My Three Amigos

Ever since I shot a buddie's High Power, I have wanted one (or more) for my own.
One led to another, then I was offered what is now my third.
Each one operates differently, but each one is very comfortable to shoot, & while one is fine for close work, one stands out from 25 yards away.
All were shot offhand, standing.
My first one is the two-tone Browning High Power Practical. The fixed sights shoot to the point of aim. Dead center to the point of aim. Even from 25 yards away. It operates like most every other single action pistol. The Pachmyr grips are soooo comfortable.


Sights are white, vertical bars, while the front sight is a looong ramped incline filled with white paint. Very bright with good overhead light, not so good with light from the rear.
The FN High Power's front sight is more vertical, picking up light from the rear just like the rear sights, but not so good with overhead light.
Compare the two;

The FN has the fancy SFS modification. It works differently than any pistol I have shot.

When a round is chambered just like most other SA pistols, the hammer remains cocked, & the pistolero has only to engage the safety before holstering the sidearm.
Not with the SFS. You use your thumb to just push up on the hammer to about the half-cock position, which engages the safety into the slide notch, locking the slide. Now, the pistolero can holster the pistol. The hammer remains in the half-cock position, unlike the regular Browning High Power's safety, which remains fully cocked.
Now, to ready the FN SFS to fire, just put some light downward pressure on the safety lever, & the hammer quickly moves to full cock.


While the Browning High Power Practical is Tu-Tone, the FN is all black. Black paint. Both Belgian made HP's wear black painted slides. Why is such an expensive pistol painted instead of blued? It does wear some pretty wood grips.
It shoots well too!

The third HP is an Arcus 98DA. It is a High Power clone made in Bulgaria. It can be fired in Single Action or Double Action mode. It is finished in a dark posphate, has a longer grip frame, & the beavertail extends down & out to offer better hand protection from the hammer. It has fixed sights with white dots. Both sights are drift adjustable.
The Arcus is even more comfortable that the High Power Practical!
But, there is more play between the slide & frame, so long shots land far apart. It is fine for targets at shorter ranges, though.


I had no jams, misfeeds or malfunctions with any of the pistols I shot today.
I have just finished cleaning them & posting this thread, so I am ready for an afternoon nap now.

Nice group of guns you have there! I can tell you're pretty proud of them, as you should be.

great review and collection. Thanks for sharing!

Nice right up.