The bhp is a lockedbreech semiautomatic pistol similar to the 1911. The 1911 cams up and down on the slide stop pin, a removable, replaceable. I feel every handgun enthusiasts should have some variant of a 45acp 1911 in their collection. Regardless of a persons views or preferences for a defensive pistols style, brand or caliber. What is the difference between the browning 1911 and the. The cz in its original form has an ok da trigger and a better single action than most high powers out of the box. This method of manufacturing 1911 frames is no longer required, as modern metallurgy has surpassed the density and hardness requirement. Both are great guns, you just have to decide which path your want to take. For roughly 4 decades now, my autoloader of choice has been a singleaction such as the browning hi power or 1911. Make the 1911 a kimber warrior, colt 70 series repro, 5 dan wesson, or 5 springfield armory ill take the 1911 hands down. Raeind speedloaders magazine loader tools for browning handguns double or single stack models browning hipower, browning 19180. This gun combines the obvious popularity of the 1911 platform with rugers staunch reputation for americanmade quality and customer service. The newly introduced sr1911 lightweight commander in 9mm only reinforces this position. The browning hipower a gun ahead of its time the truth about.
Ive been thinking about getting a rock island 9mm 1911 in the future, but the browning hi power is also a consideration. Scott is a competitive pistol shooter himself and a lifelong admirer of the greatest firearms inventor the world has ever known. This book s scope and my intent are best described in its introduction, which follows. The similarities between the 1911 and the hipower are basically similarities between these two handguns and almost every other semiautomatic with the exception of the fact that they are both singleaction handguns. The frame of the pistol is built out of 7075 aluminum alloy steel, and the magazine holds ten rounds of. At wilson combat, only our most experienced master pistolsmiths perform customer gunsmithing, so we can assure your. Yeah everyone knows, and understands the legend of the 1911, the hi power is said to be improvement of the 1911 and with a hi power double stack mag, then the cz75 comes along using design features of both the 1911 and the hi power, plus dasa, hi cap, and starts its own. Its lauded for its power, simplicity, excellent trigger, and reliability under adverse conditions. The only other pistol that comes close to this is the browning p35 hi power, and then, only with a bit of tweaking.
There are a wide number of books on disassemble and maintenance of the bhp as well. Although the government model was and arguably still is a top contender for the title of best combat pistol, the reliability. At 29 ounces, the edc x9 is nearly the same weight as a glock 17. The average hi power can be expected to group five rounds of quality ammunition such as the federal hst into 2. The hi powers grip might also be the most ergonomic of any handgun. In an age of plastic pistols, the hipower offers comparable reliability and.
So why dont american shooters embrace the hipower like the 1911. Like vanilla and chocolate ice cream there are diehard followers of each flavor as well as for each of these pistols. That said, both are inherently accurate pistols, serious substance. Duncan longs book powerhouse pistols the colt 1911 and the browning hi power paladin press 1990 is available as well. People can take crazy offence you say the 1911 has reliability problems and it takes a dedicated user to make sure it runs ok. I realize that the barrel link in 1911 vs barrel lug in hi power probably affects how the muzzle end of the barrel moves during firing and makes a bushing necessary in the 1911, but thats just my speculation. Although the book appears to have been wellreceived, i believed. The shooters guide to the browning hi power revised edition. Also a jmb design, with higher capacity, less power, and more parts, designed as as an improvement, on the already best thing going. The trigger on the hi power is notoriously heavy, although later models are better and early handguns sometimes become much smoother with age. More reliable1911 or browning hi power the high road.
Actually, its not a fair comparison because the cz75 is actually a iron curtain knockoff of the hi power design, albeit its a doubleaction knockoff whereas the browning is single action. Many of the feed reliability problems with 1911 pistols arise from efforts to tighten up the frame, slide, barrel and bushing in order to achieve match grade accuracy. September 20th, 2006 there is no question that the greatest handguns of all time were designed by john moses browning. The bhp is reliable, accurate, and has outstanding ergonomics. In 1962 the internal extractor was replaced with a more durable and reliable external. The browning hipower is a singleaction, semiautomatic handgun available in the 9mm and. I carried one on duty for 12 hours a day and often off duty in a sparks summer special.
The first truly reliable 1911 9mm i ever ran across was the excellent springfield emp e nhanced m icro p istol engineered from the ground up for the 9x19 cartridge by springfields brilliant dave williams. I performed quite a few reliability upgrades on m1911 pistols. The hi power is a little more compact, has a higher capacity, and 9mm is about as cheap as it gets. The hipower retains a lot of 1911 dna, with a hammerfired singleaction. Learn how the hipower design makes the sidearm so reliable, light, and accurate. The colt 1911 and the browning high power are excellent fighting pistols, proven in wartime, in police duty, and in competition world wide. Colt factory pistols may not have some of the fancy custom features that are common with competing brands, but the build and materials quality exceed any at the same price point. One can argue this model is better than the other, but it is a debate that will never produce a resolution much like the classic 9mm vs.
In common with the m1911, the hipower is therefore typically carried with the hammer cocked. While not a true colt, im looking forward to having rugers version of the 1911 commander. Hipowers are much harder to come by especially at a reasonable price. Glocks dont tend to suffer feed failures, but in order to achieve this reliability, they have more of their chambers cut away, leaving more of the case unsupported. When testfired with fiocchi loads, this handgun provides excellent results as far as accuracy and reliability go. Slim, trim and just about the perfect weight for carry, the hi power is almost perfectly balanced, with the barrel and slide. My first 1911 is currently being shipped to my ffl. Innovative and driven, cabot guns has quickly carved out a reputation as being one of the most dynamic custom shops in the country. I will refer you to stevens book on the development of the high power. John moses browning is a name that every gun enthusiast should know. For example, the original swinging link used in the lockedbreech 1911 was changed to angled camming surfaces in the hipower. The 1911 pistol, john brownings largecaliber pistol triumph, is both lauded and condemned in the firearms world.
Best 1911 pistols for the money 2020 pew pew tactical. The accuracy of the blmp was excellent for me at close combat, defensive distances of 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 yards for this shooter with aging eyes. Our custom handguns have won more pistol competitions and have been carried in more duty holsters than any other custom pistol brand. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. John browning built wiggle room into the 1911 on purpose.
Its condemned as being antiquated, heavy, overpowerful, and not. The bhp is definitely cheaper than a really high quality 9mm 1911, and i understand that reliability of inexpensive 1911s in 9mm can be problematic. More aftermarket match barrels and accuracy work is done on the 1911 than the hi power. Cabot guns one of the bestknown custom builders in the 1911 arena is cabot guns of sarver, pennsylvania. I remember the first time i heard the myth that revolvers are more reliable than semiauto pistols i wasnt even a teenager and my father had taken the family out to west virginia where we were attending an informal pistol competition. Wilson combat has been performing world class custom gunsmithing on 1911 pistols since 1977. The hipower demands quality machine work and skilled labor. The hi power has an ok trigger made better by removing the damnedable mag disconnector a feature that kills the deal for me for anything but a range toy.
I have a couple of 1911s and they all have experienced at least one failure in the first 500 rounds. In fact, didnt the hipower officially obsolete the 1911. And they are very hard and tough anyway, a gi surplus 1911 is not a good choice for a competition. The 19180 combines the proven 1911 design with another of john brownings inventions the 380 acp cartridge in a package that is 15% smaller than the 45 acp models and tips the scales at a mere 1712 ounces unloaded. But you can replace the link to effect tighter barrel lockup rather easily. It might be worth taking a look at if you are that undecided. The hipower, i believe, was designed to be manufactured less expensively than the 1911.
The hipower is one of the most widely used military pistols in. Brownings 19180 is the right design, the right size, with the right features. Nine steps to a reliable 1911 an interview with bill wilson. But, you cant go wrong with a traditional 1911 either. Its condemned as being antiquated, heavy, overpowerful, and not always reliable with specialty ammo. On the plus side, the browning is one of the most accurate 9mms i have ever fired and it carrys a lot more ammo in the magazine than the 1911. Browning 19180 16 rapid fire hits at 5 yards range test results for each of my 10 criteria. Tisas definitely has a finger on the pulse of shooters with their line of 1911 and high power handguns. The 1911 has been on my mind since buying our gsg 191122. Everything from the cycle distance to the size of the magazine and the gripframe were built around 9mm lugerlength rounds, and that. I first became acquainted with the hp when reading the book serpico. Team room news tv podcast gear books academy crate club shop. It greatly simplifies tuning the pistol, if tuning is even required on a hipower.
A few exceptions like the browning hi power and the walther p38 were changes in. The hipowers integral barrel cam is a stronger arrangement than the 1911s swinging link. Most agree that when taken to the extreme, the 1911 can be made more mechanically accurate than the hi power. This special historical tribute to john brownings incomparable model 1911 pistol was written by browning employee scott engen. The browning hipower pistol, first produced in 1935, is one of the best combat. At this point, it might be appropriate to compare hi power accuracy with a fitted barsto vs. The browning buckmark is designed using a blowback action. The pistol features a slide release as well as a manual thumb safety on the side. As evidence of the companys exacting requirements, cabots 1911 frames and slides are painstakingly manufactured to fit more accurately, achieving a. He is the father of dozens of designs that are still in use today, from the 1911 pistol to. Cooper and allowed for condition one carry cockedandlocked if desired. However, personally i like the following handguns real well. The one piece barrel ramp of the hipower must be considered a real improvement.
I wonder what the pros and cons are of having a barrel bushing of the 1911 design vs not having one like in the hi power. American rifleman tuning the m1911 for reliability. In the 80s i coughed up the then high tariff for a cz75 since it appeared interesting, had gained the blessing of col. It is brilliant in the caliber it was designed for as is the 1911. Accurate and affordable handguns for any shooter gun digest.
He also knew military guns were used under extreme conditions. This item gun holster concealed sig sauer 1911 ultra compact 3. The browning hi power is still an entirely suitable pistol for everyday carry, or edc. Shooting illustrated whats wrong with the hi power. He reasoned a military sidearm didnt need matchgrade accuracy. The browning 1911 was yet another revolutionary gun by one of the. Yeah everyone knows, and understands the legend of the 1911, the hi power is said to be improvement of the 1911 and with a hi power double stack mag, then the cz75 comes along using design features of both the 1911 and the hi power, plus dasa, hi cap, and.
The 1911 pattern pistol has been refined over decades and is capable of extremely fine accuracy. The 1911 typically has a better trigger, massive aftermarket support, and many more choices when it comes to nib guns. The tisas hi power is a wellfitted, reliable and accurate handgun. Ran my 1911 nothing special, an armscor 1911 gi through a handgun operator 2 class. Browning hi power or 1911 for defense hi powers and handguns. Browning pistols hipower for sale guns international. Impressed with the power and reliability of the m1911. In 2003 i completed the shooters guide to the browning hi power, a treatise on my favorite allaround semiautomatic pistol. Some years ago a friend said to me something like you know the hipower was designed to correct all of the faults of the creaky old government model. Its a 1911, sans the grip safety, and has an aluminum frame and stainless steel slide.