colt 1911 vs browning high power
- Thread starter mistermajestyk
- Start date
The Browning will likely give you excellent reliability and combat accuracy out of the box. Trigger will suck as has been noted above but it can be improved. If you want bullseye accuracy the higher end 1911 is the way to go. If you want bullseye accuracy out of the BHP it usually requires some tuning and a BarSto or other match grade barrel.
Best solution--get one of each!
Best solution--get one of each!
At the risk of being struck dead as a heretic I'll say that the only reason to own a HP is for the romance of owning one (mind you, that is a good enough reason). If you're looking for a good 9mm I'd say that nearly everything made in the last 40 years would be a better choice.
Firstfishman
Regular
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
Remington factory mags, Kimber mags, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.. I think I've read every article or post and watched every video on the internet to try and fix the issue. Even sent it away for factory work and then sent it to somewhere a little easier to deal with. Still doesn't run very well. Ill never buy a 1911 again. Buy a Glock.
*EDIT* At least I got something for free from the people down at Gravel Agency.... An idiot scratch on my pristine bluing!!!
Love my BHP's, also have a great Ruger SR 1911. I'm more accurate with the 1911, but even better with my CZ SP-01 Shadow in 9 mm
I'll never get rid of any of them
I'll never get rid of any of them
At the risk of being struck dead as a heretic I'll say that the only reason to own a HP is for the romance of owning one (mind you, that is a good enough reason). If you're looking for a good 9mm I'd say that nearly everything made in the last 40 years would be a better choice.
They are both classics which have been surpassed in various aspects of performance by more modern guns. So if you are going to have either part of your reason for having them is that they are classics. It follows then that although the 1911 can be found in other calibres you should get it in .45ACP, (at least your first one,) and therefore if you don't want a .45 get the Hi-Power instead. Or first.
I had a BHP, my first hand gun. I sold it. The gun was too small for my hands, I couldn't hang onto it, even with good finger grove grips. Also the trigger was a nightmare, I removed the magazine part of the trigger, can't say if that helped or not, not an easy job to do. I have a few 1911s, had a cheap 1911 and got rid of it, the higher end ones are a dream both to hold and fire and to look at. There is a reason the 1911 is one of the favorite and much loved HGs out there.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
1911 will be easier to shot accurately. Shooting with 1911's is like having training wheels on your bike. Even the worst ones generally have a decent trigger and the straight motion rather then pivoting hides many form errors. There is also a wealth of different makers all making good products at any price range. there has never been a better time to buy a 1911
If your hands are smaller, or fingers shorter, the BHP is a nicer feeling pistol. They point much more naturally for me, and are lighter, with a better weight distribution. They are not the most common military handgun in the world for no reason. Like the FN FAL, everyone and their uncle used BHP's. As mentioned they benifit from removing the mag saftey from the trigger (quite easy to do). They are easier to reload fast then a 1911 due to the much wider magazine opening and tapered top to the mag itself. If you have meaty hands the hammer will gnaw on you if you grip really hgh. My personal HP (as opposed to my inglis) is one of their sport models in 9mm. (i do NOT like it in 40, stick to a gun designed for 40 if you want one) I have replaced the grips with slimline navidres grips (that i love), removed the mag safty, and installed a cylinder and slide no bit hammer, sear and lighter main spring. It also wears Xpress sights.
You'll enjoy either one, but for a first gun a 1911 will probably make you happier
If your hands are smaller, or fingers shorter, the BHP is a nicer feeling pistol. They point much more naturally for me, and are lighter, with a better weight distribution. They are not the most common military handgun in the world for no reason. Like the FN FAL, everyone and their uncle used BHP's. As mentioned they benifit from removing the mag saftey from the trigger (quite easy to do). They are easier to reload fast then a 1911 due to the much wider magazine opening and tapered top to the mag itself. If you have meaty hands the hammer will gnaw on you if you grip really hgh. My personal HP (as opposed to my inglis) is one of their sport models in 9mm. (i do NOT like it in 40, stick to a gun designed for 40 if you want one) I have replaced the grips with slimline navidres grips (that i love), removed the mag safty, and installed a cylinder and slide no bit hammer, sear and lighter main spring. It also wears Xpress sights.
You'll enjoy either one, but for a first gun a 1911 will probably make you happier
Yes, they are nice. And for feel in the hand, pointability, ergonomics, etc, for a lot of people they can't be beat. The Sigs, M&Ps, Glocks, etc are all very reliable and in the hands of a cop or soldier properly trained in their use, will deliver exactly what is promised. I shoot well with those pistols, but to my hands, they feel like I am holding on to the handle attached to a brick when compared to a HP, or to a lesser extent, a 1911. Others, obviously, will feel probably the opposite; good for them, they will make their choices accordingly.
Between the two mentioned by the OP, I would take the 1911 for gun games and competition. For carry, the BHP, no contest. For woods carry, the 10mm 1911, again no contest. But with that .45 ACP pistol he has on the way, my next purchase would probably be a good .22 rimfire pistol: more range time, more shooting, less expense. Or a .22 conversion kit for the pistol on the way if they are offered. I have a High Standard Supermatic Trophy target 22 I bought way back when with different slides, barrels, balance weights, etc. But I also have .22 conversions for the HPs and the Dan Wesson; if I were doing it again, I would just go the conversion route so my .22 rimfire shooting was with the same grips, trigger, etc.
My thoughts:
Used the BHP in the military. They are OK but in my mind not great. Reliable and durable but the stock trigger is not very good (it sucks). Good for a military firearm but in my mind there are lots of better options today. I prefer to shoot a 1911. I own a number of handguns in a variety of calibres but I do not own a BHP. Enough said.
Used the BHP in the military. They are OK but in my mind not great. Reliable and durable but the stock trigger is not very good (it sucks). Good for a military firearm but in my mind there are lots of better options today. I prefer to shoot a 1911. I own a number of handguns in a variety of calibres but I do not own a BHP. Enough said.
Used the Inglis in the military for about 30 years. Always went bang, except when paired with a crap magazine that some Larry just threw back in the basket instead of taking the time to tag it for the gun plumbers. Fair amount of that time teaching as a small arms instructor; I suppose there must have been a few guys I don't remember who could shoot better than the pistol could hold, but I don't recall any of them offhand.
Always found complaints about the trigger pull to be a head scratcher. Took a trigger pull gauge to work a time or two; the C7/C7A1/C7A2 rifles test out at around a 6 - 8 lb trigger pull range. The Inglis pistols tested out at around 4.5 - 6.5 lb trigger pull range. Why some guys bytched about the trigger pull on a pistol intended for across-the-grape-hut distance disagreements, but didn't seem to have any windging and whining to do about the heavier trigger pull on the rifle they were expected to use out to 300 meters and beyond is beyond me. 1911's can get very precise 3 lb and lighter trigger pulls; I doubt that is what is best when on the two way rifle range on adrenaline overload at 170 bpm.
You can go to the pistols made out of recycled ### toys like the Glocks and whatnot. They are as reliable as anything out there, and they probably withstand a drop from 1500 feet onto asphalt or an hour in a cement mixer better than a BHP. The problem is, the guy the pistol is strapped to doesn't do any better in tests like that now than he did back in 1944, so it seems kind of irrelevant to me.
I have around a dozen handguns in the gun safe, give or take a few. Three are HP's, exactly one is a 1911; if there weren't bears and cougars regularly wandering through the yard, there would be none. If I was still competing in PPC, there would probably be a second 1911 for that. Otherwise, one is lots. The Glocks have come and gone; just nothing special about them as far as feel and whatnot goes.
If I couldn't pick a .22 rimfire to complement the .45 ACP purchase, I would look for a T or C series BHP. Unless I wanted to stick to one caliber; then I'd look for a 1911 in 45 ACP. Dan Wesson currently makes the Guardian and V-Bob commander size bobtails in .45 ACP (and other calibers); barrel just long enough to avoid the prohibited list, high quality, but you're looking at something around $1,600 US.
http://cz-usa.com/product-category/danwesson/
Always found complaints about the trigger pull to be a head scratcher. Took a trigger pull gauge to work a time or two; the C7/C7A1/C7A2 rifles test out at around a 6 - 8 lb trigger pull range. The Inglis pistols tested out at around 4.5 - 6.5 lb trigger pull range. Why some guys bytched about the trigger pull on a pistol intended for across-the-grape-hut distance disagreements, but didn't seem to have any windging and whining to do about the heavier trigger pull on the rifle they were expected to use out to 300 meters and beyond is beyond me. 1911's can get very precise 3 lb and lighter trigger pulls; I doubt that is what is best when on the two way rifle range on adrenaline overload at 170 bpm.
You can go to the pistols made out of recycled ### toys like the Glocks and whatnot. They are as reliable as anything out there, and they probably withstand a drop from 1500 feet onto asphalt or an hour in a cement mixer better than a BHP. The problem is, the guy the pistol is strapped to doesn't do any better in tests like that now than he did back in 1944, so it seems kind of irrelevant to me.
I have around a dozen handguns in the gun safe, give or take a few. Three are HP's, exactly one is a 1911; if there weren't bears and cougars regularly wandering through the yard, there would be none. If I was still competing in PPC, there would probably be a second 1911 for that. Otherwise, one is lots. The Glocks have come and gone; just nothing special about them as far as feel and whatnot goes.
If I couldn't pick a .22 rimfire to complement the .45 ACP purchase, I would look for a T or C series BHP. Unless I wanted to stick to one caliber; then I'd look for a 1911 in 45 ACP. Dan Wesson currently makes the Guardian and V-Bob commander size bobtails in .45 ACP (and other calibers); barrel just long enough to avoid the prohibited list, high quality, but you're looking at something around $1,600 US.
http://cz-usa.com/product-category/danwesson/
