New High Power from India??

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Stopped off at a small gunshop yesterday and saw a new-to-me product - - -

It appears to be a line-for-line copy of the Inglis Canadian execution of the Browning High Power. It has the high fixed sights, set up on humps on the slide, the ring hammer, black plastic stocks and lanyard ring. I didn't write down the slide markings, but it said something like "Indian Military Products." Finish was a somewhat coarser grey, akin to Parkerizing, but I don't know if it was photphated.

The shop proprietor said it was a new product but he claimed little knowledge of the company or any other items in their line. He said the piece is "MilSpec, and it is the new Indian Army official sidearm." Anyone have any info on this claim? Frankly, the mn didn't seem too knowledgeable.

Price posted was about $350 - - The prices on other, known, items at the shop were on the high side, so it wouldn't surprise me to see this particular pistol for $50 to $75 less elsewhere.

I'm wondering about the workmanship, reliability, and the quality of the steel in this product. Frankly, I like the appearence of it far better than some other BHP knockoffs - - FAR better than the pseudo-shiny semi-commercial blue of the Balkan copies. I haven't personally examined one of the Philippene types.

Thanks for any input.
Johnny
 
They've been around for a couple of years now. Not bad pistols, but they definitely feel shame when placed next to my FN babies. They are good, serviceable pistols. Some have a few easily fixed glitches. Mine needed a bit of polishing and a new recoil spring. A fun HP variation. I think $300-350 is probably right.
 
Hello, Johnny. I've not yet seen the Indian copies of the Inglis, but they've been out a fair while now. Reports have been mixed, but generally positive. I have not yet shot one.

Best.
 
I was prety sure India made a BHP clone as well as Indonesia(the pindad) but I've never heard of one being imported. Who did so?

I know Hungary and Israel have cloned them too. I'm looking for a Hungarian, maybe with the vent rib at a bargain price to go with my 40 S&W BHP.

The Philippines make a BHP clone? Are you sure? I think the new Charles Daly clone is US made. Any other BHP clones from other places besides Argentina I can't think of? I'm surprised Spain never cloned it. Also $350 seems high for that clone as a real BHP MKIII can be had cheaply if you look around.
 
If you're thinking about buying one, I'd opt for one of the genuine FN models they're blowing out right now. I got my FN HP in .40 for $415, and I've seen the 9mm online for as little as $400, NIB. The extra $50 would go a long way towards alleviating my concerns about buying an unknown-quality HP clone.
 
Who was it that said you should never buy a gun from anyplace you wouldn't drink the water? :D


Larry
 
I don't think the Indian HP is the pistol for someone getting only 1 pistol, or 1 9mm, or even 1 HP. For me it's a fun addition to other HP types and other autos. It's a poor-man's Inglis. As such, it's different than others, and interesting in its own right.
 
Source for these?

Always have been a bit partial to the Inglis type pistols. Take one anyday over "plastic perfection".
 
I have handled a couple of these.

While I find the old-fashioned styling very appealing, the fit and finish on the two that I held were both pretty bad. They used the old internal extractor, and neither that, nor the ejector or frame were flush with the rear of the slide... they were pretty sloppy.

The thing that bothered me most about them was that the grip dimensions were dead WRONG. The front strap had the wrong contour, sticking out about 1/4" farther on the frontstrap than real FN/Browning/Inglis guns do. It detracted severely from the feel, and quite a bit from the looks (IMO).

For the price, I'd sooner go for an FM Argentine. For just a tad more, I'd jump on the FN from CDNN -- I love mine. That'd be my "best buy" in guns right now.

Wes
 
The pistols are manufactured by the Indian Ordinance Factory and they are supposed to be current military issue to the Indian Military.
Like the Indian copies of the L1A1 and Galil rifles, these pistols are pretty crude when set side by side with the real thing but they are servicable.
The Indians also produce a Webley service revolver copy in .32 Short, again crude and servicable are the keywords.
The shop I work for has sold several of the Indian Inglis pistols.
I agree with jonnyc that these aren't guns to be considered as primary use handguns here in the states when so many other decent handguns are available, but they do make nice additions to collections of Grande Puissance pistols.
 
I have one. I paid $250 for it, I think.

Fit and finish are atrocious. Currently, I am looking for a new sear because the original is so horribly misshapen.

On the plus side, it does shoot, and not quite as badly as I thought.
 
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