[mark r r]

i have noticed that every hi power forum i have browsed on has less activity than all the other forums on the same board. why?

is it the fact that hi powers are not as popular to "enhance" or "customize"?

are they just near perfect right out of the box?

not as many sold, maybe not as many sold in the recent past?

what do you think?

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I'm not sure why this seems to be the case, but I've really only noticed it at the "Browning Firearms Forum" when compared to the "CZ Firearms Forum."

BHPs are quite popular in terms of customizing, but not to the same degree as the 1911, just my view, but look at the posts here on both pistols. Of course, this place is heavily "infested" with 1911-lovers...including me!

I don't think the P35's ever sold as well as the 1911s in this country. Witness the growth of Springfield Armory, Kimber, Para-Ordinance, etc compared to makers of the HP! Even though I love HPs and the P35s my favorite handgun, I lust after all the info I can get on the Valtro 1911 and will almost certainly buy one, at least one.

Hopefully, we will break the trend here at this forum and with people asking "good" questions such as yours, we will.

Best.

 

[mark r r]

i wonder if joe mcb. can get a line on a valtro 1911? he always seem to be able to get what i want, if i can stand the price. in all fairness to the mcbrides they have always been fair to me. if i want something before it hits the shelves everywhere i figure it migh carry a little higher price. the valtro sounds like it will be a real buy when it is available at $1100.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, Mark rr. There's a thread under "1911 Talk" concerning the Valtro 1911s that you might find of interest.

Best.

 

[VoceNoctum]

I think one of the problems with customizing the Hi-powers is that they're irritating to disassemble :smile:
The colt was made to be able to totally disassemble easily, but the Hi-power wasn't.

Add to this that single actions are out of vogue (the exception of the 1911's and the Glocks, which they don't advertise as a SA) and 9mm's aren't taken as seriously as they used to be (though, I think most of the problems have been with specific loads)
So, a 9mm SA is double dead :smile:

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. You may very well be right! Supposedly HP sales were very, very poor and that, combined with the frivolous lawsuits being filed then, is why Browning quit importing the HP. A pity for those not already owning this grand gun.

Best and thanks for your view.

 

[recondoc]

I think that part of it is a certain breed that love the HP. It is primarily the epitomy of a utilitarian tool. This pistol is not as complicated as one might believe. I've owned plenty of both 1911s and HPs. What I discovered it what I think turns a lot of people off. I am by nature a tinkerer. If it can be screwed with, I'll probably do it just to do it. I started out with the tinkerer's wet dream, the 1911. Let's face it, when it comes to something to mess around with, the 1911 is just begging for it.(Side note: Though not all can be attributed to me, it is also why there are so many lemon 1911s at gunshows.) I think this started long ago due to military surplus 1911s being primarily what people could get. They had to tinker to get them to shoot. It then segwayed into a rite of passage as a shooter to certain types.(You're just not a pistolero unless you shoot custom 1911s)
The P35 HiPower on the other hand, just doesn't need a lot of tinkering. Browning knew what he wanted from the 1911 design and what needed to be changed. He applied this and then promptly died. The little Belgian fellow that followed up on the project also seemed to know a lot about design. The new lockup system got rid of the link and bushing and delivered exceptional accuracy out of the box. The grip shape pointed like nothing else made to that point in history. (excepting maybe the Colt Peacemaker). And let's not forget the trigger......OK, maybe mentioning the trigger is not the best attribute. It pretty much sucks due to the stupid mag disconnect. (Col. Cooper wrote an amusing anticdote one time about an SAS Leftenant who met his demise due to a HP mag safety and poor tactical knowledge of his weapon.)

In all my rambling, I think I'm trying to say that a lot of shooters just don't give the HP it's due respect. The caliber, though the most used in history, doesn't get respect from American bigger is better mentality. It did until the Crime Bill. (How many of you have owned Wonder Nines? Be honest.) After that, the American market told us that what we really need to do is make a bigger hole. (I'm still buying that line. I have a .40HP coming soon.) It doesn't need the tinkering attention that 1911s need. Parts are harder to find and thus more expensive, and it is n't made of the latest polymer with bells and whistles. It is a straight up working tool. Designed to deliver it's payload RELIABLY and accurately, and it does it.
Well, that's my humble(well kind of anyway) opinion.
If you read all of this, your eyes should be soor by now. Get outside and shoot something.
Happy Shooting

 

[VoceNoctum]

It's one of the things that always got me with Brownings duo. Neither one is what he wanted. The hi-power's barrel lock-up is what everything else (almost) is based on, but the rest of the Hi-Power?
It's a great gun, and I'm almost finished with mine, but I like playing with 1911's more, they're easier and parts are more plentiful.