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What Would Browning Do: FN's New High Power (Ad-free)
🕑 Added 2022-09-30 12:00:08 +0000 UTCIt seems like everyone is making a copy of the Browning High Power these days, and FN themselves have jumped into the arena as well. What FN is making isn't just a clone of the original pistol, though - they have built something largely new, taking inspiration and design cues from the original BHP to create a gun more suited to 2022 than 1935.
While the original High Power (or Hi Power, depending on what era you are looking at) is lovingly romanticized by many - and I totally understand why - it has a number of significant shortcomings by today's standards. It doesn't feed hollow points well. The triggers are often bad, in part because of the magazine safety. The sights are tiny. The capacity is underwhelming. And most significantly to me, they tend to have bloody hammer bite, forcing you to take a low grip or just suffer through.
The new FN High Power looks to have fixed all of that. It's a bigger pistol, but it offers a much more comfortable grip, modern style sights, a very nice single action trigger, and 17 round capacity (it does not interchange magazines with the original BHP). Let's take a closer look at what FN did, and why...
Comments
Martin Morehouse
Good comparison with the new and old Broncos, I think any hearing loss I have is due to 20 years in my 1986 model.
Reed Gregory
I love the new one , just wish you could get in double action
Paul Beck
I see several long overdue improvements upon the pistols original design! 🤠👉
Don't understand why they didn't make the magazine release ambidextrous, it's the control used most often.
Steve Colletti
Oh, well, thanks for responding. Going back to your car analogy from the video, I always wonder how faithfully the 'modernized' versions captures the things that made the original iconic. Thank you!
Forgotten Weapons
FN had lots of CNC machines. What they didn't do was spend the money to make CNC jigs and fixtures for the BHP.
Forgotten Weapons
I haven't handled one, sorry...
Steve Colletti
Did I miss Ian's take on the Springfield Armory Hi Power? I'd curious to know which he prefers.
Wes
I'll still have to get one of these. I was disappointed in the changes to the frame. When I pick up a BHP, it just feels so good.
Pumba’s Gpa
Still not a CZ75!
Fantastic pistol, well thought out, addresses known issues- what is there NOT to like about it? Since we've slaughtered the sacred cow, when is the BBQ?
David K. Jernigan
Almost sounds like FN was being either cheap or lazy in not upgrading to CNC machining which is more flexible and could have been used to make other designs after making a batch of Hi Powers to fill orders without having to retool
ViejoLobo
One of my gripes with firearms companies is the lack of magazine interchangeability among their own product lines. In this case, I understand why you wouldn't want to subject a new gun to use with old, battered or off-spec clone magazines. But a HiPower that doesn't take HiPower mags?
Beverly Chmelik
Why did they make it wider?
Guido Schriewer
frankly.. like brownells did retros I'd go springfield with discrete yet useful upgrates. plus one on the stock slot backstrap. looks are way wayyyy better with springfield. sorry fn.
