The FN/Browning High Power-Revisited Part One

[JonInWA]

Ok, some late-breaking updates:

First, as I discussed earlier in the thread, I ran into a total of 3 failures to reset when firing multiple shots on targets at 2 successive IDPA matches; essentially I didn't let the trigger go far enough forward before pulling for a successive shot. Now a part of these failures are on me-I need to practice sufficiently to build up the necessary instinctive muscle memory for shot-to-shot transitions-but there's also the factor that removing the magazine safety disconnect plunger concurrently diminished the amount of mechanical kick-back to the trigger assisting in the reset process. While I went with the BH Spring Solutions stronger 2-coil trigger return spring, clearly there were potential reset issues manifesting themselves.

I had a detailed discussion on this with BH Spring Solution's Mark Allen. He revealed to me that when FN went to the cast frame for the High Power, the slot where the trigger return spring is seated was also modified, allowing for some wallow/surplus space for the TRS's seating. While not much of a factor so as long as the magazine disconnect plunger assembly remained in place, on it's removal things could be a bit problematic. BH Spring Solutions was aware of this, and while they don't necessarily recommend removing the MDA (magazine disconnect assembly), they're certainly aware that many High Power owners do so, so they embarked on a solution.

Essentially, as you can see in the comparative images, while the new (and my understanding is that it's still experimental/not in full production) 2 coil TRS is of the same material and tensility, the bend is modified to provide a more secure seating/resistance in cast-frame Hi Powers.

Current BH Spring Solutions 2-Coil Trigger Return Spring (OEM profile):


New BH Spring Solutions TRS Optimized For Cast-Frame High Powers:


My initial post-installation live-fire testing was short, but I'm very positive over this spring replacement; while trigger feel is not adversely affected (neither myself or my gunsmith, Chris at C.a.R. Firearms {the C.a.R. stands for Custom and Restoration} could not discern any difference whatsoever in trigger feel between the 2 TRS-that's a good thing), the reset was achieved without any issues or failures; I'll be wringing it out more thoroughly in a March IDPA match.

Mark Allen also wanted me to try out one of their proprietary walnut grips, which they market as HiPower Master's Grips HYBRID. They have an extensive variety of them, varying in wood quality, finish, and embellishments. Their profile and thinness has been carefully calculated for ideal ergonomics. I requested a middle-of-the-line example; I wanted one with checkering, and in a darker color to aesthetically compliment the black epoxy finish of my High Power. I mounted my set using a red computer fiber washer to anchor the grip screws to preclude backing out in use.

Here are some images of them installed:






On installation, their fit is superb on my frame-it would appear that these were designed from the onset for fit with the cast frame. The feel is very ergonomic, with flowing curves and excellent proportions and thicknesses. The thumb shelf is muted, but appears to be ergonomically effective; it'll be interesting to see how it works with live-fire and under stress in a match or training situation. The grain figuring is very nice on my mid-level priced set, retail priced at $74.95 (they range in prices from $69 to $169).

Obviously, I'm very interested to see how these grips compare with the BH Spring Solutions/RDIH wrap-around fingergrooved polymer grips (and especially with the grips after benefiting from their VCD stippling treatment). My initial thoughts are that the RDIH/VCD will better handle the torquing and recoil of the .40 cartridges, but we'll see empirically how things shape out.

Chris at C.a.R. did a couple of other things at my request; the hammer sides have been slightly beveled for a more user-friendly, less sharp shape-better particularly for IWB carry, and the tip of the trigger has been given a slightly radius to be a bit more comfortable; subtle improvements, but they make the High Power incrementally improved, particularly for EDC concealed carry and protracted use. The execution was effective, and tastefully and subtly done.





Chris/C.a.R. can be reached here:



I've used them for several years for work on my 1911s, Glock 21, Beretta 92D and the High Power; their prices and work times are reasonable, and, most importantly, their quality of work and willingness to work with the customer is exceptional.

One last item for discussion; when after my live-fire session I field-stripped the High power for cleaning and re-lubrication, I noticed that the BH Spring Solution/EK Firearms Dual Buffering Recoil Spring Guide's cap (used to secure the replaceable inner spring) had slightly unscrewed, and was backed out about 1/8" . As recommended by BH SS, after the initial spring selection and verification, I had used Blue 242 Locktite threadlocker, after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol the screw and receptor thread surfaces. Apparently either the vibrations from the .40 recoil forces had broken the threadlocker seal, or I had insufficiently cleaned the concerned areas, or applied insufficient threadlocker. I reapplied the Locktite, and we'll see how it holds up. Alternatively, I'll either remove, thoroughlyn cleaning and debriding any old residue threadlocker residue, reapply fresh threadlocker, or go the alternative locking solution, using plumber's tape to lock down the cap. There was still plenty of screw length left after the loosening, and the screw only would back out so far as described and then stop, but it was still in need of correction. We'll see how it holds up.

Best, Jon

[JonInWA]

BH SS has now in fact standardized the modified trigger return spring I discussed above. Mine, in the brief live-fire, and more extensive dry-fire I've subjected it to has performed swimmingly, seemingly eradicating the sporadic reset/short stroke issue I'd experienced. The spring is optimized for the cast frame High Powers, so if you have a forged-frame High Power, or one of the clones (Arcus, FM, Kareen, et al), and you plan on replacing the TRS, I'd suggest giving BH SS a call to determine the best choice for your specific gun. And remember, the probable causal factor in my reset issues were probably 100% linked to my decision to remove the magazine safety plunger from my trigger; the plunger materially assists to a degree with the trigger reset process, by providing mechanical force against the trigger.

And, just when I was getting settled in, Mark Allen sent me the RDIH SFS kit, and a magnificent set of smooth Legacy grips; to date, I've pretty much considered the SFS option to be a bit of a solution in search of a problem, but I'm willing to give it a shot with a reasonably open mind. The kit also includes an intriguingly well thought out ambi magazine release, which uses the same space and cut-out that the OEM one does, so when I install the SFS I'll concurrently install that, if not sooner.

The Legacy grips are beautiful, and completely smooth. In the past, I've been pretty skeptical of untextured grips, especially if there's also no texturing of any sort on the frontstrap and backstrap, but according to BH SS the shaping and ergonomics of these grips are designed for your hand to fit around without looseness or gaps, effectively anchoring the gun without texturing. We'll see.

Best, Jon

[JonInWA]

I suspect that discussion grips for some of us is akin to discussing my wife's shoes and shoe selection process; intensely personal, both operationally, ergonomically and...dare I say it...emotionally/aesthetically driven.

So I'll go where wise men fear to tread-into a discussion of grips; more specifically, High Power grips.

First, the OEM FN/Browning grips: Essentially raise and dismiss items, somewhat like the OEM polymer sights on a Glock. Yes, they work. But the OWM wood grips (and their black plastic molded version, provided on FN rollmarked High Powers, and the later curved thumbrest polymer ones for the MK III guns) are relatively unergonomic, and uncomfortable. Most serious High Power users pretty quickly discard them and move to other options.

On my first Browning Hi Power, I switched first to the Uncle Mikes rubber Craig Spegel designed grips, followed by a set of custom Craig Spegel checkered Kingwood grips that Craig provided to me directly. The grain was beautiful, and aesthetically they were magnificent; but operationally they (or at least that specific set) were a bit too thin for me, and allowed my triggerfinger to protrude too far into the triggerguard; natural triggerfinger indexing on the trigger itself was awkward. I hope whomever acquired that Hi Power is enjoying, appreciating them, and fits to them better than I.

My second Browning MK III Hi Power and third (and current) FN MKIII High Power both started out with the Hogue rubber fingergroove grips. A bit aesthetically challenged (but their dull black color does integrate into the dull/non-reflectively-finished MKIII safety levers, trigger and hammer....) but operationally and ergonomically effective. Except for one thing: After years of use, and probably accumulated exposure to various cleaning and lubrication liquids, they experienced some material deterioration; not unusual to rubber-based grips over time.

So, time to move on. I've liked Hogue grips in the past, so I checked their site, and came across their "Limited Editions and Factory Seconds" room. The factory seconds are really broken down into two categories-one is products with minor flaws or non-matching sets, and the other is comprised of grips that are apparently flawless, but are a discontinued pattern, material or color. I picked up a pair of Olive/Gray checkered G10 grips for my Hi Power, and later a similar set of conventionally checkered double-diamond grips for my Colt Series 70 stainless 1911A1.







I've been exceptionally pleased with these grips. They're the right thickness for me, the ergonomics are good, and the inherently chalky texture of the G10 (plus the checkering) makes for an excellent non-slip grip, despite the bald frontstrap. Aesthetically, they're handsome and compliment the High Power nicely, at least to my eye. I had no issues wit them operationally, and secured them with a computer fiber washer on/under the screws, preventing the screws from loosening under firing vibration and backing out.

ALways being willing to experiment, however, BH Spring Solutions provided me with a set of Leon Hubert's RDIH polymer grips, who's salient features are pronounced fingergrooves on the frontstrap and vestigial thumbshelves on the upper sides. Before they arrived, I was prepared to be underwhelmed, thinking them to be a sort of a European clone/poor man's version of the Hogue rubber fingergroove grip. On arrival and installation, my opinion began to change, favorably. The fingergroves are pretty pronounced; however, they're very effective in anchoring and providing effective leverage, especially useful with .40 High Powers in recoil management and providing rapid splits.







However, as I discussed in previous posts on the threads, I felt there was room for improvement; discussing with David Barnes of VCD grips, he agreed to experimentally apply his stippling treatment to a set; BH SS provided me with a Coyote-colored set, which I felt would showcased the VCD treatment nicely.







Prior to their arrival at VCD, David was cautious; there was the risk that the grips possessed either the wrong polymer or insufficiently thick polymer for the treatment to work, but on arrival, he found them an excellent subject for the treatment. On installation, testing and operational use I find these grips to be absolutely superb, as well as being a huge value, as the total cost of the basic grips and then with the added VCD treatment is less than $60-and in my opinion you're getting one of, if not the best, particularly operationally, of the High Power grips. Essentially, the combination of the grip shape, side strakes and VCD treatment provides superb anchoring of the pistol in hand; the side strakes on the left side in a two-hand grip nicely anchor the palm directly underneath the thumb of my support hand, while the VCD stippling provides an excellent non-slip anchoring surface for the strong-hand palm and the lower back of the support hand towards the back trailing surface of the grip. On single handed shooting, the thumb resting on the strake itself (as opposed to being atop the safety lever) provides excellent lateral and steering stability-and that goes for both strong-hande only and support-hand only shooting grips.

BH Springs Solutions has developed and markets a series of walnut grips on their site, and wanted me to test several of them, which I was happy to do. Their walnut grips are both CNC milled and hand finished, and range in price from $69.95 to $74.95 for a set of the matte-finished, smooth or checkered grips, to $79.95 for the BH Signature grips (one side checkered with BH SS logo, the other with a laser-carved image of John Browning), and finally the upper-tier Legacy and Heirloom grips, which are beautifully smoothed, polished, and have multiple coats of Damar lacquer applied for preservation, sealing and durability. Finishing on both Legacy and Heirlooms is the same; the pricing differentiation/tiering is due to the representative quality of the burl graining in each grip set; set of Legacy grips is $144.95, and Heirlooms are $168.95.

In all of their grip lines, BH SS will provide grips with a lanyard cut to accommodate the OEM lanyard if desired at no additional cost.

Now here. thanks to COVID 19 shelter-in-place edicts is where the review goes into the speculative realm. Due to COVID 19, I have honestly not had any opportunity to live-fire my High Power with either of the two walnut grips BH SS has provided me, a matte walnut checkered and a beautifully finished Legacy grip set (s).

Here are the matte ones;







And the beautifully burled and finished Legacy grips;





My review of these wood grips, therefor, is at this point constrained to my feelings about their fit, aesthetics and feel in dryfire practice, as range use and matches have been cancelled for the duration.

Regarding the matte hybrid walnuts grips (the "hybrid" terminology refers to how they combine a traditional High Power grip profile with the combination of shelving with grip cross-shaping; the grip bodies aren't flat, but deliberately curved to fit the palm's profile, so that the grip is efficiently cupped by the grasping hand)-they fit and feel magnificently in the hand. The intrinsic fit on the gun is strongly derived frm their internal CNC milling; apparently these grips are optimized for the latter Mk III High Power, given my sample size of one MK III; I don't know if they'll fit as well on earlier forged-frame High Powers; hopefully they do. Draw, grasping and dryfire access and control is excellent, and the grips are quite handsome on my epoxy black-finished Mk III.

The flashy, seemingly BBQ gun-oriented looking Legacy grips look great, and initially fit nicely, but until I can operationally test them, I'm ambivalent. Here's why: In his book, "The Shooter's Guide To The 1911 Pattern Pistol, on pp. 130-133, the late Stephen Camp discusses grips in detail-including one particularly resonating example of when he put on a beautiful set of smooth Maple grips on his duty 1911, however, on a heavily raining night he belatedly discovered that when he drew the gun he had no effective grip; the rain water rendered things too slippery. When I discussed this with Mark Allen of BH Spring Solutions, the reports he's had of these upper-tier smooth grips is that their shaping effectively anchors them, but for me I'll need to vet them through actual use before I feel comfortable in recommending them as operationally viable.

So-Where do I stand grip-wise regarding the High Power (and, in my case, more specifically for a heavier recoiling, quicker pressure-spiking on ignition .40 High Power)? At this point, my first recommendation, and what's physically on my High Power, are the RDIH VCD stippled polymer grips; second choice would be the Hogue G10 grips. The BH Springs Solution's matte walnut checkered hybrid grips impress me with their feel and general shape, and I suspect will do quite nicely, but I'm hesitating to fully recommend them until I've tested and vetted them through actual use in live-fire/training/IDPA competition, all of which is on hold until May or June...

The Hogue rubber fingergroove grips are undeniably effective, but my experience with rubber grips in general is that they be viewed as a disposable item. Particularly after using them for 5 years or so, I strongly suggest removing them and carefully examining them for rubber decay and deterioration, particularly on the surfaces that engage and mate with the receiver, locking and stabilizing the grips in place.

Best, Jon

[JonInWA]

Mark Allen and Slav recently sent me the complete SFS Fast Safety System, despite my previous profusely expressed feelings that it was a redundant system-a solution somewhat in search of a problem. And yet they still sent me one...Probably hoping COVID 19 cabin fever would instill within me an attitude of willing experimentation...we'll see. I'll probably install it, just because it'll give me insights into this system, if nothing else. And COVID 19 cabin fever...

However, also in the kit is Leon Hubert's intriguing Ambidextrous Magazine Catch Assembly. Installation is exactly the same as the OEM part. However, there's a lever/catch/kickplate that can optionally be installed on the right side of the release, which enables the magazine release to be activated from either side. The piece simply slides into a groove on the release assembly; so you have the choice with the RDIH product of having either a "normal" magazine release button on the left side of the gun, or the kickplate on the right side; when the kickplate is pushed down on, it cantilevers the magazine release outward; the part moved down vertically and physically pulls the catch out, releasing the magazine.

Essentially, it simply uses a mechanical advantage to accomplish the same thing that pushing the release button on the gun's left side does.









For all my earlier whining about the relative difficulties in detail disassembling a High Power, The magazine release assembly is exceptionally easy to remove and reinstall (ot to install a replacement assy). The RDIH assembly is as easy as the OEM one to install (as it should be-Leon Hubert is a former FN engineer specializing on the High Power).

At first, I was concerned that the kickplate might be too protrusive, too sharp, too easily inadvertently assessed; in actual use, none of these concerns has come to fruition. I like it to the extent that its become a permanent installation on my High Power. Ergonomically it just works, giving you another physical tool in the toolbox for reload situations, particularly for lefties and those wanting to achieve the quickest magazine dump and reloading. Like an extended slide stop on a Glock, it's a surprisingly useful and easy to use piece of kit-I recommend it.

However, there is one minor philosophical schism in BH Spring Solutions world between their replacement spring for the OEM FN magazine release spring and the RDIH component: BH SS's philosophy is that the spring should be stronger, to minimize the possibility of an inadvertent magazine release, but the RDIH release assembly is made with a weaker spring, probably to better facilitate the activation of the kickplate on the right side if it's chosen to be the release activator. In reality, I find that both work-the BH SS spring isn't inordinately heavy, and the RDIH one isn't inordinately light; the spring weight differentiations are probably more in degree than in kind.

Best, Jon

[Medusa]

The mag release issue is the biggest single reason this left hander has never ponied up for a hipower. I’ve seen these type of setups before, but yours is the first review I’ve seen. Interesting though at this point I can’t see acquiring a hipower when the 92s suit me so well.

[JonInWA]

The mag release issue is the biggest single reason this left hander has never ponied up for a hipower. I’ve seen these type of setups before, but yours is the first review I’ve seen. Interesting though at this point I can’t see acquiring a hipower when the 92s suit me so well.

But I've taken away your excuse, in case COVID 19 Sheltering-In-Place has you trolling the auction sites and you just happen to stumble on a bright, shiny High Power yearning to be adopted into a new home...

Best, Jon

[Tokarev]

...COVID 19 Sheltering-In-Place has you trolling the auction sites...

The Corona thing has been a disaster for me financially. Good for my reloading supplies and for accumulating spare parts I'll never use...



Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[Chuck Whitlock]

I suspect that discussion grips for some of us is akin to discussing my wife's shoes and shoe selection process; intensely personal, both operationally, ergonomically and...dare I say it...emotionally/aesthetically driven.

So I'll go where wise men fear to tread-into a discussion of grips; more specifically, High Power grips.

First, the OEM FN/Browning grips: Essentially raise and dismiss items, somewhat like the OEM polymer sights on a Glock. Yes, they work. But the OWM wood grips (and their black plastic molded version, provided on FN rollmarked High Powers, and the later curved thumbrest polymer ones for the MK III guns) are relatively unergonomic, and uncomfortable. Most serious High Power users pretty quickly discard them and move to other options.

On my first Browning Hi Power, I switched first to the Uncle Mikes rubber Craig Spegel designed grips, followed by a set of custom Craig Spegel checkered Kingwood grips that Craig provided to me directly. The grain was beautiful, and aesthetically they were magnificent; but operationally they (or at least that specific set) were a bit too thin for me, and allowed my triggerfinger to protrude too far into the triggerguard; natural triggerfinger indexing on the trigger itself was awkward. I hope whomever acquired that Hi Power is enjoying, appreciating them, and fits to them better than I.

Excellent post, Jon.

On my first Hi-Power, a MK-III in .40, I also had the factory polymer grips swapped out for the UM Spegel copies.

However, also in the kit is Leon Hubert's intriguing Ambidextrous Magazine Catch Assembly. Installation is exactly the same as the OEM part. However, there's a lever/catch/kickplate that can optionally be installed on the right side of the release, which enables the magazine release to be activated from either side. The piece simply slides into a groove on the release assembly; so you have the choice with the RDIH product of having either a "normal" magazine release button on the left side of the gun, or the kickplate on the right side; when the kickplate is pushed down on, it cantilevers the magazine release outward; the part moved down vertically and physically pulls the catch out, releasing the magazine.

While I personally have no interest in the ambi kickplate, I will note that my above-mentioned Hi-Power, being carried IWB in the coastal south Texas heat, would develop rust between the frame and mag catch from sweat, and I had to routinely remove the mag catch to clean it out.

[That Guy]

when the kickplate is pushed down on, it cantilevers the magazine release outward; the part moved down vertically and physically pulls the catch out, releasing the magazine.

Colour me intrigued.

In actual use, how similar or dissimilar does the kickplate feel like when compared to a normal push-button magazine release that has been flipped around for left-handed use?

[JonInWA]

It's a little different, becaust of the downward mechanics/activitation motion, but it's easily accomplished and required relatively few repititions to establish effective muscle memory.

Best, Jon