FN Hi-Power: Age Before Beauty?
I am sorry John Browning did not live to see his new concept pistol, the Hi-Power, finished. Arguably his crowning achievement in pistol design, it was the first pistol to hold 13 rounds of 9mm in its double-stacked magazine. At a time when the German P-38 and the Colt 1911 service pistols held seven or eight rounds, it blazed the way for other Wonder 9s to come.
Related: Are John Browning's Best Known Kids Still Up to Muster for EDC?
My test pistol was ordered by the Buenos Aires, Argentina, police department back in 1960. Delivered in 1961, it is stamped as police property on the frame with the department’s seal on the top of the slide. What a cool collector piece! As I hold and aim this pistol, I can imagine the places it has been while on the hip of a Buenos Aires police officer. It shows holster wear on the frame and slide, but the bluing is largely intact, as are the hardwood grip panels.
The handgun feels solid and compact in my hands. Although it points naturally, the controls feel undersized. The right-hand safety is tiny, as is the magazine release. I can manage them with care, but I am used to the oversized controls of modern pistols. The grip is comfortable but wide in my hand.
More Features
The tiny sights are comparable to those on my 1873 Peacemaker Colt single-action revolver. The simple notch rear and blade front are ill-suited to aiming, so I added a bit of yellow paint to the front sight blade to see it. I can point it naturally from the hip and feel that this was its intended purpose.
The bowed single-action trigger is heavy, breaking just under 7 pounds. It must have had many rounds fired through it, because it is smooth and breaks cleanly. Hi-Power triggers are known to be heavy and difficult to tune, so it will take some effort to master.
The double-stack to single-feed 13-round steel magazine was revolutionary for its time. Compared to single-stack magazines of the Walther PPK, P38, and other European designs, it was way ahead. This magazine is the reason why the pistol is named "High Power." It is well-designed, inserts cleanly, and drops free easily when empty. Unlike the first pistols made, the Buenos Aires pistol has no magazine-to-trigger disconnect. It will fire without a magazine in the gun. I like that feature.
Overall, this is a well-built compact pistol. Its good features override the bad. Remember, when it was released about 90 years ago, it was advanced for its time. It is copied and improved today, and that is proof that it is a great design.
GIRSAN’S MC P35 OPS
EAA is the exclusive distributor for Turkish gunmaker Girsan, which is known for quality products that are affordable. The MC P35 OPS shows a flair for innovation as well.
Related Review: Modernized Browning Hi-Power – Girsan MC P35 OPS Revives a Classic
Although this pistol resembles the FN High Power, it is different. The stippled, etched grips are much more secure in my hands and won’t let me slip. The 2-inch accessory rail on the forward frame is a great idea, allowing me to add a light or laser if I wish.
Like the grips, the controls are oversized. The safety is much larger, easy to engage, and ambidextrous. The slide hold-open is also oversized and extended. I like the way it allows me to release the slide quickly and easily. The magazine release is bigger and extended to make it effective when dropping an empty magazine. It can be reversed for lefties, which is a nice feature.
The Girsan’s beavertail grip is a welcome safety feature. Hammer bite from an original FN Hi-Power is annoying and sometimes painful, but this rounded, serrated hammer will not pinch the web of my hand.
Upgrades in Function
This is an open-sight pistol like the FN original. I can see the sights clearly and they are adjustable for windage and elevation. The red fiber-optic front sight seems to jump up and want to be seen. Although not optics-ready, I do not find open sights to be a disadvantage.
Like its FN parent pistol, the trigger on the Girsan Hi-Power is heavy, but I like the improved flat-face target design. It allows me to place my fingertip in just the right position to squeeze through. The trigger breaks at over 7 pounds and will be a challenge to master. Squeeze and follow-through will be important.
Girsan’s choice of a MecGar 15-round magazine is excellent. These well-made Italian magazines are all steel and fit well. The magazine is double-stack to single-feed like its parent FN magazine, except that it holds an extra two rounds. Even better, this 15-round magazine will fit and function in the original FN pistol to increase its firepower. What a great idea!
SPECIFICATONS
Shooting the FN
For my shoot-off, I set two steel targets and three root beer jugs at 7 yards at my Area 52 shooting range, plus one longer shot for each pistol to hit. Testing was for accuracy, trigger squeeze, and reliability with each pistol separately, followed by a joint mag dump. Ammo was a mixture of PMC 115-grain HP and 124-grain FMJ. Magazines were loaded with an unknown mix of both types of loads to test reliability.
Despite simple slab-sided grips, the old FN High Power from Argentina feels solid, compact, and heavy for its size, which makes it steady to shoot and reduces recoil. Despite the primitive notch and blade sights, this pistol is accurate. The heavy 7-pound trigger is well-worn and smooth, and I can anticipate the shot well.
Accuracy at 7 yards on steel was great. I was able to keep three shots touching at center and make a couple of head shots as well. I am surprised by its accuracy, given its age. My grade is 100 percent for shooting of the old FN Buenos Aires collectible pistol.
The Girsan’s Turn
With the new EAA Girsan MC P35 OPS, I immediately noticed the thinner, aggressive grips that hold my hands in place more securely. The oversized safety gives me a more confident feeling when engaged. The heavy trigger is a bear to squeeze through, but the flat faced trigger helped to engage four root beer jugs without a miss. Even the longer-range jug was hit with a patient squeeze, although it was a challenge.
The steel target showed an accurate group center with one low flyer, and my head shots were well placed. The grips, flat trigger, and excellent open sights with red fiber optic made up for the heavy trigger on this test. My grade for the Girsan pistol, therefore, is 99 percent.
To make things fair for a joint mag dump, I loaded a 15-round magazine for each pistol. I am pleased to note that the old FN High Power accepts the new higher capacity MecGar magazine easily. Shooting quickly, I emptied both pistols on each target, hitting a few times. Neither pistol jammed nor failed to feed or eject a round on any part of today’s test. That is great reliability for each design.
PROS & CONS
AND THE WINNER IS...
For my personal needs of competition and defensive carry, I choose the EAA Girsan as the winner in this competition. Despite a heavy trigger, its grips, sights, extended controls, magazine, and flat trigger make it my choice.
I shoot the FN Argentina High Power a bit better, but it is an old pistol more attractive to collectors than to shooters like me. The old FN pistol is solid, smooth, reliable, and accurate, but the sights are too primitive for me, as are the smooth grips. It is still a great John Browning classic and nice shooting pistol.
Whichever pistol you choose, new or old, you will not be disappointed. The key areas of quality, reliability, accuracy, and high magazine count have been met. If you do not own a Hi-Power, you are missing out on a truly fun handgun!
