Browning Hi Power w/SFS Reliability Report...

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I do not have an SFS-equipped Hi Power but was contacted a while back by a fellow who was going to shoot one quite a bit and report back on his observations. With his permission, I am posting his email report here:

" I said I would report after twenty five matches how the "system" was holding up. Well it has been only 15 matches so this is an "interim" report. After about 1900 rounds there was never a failure of the pistol or the SFS system on the range. I've passed over 1000 presentations from the holster flipping off the safety to see if the hammer would spring back every time. Without fail the hammer comes back to the full cock position. As you advise changing out recoil springs around 2000 rounds, I thought I would test two products at once. I have ordered a Sprinco recoil system and I'll report how the SFS system and this product does after another 15 matches. As a "side note", I have the three other observations so far. One, I have not been able to deliberately brush up against anything and off the safety. Two, a VAST number of people when seeing it with the "hammer down" assume the pistol is not ready to fire. Finally, the 1911 makes a distinct "click" when thumbing off the safety, whereas most BHP's do not. The SFS system does make an "audible" noise in an otherwise quite room. The "way around this" is to hold the thumb of the weak hand behind the hammer and "ease" it back while holding the thumb safety down. There is no half cock notch to stop the hammer from going "silently" to the rear. I'll contact you again when I have more to report. If you have any questions, just drop me a line.

I hope our SFS Hi Power users find this man's first-hand observations useful.

Best.

[KBCraig]

I'm not familiar with this. Can you explain it?

From the review, it sounds like a system to carry hammer down, but which cocks the hammer when disengaging the safety. Is that about right?

Also, I read this week where one of the big distributors has a supply of alloy framed HPs. Just FYI; if you want more info, I'll look it up.

Kevin

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello and thanks for the offer to look up the aluminum-framed Hi Power but I spent all my "mad money" a couple or three weeks ago.

Here's the poop on the SFS from Cylinder and Slide. They sell the kit form, but some of the FN-marked Hi Powers came NIB that way and the parts are the same I believe:

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/sfs.shtml

Best.