Tuning A Surplus FN Hi Power

John Browning’s second great pistol, the Hi Power (second to the 1911, of course) was recently discontinued by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium. Tooling and machinery were wearing out, production costs were rising, and military orders were slowing down. The rise of the plastic handgun was eclipsing what was once the gold-standard of 9mm service pistols.

Cheaper and easier to produce, polymer-framed handguns like the Glock and the new SIG M17 have been replacing the onceubiquitous Browning on the hips of military and police world-wide. There’s an upside to what many would consider a sad end of an era. Lots of Hi Powers are on the surplus market and most are in good functional condition. Finish-challenged maybe, but with minty internals. Duty weapons aren’t shot much.

They might be carried daily, dropped a lot, only cleaned occasionally, and stored improperly (causing surface rust), but refinishing will cure that. Parts will This BHP is a German police contracted pistol that probably sat in a drawer for most of its career. Only issue with the older post-war guns made up to 1964 was the internal extractor… if it breaks, anew one is hard to find and must be properly fitted.

Best to find a more recent pistol with an external extractor for extensive shooting. sometimes be mismatched due to military rebuild programs. The basic pistol, though, is a keeper. A few upgrades and you have a superb shooter or a rugged defensive piece. While not a first-line duty pistol for many armies now, the Browning Hi Power is just too good All you need and nothing more. This one was made for the Austrian Border Police.

Far It’ll get Novak fixed sights, a fivepound trigger job, left-handed safety, and a Cerakote refinish. The original plastic stocks, which are thin, rugged, and comfortable, will stay. Top BHP is a "Capitan", reintroduced in the 1980s. It has the old, pre-war ladder sights, adjustable out to an optimistic 1500 meters. Middle is a commercial Belgian 9mm from 1974 with the newly introduced spur hammer. Bottom pistol is a 1987 MK II with a forged frame and the new ambidextrous safety.

It has a tough Parkerized finish and better, fixed sights than the older BHPs. to die. It soldiers on as an excellent choice for U. S. civilians to shoot and carry. Buying a surplus Browning can be a fun experience as there’s lots of them for sale on the Internet. I recently bought a nice MK III Israeli contract 9mm that will eventually become a customized range and carry gun. The finish is a sprayedon epoxy black paint but the pistol itself is in great shape internally, with a mint barrel and bore.

A Little History John Browning started work on the Hi Power (called the "Grande Puissance" P35 or "Hi Power" in Europe) after WWI in response to a French Army request for anew service pistol. Browning died before finishing the design. Dieudonne Saive of Fabrique National (FN), who had been working with John Browning on the pistol before his death, finished work on the new single-action pistol, which incorporated a 13-round magazine, magazine safety, and a fixed barrel bushing.

Belgium was the first to adopt the Hi Power in 1935. Top is a 1974 FN Belgian BHP 9mm High Power, made when the BHPs were at the zenith in quality, fit, and finish. Bottom is a Glock 22 in .40 caliber, probably the most issued police pistol in America. Made of modern polymers, ugly, and cheap to produce, it’s a favorite now because of the low cost and ease of manufacture. The new P35 went on to be issued by some 57 countries, including most of NATO, as their standard military sidearm.

During the last 80+ years, the P35 Hi Power has undergone a few changes, including switching to an external extractor, different calibers (7.65mm and .40 S&W) and Israeli Army surplus pistol. It was re-Parkerized, magazine safety removed, and the rear sight opened up slightly. A newer drop-in stainless barrel from Rem Sport helps tighten the groups somewhat with match GI ball.

Far This one is riding in a lefthanded Israeli inside waistband holster. Israeli guns are typically carried chamber empty, hammer down (Condition 3). adding both cast and alloy frames to production. Basically it’s the same pistol though; throughout its service it has racked up an impressive record of reliability in combat. It is one of the premier military pistols of the 20th century. Shooting a Browning Hi Power is like having apiece of military history in your hand. Every hardcore pistol shooter should have one.

Upgrading Because the Hi Power has been so popular for more than seven decades, lots of parts are available. Not just surplus parts, but new, commercially-made components that’ll make your pistol perform better than as-issued. Remember though, the priority here is easy-to-see sights, reliability and a clean-breaking trigger. Everything else is not really necessary, it just depends on how far you want to go and what your pocketbook will tolerate. I like to keep my improvements minimal.

It’s cheaper and gets Perfectly done by Arnie Dew. Far Very quick and simple takedown for cleaning is one of the BHP’s best features. the gunsmithing work done quicker. I have a ’67 T-series that has had the magazine safety removed, rear sight notch opened up slightly and then given anew Parkerized finish. It’s fun to shoot, totally reliable, didn’t costa lot, and looks good, in a very business-like way. Before spending money on any Browning, do a little research.

I’d stay away from the pre-war, wartime or early postwar guns… unless you’re a collector. The later, post ’64 guns have an external extractor that’s more rugged, easier to replace, and doesn’t need fitting. Anew extractor spring is probably all you’ll need to add. Browning/FN started phasing out the internal extractors in 1962 so there’s a transition period where you could find either one on a BHP. Probably the best gun for shooting is a surplus MK III.

These have cast frames (early MK IIIs had forged frames), excellent sights and, if they’re from a military contract run, no firing pin safety. Cast-frame MK III guns started appearing in 1990 and can be ID’d by looking inside the magazine well and finding a casting mark (which looks like a letter or numeral) on the upper right inner side of the magazine well. Cast frames are stronger and much more durable for extended shooting.

Supposedly there is a different "feel" to a cast frame in comparison to an earlier forged one but I haven’t been able to detect the difference. Cast frames were initially introduced by FN to handle the higher pressures of the .40 caliber and were then later used in the 9mm to simplify manufacture. Cast frame 9mm BHPs can handle the increased pressure of +P ammo.

Tiny, V-shaped notch was opened up slightly by Arnie Dew. Not the best rear sight for range work, but it’ll do. This is one of the more popular rear sights available for a BHP and would be the author’s choice for a range or carry pistol. A great concealed-carry sight, because it’s very small and the edges are rounded, with the option of tritium for night work. While a 9mm Hi Power makes for a superb range gun, it’ll never win a bullseye match.

Not designed for target work, it instead makes for a great concealed carry piece or a Saturday afternoon shooter. I’ve seen some BHPs that have had the slide tightened to the frame, barrel lugs snugly fitted to the slide, and a tight, removable bushing added, but the accuracy improvement was negligible. Best to get a tuned 1911 Later MK II and Mk III barrels have no "hump" on the feed ramp. The straight-line feed on the later MK IIs and MK IIIs will feed hollowpoints without modification.

Gunsmiths usually remove the hump on older guns like the T-series to assist in feeding hollowpoint ammunition. Best to shoot the pistol first though, as an older gun may feed modern hollowpoints fine, without any changes. A nice-to-have addition that enhances the accuracy of your Browning if your barrel is worn or pitted.

A BHP with a properly-fitted factory barrel in good shape will almost always group quite well though, so test your pistol with several loads first before buying an expensive replacement. if you want extreme accuracy or a match gun. Good sights are definitely worthwhile if you want to get the most from your Browning. The later MK IIs and MK IIIs have good, easy-tosee fixed sights. Better yet would be having the slide milled for a set of Novak fixed sights. These are low-profile with an excellent sight picture.

I prefer the Novaks simply because I’ve used them on several pistols and like them. You can send the slide to Novak, have your choice of sights fitted, and have your slide back on your pistol in less than a couple of weeks. Usually the slide doesn’t need to be refinished. The trigger on a Hi Power can’t compete with a 1911 due to the long reset and the complicated linkage.

Removing the magazine safety helps, along with a lighter 26 or 28 pound hammer spring (most Hi Powers have a 32 pound spring to ignite hard primers) and some VERY slight stoning of the hammer and sear. A good Hi Power ‘smith will keep the pull weight above five pounds for safety and reliability. Mess with the sear/ hammer engagement too much and you’ll experience hammer follow. Cylinder & Slide makes hardened tool-steel hammers and sears that area great addition if you want to spend a little more.

Not really necessary, but something to consider if you’re planning a full-on custom project. Don’t forget to check and replace your springs. Most surplus pistols will still have all the original springs inside. I use original 17 pound-weight recoil springs and they work well in tandem with a 26 or 28 pound hammer spring. BH Spring Solutions produces a complete spring kit that makes respringing an easy task. They also sell a tool that makes removing and replacing the hammer spring a snap.

It’s cheap and should be in every BHP owner’s tool kit. Also check and replace the extractor spring if you have an external extractor gun. A BH Spring Solutions kit will take care of that, too. Another upgrade that might be worthwhile is anew barrel. Rem Sport makes a beautifully machined one-piece stainless drop-in that has a straightened feedramp for feeding hollowpoints plus a nicely done muzzle crown. The barrel I bought fits well, has functioned re-

Far It has the cast frame (cast frames are stronger, which is a good thing if you intend to shoot a lot) and no firing pin safety that the American-import commercial pistols have. Ugly epoxy paint finish that is a perfect candidate for a Cerakote-type redo. It’s always a good idea (and cheaper) to test your new pistol extensively before sending it off for custom work. liably in three BHPs, and could be considered a true "drop in" with no extra fitting needed.

Bar-Sto also makes a nice stainless barrel, but it comes oversized and will need to be fitted. Bar-Sto barrels have a stellar reputation for accuracy with jacketed ammunition. Last up is refinishing. Again, not really needed if you like the rough military finish on most of the Israeli pistols but a properly refinished Hi Power is a thing of beauty. I don’t care for a high-polish blue on my working pistols; Parkerizing or black Cerakote is durable and looks great. It’s also cheaper.

The secret to a good refinish is in the prep work (polishing) before applying the finish. Keeping the edges straight and not overbuffing makes for a good-looking This group was shot at 20 yards offhand, with GI match ball. Gun is an early 70s (1974) BHP. Spur hammers on newer BHPs (early 1970s forpistol. Most of the Israeli guns I’ve seen have a flat-black epoxy paint that looks pretty sad. The pistol underneath will probably be in good shape, though.

My MK III had no bruises, dents, or dings that needed to be filed or buffed out. A good soaking for a day or two in Jasco Paint & Epoxy Remover will get that painted finish off. Follow up with a bead blast and you should be good to go with a smooth, professional-looking surface preparation before applying the finish. Shooting Range time with a Browning can be initially frustrating if you haven’t ward) also help a lot. A high grip combined with fat paws can be painful. shot one before.

Triggers on most BHP "as-issued" pistols tend to be heavy (6-12 lbs.) with lots of creep. That can be improved, but don’t expect a 3.5 pound 1911 match trigger. Sights on the older guns tend to be an afterthought, with a tiny V-notch rear and a thin blade front. A little work with a small file makes the rear sight easier to use, if you’re not into installing after-market sights.

Remove the magazine safety (very easy), open up the rear sight notch if you have an older gun, replace your springs, and you should be ready for your first range day. Determine how your gun shoots first before doing any extensive gunsmithing. This is the time to see if your issued barrel groups well. Check the crown for any chips or dings that could open up your groups. Are-crown of the muzzle is cheaper than anew barrel and is always a good idea.

Check the lockup and make sure your barrel lugs mate snugly into the slide. Some movement is necessary but you don’t want your barrel rattling around when in-battery. Shoot the pistol for point of aim and accuracy (20 yards works well) and note what kind of malfunctions (if any) there are. Hiccups can usually be traced to (Continued on page 23)

worn magazines (Mec-Gar makes a good and inexpensive aftermarket magazine), a worn extractor spring, shooting a dry gun, or using hollowpoints in an older pistol with a humped feedramp. Straightening and polishing the feedramp is an easy fix. Hi Powers aren’t too finicky on ammo but like all pistols yours will probably show a preference. Best ammo I’ve used accuracy-wise is Atlanta Arms 115 grain jacketed match ball, which is issued by the Army Marksmanship Unit for use in their tuned Berettas.

Try sev- Sources Cylinder & Slide Cylinder-Slide.com, BH Spring Solutions BHSpringSolutions.com, The Action Works TheActionWorks.com, Rem Sport/TR Enabling TR-Enabling.com, Novak’s NovakSights.com, Mec-Gar Mec-Gar.com, eral different brands and weights in assessing your pistol’s potential accuracy. This will be an on-going process and might take more than a couple range sessions.

I’ve found that most issue FN Hi Powers with a good bore and a clean, undamaged crown will easily group into two-inches at 20 yards from a rest. That’s excellent accuracy for everything but the Nationals at Camp Perry. A reliable handgun that groups well is a beautiful thing and just about any Hi Power should easily do that with a little tweaking. Add a few custom touches and you’ll have one awesome pistola. Gotta love a Browning Hi Power! AG These rates are good in U. S. and Canada only.

For all other countries, annual dues are $60 payable in U. S. funds. 3. To Give a Gift Subscription Enter your name and address above (in Section 1) and your giftee’s name and address below. The subscription rates stated above apply to gifts. Name Street City State Zip