Opinions on the FN HiPowers?

The asking price when I saw that advertised was a pretty good deal for a new one of those. My Hi-Power is the classic blued steel and walnut, in 9mm, Portuguese assembly of FN Belgium parts. Unless the quality has gone downhill a lot since mine was made - and I haven't heard anything to suggest it has- then you should be pleased with yours.
 
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As i recalled it was one of the last design Browning made before he died. I think someone else finished the work for him. Great handgun that is for sure :)
 
Yours has the fixed sights which are less handy than the adjustable sights. The ones from the factory has two little coneheaded screws that want to jump out and hide in the gravel. Almost anything else is better.

You do have the ambi safety, so you are one up on everyone shooting an early HP or an Inglis. So, one less thing to get your thumbs around.

There are two users mods that will improve your enjoyment. First, strip out the magazine safety. It deadens the trigger pull because every shot drags the safety 1/4" up the front of the magazine Parkerizing. You really don't need it for civilian sport shooting. Then, while the parts are in hand, leave the little 1/64" pin hanging out a bit. It makes a simple trigger stop to keep the trigger from going all the way back and all the way forward for every shot.
 
MosinNagantM44 said:
As i recalled it was one of the last design Browning made before he died. I think someone else finished the work for him. Great handgun that is for sure :)
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Browning died 8 years before the HI-Power saw the light of day. Some of his earlier designs made their way into the HI-Power. Sauve is credited with most of the work on the Hi-Power as we know it today.

Take Care

Bob
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
There are two users mods that will improve your enjoyment. First, strip out the magazine safety. It deadens the trigger pull because every shot drags the safety 1/4" up the front of the magazine Parkerizing. You really don't need it for civilian sport shooting. Then, while the parts are in hand, leave the little 1/64" pin hanging out a bit. It makes a simple trigger stop to keep the trigger from going all the way back and all the way forward for every shot.
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The trigger pin on the coated model HP's can be very difficult to remove so be careful, but it will result in a much better trigger pull if/when you get it out.
 
You cannot go wrong with a HiPower. John Moses Browning designed the initial HP and the design was completed by Dieudonne Saive. During the war M.Saive came to Canada and helped Inglis set up production of the pistol. On another forum there were some excellent photos of the HP experimental and prototype pistols from the Browning museum in Utah.
 
Lose the mag "safety" and you've got yourself a good shootin' iron.

AFAIK, the frames (including grips) on the .40 ones are the same as the 9mms; just the slide is beefed up.
 
prproulx said:
I've had several modern Hipowers I was wondering about the quality of the FN ones. I was also wondering if the .40 version had larger grips?
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FN made the "Browning Hi-Power" as well as the FN Hi-Power in Belgium. The pistols from FN are now assembled in Portugal from parts from Belgium. "The "Browning" company in Utah was the American distributer of FN products sold under the "Browning" name.

Take Care

Bob
 
tjhaile said:
Lose the mag "safety" and you've got yourself a good shootin' iron.

AFAIK, the frames (including grips) on the .40 ones are the same as the 9mms; just the slide is beefed up.
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I've got the same one and I never had issues with it. Do you know of a site with picture that shows how to disable that mag safety and perhaps shorten the trigger pull?

The gun looks good, it's well ballanced, and the slide is not wide when compared to other semi autos. It fits very well.
 
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