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BikerRN
05-06-09, 00:04
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I have to make a confession.

I love the GP-35. That's the High Power to some of you. While I like it in 9mm I love it in .40 S&W. I've bought two of them recently and while I've not cared for the round, as I feel a 9mm or a 45 can do everything the 40 can do, I love the gun that launches the projectile.

I've liked 1911's for years and admired the High Power from afar, not seeing very many of them in my formative years. Over dinner one day with a retired U.S. Customs Investigator friend he told me he was suprised that I didn't own a High Power.

I told him I hadn't seen very many of them over the years, so I had no real opinion of them. We went out shooting after dinner and he let me try his High Power. That was all it took, as I was hooked like a $2 whore on crack.

I shopped around and found a Practical Model, NIB and bought it. I set that one up as my EDC with Crimson Trace Laser Grips and Trijicon Green Front/Yellow Rear Night Sights. That's all I did to it. As far as I was concerned, it was everything I wanted in a fighting handgun.

I proceeded to order magazines and holsters for it, as well as a couple of different magazine pouches. In fact Matt Del Fatti is making me a Belt, Holster and Mag Pouch for it. That one will be my BBQ Rig and OWB. My other three holsters are IWB with one IWB Double Mag Pouch and one OWB Double Mag Pouch.

Needing a tax deduction this year I found a LNIB Standard, also in .40 S&W and purchased it, along with more ammo than I've ordered at one time before. I've shot up some of the ammo breaking the Practical in and taking Massad Ayoob's LFI 1 class recently.

I was amazed at the reliability, accuracy and dependability of the High Power. The only thing my Block does that I wouldn't ask my High Power to do is live in salt water for an extended period of time, like Katrina.

When I lay my High Power down next to a 1911, and I have been known to own one or two, my eye is drawn to the High Power. I see the 1911 as a Draft Horse while the High Power is a Race Horse. I finally came to understand what people meant when they say, "When John Browning designed the 1911 he hit a Home Run. When he designed the High Power he hit a Grand Slam."

As you may be able to tell, I'm a bit of a "traditionalist" and like classic guns. I started my career with a revolver and carried three off duty for the past couple of years. I do not feel undergunned with a good wheelgun and would even carry one at work if they let me.

I will give the edge to the autoloading platform for faster reloads, ammo capacity and ability to clear a malfunction quicker, but the revolver still has the edge in accuracy, ability to fire various rounds without feeding "issues", simplicity for the user and ability to fire higher pressure loads.

Every couple of years I carry a different platform so that I may stay current with what's out there, but that may change for me after twenty years of carrying various guns. I think I may have found the one and only platform for me, and the High Power is it for my "Primary" off duty carry gun. Of course I will still carry a BUG or two and they will be a revolver, unless I find a High Power Detective version.

OK, that is my confession regarding the High Power.

Biker

pryde
05-06-09, 00:16
I would shoot nothing but a hi power if there were only a way to fix the terrible trigger reset on them. The ergos and the the size are absolutely perfect imo.

JonInWA
05-06-09, 09:23
Cylinder & Slide has a package that modifies the reset (as do probably others, such as Novak and Heirloom Precision, I'd imagine). I believe that it involves repositioning the sear.

I just treat my Hi-Power reset as a revolver-like reset-the trigger needs to go all the way forward. And yes, it usually requires about one embarressing short-stroke per session before I remember this, as I relatively rarely use my Hi-Power these days.

Nice review, BikerRN.

Best, Jon

Business_Casual
05-06-09, 09:53
A very nice review; however I could have done without the TOS hysterics and style cues in your prose.

M_P

BikerRN
05-06-09, 14:13
A very nice review; however I could have done without the TOS hysterics and style cues in your prose.

M_P

What TOS hysterics?

As far as style cues, that's how I write.

Biker

BikerRN
05-08-09, 03:21
Still waiting for an answer.

TOS?

If I violated some rule of this forum I wish someone would be kind enough to point it out to me. As far as hysterics, ya'all ain't seen nuttin' yet. :D

Biker

RAM Engineer
05-08-09, 06:53
There was a thread on here a few months back involving Hi-Powers chambered in .40 S&W and durability issues. I'll see if I can find it.

Ahhh...here it is: http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=20590&highlight=browning+durability

BikerRN
05-08-09, 12:19
Thanks for the link.

I went to the other thread and noticed a few things.

One, with changing recoil springs, I change every 1,000 rounds. I'm on my second change from the original since getting the High Power. In a normal year, without training, look for me to put a case of ammo through my primary off duty carry gun. Since I was "wringing out" a new gun I've put two cases through it in just a few short months.

I've had few malfunctions in all that time. One can be attributed to a magazine. Another malfunction can be attributed to my hitting the slide release latch with my thumb due to my grip. That has since been changed, with exstensive practice. The latest one, I have no clue. It was a Mecgar magazine I was using, and it's possible that it too was a magazine "issue" as every other magazine worked perfectly and I don't believe I did anything different in the way I hold my gun when I fired that shot.

I just placed the suspect magazine in my Range Magazine pile and have six that are dedicated to carry. Four are Browning magazines and two are Mecgars. I like to use the Mecgar as my last magazine because it's a way of telling myself, if I ever have to fire that many rounds in a real life situation, "This is your last reload, make it work."

I had a friend that was involved in a shooting that used both his reloads to stop two felons. It got so "hairy" that he was down to his last bullet. After hearing his tale I wanted a reminder of sorts to let me know when I'm about to bite off more than I can chew and that I may need to re-examine my approach to the problem at hand.

As for durability. I'll let you know how durable the High Power is in twenty years or so. So far, I've not had any problems, but then I'm only planning to shoot one case/year on average. That lets me shoot enough to keep my bullets on target at the Range and get some training/practice in. Also, I think it's a lot more honest than some of the reported high round counts I hear about. I change recoil springs often in my 1911's and High Powers. Heck, I even change them in my Glock, as I believe a little preventive maintenance prevents problems down the road.

Biker

Biker

JonInWA
05-08-09, 15:28
You should be just fine. And Glock now recommends that their recoil springs be changed every 3K rounds.

Enjoy your Hi-Power.

Best, Jon