[GrandmasterB]

I'm so excited! Jim Garthwaite will be returning my Hi Power this week, so I should get it before the weekend. I'll be sure to post a review and pictures as soon as I get it back. I can barely contain my excitement! I've been missing it, since I sent it off at the end of February.

It already had a great trigger job, C&S wide trigger and C&S ring hammer. I had Jim install Heinie sights, crown the barrel, bevel the magwell, recontour the thumb safety, de-horn and refinish the pistol in matte blue with polished slide flats. He also put Wolffe springs throughout and did a complete funtion/reliability and firing test. I should get a test target with the pistol too.

I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas! Only two to three days to go!

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I'd be excited, too! Not too much gets me going anymore, but a beautifully enhanced HP does. (So does this Valtro thingy right now.) Let us know your impressions of the pistol and how it shoots.

Best.

 

[Desert Dog]

GmB,

Any sign of your Gathwaite BHP yet? Have you been watching for delivery trucks or leaving work early? :smile:

DD

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Desert Dog on 2001-05-02 01:33 ]</font>

 

[GrandmasterB]

I'm expecting it either today or tomorrow. I will definitely post pics! I'm planning on shooting it at my local club's IDPA match on Saturday, so I should have some performance feedback fairly quickly too.

 

[GrandmasterB]

WooHoo! It's here!

All I can say is WOW! It looks totally excellent. What an amazing re-finish job! The matte blue rounds and polished flats are beautiful. My photography does not do this pistol justice.

Take a look at the dovetail front sight. It is radiused to the slide perfectly.

The Heinie rear site is low mounted and relieved at the rear for the ring hammer.

This shot shows the Heinie rear sight again, and the recontoured thumb safety.

I am VERY satisfied with this pistol, and by the looks of the test target, the barrel recrown did some good. I plan on shooting it this Saturday in my local club's IDPA match.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello and thanks for sharing the great pictures with us. A truly beautiful pistol.

Best.

 

[Hoser]

Okay, just let us know when you're selling (ha)!

 

[David Blinder]

That's a totally pathetic excuse for a custom BHP and you should be ashamed of yourself. So that you may reclaim your self respect and since I have none, please forward that clunker directly to me so that it can keep my Garthwaite BHP company.

 

[Desert Dog]

GmB,

Thanks for putting up the photos. You must be dancing the happy dance about now. Nice Hi-Power ya got there! :smile: I especially like the way the low mount on the Heinie is done. Garthwaite sure does nice work. Wear it with pride. Shoot it often.


DD

 

[38 Super Combat Commander]

Very nice.Thats a pistol you can be proud to carry.

 

[GrandmasterB]

Took the Hi Power to an IDPA match today. While I can shoot better (I think :wink, I still had a pretty good day and the gun ran flawlessly. Out of 43 shooters, I managed to finish 10th overall. Out of 8 shooters in ESP, I was third (#1 and #2 were within 2.5 points of me, so we were all real close)

I had great fun shooting this gun today. It's definitely moving to the top of my "favorite gun" list. :grin:

 

[lwpaul]

GrandmasterB, was very interested and pleased with your posting and pictures as I am expecting my Practical back any time now from Mr. Garthwaite. I too am anxious to hold and fire my "new" Browning. You have a veery nice looking pistol.

 

[Hoser]

Just out of curiosity because I'm planning on a new custom HP in my future, why didn't you checker or stipple the front strap?

 

[GrandmasterB]

lwpaul -- Thanks for the kind words. If your Garthwaite Hi Power is anything like mine, I know you'll be pleased. Let us know when it arrives and post pics if you can. I know that "excited and anxious" feeling you must be having! :smile:

Hoser -- I originally planned to have the front and back straps stippled when I sent this gun to Brian Bilby. Brian passed away before he could start on my pistol, and that's when I decided to send it to Jim Garthwaite. I have never physically seen examples of Garthwaite's stippling (I'm sure it's excellent, but I'm so picky when it comes to how my guns look), that I ultimately decided that I'd do without for now. The gun was polished blue to start with and was kind of slippery to hold, because it was so polished. I figured that having a bead-blast matte blue finish on the grip would add just a little extra traction for my hands, and I was right! It feels great.

The next time I commission a custom Hi Power, (see what having a custom gun will do? I'm already thinking about another! :smile, I most likely will go with checkering or stippling.

You can't have too many custom guns, can you?


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: GrandmasterB on 2001-05-06 18:06 ]</font>

 

[Pistolero]

GmB, Wonderful looking HP! Are those Spegel Cocobolo grips? If so what grade are they, they're Knockouts!

 

[GrandmasterB]

Hey Pistolero --

The grips are Craig Spegel cocobolo. I ordered them from Cylinder & Slide. $55 and free shipping -- what a deal! :smile:

 

[RMLamey]

that is a very nice pistol. I say again, Jim Garthwaite is "the man" when it comes to the Browning HP. Im currently looking for a good buy on a 40 HP to send him.

 

[RMLamey]

Just had to revive this post, and say...
Ive found that 40 HP to send Jim Garthwaite.

 

[GrandmasterB]

That's great, Matt! Make sure you post pics and give us all the details when you get it back.

And until then...

 

[legalhack]

I had Jim do mine as well - sounds like we had the same set of work done on it. I can't say enough about what he did - truly an artist. I would like to trade my USP .40 for a BHP in .40 and then send it to Jim for tweaking so I can have one in each caliber. Then get Dane to slap a .45 together for me and trhen ..... a battleship!!!