Browning Hi Power opinions please

Cummins4x4

Cummins4x4

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Having one brought in for the wife to check out. Hoping its a good fit, she has pretty small hands. She's been bugging me to find her a good pistol as she finds my magnum revolvers a bit much recoilwise.
Any body have one of these? Comments on reliability and accuracy?
 
#1bcshooter said:
Small hands & double stack frames don't go together
Try a single stack 1911 in 9mm
Click to expand...

Well put!

The BHP is deceiving, you look at it and think hey "that could work" and every time hand it back, NOPE, too big, too blocky.

A CZ75 with ultra thin grips might work well. Worked for me.
 
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Well, my only experience with the Hi-Powers is from the military. And I don't much care for them. However, they are amongst the slimmest double-stacks out there. Other options for a skinny 9mm could include a Beretta PX4 or 90-Two with the interchangeable backstraps, or even the 92, which fits me great with my tiny hands. Along those lines, another option could be a S&W M&P 9, once again with the interchangeable grips.

Other options could include the Sig E2 pistols, their new grips being a lot friendlier to smaller hands. And, of course, the single-stack Sigs like the P225 or the P239.
 
I find my double stack HP has a larger grip feel than my single stack semi's (G17, 1911A1) and my hands are sized MedLrg.
 
Handguns are like shoes. Either they fit or not. You may just have to accept defeat and go to another model if she can't get a comfortable grip. There are (cough! gag!) several single-stack S&W models that might work.
 
shoot it.
shoot everything u can get ur hands on.
get her to shoot it!
see what she feels more comfy in.

the bhp is awesome pistol last for years.
all comes down to shooter.
 
Reliablity and accuracy of the design are very good, which is one of the reasons it is a classic. If it fits her hands well, she should do well with it.
 
The BHP is one of the slimmer double stack pistols. Grip measurements to the nearest .005" for my pistols are as follows:

1. CZ 75 with Hogue cocobolo grips: 1.265". The factory grips are significantly wider.
2. BHP with factory plastic grips: 1.325". Other grips might be slimmer.
3. 1911 with standard thickness wood grips: 1.330" across diamonds, 1.315" across checkered portion.

As you can see, there is very little difference in grip width between the three guns.

Some things to keep in mind with the BHP:

-The triggers are usually quite heavy out of the box. This is a result of a combination of the magazine disconnect and a heavy mainspring (32 lbs). Removing the disconnect and installing a lighter mainspring should fix this.

-Some people, especially if they have fleshy hands, tend to suffer from hammer bite from this pistol. Cutting the hammer spur shorter at the second serration from the end fixes this in most cases.

-Trigger reset is a bit longer than some other pistols due to the design of the trigger/sear linkage.

The Browning Hi Power has a couple of quirks that can be easily fixed, but the end result is well worth it.
 
Does it have to be a double stacked semi? If so, I would try a M&P9 Otherwise there are several single stacks to consider 1911-type, Sigs, S&Ws etc.
 
Double stack, single, as long as it fits and isn't a finicky brass spewing bullet spraying jamomatic piece of tupperware:stirthepot2:. I'm a revolver guy so this is new territory for me:confused:. I figured the BHP has been around for ages so there should be a reason for that..
 
CZ75 has a longer reach to the trigger than a BHP.
"...my magnum revolvers..." Smith's? Look at a GP100 and shoot .38's.
 
I find the grip on my CZ Shadow "feels" a bit slimmer than the stock wood grips that I have on the MkIII BPH I just bought. When I finally get the BHP home I'll try to get some pics or at least make a comparison using my wife's kiddie hands. her hands are 5.5'' long from wrist to the end of her index finger and only 2.5'' of that is her finger. She can handle my CZ fine. We'll see how it is with the HP.
 
When I was looking for a metal framed 9mm for my gf at the time, most of the serious heavyweights I know tried to talk me in to a polymer 9mm. When I explained that wasn't possible, the two recommendations I got were overwhelmingly the Sig 226 and the BHP.

If I could have gotten Erin interested in a polymer gun I would have...but that's not what floats her boat, and I figure at least she'd shoot the gun if it were metal. She just doesn't like polymer, even though all the most reliable pistols now are polymer framed. When it comes to girls, you have to accept that they will often put aesthetics ahead of objective results, which is really the only justification left for avoiding polymer guns.

But, as I asked the guys on M4C, if you had to pick a steel framed 9mm...

If it was steel, not aluminum alloy, most of the heavyweights said BHP. If alloy was acceptable, most said SIG. But if those guys respect BHPs, then that says to me that the BHP is a respectable machine.
 
I know you have a commitment to the Browning GP, but if she hasn't shot a handgun, wouldn't it be better to start with a .22? For what it's worth, I have small hands and find my Inglis a fine fit. My absolute favorite (for my small hands and for any other reason) is the H&K P7, P7PSP or P7M8 (not the M13, though), but it's expensive.
 
She has shot handguns, I have a 686 and a 629PC. She tried a 22 revolver but found it pretty tame. She liked the 9mm's she has tried, just have to find a good fit. I like the HK's too, might be a good choice. The Browning is subject to approval.
 
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