Care, Feeding, and Maintenance of La Grande Puissance (aka Hi-Power)

[KevH]

Is an HP in condition 2 drop safe? I'm thinking I'd like an SA-35 as an around-the-house pistol that can be stuffed safely in the waistband or laid on the coffee table when it's finally time to sit down of an evening.

I hate the whole "Condition" thing.

It's a single action semi-auto. It's made to be carried with the hammer cocked and the thumb safety engaged. There is no reason to carry it any other way.

There is absolutely ZERO reason to carry a 1911 or HiPower with a loaded chamber and the hammer down...no reason ever. Chamber a round and put the thumb safety on. Take the thumb safety off just before you're ready to pull the trigger and ride the safety with your thumb while shooting. Practice it enough times and it becomes completely automatic and involves no brain power or thought. Your body just does it automatically. I've never "forgotten" or had trouble taking a thumb safety off a 1911, HiPower or Remington 870 including in times of extreme stress. This worry about thumb safeties on the aforementioned guns causing problems or somehow keeping the gun from being fired intentionally are nothing more than internet speculation and foolishness. In the dozens of officer involved shootings involving the 1911 I've heard about, studied or personally witnessed not once has anyone ever had any issue whatsoever with a thumb safety.

...and yes, I've had the idiotic concerned citizen in a store or restaurant tell me more than once, "Officer, did you know your gun is cocked?" My only reply has always been, "Yes I do. It's supposed to be."

The firing pin safety was introduced to the HiPower mid run of the MkII guns and carried over to the MkIII. Like the 1911, I don't thing they're necessary, but I also don't think they hurt. The hammer accidentally falling is typically not the issue on the 1911 or HiPower when they're dropped. The issue is sometimes a worn out, modified or too light firing pin spring allowing the firing pin to fall forward under inertia if the gun is dropped on its muzzle causing it to strike a primer and fire the gun. Keep a strong firing pin spring in the gun (change it with the recoil spring) and it's typically a non-issue.

Since I don't have a Springfield Armory produced P35 nor have I had the chance to inspect one I cannot tell you if they have one or not. I would guess that they do.

[KevH]

Is an HP in condition 2 drop safe? I'm thinking I'd like an SA-35 as an around-the-house pistol that can be stuffed safely in the waistband or laid on the coffee table when it's finally time to sit down of an evening.

...also, I don't recommend Mexican carry if you absolutely don't have to. There are like 9,999,999 holsters that work well and imply clip into your drawers these days. For reasons that I've talked about it other threads in the past the only time a loaded gun is ever out of a holster is if it's in my hand or in a lockbox at the jail during booking. Otherwise it's unloaded or holstered.

[OlongJohnson]

Did a little digging on thin grips and posted in the other thread. Figured I'd cross post it here, in case someone isn't following the SA-35 launch.

https://www.handgunsandammunition.co...i-power.12063/

I am posting some photos of the VZ Pro Slims grips for those who may be looking for some slim Micarta grips for their Hi Power. They are very thin along the front strap, nicely rounded along the back strap, the sides are quite flat and fairly smooth considering they are textured. There is a definite taper to the front, sort of wedge shaped. The are only slightly thicker than the Navidrex Micarta grips which are flat. There is no palm swell in either of these grips. For the swell you would need a Spegel or Mil-Tac grip. Hogues have a similar wedge shape, but are slightly thicker.

Scroll down in that thread for a post with links to several other pages with similar quality photos of the various grip options. Spegel may be da bomb here.

A few manufacturer/dealer sites:

https://lokgrips.com/gun-grips/hi-po...eck-black-g10/

http://store.mil-tac.com/browninghpg10gripsblack.aspx

http://www.craigspegel.com/#grips

http://www.dlsports.com/ultra-thin-b...wer-grips.html

https://www.brownells.com%2Fhandgun-...-prod9563.aspx

[Gun Mutt]

Easy gents...wasn't trying derail this great idea of a thread. Perhaps the @shit-mods would like to move my question and the responses to the primary thread where the track is already wonderfully obfuscated.

I like HP's, always have. Owned and carried one 30yrs ago, cocked and locked, of course. I haven't carried my 1911 much in the last couple of years, but rarely does a week go by that it doesn't see some dry practice. Glocks are my preferred defensive pistol and I don't leave the house without one secured in JM kydex, hell, I keep it on when I'm in the house, for that matter.

For me, the SA-35 is strictly a want, albeit a very strong want, but not for edc. I'll shoot it, clean it, dry fire it, I'll even get an equally pleasing to me leather IWB holster for it, basically I'll just enjoy owning it. I like guns, handguns especially, it's pretty much my golf...just with superior defensive capabilities.

Now, if I had said that I was getting some dead sexy, Doc Holiday evoking Vaquero because owning it would please me (which it would) and that I could envision some lazy evenings where my edc Glock was secured and and the Vaquero was tucked in my waistband...would there be such hue and cry if I sought to confirm that it was drop safe when fully loaded with the hammer lowered on a live round?

[Stephanie B]

I inventoried my 10-round magazines (having sold all of the others before moving to CT). I didn't have enough for a decent match, so I fixed that. Then I ordered some parts that would seem to be good to have on hand.

Now I need to take my Mk.III out and shoot it a bit.

[Duelist]

Easy gents...wasn't trying derail this great idea of a thread. Perhaps the @shit-mods would like to move my question and the responses to the primary thread where the track is already wonderfully obfuscated.

I like HP's, always have. Owned and carried one 30yrs ago, cocked and locked, of course. I haven't carried my 1911 much in the last couple of years, but rarely does a week go by that it doesn't see some dry practice. Glocks are my preferred defensive pistol and I don't leave the house without one secured in JM kydex, hell, I keep it on when I'm in the house, for that matter.

For me, the SA-35 is strictly a want, albeit a very strong want, but not for edc. I'll shoot it, clean it, dry fire it, I'll even get an equally pleasing to me leather IWB holster for it, basically I'll just enjoy owning it. I like guns, handguns especially, it's pretty much my golf...just with superior defensive capabilities.

Now, if I had said that I was getting some dead sexy, Doc Holiday evoking Vaquero because owning it would please me (which it would) and that I could envision some lazy evenings where my edc Glock was secured and and the Vaquero was tucked in my waistband...would there be such hue and cry if I sought to confirm that it was drop safe when fully loaded with the hammer lowered on a live round?

Of course not, because that is how the Vaquero is designed to be carried (hammer down on a live chamber), and you don’t have to cock and uncock the hammer to get it into that condition. And it is safe to do so because of the design of the hammer/transfer bar.

[serialsolver]

If you cock the hp hammer to the safety notch or half cocked notch, the safety can be engaged. This will prevent hammer movement while the safety is engaged. Kinda like locking the hammer.


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[KevH]

If you cock the hp hammer to the safety notch or half cocked notch, the safety can be engaged. This will prevent hammer movement while the safety is engaged. Kinda like locking the hammer.


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What would you gain by doing that?

You still would have to pull the trigger to lower it to half cock, but why in the world would you want to?

The "half cock" notch on the hammer is there as a safety fail safe should the sear slip so the sear engages that notch rather than allowing the hammer to fall all the way and the gun to go boom.

It isn't meant to be used nor should it be used by the operator.

[serialsolver]

What would you gain by doing that?

You still would have to pull the trigger to lower it to half cock, but why in the world would you want to?

The "half cock" notch on the hammer is there as a safety fail safe should the sear slip so the sear engages that notch rather than allowing the hammer to fall all the way and the gun to go boom.

It isn't meant to be used nor should it be used by the operator.

The gain is an additional layer of security for the pistol.

For instance, at night before placing the hp on the night stand, the hammer is lowered to half cock and the safety engaged, now the pistol is disabled from being operated quickly unless someone knows this detail of the hp and yet with two movements of the thumb the hp will be ready for use.






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[Wondering Beard]

The gain is an additional layer of security for the pistol.

For instance, at night before placing the hp on the night stand, the hammer is lowered to half cock and the safety engaged, now the pistol is disabled from being operated quickly unless someone knows this detail of the hp and yet with two movements of the thumb the hp will be ready for use.

Thumb cocking a Hi Power (or any other SA pistols) at night, due to something happening in the home, is asking for a lot of trouble (including an inadvertent loud bang) in my opinion. If you don't feel the security of condition 1 is enough for you, I suggest you store it chamber empty or use another pistol.