I find it interesting to note that the high power as originally designed by John Moses Browning was I think a 16 round gun. Daive savon is the one who really should get the credit for the high power as it was finally produced which was dramatically different.
"Immune to nostalgia"? After Ian talked about adding tangent sights and a shoulder stock to the modern version, I would say he's not totally immune. I just happen to think that's the right kind of nostalgia😉.
It's funny because the people angry about changes are the ones blaspheming John Browning. Change is good, if you can't recognize that you're gonna be made a fool of by whoever the next big innovator is.
Almost positive that Browning would have loved the fact that people updated and optimized his design to push even more performance out of it over 100 years later.
Exactly. I don't think it's possible to find an engineer who would ever say "What I did was perfect and there is no way it could ever have been done better."
Browning was an innovator. He didn't care for the sentiment of keeping old things the way they were just for nostalgia. If he were still alive and working at FN today, he probably would've come out with even more advanced weapon designs by now.
@@keithmiller6277 i just got one, i love it.. i should have got it sooner. I will be getting the SA35.. Not big on the FN what didnt sell me is mag compatiblilty.
That thing looks like it was cast/machined in the Khyber Pass on a Friday afternoon and the dude almost just threw it in the scrap pile before saying fuck it, he's got quotas to meet.
The big question is how the new pistol feels in your hand. The best thing about the original hi-power was (and still is) how easily it fell to hand. FN can put as many updated parts on the gun as they want, if it doesn't replicate the feel of the original Browning, it's a waste of money.
Looks a lot more like a CZ. Going to need to shoot one. But there is a lot about the gun that looks cheap. The finish and that recoil spring hole, yikes.
Good overview/ C&C. An additional point on the new gun's trigger transfer bar: it incorporates a firing pin block safety. Expecting they will drop an optics ready & railed Tactical in next year or two. Should kind of plug the gap between the CZ & 2011 platforms.
I once owned a surplus Hi-Power used by the German Police. I loved the slender slide but not the magazine safery feature. I believe that Springfield has done a better upgrade keeping the HiPower size with their improvments than FN has done. Time will tell...
My first job as a machinist was with Beretta USA, back in the early 90’s, & the slide line was still a series of conventional machines doing a single operation. The barrel line was primarily CNC machines, the frame line was a little of both.
There's a lot to like here, it looks like they put a lot of thought into upgrading this. I'm not sure what to think about the increase in dimensions, especially width, but I'm reserving judgment until I can try one.
Not mentioning the shit quality I think is pretty telling. I normally stand by your reviews, and not a word was said about the terrible machining/casting.
I was showing off my new Glock 48 with 15 round Shield mags to an old timer. He was jealous for about a week about that high capacity in a gun smaller than a 1911 Commander. Then he ordered custom 15 round magazines for his High Power. Now we’re just about even again.
I too carry the skinny version of Gaston's Roth-Browning reheat, and from the day I bought it I thought "hmmm...skinny. Flat. Reminds me of a Hi-power.
Lol Ian going hard on the bronco comparison. I like it, lots of parallels between classic cars and guns. Wish I had been more of a gearhead when I was in my sponge brain state of youth. Now learning is harder and cars are outside of my comfort zone. I try, but reflexively revert to gun stuff when it gets hard.
I like the updates in concept, but I do wish they went further with it. As is, it’s a bit half and half. It modernized enough internals to make it incompatible with any aftermarket accessories, but didn’t add things like a picatinny light rail or a red dot mount, which is a little strange. Contrast that with double stack 1911s that still retain some accessories compatibility while also having light rails and red dot mounts.
@@gordoncouger9648 True, though it would've been nice to have it out of the box. I can also pin and weld a picatinny rail as well, but that also should be standard.
I have one of the last original HiPowers, but there is no hammer bite at all... And my AD removed the no magazine 'safety' which made me a very happy owner. Also, it was fully made and assembled in Herstal (not Portugal or US).
Thanks a lot, Ian! Not only do you have me slobbering for a new High Power, but you have me looking on my Pistole 640(b) (which I used to treasure) with scorn! Hopefully, FN has seen your video and will update this model with an optics cut to compete with the Girsan that is getting all the attention now. When that happens, I'll be $1400 poorer.
The problem with the Bronco analogy is that the new Bronco actually has modern features in a 1974 Bronco-esque looking package. The new High Power would be like Ford coming out with a 1996 Bronco in 2022 and being like, “Hey! Check out this sort-of-new car! It doesn’t really look like a 1974, AND it doesn’t have modern features! You guys will love it!”
Looks like the backstrap has been improved....awesome, I carried one for several years and all I could remember was the web of my right hand chewed up by hammer bite.....still loved it, besides that, I remember that they would hit the fail zone at about 26,000 rounds when usually the cam pin would crack....hopefully they fixed that too....thanks for the videos!
Hi from New Zealand ,when my Dad who served with the 2NDNZEF in WW2 died in 86 we buried him with his M1 carbine that he had traded a Yank in lower germany for a Luger and also his FN High power which he also acquired it from someone,The funeral home dudes freaked out when we went there to tool up Dad for Valhalla lol
Thanks to Axel Foley and Fallout New Vegas the original Hi-Power is the most iconic sidearm I know of, right after the Bren Ten (nice Hi-Power clone btw) and Beretta 92F, Crocket, McClane and Rigs. Having not ever owned any of the said sidearms I indeed have fond memories about all them and there I think is the issue, when considering the level of enthusiams which some people have towards firearms in general. Guns IMO should not be looked at emotionally at all. I don't understand that in what point instruments which can remotely rip meat off from the bones even got into that stage in our minds. But yet so many people have emotional ties to them. I remember during my military service how one the most absurd thing to actually hear someone saying was that I should nurture my AR like a person, a lover. In movies it always sounded like a joke, because I didn't think it to be possible that someone would really be capable of parallelizing a firearm to a person and taking loaded AR to bed would castrate a man quite fast. Guns are tools of war or hunt. If they jam, you most likely die or don't eat. But they never ever symphatize us in any way and when people seek consolation or therapy from firearms, it usually means a new paint job on the walls. Yet the emotional attachement towards them is so strong that some people would rather die than give up their guns. I don't get that at all. When Putin escalated the attck in Ukraine, living in Finland and being unsure about the future I armed myself with something I could get my hands on. It was a strange feeling to get to know the weapons, mount sights and adjust them, target practice, put them on wall mounts etc. But there is no way in this world I would somehow ever get mentally attached to them because I never ever could get mentally attached on the purpose why I bought them.
I have an older FN one with a spur hammer - that seems to be better for not pinching your hand. It's my favorite handgun but I don't know if I would want one that doesn't have the classic slim feel. Mine has the molded grip like the black one in this video. Perfect fit.
The shoulder stock was the first thing I thought about when you showed the removable back strap. If we could get rid of the NFA that would be so cool to have.
I've never liked that it was called the "Browning" Hi-Power since the final 1935 model had significant changes to Browning's work. In the early phases, Browning was limited by his own patents on the 1911 so he had to design the pistol around that. It wasn't until after the 1911 patents expired, which was also after Browning's death, that FN reworked the design into what was finally released in 1935.
I just don’t think FN got the aesthetics right. Just seemed less streamlined/blocky. Edit: also, the modern barrel lock up makes it look more like a Sig from the top of the slide. You can also remove the magazine safety from any Hi-Power.
FN made the right decision with a modern version of its classic High Power design, especially given Springfield Armory coming out with their parts exchangeable clone, the SA-35. Also, FN has always called the gun the "High Power" the english words for "Grande Puissance". The use of the name "Hi-Power" was only used for pistols sold by Browning Arms due to some trademark issues.
1. They didn't remove all the original Hi-powers from the world 2. The original was the best that they could do "at that time" 3. Evolution of manufacture and design is going to happen 4; John Browning would have been re-designing the Hi-Power for modern abilities if he was alive today 5. I worked in Phoenix in a service truck WITHOUT A/C long enough to know that every vehicle I have owned since has A/C Love your videos!!
Everything about it looks good except how they made it fatter. The reason why I like the original hi power is because it has one of the thinnest frames for a doublestack. This is very comfortable in my hand. I've also never received a hammer bite when my friends have, so it probably means this handgun was meant for me.
Didn't know that there was a difference between early and later magazines. The mags from my CZ 75 PCR work in a High Power my dad picked up about 10 years ago, just wont lock the slide back(there is a lineage between CZ 75 and the High Power). But a few buddies that have tried this say they don't have the same result ...so it now remains to be seen whether its the early or later version that has some compatability
I'm glad SOMEBODY finally took a look at this. After the just awful early release of the SA-35 and all its issues, I was excited to see FN do a pistol that didn't suck out of the box, even if it looked a little wonky.
I never got around to owning a hi-power, so the purist in my didn’t like the new design initially. However, when I consider how the 1911 has morphed into the 2011, I reconsidered. FN is into something I think. I predict it’ll sell, both to collectors who want the new variant and shooters who liked the design but disliked its flaws. Plus, as pointed out, there’s lots if originals out there to be had.
I think all the firearm companies should have a "retro" line of products. Something to fill that nostalgia vibe but is more appropriate for today's standards.
The main downside of the new Hi Power is that it's only available in 9mm. It would be way better if they also made a .40 S&W version and a conversion barrel for .357 SIG. 15 rounds of .40 or .357 SIG would be a big step up from the old 10 round .40 Hi Powers, especially with that barrel length.
5 years?? For that?? Gentlemen, JB incarnated into nice Austrian guy and within 6 months put all his lessons from the HP35 into DIVINE PERFECTION preproduction. Written by ex employee for FN HP35 MK3( Mil/LE catalog) importer. Be blessed, healthy, free and prosper.
I really think that John Browning was right. Full length guide rod doesn't actually make sense. The recoil spring is effectively captured within the slide, it doesn't have anywhere to go but over the short guide rod. On the 1911, it's even more obvious considering the recoil spring is contained within a tube on the slide side and a pin on the frame side.
I have often wondered how strong is nostalgia in the selling of not only the Hi-Power, but other firearms and products in general. How many generations of shooters/owners pass before the desire for the original fades? Ian said that Hi-Power sales were rapidly dwindling and the pistol was just not economical to keep in production anymore. It is a design that is over 100 years old and was made to meet certain criteria as laid out by the French military in the early1900s. No design is perfect enough to withstand not only the test of time, but there formidable and highly fickle test of opinion and winds of wants.
@@michalsoukup1021 it was definitely an ad, it had identical talking points to other videos on this gun that released at the time. Worse yet, the gun itself is neither modernized nor parts compatible with OG High Powers, making the gun fill a niche no one really has. The people wanting an original HP will still want an original and the people wanting a modern handgun will find this gun lacking features. Academically it may be better than the original though.
@@shanenonwolfe4109 More than a year ago lol Though my points remain valid even if they had "good" reasons. The gun isn't modern and isn't vintage. It fills a niche that is very small.
@@SgtKOnyx I picked up a FN High Power and it’s definitely not lacking. It’s so smooth, accurate and comfortable to operate with a nice balance and hasn’t had a malfunction. Aftermarket is slowly starting to catch up now. Got mine for $300 off MSRP with the$100 FN wood grips thrown in for free, not a bad deal. Might not satisfy the traditionalist or the modernists but for those in the middle it’s a good balance of vintage looks with modern internals that can hold its own.
I'm not a purist, just kind of old-school. I like the modern improvements on something that still has the old controls, but does away with the hammer bite and other drawbacks to something I otherwise liked. I do wish they could have avoided making it so chunky in the process, though. It doesn't take much bulk for something to really stand out were I to carry it, and the 'svelte'ness of the older ones made em pretty special as double-stacks go.
I agree with Justin, they should have called it something slightly different, since it is a more than slightly different pistol. The fact it is larger than the original is enough of a turn-off that I wouldn't want one. I own a BHP MkIII from the mid 1980's and can't find a single thing wrong with it. I've never been bitten by the hammer, mine is the long spur and not the ring style. It's been improved enough over the MkI and II that little remains of the design's original problems. Mine is also a .40S&W version, and while heavier than the 9mm, is still lighter than a full-size 1911. I don't care that the .40 only holds 10 instead of 13 rounds, either. If I need more than 10 to protect myself, I have no business going there in the first place. Besides, that's what extra magazines are for. And you are right about the magazine disconnector, it's a useless piece of garbage that only existed because the French wouldn't buy the pistol without one. Removing it is an easy 10 minute job and vastly improves the trigger feel. The only thing you could have done to improve this otherwise outstanding video would be to have included the new SA version in the side-by-side views. I've yet to see or handle either of the two new versions, and really don't need to, as I'll never let go of the one I have, and don't think the others are significantly better overall than the version I have.
I sort of like the old fashioned locking lugs instead of the newer style locking block as a part of the barrel chamber. Having several lugs means that the height displacement to unlock the slide is less for the same locking surface area, thereby necessitating less barrel tilt. This lends itself to better accuracy.
I have an original 1986 model I bought new in 1987 for $475. (That was about two weeks pay for me at the time.) It was my first gun. It was between the Browning and a Beretta. I liked the Beretta just a little more but not enough to pay the extra $100 that they cost at the time. I'm up in the air as to whether I want one of the new ones or not. I love the idea, but it looks more like a "based on" gun than even an actual clone. I'd almost rather finally get that Beretta I didn't buy 35 years ago. 🙂
I think your first statement talking about the FJ is closer to the point. The number 1 thing the original High Power had was a grip that fit, better than the "block" and other modern pistols. The ergonomics was what made it popular. The new FN has made multiple handguns that just haven't' come up to the same standard. Do you really need a larger grip? Mec Gar made the 15 round and even some 20 round magazines that work perfectly fine. My take is FN was trying to get traction using their most popular handgun name and come up with a modern production pistol. I question the need for the larger grip, no complaint on the locking surfaces nor the takedown. But why couldn't they make a larger backwards compatible magazine? The fact that Springfield Armory came up with an updated compatible pistol may be the real nail in FN's version coffin.
John Browning was a genius and innovative weapon designer…he would want his own projects further improved upon and kept up with modern standards. No one here is destroying his legacy, its keeping it relevant.
I've never been bit by my Hipower, and I've been shooting it for like 37 years. But I still want a new one. Haven't seen one out in the wild yet though. I have an early bronco as well and love it. I may be part caveman
I think this updated High-Power is great in theory. Preserving an iconic pistol (like the 1911 for example) all the while upgrading the gun where it was needed. I mean the chunkier appearance bothers me but you can still see the original design. I still prefer the original obviously but it’s not a bad redesign at all I just don’t think it will be as recognizable and groundbreaking like the original.
I agree with one of the comments here that they should have called it the High Power 2 to distinguish it from the original, possibly reducing the backlash of naming an essentially a new design as an "improved" version of the original. That aside, I think it is a better gun that can stand on its own merits. NOS High Power pistols in mint condition aren't that easy to find, and are clearly collectors' items. The new version is a practical handgun that you can use as you wish, as opposed to one you put on display. So they are fundamentally different guns and should be treated as such.
I bought a new Browning Hi-Power in the early 1970s. The worst pistol I've ever owned and that is saying a lot! It was beautiful (that's why I bought it). I shot it 4 times and traded it off. The trigger was atrocious! It took both hands to fire it and when it finally went off it was way off target. An auxiliary deputy sheriff gave me a Dan Wesson D-11 .357 mag. revolver, a leather military swivel holster, a new Snap-on chest tool box and $127 cash for it. Good trade in my book.
I carried a High Power for several years, and except for the hammer bite, I thought it was an excellent carry pistol. Not trying to be sacrilegious, but I was hoping that with this new evolution they would have been able to include a DA/SA trigger.
I think this is a really neat addition to FN's lineup. The original has it's own place, sure, but everyone eventually has to admit that things need to be brought forward.
I think part of the problem is they called it the high power, when it is fundamentally a different pistol. It looks the same, but is indeed a different gun. Doesnt seem bad, but its incredibly expensive and personally for me I think I will be getting the springfield SA-35 rather than FNs new take
I am impressed and I want one. Never had an original but will pursue ownership of one of these. FNH makes quality firearms and I expect nothing less with this “new” pistol. As always Ian a tremendous presentation by you!
Love the video….but wondering if the quality of the optics has dropped off? It seemed a little out of focus and low resolution. Thank you anyway as it was still really interesting
The Zodiac killer used a Canadian FN imported from Belgium ( at one scene, ) he dropped 13 empty cartridges. Also could have been a Nazi spoil from WW2?
I'd replace the back strap with a lanyard loop...the design appears a bit more robust, this might enable a 40 s&w or . 357 sig variant. Since it appears a bit larger, my only concern is finding holsters that fit well. They could denote them as post 2022 Hi-Powers. The improved out of the box trigger would & sights sounds like it will be tailor made for CMP service pistol. 👍
I’ve seen some arguments that the CZ75 is itself heavily based on the GP35. This new High Power is using the Whiting lockup similar to the CZ97, which is kinda neat! I think it looks nice, especially considering other offerings from FN - we’ll see how much the FN Tax will empty wallets at the shops!
I think it's a good take. they've solved the issues that would potentially make you hate a high power and built in a lot of what the high power also is to create an easily better version unless your one true draw to the browning is how low profile it was.
I had a Hi-Power back in the day. It was a great shooter, but I really don't miss it. I think this new gun is pretty good as well, but from a marketing perspective, I think calling it a "Hi-Power" is probably not a good idea. It's different enough that it should be its own thing IMO.
100% dead on Ian, the new is a 'new one' .. I have shot and always wanted a tangent sighted, ebony gripped, plank buttstock Hi-Power, that gun was SO FUN to shoot.. but the new model is a different duck, welcome to the flock...
Hmmm . . . a little nervous about the bulkierness; LOVING the satiated trigger, the locking lugs, the easier takedown, the functional serrations, the enlarged ejection port, and the deleted magazine safety. Even though a mag safety would've saved Chris's life; as would have a best friend with even a tiny bit of common sense. A self-defense weapon with a magazine safety is going to a useless club when you need it the most. I'd trade any full-size 9mm for the new FN Hi-Power except the CZ 75 - only because of the CZ's unique SA/DA operation. I'd be "over the moon" if CZ had made all of the same changes and have called the changed Locking lugs/enlarged ejection port and functional serrations for years. Not that anyone at CZ ever listens to their customers.
Great pistol - was time for changes - anyone in love with the old model can find them on used market. The changes made were not only needed but will allow it to endure.
A propos FN: I was in Liège last weekend and went to the Curtius Arms Collection, saw a couple of the pieces you did videos about, amazing experience!
Thanks for walking us through both the pistols.
I find it interesting to note that the high power as originally designed by John Moses Browning was I think a 16 round gun. Daive savon is the one who really should get the credit for the high power as it was finally produced which was dramatically different.
Dieudonné Saive *
*Dieudonné Saive?
@@onpsxmember yep you are correct, that was voice to text butchery.
This ain't yo mama's HI POWER!
IT'S BETTER! HA!
but saive was browning's protegé, so crediting browning isn't wrong. also Saive improved the BAR with the FN BAR Model/Type D
I like how Ian is immune to nostalgia and accepts good changes.
"Immune to nostalgia"? After Ian talked about adding tangent sights and a shoulder stock to the modern version, I would say he's not totally immune. I just happen to think that's the right kind of nostalgia😉.
This is paid advertising. Look at those tolerances.
You can literally see the recoil spring between the slide and the frame
Have you seen this channel? Lol
It's funny because the people angry about changes are the ones blaspheming John Browning. Change is good, if you can't recognize that you're gonna be made a fool of by whoever the next big innovator is.
Almost positive that Browning would have loved the fact that people updated and optimized his design to push even more performance out of it over 100 years later.
Exactly. I don't think it's possible to find an engineer who would ever say "What I did was perfect and there is no way it could ever have been done better."
Idk...there was Hugo Borchardt lol@@milkdrinker7
Browning was an innovator. He didn't care for the sentiment of keeping old things the way they were just for nostalgia. If he were still alive and working at FN today, he probably would've come out with even more advanced weapon designs by now.
@@milkdrinker7 Henry and Borchardt: "Are you sure about that?"
Don't forget about Dieudonne Saive, FN design who turned JMB's single stack striker fired sketches into the Hi Power we know today.
A comparison of the new Springfield and the FN would be interesting.
Yes !!!!
Look into the Girsan Hi Power. I like mine.
Better yet, the Longthorne Defiance.
th-cam.com/video/1d4AGk_AL5c/w-d-xo.html
@@keithmiller6277 i just got one, i love it.. i should have got it sooner. I will be getting the SA35.. Not big on the FN what didnt sell me is mag compatiblilty.
That thing looks like it was cast/machined in the Khyber Pass on a Friday afternoon and the dude almost just threw it in the scrap pile before saying fuck it, he's got quotas to meet.
Depression from Canada.
My condolences
Carve a moose antler into a hi-power 😂
Start making toilet paper rolls that assemble into fully functional AA/Bayraktabots
It will happen at some point. Might as well start now I tell ya!
Everyone in californias right there with you brother we can’t even get gen 4 glocks
And from the UK. At least you can drive cross the border and try one out 😁
The big question is how the new pistol feels in your hand. The best thing about the original hi-power was (and still is) how easily it fell to hand. FN can put as many updated parts on the gun as they want, if it doesn't replicate the feel of the original Browning, it's a waste of money.
Looks a lot more like a CZ. Going to need to shoot one. But there is a lot about the gun that looks cheap. The finish and that recoil spring hole, yikes.
Not if you have big hands, besides the hi-power was shrunk to meet French military specs and smaller than what JB designed
@@ironmonkey1512 the final high powers is nothing like JB design.
Good overview/ C&C.
An additional point on the new gun's trigger transfer bar: it incorporates a firing pin block safety.
Expecting they will drop an optics ready & railed Tactical in next year or two. Should kind of plug the gap between the CZ & 2011 platforms.
I once owned a surplus Hi-Power used by the German Police. I loved the slender slide but not the magazine safery feature. I believe that Springfield has done a better upgrade keeping the HiPower size with their improvments than FN has done. Time will tell...
The magazine safety is easy to remove.
My first job as a machinist was with Beretta USA, back in the early 90’s, & the slide line was still a series of conventional machines doing a single operation. The barrel line was primarily CNC machines, the frame line was a little of both.
The flat spring behind the magazine in the older High Powers is the sear spring, the hammer spring was always a coil spring.
There's a lot to like here, it looks like they put a lot of thought into upgrading this. I'm not sure what to think about the increase in dimensions, especially width, but I'm reserving judgment until I can try one.
Not mentioning the shit quality I think is pretty telling. I normally stand by your reviews, and not a word was said about the terrible machining/casting.
I was showing off my new Glock 48 with 15 round Shield mags to an old timer. He was jealous for about a week about that high capacity in a gun smaller than a 1911 Commander. Then he ordered custom 15 round magazines for his High Power. Now we’re just about even again.
I too carry the skinny version of Gaston's Roth-Browning reheat, and from the day I bought it I thought "hmmm...skinny. Flat. Reminds me of a Hi-power.
Lol Ian going hard on the bronco comparison. I like it, lots of parallels between classic cars and guns. Wish I had been more of a gearhead when I was in my sponge brain state of youth. Now learning is harder and cars are outside of my comfort zone. I try, but reflexively revert to gun stuff when it gets hard.
I like the updates in concept, but I do wish they went further with it. As is, it’s a bit half and half. It modernized enough internals to make it incompatible with any aftermarket accessories, but didn’t add things like a picatinny light rail or a red dot mount, which is a little strange. Contrast that with double stack 1911s that still retain some accessories compatibility while also having light rails and red dot mounts.
A gunsmith and a hundred and twenty-five bucks will get a red dot mounted in the cut he milled in your Hi Power.
@@gordoncouger9648 True, though it would've been nice to have it out of the box. I can also pin and weld a picatinny rail as well, but that also should be standard.
I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing that variant shortly. Maybe next shot show?
@@gameragodzilla It would still cost about that much form FN without the choice you get from a gunsmith.
@@gordoncouger9648 I mean, FN did it for the Mk. 3 Five-seveN so they’re clearly capable of it.
That brand new "roughness" is why I always take a new gun apart and polish off any manufacturer marks/burs.
I have one of the last original HiPowers, but there is no hammer bite at all... And my AD removed the no magazine 'safety' which made me a very happy owner. Also, it was fully made and assembled in Herstal (not Portugal or US).
I can see a "what would Browning do" video series on in range but it would be difficult to narrow down the specific model
Thanks a lot, Ian! Not only do you have me slobbering for a new High Power, but you have me looking on my Pistole 640(b) (which I used to treasure) with scorn! Hopefully, FN has seen your video and will update this model with an optics cut to compete with the Girsan that is getting all the attention now. When that happens, I'll be $1400 poorer.
Glory to the Browning Hi-Power!
The problem with the Bronco analogy is that the new Bronco actually has modern features in a 1974 Bronco-esque looking package. The new High Power would be like Ford coming out with a 1996 Bronco in 2022 and being like, “Hey! Check out this sort-of-new car! It doesn’t really look like a 1974, AND it doesn’t have modern features! You guys will love it!”
"And an intern may have gotten mad amd taken a hammer to some of it"
Cry about it
@@lardomcfarty9866 No need, just voicing a reasonable opinioned that - based on the comments - is shared by the majority.
@@jimyeats a majority which either didn't understand the purpose of the pistol, or willfully misunderstood out of nostalgia
Looks like the backstrap has been improved....awesome, I carried one for several years and all I could remember was the web of my right hand chewed up by hammer bite.....still loved it, besides that, I remember that they would hit the fail zone at about 26,000 rounds when usually the cam pin would crack....hopefully they fixed that too....thanks for the videos!
Single action is great. The trigger transfer bar is suspect. It is obviously wider. I'm hoping it feels as nice in the hand as the original.
I can't say I like how much chunkier the new High-Power is.
Gonna have to go with either an original or the Springfield.
Hi from New Zealand ,when my Dad who served with the 2NDNZEF in WW2 died in 86 we buried him with his M1 carbine that he had traded a Yank in lower germany for a Luger and also his FN High power which he also acquired it from someone,The funeral home dudes freaked out when we went there to tool up Dad for Valhalla lol
Thanks to Axel Foley and Fallout New Vegas the original Hi-Power is the most iconic sidearm I know of, right after the Bren Ten (nice Hi-Power clone btw) and Beretta 92F, Crocket, McClane and Rigs. Having not ever owned any of the said sidearms I indeed have fond memories about all them and there I think is the issue, when considering the level of enthusiams which some people have towards firearms in general. Guns IMO should not be looked at emotionally at all. I don't understand that in what point instruments which can remotely rip meat off from the bones even got into that stage in our minds. But yet so many people have emotional ties to them. I remember during my military service how one the most absurd thing to actually hear someone saying was that I should nurture my AR like a person, a lover. In movies it always sounded like a joke, because I didn't think it to be possible that someone would really be capable of parallelizing a firearm to a person and taking loaded AR to bed would castrate a man quite fast.
Guns are tools of war or hunt. If they jam, you most likely die or don't eat. But they never ever symphatize us in any way and when people seek consolation or therapy from firearms, it usually means a new paint job on the walls. Yet the emotional attachement towards them is so strong that some people would rather die than give up their guns. I don't get that at all.
When Putin escalated the attck in Ukraine, living in Finland and being unsure about the future I armed myself with something I could get my hands on. It was a strange feeling to get to know the weapons, mount sights and adjust them, target practice, put them on wall mounts etc. But there is no way in this world I would somehow ever get mentally attached to them because I never ever could get mentally attached on the purpose why I bought them.
I have an older FN one with a spur hammer - that seems to be better for not pinching your hand. It's my favorite handgun but I don't know if I would want one that doesn't have the classic slim feel. Mine has the molded grip like the black one in this video. Perfect fit.
The shoulder stock was the first thing I thought about when you showed the removable back strap. If we could get rid of the NFA that would be so cool to have.
I've never liked that it was called the "Browning" Hi-Power since the final 1935 model had significant changes to Browning's work. In the early phases, Browning was limited by his own patents on the 1911 so he had to design the pistol around that. It wasn't until after the 1911 patents expired, which was also after Browning's death, that FN reworked the design into what was finally released in 1935.
Thank you for your time posting this interesting information.
I just don’t think FN got the aesthetics right. Just seemed less streamlined/blocky. Edit: also, the modern barrel lock up makes it look more like a Sig from the top of the slide. You can also remove the magazine safety from any Hi-Power.
Yes, the modern barrel is a huge disadvantage from the aesthetics point of view.
It looks stubby because they shortened the barrel and slide.
@@KossoffFan its longer than the original
@@sumgaye5951 You sure? It looks shorter, at least the slide does.
@@TheFanatical1 yep, it’s just a cheaper way to manufacture the same browning tilting barrel lock up.
I thought the CZ75 was the updated BHP...
It is one of many but imo it is the best of the bunch and the one I carry
FN made the right decision with a modern version of its classic High Power design, especially given Springfield Armory coming out with their parts exchangeable clone, the SA-35. Also, FN has always called the gun the "High Power" the english words for "Grande Puissance". The use of the name "Hi-Power" was only used for pistols sold by Browning Arms due to some trademark issues.
Innovation and improvement are always a good thing.
The design change I'd think would make the original just that much more valuable.
1. They didn't remove all the original Hi-powers from the world
2. The original was the best that they could do "at that time"
3. Evolution of manufacture and design is going to happen
4; John Browning would have been re-designing the Hi-Power for modern abilities if he was alive today
5. I worked in Phoenix in a service truck WITHOUT A/C long enough to know that every vehicle I have owned since has A/C
Love your videos!!
To me the soul of the High Power was the trigger mechanism, with the trigger bar/disconnector in the slide. I'm glad to see they kept that.
I want one for sure. I really wish it had an optics cut and a rail though.
Everything about it looks good except how they made it fatter. The reason why I like the original hi power is because it has one of the thinnest frames for a doublestack. This is very comfortable in my hand. I've also never received a hammer bite when my friends have, so it probably means this handgun was meant for me.
I like the look of the small ejection port on the original.
FN Herstal just got blessed by gun jesus for removing the magazine safety, that's a moment I will treasure experiencing
"Fun is allowed."
You heard him, boys! Fire up the printers and make the weird shit!
Ooo thats a nice update to a floored but fantastic pistol
Didn't know that there was a difference between early and later magazines. The mags from my CZ 75 PCR work in a High Power my dad picked up about 10 years ago, just wont lock the slide back(there is a lineage between CZ 75 and the High Power). But a few buddies that have tried this say they don't have the same result ...so it now remains to be seen whether its the early or later version that has some compatability
I'm glad SOMEBODY finally took a look at this. After the just awful early release of the SA-35 and all its issues, I was excited to see FN do a pistol that didn't suck out of the box, even if it looked a little wonky.
I never got around to owning a hi-power, so the purist in my didn’t like the new design initially. However, when I consider how the 1911 has morphed into the 2011, I reconsidered. FN is into something I think. I predict it’ll sell, both to collectors who want the new variant and shooters who liked the design but disliked its flaws. Plus, as pointed out, there’s lots if originals out there to be had.
Thanks for your evaluation. Very informative.
I think all the firearm companies should have a "retro" line of products. Something to fill that nostalgia vibe but is more appropriate for today's standards.
The main downside of the new Hi Power is that it's only available in 9mm. It would be way better if they also made a .40 S&W version and a conversion barrel for .357 SIG. 15 rounds of .40 or .357 SIG would be a big step up from the old 10 round .40 Hi Powers, especially with that barrel length.
5 years??
For that??
Gentlemen, JB incarnated into nice Austrian guy and within 6 months put all his lessons from the HP35 into DIVINE PERFECTION preproduction.
Written by ex employee for FN HP35 MK3( Mil/LE catalog) importer.
Be blessed, healthy, free and prosper.
I really think that John Browning was right. Full length guide rod doesn't actually make sense. The recoil spring is effectively captured within the slide, it doesn't have anywhere to go but over the short guide rod. On the 1911, it's even more obvious considering the recoil spring is contained within a tube on the slide side and a pin on the frame side.
I have often wondered how strong is nostalgia in the selling of not only the Hi-Power, but other firearms and products in general. How many generations of shooters/owners pass before the desire for the original fades? Ian said that Hi-Power sales were rapidly dwindling and the pistol was just not economical to keep in production anymore. It is a design that is over 100 years old and was made to meet certain criteria as laid out by the French military in the early1900s. No design is perfect enough to withstand not only the test of time, but there formidable and highly fickle test of opinion and winds of wants.
Ian, why is this an ad?
I take it as "80 years of progress made it possible to make better highpower, here is how"
@@michalsoukup1021 it was definitely an ad, it had identical talking points to other videos on this gun that released at the time. Worse yet, the gun itself is neither modernized nor parts compatible with OG High Powers, making the gun fill a niche no one really has. The people wanting an original HP will still want an original and the people wanting a modern handgun will find this gun lacking features. Academically it may be better than the original though.
@SgtKOnyx did you not watch the video at all about why they made they new one?
@@shanenonwolfe4109 More than a year ago lol
Though my points remain valid even if they had "good" reasons. The gun isn't modern and isn't vintage. It fills a niche that is very small.
@@SgtKOnyx I picked up a FN High Power and it’s definitely not lacking. It’s so smooth, accurate and comfortable to operate with a nice balance and hasn’t had a malfunction. Aftermarket is slowly starting to catch up now. Got mine for $300 off MSRP with the$100 FN wood grips thrown in for free, not a bad deal. Might not satisfy the traditionalist or the modernists but for those in the middle it’s a good balance of vintage looks with modern internals that can hold its own.
I'm not a purist, just kind of old-school. I like the modern improvements on something that still has the old controls, but does away with the hammer bite and other drawbacks to something I otherwise liked. I do wish they could have avoided making it so chunky in the process, though. It doesn't take much bulk for something to really stand out were I to carry it, and the 'svelte'ness of the older ones made em pretty special as double-stacks go.
I agree with Justin, they should have called it something slightly different, since it is a more than slightly different pistol. The fact it is larger than the original is enough of a turn-off that I wouldn't want one. I own a BHP MkIII from the mid 1980's and can't find a single thing wrong with it. I've never been bitten by the hammer, mine is the long spur and not the ring style. It's been improved enough over the MkI and II that little remains of the design's original problems. Mine is also a .40S&W version, and while heavier than the 9mm, is still lighter than a full-size 1911. I don't care that the .40 only holds 10 instead of 13 rounds, either. If I need more than 10 to protect myself, I have no business going there in the first place. Besides, that's what extra magazines are for. And you are right about the magazine disconnector, it's a useless piece of garbage that only existed because the French wouldn't buy the pistol without one. Removing it is an easy 10 minute job and vastly improves the trigger feel.
The only thing you could have done to improve this otherwise outstanding video would be to have included the new SA version in the side-by-side views. I've yet to see or handle either of the two new versions, and really don't need to, as I'll never let go of the one I have, and don't think the others are significantly better overall than the version I have.
I sort of like the old fashioned locking lugs instead of the newer style locking block as a part of the barrel chamber. Having several lugs means that the height displacement to unlock the slide is less for the same locking surface area, thereby necessitating less barrel tilt. This lends itself to better accuracy.
I have an original 1986 model I bought new in 1987 for $475. (That was about two weeks pay for me at the time.) It was my first gun. It was between the Browning and a Beretta. I liked the Beretta just a little more but not enough to pay the extra $100 that they cost at the time. I'm up in the air as to whether I want one of the new ones or not. I love the idea, but it looks more like a "based on" gun than even an actual clone. I'd almost rather finally get that Beretta I didn't buy 35 years ago. 🙂
LOL at the Bronco analogy.
I think it's a really cool update.
Both my hi powers have a coil spring on a strut. Not a flat hammer spring. 1969c series and 1987 military frame and commercial slide.
The high-power was from his son and his shop ,he was gone by then
I always liked the Argentine Hi-powers. They never did the front lightening cut, but they also simply re-used their 1911 holsters.
I think your first statement talking about the FJ is closer to the point. The number 1 thing the original High Power had was a grip that fit, better than the "block" and other modern pistols. The ergonomics was what made it popular. The new FN has made multiple handguns that just haven't' come up to the same standard. Do you really need a larger grip? Mec Gar made the 15 round and even some 20 round magazines that work perfectly fine. My take is FN was trying to get traction using their most popular handgun name and come up with a modern production pistol. I question the need for the larger grip, no complaint on the locking surfaces nor the takedown. But why couldn't they make a larger backwards compatible magazine? The fact that Springfield Armory came up with an updated compatible pistol may be the real nail in FN's version coffin.
I like the improvements, I only wish it was capable of being made double action.
I would love to see a side by side comparison with Springfield armory’s new HiPower, the SA35
John Browning was a genius and innovative weapon designer…he would want his own projects further improved upon and kept up with modern standards.
No one here is destroying his legacy, its keeping it relevant.
So for the Bronco analogy, basically anyone who watched Jaws at some point?
Ian slept well after filming this knowing everything was right with the world.
Now that's a hand cannon
Love my new FN High Power! Some great improvements!
Thanks
I've never been bit by my Hipower, and I've been shooting it for like 37 years.
But I still want a new one. Haven't seen one out in the wild yet though. I have an early bronco as well and love it. I may be part caveman
I think this updated High-Power is great in theory. Preserving an iconic pistol (like the 1911 for example) all the while upgrading the gun where it was needed. I mean the chunkier appearance bothers me but you can still see the original design. I still prefer the original obviously but it’s not a bad redesign at all I just don’t think it will be as recognizable and groundbreaking like the original.
I agree with one of the comments here that they should have called it the High Power 2 to distinguish it from the original, possibly reducing the backlash of naming an essentially a new design as an "improved" version of the original. That aside, I think it is a better gun that can stand on its own merits. NOS High Power pistols in mint condition aren't that easy to find, and are clearly collectors' items. The new version is a practical handgun that you can use as you wish, as opposed to one you put on display. So they are fundamentally different guns and should be treated as such.
I bought a new Browning Hi-Power in the early 1970s. The worst pistol I've ever owned and that is saying a lot! It was beautiful (that's why I bought it). I shot it 4 times and traded it off. The trigger was atrocious! It took both hands to fire it and when it finally went off it was way off target. An auxiliary deputy sheriff gave me a Dan Wesson D-11 .357 mag. revolver, a leather military swivel holster, a new Snap-on chest tool box and $127 cash for it. Good trade in my book.
I carried a High Power for several years, and except for the hammer bite, I thought it was an excellent carry pistol. Not trying to be sacrilegious, but I was hoping that with this new evolution they would have been able to include a DA/SA trigger.
I think this is a really neat addition to FN's lineup. The original has it's own place, sure, but everyone eventually has to admit that things need to be brought forward.
It's like if the Browning high power, the Colt 1911 and Sig-Sauer 220 had a love child together.
Replaceable backstraps intrigue me purely for the concept of an attachable shoulder stock like the orginal
Not enough structural rigidity/strength for an attachable shoulder stock like the original.
although i don't believe in fooling about with rare perfection i do trust and respect brownning , the 1'st double stack automatic
I think part of the problem is they called it the high power, when it is fundamentally a different pistol. It looks the same, but is indeed a different gun. Doesnt seem bad, but its incredibly expensive and personally for me I think I will be getting the springfield SA-35 rather than FNs new take
Personally. As someone that’s shot and worked on a lot of HP’s. I like this updated one.
I am impressed and I want one. Never had an original but will pursue ownership of one of these. FNH makes quality firearms and I expect nothing less with this “new” pistol. As always Ian a tremendous presentation by you!
Love the video….but wondering if the quality of the optics has dropped off? It seemed a little out of focus and low resolution. Thank you anyway as it was still really interesting
Imagine how many people have been killed by a Browning Hi Power...🤔
i for one am stoked for a modern-er-er hi-power
The Zodiac killer used a Canadian FN imported from Belgium ( at one scene, ) he dropped 13 empty cartridges. Also could have been a Nazi spoil from WW2?
I'd replace the back strap with a lanyard loop...the design appears a bit more robust, this might enable a 40 s&w or . 357 sig variant. Since it appears a bit larger, my only concern is finding holsters that fit well. They could denote them as post 2022 Hi-Powers. The improved out of the box trigger would & sights sounds like it will be tailor made for CMP service pistol. 👍
I do hope that some aftermarket companies will follow the lead of the current Jeep situation and make snarling plastic faces to fit on the muzzle.
I’ve seen some arguments that the CZ75 is itself heavily based on the GP35. This new High Power is using the Whiting lockup similar to the CZ97, which is kinda neat!
I think it looks nice, especially considering other offerings from FN - we’ll see how much the FN Tax will empty wallets at the shops!
I think it's a good take.
they've solved the issues that would potentially make you hate a high power and built in a lot of what the high power also is to create an easily better version unless your one true draw to the browning is how low profile it was.
I had a Hi-Power back in the day. It was a great shooter, but I really don't miss it. I think this new gun is pretty good as well, but from a marketing perspective, I think calling it a "Hi-Power" is probably not a good idea. It's different enough that it should be its own thing IMO.
100% dead on Ian, the new is a 'new one' .. I have shot and always wanted a tangent sighted, ebony gripped, plank buttstock Hi-Power, that gun was SO FUN to shoot.. but the new model is a different duck, welcome to the flock...
Hmmm . . . a little nervous about the bulkierness; LOVING the satiated trigger, the locking lugs, the easier takedown, the functional serrations, the enlarged ejection port, and the deleted magazine safety. Even though a mag safety would've saved Chris's life; as would have a best friend with even a tiny bit of common sense. A self-defense weapon with a magazine safety is going to a useless club when you need it the most. I'd trade any full-size 9mm for the new FN Hi-Power except the CZ 75 - only because of the CZ's unique SA/DA operation. I'd be "over the moon" if CZ had made all of the same changes and have called the changed Locking lugs/enlarged ejection port and functional serrations for years. Not that anyone at CZ ever listens to their customers.
This is a smart and common sense FN move.
The FN logo bag CG image, not so much.
Please hold the line GJ. Your brand is super strong. Don’t MAC it.
Great pistol - was time for changes - anyone in love with the old model can find them on used market. The changes made were not only needed but will allow it to endure.
Please compare the trigger reset when u get it out to the range