Author Topic: Talk me out of this idea. (Read 9566 times)

Deer Hunter · « **on:** October 17, 2014, 08:51:05 pm »

I was cruising around the internet, thinking about what kind of gun "The Captain" would carry in my book.

And I picked a Browning High Power. Because, well, I always thought they were the classiest automatic pistol. My CZ is a workhorse, but there's just something about a hi-power.

I have always wanted to build a pistol. The last pistol I built was a Webley .38 revolver. Fun little thing to put back together, and I even think I ended up with extra springs. I'm sure that's what they were.

But an Auto? I've had an urge to put together an auto for years.

So how easy would it be to find parts? I assume they are fairly plentiful, it being a very copied gun.

WeTheArmed.com

ksuguy · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2014, 09:51:06 pm »

Maybe buy one of those beat up ones and refinish and upgrade it?

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2014, 09:58:44 pm »

What sort of upgrades would there be? Sights? A safety?

coelacanth · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2014, 10:53:43 pm »

BHP's are both easy to find and eminently customizable. For the story i'd probably pick one in the classic 9mm chambering and have it be a Belgian gun. They really are outstanding pistols

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2014, 11:28:40 pm »

Oh, mine would definitely be 9mm. That's all I shoot (er, and .22LR for my kadet kit).

Just wondering if I could pick up parts as I go along. The most expensive bit would be the frame.

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2014, 11:33:04 pm »

It looks like I can get a frame fairly easily from Gunbroker

http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=hi+power+frame

Anybody else know of any sources?

Coronach · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2014, 02:37:22 am »

Some company in FL makes new production frames. Not cheap, as I recall.

Mike

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2014, 04:15:32 pm »

I think I would want a steel frame. I have seen alloy and polymer as well, but I want to build a pistol as close to original as I could.

Robinson · « **Reply #8 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:14:21 am »

Get a flat-bottomed firing pin stop. And some extra recoil springs if you plan to shoot it alot.

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2014, 11:46:27 am »

Robinson,

I'm running a slightly heavier recoil spring in my CZ75. Is the same recommendation true for recoil spring weight in the BHP?

strangelittleman · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2014, 12:33:37 pm »

The std weight recoil spring should be fine w/ std ammo, however should you want to shoot a steady diet of +P or +P+ ammo, you'll want a recoil spring weight of 18.5 to 20lbs in order to keep down frame battering and to not break the slide stop. Both the BHP and the CZ75s have, in the past been known to be hard on the slide stops when the recoil spring is too light.
Remember also that you'll need a main(hammer) spring weight of 32lbs in the BHP.

Robinson · « **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2014, 01:26:40 pm »

Agree with strangelittleman. Some guys who put the BHP to serious use suggest changing recoil springs every 1000 - 1500 rounds to lengthen the gun's service life. Same goes for my comment re: the firing pin stop.

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #12 on:** October 21, 2014, 12:18:48 pm »

You guys have really got me thinking about this... Hard....

Now if I could find a used frame for under $200....

strangelittleman · « **Reply #13 on:** October 21, 2014, 12:30:37 pm »

Mmmm, that'd be the hard part. I looked at a couple of frames on the link you provided and some of them looked pretty rough. Be wary of many of the newly parkerized ones, they often are very old frames that have been smoothed up and park'ed to hide the use and abuse...

Look at this one for example, it's pretty rough, particularly on the frame around the trigger, but it's got the obligatory face-lift/new park job to hide "things". Also it is a non FN frame, look at the dustcover (in pic 2) and the excess metal that has not been machined away and the backstrap looks to have been seriously pitted at one time (pic 3)....

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=448464997

Mikee5star · « **Reply #14 on:** October 22, 2014, 01:23:44 am »

I was in the Cabela's gun library, Anchorage AK, and they had 5 or 6 HP for between $500 and $600. All looked like the tiny sighted versions. I know squat about HP's but prices seemed reasonable to me...

ksuguy · « **Reply #15 on:** October 22, 2014, 01:24:56 am »

If they were real ones and not copies that's not bad. Kind of surprising, every time I've browsed around the local Cabela's, I never saw good prices on anything.

Mikee5star · « **Reply #16 on:** October 22, 2014, 01:37:23 am »

Quote from: ksuguy on October 22, 2014, 01:24:56 am

If they were real ones and not copies that's not bad. Kind of surprising, every time I've browsed around the local Cabela's, I never saw good prices on anything.

I know squat about HP's, and when I saw them I was still trying to hurry. I went in for 45 min, and left an hour and 45 later. I will be back over there again, and will ask to take a closer look.

I was surprised as well, but I like the "gun libraries". They have an original Spencer carbine, a S&W model 1, a 1875 Remington, and several nice peacemakers. Not one of them would I ask to hold, let alone make an offer on, but I love to see the cool old guns.

strangelittleman · « **Reply #17 on:** November 15, 2014, 11:28:23 am »

I finally found the link for the Mfr of new Hi-Power frames and slides, here it is. It looks like they make frames in Alloy, SS and carbon steel and slides in SS and carbon steel.

http://floridaarms.com/request_rfq.php

JesseL · « **Reply #18 on:** November 15, 2014, 12:42:54 pm »

I wish I had the capital to get a bunch of Lambert Gunworks branded frames and slides from those guys.

Sent from my galvanically fueled binary aether modulator using Tapatalk.

seanp · « **Reply #19 on:** November 15, 2014, 01:27:07 pm »

OMFG. A stainless high-power? Made in America? I think I have to have one. I wonder how much it would cost?

RetroGrouch · « **Reply #20 on:** November 15, 2014, 02:34:53 pm »

A lot. When they used to post prices on their website, the frame alone was $500 or more as I remember.

booksmart · « **Reply #21 on:** November 15, 2014, 02:47:26 pm »

... group buy?

*smacks his hand* No! Bad man! Not until you've got a new gig (I've had two preliminary interviews, have another one coming up, but since they're all with universities, the process is *glacial*).

If y'all decide it's a good idea to do a group buy, don't let me stop you.

strangelittleman · « **Reply #22 on:** November 15, 2014, 03:22:32 pm »

Hmm... if you're going to spend say $500 on a frame and probably the same on a slide, one might as well go full custom and buy a Clyinder&Slide full parts kit and say a Bar-Sto barrel, VZ grips, etc., then send it to either C&S or Karl Sokol.....Yeah this could turn into a very expensive project if carried through with.......Thank goodness I already have a MKIII BHP....

Deer Hunter · « **Reply #23 on:** November 16, 2014, 11:14:33 am »

Aw jeeze....

And here I am, sitting with a check in hand from a little side job... Must... Resist...

coelacanth · « **Reply #24 on:** November 16, 2014, 11:37:15 am »

I think a group buy for JesseL to work on in his spare time is a fine idea. I'm in if it comes together at some point.