A couple of questions about the FN High Power

MosinDave · 04-20-2006, 01:46 AM

Heya everyone. Got a couple of questions about the High Power. Yes, the bug has bitten me after shooting one at the range a while back, and I am getting ready to go get one pretty soon. ( as soon as I can cough up $500 )
Main concerns are: Can you safely carry this gun " locked and cocked " like the 1911, and what kind of accuracy should I expect from it in a 9mm? Is there anything I should know about this design before buying it? I do plan on mainly shooting it for fun, but I also intend on using it for self defense.
I have heard nothing but good things about these handguns so far, so give me the lowdown on them... good and bad!:full:

lefty o · 04-20-2006, 10:43 AM

they are not target guns, but are typically more accurate than their owners. the browning hi power was designed to be safely carried cocked and locked, the newer pistols also have a firing pin safety added for your peace of mind. the only issue is some hi powers could use a trigger job as they come from the factory.

jellydonut · 05-27-2006, 03:29 PM

Is the hi power double-action, Lefty? The only thing about the 1911 that I don't like is that it's not double action. My feeling is that: "what good is packing with a round in the chamber if you have to either carry it with the hammer spring compressed and safety on(kinda dangerous), or waste critical time pulling the hammer back, which can be tricky to do quickly even during normal circumstances.. Of course there's the half-cocked thing. Which leads me to wonder where the phrase "going off half-cocked" came from :S
JD

lefty o · 05-28-2006, 12:06 AM

single action. never carry a pistol with the hammer in the half cock position- any pistol, not just the hi power.

jellydonut · 05-29-2006, 12:49 AM

what exactly is the half-cocked position for then? i typically don't carry like that, but why is it there? so what do you do if you need to use the singe-action gun? just lower the hammer after chambering a round, and pull it back when you need it?

lefty o · 05-29-2006, 01:07 PM

single action pistols are carried cocked, and locked. the half cock notch is a safety feature that prevents the pistol from firing if the hammer falls from full cock.

jellydonut · 05-29-2006, 10:58 PM

wow, then I'd get a double action pistol if I was carrying often.. locked and cocked doesn't seem safe, even with the safety on.. esp. when you don't have a grip safety.

lefty o · 05-30-2006, 12:06 AM

its perfectly safe.

MosinDave · 06-01-2006, 12:59 PM

It is safe to carry that way. A gun doesnt have to have a grip safety to be safe to carry in that manner. It really depends on what kind of safeties it has and how well they work by design. As far as I know as long as the gun has atleast a trigger safety, a hammer safety and a firing pin block that is only released when the trigger is fully depressed ( which also keeps the firing pin from hitting the primer if the gun is dropped in such a manner to allow it ) it is safe to carry locked and cocked.
There could be more to this that I am forgetting, but if the gun is properly designed for it, it is safe to carry that way.

jellydonut · 06-04-2006, 10:30 AM

All ballester-molina .45s have is the regular .45 colt thumb safety. There's not a firing pin block (you mean the ones that actually cover the firing pin so that if the hammer falls unintentionally, it just hits that little strap of steel?) on em, but there's that half-cocked position for the hammer that seems to block it when the hammer falls slower than usual or something. (like if I'm letting it down while holding the hammer back with my thumb). Is that fairly safe? I ask cuz it gives me the willies to have the potential there in the spring to set off the round. So I usually carry with nothing in the chamber. Locked, but not loaded.

lefty o · 06-04-2006, 06:39 PM

you are more likely to have the gun fire while you are letting the hammer down on a live round, than if you dropped the pistol off of your house 10 times.

jellydonut · 06-04-2006, 11:59 PM

Granted. That's why I dont' do it often, adn when I do, i do it really carefully. Haven't slipped yet. Chance is a function of carefulness in this case. I meant, is carrying the ballester with safety on and hammer back and bullet in chamber safe enough, in your opinion?

lefty o · 06-05-2006, 11:43 AM

yes, carry it cocked and locked.

jellydonut · 06-05-2006, 11:43 PM

Sweet.

If I'm just goin back to our woods (~600-800 yds from house and pretty remote) by meself or somethin though, I usually just carry a full clip, gun not loaded, since.. I'd hopefully hear somebody sneakin up on me in all that brush and I'd have time to pull the slide back and stuff. Then I'd fill 'em so full of lead they'd be using their "richard" for a pencil. Most of what I have to worry about in the woods is drug growers and poachers who want to get rid of any witnesses. Or general creeps, like the freaking creepy new owner of the adjacent woods property.. ah well, thanks for the advice guys. I won't be so scared of it anymore when on safety.

MosinDave · 06-06-2006, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jellydonut

Sweet.

If I'm just goin back to our woods (~600-800 yds from house and pretty remote) by meself or somethin though, I usually just carry a full clip, gun not loaded, since.. I'd hopefully hear somebody sneakin up on me in all that brush and I'd have time to pull the slide back and stuff. Then I'd fill 'em so full of lead they'd be using their "richard" for a pencil. Most of what I have to worry about in the woods is drug growers and poachers who want to get rid of any witnesses. Or general creeps, like the freaking creepy new owner of the adjacent woods property.. ah well, thanks for the advice guys. I won't be so scared of it anymore when on safety.

Geeze man, where do you live? I dont have to worry about any of that kind of stuff in my woods!

jellydonut · 06-07-2006, 07:47 PM

Well, we've had poachers arrested here twice, and we have a long history of people trespassing on here without being caught because they're lucky. We even had drunken morons DRIVE THROUGH OUR FRONT YARD, right in front of our house in a jeep while we were gone about 3 years ago- then they tooled around in the field behind our house for a while, and the neighbors told us when we asked how those tracks got there.. It's creepy, because about nobody else can see us because our house is on the side of a hill and blocked by trees from sight on the other side. Lucky for them we were gone. There ARE marijuana growers in woodses around here, too, cuz the drug chopper scours the county every summer, but I am not aware of any having been in our woods. They're probably shy of it now since we're so close to the new crapsville airport though. Western Ohio, but there's a surprising number of psychos/creeps around here. You may have heard about the 6-person murder/suicide that occured last year, about a mile from our house (on the next road over) as the crow flies, for example.
JD
Not a bad place to live, just occasionally very creepy.

Oh and our new neighbor I spoke of has spied on us before, and then tried to claim our land as his cuz he's kind of a ..yeah. He's the cold calculating type, and none of my other neighbors like him either cuz he's crass and self-centered. Plus he's always puttering around in that woods, doing who-knows-what, sawing wood and making paths, and letting his kids and dogs run on our property, but not letting Mom walk along the creek on the county-maintained lane where she's walked for the past 10 years.. He's also blocked the county from mowing the lane along that easement with unflagged barbed wire fence. They even tore it down once without complaining and mowed, but he put it back up, along with some logs. Well, now I'm just complaining, so I'll stop

. You get my point.

JUNKER · 07-06-2006, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MosinDave

Heya everyone. Got a couple of questions about the High Power. Yes, the bug has bitten me after shooting one at the range a while back, and I am getting ready to go get one pretty soon. ( as soon as I can cough up $500 )
Main concerns are: Can you safely carry this gun " locked and cocked " like the 1911, and what kind of accuracy should I expect from it in a 9mm? Is there anything I should know about this design before buying it? I do plan on mainly shooting it for fun, but I also intend on using it for self defense.
I have heard nothing but good things about these handguns so far, so give me the lowdown on them... good and bad!:full:

I know a lot the Browning Hi Power... It is used in Argentina by All the Armed Forces and the Police (All the security forces too)...
I have 2 in my collection... One is just the military modell, and the other is with adjustable sight, called "Commando", that was specially made for the National Argentine Factory (FM, or "Fabricaciones Militares", traslation of Miliary Factories)...
It is a very nice gun... Really good one, very hard for military uses, but it is just some old... it is just like a "Chevrolet Bell Air", someones name it here like "an Old Ford Falcon"... The ones made in my country are very nasty finish (just a military one), but have a very good barrel, and a lot of presition in shoot, the belgians ones are very similar,,, I think it is just a military gun, very good and excellent one for the war and military forces, but not so good for civilian uses... You must to made you own ellection, but I think, that this machine, was not made for use in the way you try to use it......... Sorry for my bad english...

04-20-2006, 01:46 AM	#1
MosinDave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 571	A couple of questions about the FN High Power Heya everyone. Got a couple of questions about the High Power. Yes, the bug has bitten me after shooting one at the range a while back, and I am getting ready to go get one pretty soon. ( as soon as I can cough up $500 ) Main concerns are: Can you safely carry this gun " locked and cocked " like the 1911, and what kind of accuracy should I expect from it in a 9mm? Is there anything I should know about this design before buying it? I do plan on mainly shooting it for fun, but I also intend on using it for self defense. I have heard nothing but good things about these handguns so far, so give me the lowdown on them... good and bad!:full:

06-07-2006, 07:47 PM	#16
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	Well, we've had poachers arrested here twice, and we have a long history of people trespassing on here without being caught because they're lucky. We even had drunken morons DRIVE THROUGH OUR FRONT YARD, right in front of our house in a jeep while we were gone about 3 years ago- then they tooled around in the field behind our house for a while, and the neighbors told us when we asked how those tracks got there.. It's creepy, because about nobody else can see us because our house is on the side of a hill and blocked by trees from sight on the other side. Lucky for them we were gone. There ARE marijuana growers in woodses around here, too, cuz the drug chopper scours the county every summer, but I am not aware of any having been in our woods. They're probably shy of it now since we're so close to the new crapsville airport though. Western Ohio, but there's a surprising number of psychos/creeps around here. You may have heard about the 6-person murder/suicide that occured last year, about a mile from our house (on the next road over) as the crow flies, for example. JD Not a bad place to live, just occasionally very creepy. Oh and our new neighbor I spoke of has spied on us before, and then tried to claim our land as his cuz he's kind of a ..yeah. He's the cold calculating type, and none of my other neighbors like him either cuz he's crass and self-centered. Plus he's always puttering around in that woods, doing who-knows-what, sawing wood and making paths, and letting his kids and dogs run on our property, but not letting Mom walk along the creek on the county-maintained lane where she's walked for the past 10 years.. He's also blocked the county from mowing the lane along that easement with unflagged barbed wire fence. They even tore it down once without complaining and mowed, but he put it back up, along with some logs. Well, now I'm just complaining, so I'll stop . You get my point. Last edited by jellydonut; 06-07-2006 at 07:54 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

04-20-2006, 10:43 AM	#2
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,812	they are not target guns, but are typically more accurate than their owners. the browning hi power was designed to be safely carried cocked and locked, the newer pistols also have a firing pin safety added for your peace of mind. the only issue is some hi powers could use a trigger job as they come from the factory.

05-27-2006, 03:29 PM	#3
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	Is the hi power double-action, Lefty? The only thing about the 1911 that I don't like is that it's not double action. My feeling is that: "what good is packing with a round in the chamber if you have to either carry it with the hammer spring compressed and safety on(kinda dangerous), or waste critical time pulling the hammer back, which can be tricky to do quickly even during normal circumstances.. Of course there's the half-cocked thing. Which leads me to wonder where the phrase "going off half-cocked" came from :S JD

05-28-2006, 12:06 AM	#4
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,812	single action. never carry a pistol with the hammer in the half cock position- any pistol, not just the hi power.

05-29-2006, 12:49 AM	#5
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	what exactly is the half-cocked position for then? i typically don't carry like that, but why is it there? so what do you do if you need to use the singe-action gun? just lower the hammer after chambering a round, and pull it back when you need it?

05-29-2006, 01:07 PM	#6
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,812	single action pistols are carried cocked, and locked. the half cock notch is a safety feature that prevents the pistol from firing if the hammer falls from full cock.

05-29-2006, 10:58 PM	#7
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	wow, then I'd get a double action pistol if I was carrying often.. locked and cocked doesn't seem safe, even with the safety on.. esp. when you don't have a grip safety.

05-30-2006, 12:06 AM	#8
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,812	its perfectly safe.

06-01-2006, 12:59 PM	#9
MosinDave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 571	It is safe to carry that way. A gun doesnt have to have a grip safety to be safe to carry in that manner. It really depends on what kind of safeties it has and how well they work by design. As far as I know as long as the gun has atleast a trigger safety, a hammer safety and a firing pin block that is only released when the trigger is fully depressed ( which also keeps the firing pin from hitting the primer if the gun is dropped in such a manner to allow it ) it is safe to carry locked and cocked. There could be more to this that I am forgetting, but if the gun is properly designed for it, it is safe to carry that way.

06-04-2006, 10:30 AM	#10
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	All ballester-molina .45s have is the regular .45 colt thumb safety. There's not a firing pin block (you mean the ones that actually cover the firing pin so that if the hammer falls unintentionally, it just hits that little strap of steel?) on em, but there's that half-cocked position for the hammer that seems to block it when the hammer falls slower than usual or something. (like if I'm letting it down while holding the hammer back with my thumb). Is that fairly safe? I ask cuz it gives me the willies to have the potential there in the spring to set off the round. So I usually carry with nothing in the chamber. Locked, but not loaded.

06-04-2006, 06:39 PM	#11
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,812	you are more likely to have the gun fire while you are letting the hammer down on a live round, than if you dropped the pistol off of your house 10 times.

06-04-2006, 11:59 PM	#12
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	Granted. That's why I dont' do it often, adn when I do, i do it really carefully. Haven't slipped yet. Chance is a function of carefulness in this case. I meant, is carrying the ballester with safety on and hammer back and bullet in chamber safe enough, in your opinion?

06-05-2006, 11:43 AM	#13
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,812	yes, carry it cocked and locked.

06-05-2006, 11:43 PM	#14
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234	Sweet. If I'm just goin back to our woods (~600-800 yds from house and pretty remote) by meself or somethin though, I usually just carry a full clip, gun not loaded, since.. I'd hopefully hear somebody sneakin up on me in all that brush and I'd have time to pull the slide back and stuff. Then I'd fill 'em so full of lead they'd be using their "richard" for a pencil. Most of what I have to worry about in the woods is drug growers and poachers who want to get rid of any witnesses. Or general creeps, like the freaking creepy new owner of the adjacent woods property.. ah well, thanks for the advice guys. I won't be so scared of it anymore when on safety.