Trying to find out more about Hungarian FEG 9mm clones

maple_leaf_eh

maple_leaf_eh

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I have to help a friend price a FEG 9mm. It is the copy of the Browning HP, and I'm guessing new circa 1980. It will eventually go up for sale, but I have little knowledge of this particular copy.

Faithful to FN's design?
Interchangeable parts?
Reliable?
How much were they going for new in the gunstores?
How did the Hungarians succeed in copying Browning's in-production design? (I suspect it was a Cold War thing.)

Help me out please.
 
Which one? There were 2 style. One like a traditional BHP with a grip mounted safety ( FEG PJK-9HP ) and one like a S&W with a slide mounted safety ( FEG MBK-9HP )

I bought a traditional FEG BHP, for like 450 many years ago.
 
I have had a FEG P9R for about 30 years. It was my first handgun. It's not exactly a BHP knockoff, but it looks a lot like it. It's double action and had ( I note HAD ) 14 round mags. It has a slide mounted decocker/ safety. I found it to be a good firearm and I bought it as new for $300.00 in 1990. I don't think any parts of it will fit a BHP. I also know there are other FEG models that are very close knockoffs of the BHP. I have no experience with them so I can't speak to much about them.
 
Here's a couple fairly extensive references about the FEG and it's place in the Hi Power pantheon

https://highpowercollectors.proboards.com/thread/7/thoughts-all-feg-power-variations

https://highpowercollectors.proboards.com/board/7/feg-high-powers

I will say one thing about my FEG - not having shot it extensively - it has the richest and most glossy bluing that I have seen on any hi power, and no obvious deficiencies in terms of fit and finish. This should give you some indication as to how its value compares well used surplus "FN" Hi Powers, for example.
 
The P9R are the crappy S&W type ones.
I have 2 P9M's (mkII clones) bought new a few years ago from Questar, they came with a spare pistol less slide, so complete lower frame and all parts as well as a spare barrel, recoil springs and guide rods, plus 2 spare mags.
The first one was $350 second was $250 at Xmas sale. The slide stop and safety are extended versions, regular hammer.
I sold one of the stripped frames for $100 to a guy that built one up with BHP parts, they all fit.
Exterior finish is nice, interior is a bit sharp and rough. I have one unfired and one I shoot, it shoots very well. I'd put $500 for the unfired one if I was to sell it.
Decent guns with decent triggers once you remove the mag safety. Lots of surplus BHP'S around now (MKII/MKIII) for $600 or so.
 
I guess we all have different experiences with firearms we own and shoot, depending on how much, when and where we shoot. I don't think it's fair to say that all the P9Rs are crap. Excellent finish and a quite reliable shooter. Even though you may have had bad experiences with some, they aren't all junk.
 
reddog9x19 said:
I had a Norc Feg 9mm clone, crap gun. Sorry.
Click to expand...

A Chinese copy of a Hungarian knock-off (errr, "product improvement") of a Belgian made American inventor's pre-WW2 design but perfected by a Belgique. Have I got all the steps right?

Edited = a Communist rip-off of another Communist rip-off, but now those guys are good capitalists.
 
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Harold, just trying to respond to a post about a Norinco copy of the FEG. Seems like a really round about way to make guns.

I handled a Hungarian one decades ago, and have thousands of rounds through Brownings. So I could spot the differences.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
A Chinese copy of a Hungarian knock-off (errr, "product improvement") of a Belgian made American inventor's pre-WW2 design but perfected by a Belgique. Have I got all the steps right?

Edited = a Communist rip-off of another Communist rip-off, but now those guys are good capitalists.
Click to expand...

Considering Browning died in 1928, seven years before the final design was out in production I think more credit for the final pistol belongs to Sauve the Chief Engineer for Fabrigue National. JNB's last input in the design looks nothing like the FN P-35 aka the Browning Hi-Power that we know and love today.

Take Care

Bob
 
What I was trying to point out was that the FEG P9-R is not a BHP knock off. There are significant differences. There is another FEG that is a knock off of the BHP, a different model than the one I have.
 
Here are some pics of my P9M. You can see they use the humped feed ramp style barrels, also a bit of an extended nose to protect the muzzle, extended controls, U notch rear sight, trigger is really good (mag disconnect removed) and it shoots and functions great. There are versions that have the standard BHP low profile controls out there as well, and FN markings, they try to get passed off as Browning made, but the S/N gives them away.
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I used to own a FEG Hi-Power Mk II clone. It had fantastic bluing but some rougher machining marks on the inside. The slide to frame fit wasn't great, but no worse than the Inglis ones I handled during my time in.

I ended up getting it milled for Novak sights and put some Herrett grips on it. It was a beautiful gun by the time I got it back from Tac Ord.

Mine was a very odd duck, though. It had what looked like a legitimate FN Herstal rollmark on the slide, and no FEG or import markings at all. It looked for all intents and purposes like an FN gun, but the serial numbers were way off (although they matched), and the proof marks were also different compared to actual FN Hi-Powers.

I tried to dig into this odd pistol but the best I got was internet rumour. Since the Hi-Power patent expired in the 50s (don't quote me on that), anyone could produce them just like a 1911. FEG started to crank theirs out shortly afterwards. The rumour was that Saddam had a thing for the Hi-Power but FN / Belgium wouldn't sell to Iraq. So FEG came along and produced these MK II Hi-Powers with FN rollmarks to sell direct to the Iraqis.

I have no idea if that story is true or not, but I couldn't find definitive proof one way or another. The story seemed plausible enough, but obviously without evidence it's just a story.
 
Feg-bhp

The FEG P9-R I mentioned is not a BHP knock off. It's double action, for one thing and there are other differences. The mags aren't interchangeable and the gun parts aren't either. I am going to try and post some pics of the FEG and some of a brand new, genuine BHP that I bought recently. I have never tried to post pics before so I hope it works. If it does, you will be able to see the differences.https://imgur.com/fF6bIg1https://imgur.com/jneH0z1[URhttps://imgur.com/I4MaCBGhttps://imgur.com/ejuaELEhttps://imgur.com/gvLo9tZhttps://imgur.com/u5R9Yjvhttps://imgur.com/8cfnsf9https://imgur.com/ejuaELEhttps://imgur.com/KDP100bhttps://imgur.com/S0vysn1https://imgur.com/Way8RUmL
 
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The P9R operating system is more like a 2nd gen S&W then a BHP. The 2nd gen S&W were not great either which is kind of why these hybrids are not overly desired.
 
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