it stock a FEG most likely will fit the bill as long as you can live with the billboard rollmark. The only clone I would do a custom build on is a FM Detective because they are the only ones you will find.
