WE Browning Hi-Power part 2

[Wingman]

After waiting too many years for the so called "perfect Hi-Power", I broke down a month ago and bought the WE (saw the movies "who Dares Wins" on line and the John Wayne flick "McQ" from my DVD collection back to back. lol)

 

Having owned a couple of "real steels", I've always wanted one for my ever growing airsoft collection and I'm back into my WWII weapons mood again. As the original Hi-Power topic was archived, I started this new one.

 

I have seen some of these in use and got a chance to try one and it seemed pretty usable. The owner had had his for about a year and said that he had not had any issues except the occasional leaky magazine. He had found that to be easily fixed.

 

Range and accuracy were acceptable and he was using .25's and sometimes .28's. I found I was able to consistently hit a torso sized log at a reasonable 60-70 feet. I was actually impressed with the accuracy at 50 feet as I was hitting a head sized target with little difficulty. The hop seems right on for .25's. Things are looking good. Not TM accuracy or range but close. Better than WE 1911's I had tried.

 

A year later, I make the purchase of the WE and a couple spare magazines. The pistols was much like the one I had fired before except there was a really ugly seam line on the muzzle of the slide (below the barrel) fixable but disappointing. Fit and finish (other than the slide issue) is pretty good. I am aware of the WE paint reputation, but that's OK as I'm looking for this pistol start showing "usage wear".

 

Now for the trigger. The Hi-Power has never had the truly crisp release of the 1911. This is mostly due to that magazine safety. In the old days, some real steel shooters would have theirs removed and the change in trigger pull was improved quite a bit. However, due to liability issues (removing a safety device on a firearm), if you actually used your pistol in anger, you had some major problems in court. I did find that the WE magazine safety is of the same design and can probably be removed easily with the same results. As I do not find the trigger to be that bad, I'm leaving mine alone.

 

I've been able blast off about a half dozen magazines worth the shots with same results. Good range and accuracy. I was able to get the magazines to shoot off a full load of BB's after letting the magazines warm up. I am going to take a V shaped file and open up the rear sight notch a bit as the sights can be difficult to pick up quickly.

 

I do like the way WE made the barrel with a "brushed steel" look as the contrast to the matt black and "wood grip panels" looks really nice.

 

I'm getting into this pistol quite a bit and I am extremely disappointed that there has been no up-grades put out for it. It's a workable model and has some basic good points and at $76.00 US, it's a GBB for the same price of most NBB's out there. How about some slides and frames. How about some brushed chrome looking magazines with black floor plates (I always liked that contrast on my real steels). How about a ambi-safety. The list can go on.

 

Enough about me. How about you? What have been your long term use results? Do you still find yourself using your WE Hi-Power or have you "let it go"? Let me know. Thanks.

[The Disavowed]

I am currently reworking the slide on mine as I really hate that tangent sight with a passion, but that is not any fault with WE. The imitation wood grips are pretty good, although I will most likely fit some proper ones at some point.

 

The biggest annoyance I have with this gun is that they copied the awful tanaka system, but with the absence of the little grub screw in the top of the barrel to adjust the hop. Using a tap and dye set one can be added easily enough, but really I find this a major let down. Adjustable hop up is pretty much the norm now, and I would frankly have expected a lot more from WE, especially as how impressed I am with their newer guns.

 

I find the whole blowback to be a bit blurgh, not nice and crisp and snappy, again very disappointing from a WE.

 

So, gripes out of the way, as you mention it is cheap, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. I don't like the Matt silver barrel, I prefer shiny shiny bling barrel, but that is just me. I could go on about personal preferences such as ambi safety's or extended ones etc. Which reinforces my opinion too that there are lots of options that are out there which seem to have been not only overlooked but also just ignored. Quality on mine is really good, the problem being the fact it is a tanaka copy. I have no problems with any leaks or anything, something that I have found with all my WE pistols lately, good quality valves and seals it would seem, so on that I am impressed.

 

As it stands, because of the things I consider to be faults, or rather letdowns I guess, I really couldn't recommend this pistol at all, but I also don't condemn it. If you want a hi power then your options are fairly limited unless you want to throw serious money away. It is very useable, but I honestly would buy something better like the WE P99 for actually using. I kind of regard this gun as the last great WE lemon, as everything I have seen come after it I absolutely love, to the point of being actually very impressed, so much so that I actually regard WE as probably my favourite manufacturer of the moment.

 

If WE can improve slightly this gun, it would make it more of a choice. Bring out some different configurations, such as a normal slide, different hammers or safety catches. Adjustable hop! If WE used their same system as the P99 (which thankfully didn't copy the Maruzen system) or the sig series that they make, then it could easily make this gun awesome. Copying Tanaka system was the biggest mistake.

[Wingman]

Air softers have been waiting for a better version of the Browning for over 20 years and I cannot fathom the reason why this has not been done.

 

I don't want a plastic one that requires upgraded metal slides, frames etc. etc.. I want it ready to go right out of the box. I will even accept zero trades. Just make it a modern rendition of one of the most iconic firearms in history.

 

This means that WE or KJW are the best shot at getting what we want and just need to motivate themselves. I pick these two brands as they make dependable pistols at a reasonable price.

 

I still shoot my current WE pistols, I have 3, and they still operate just fine, but I would certainly purchase a couple of newer model versions if they made them. As well as many others who have been waiting as long as I have.

[druid799]

I've been running mine for just about a yr now , I only use it when I'm running my 'old school' loadouts (British army of the 80's/Rhodesian bush war) so it's been used ruffly half of my playing time ? I've removed the hideous leaf sight and set mine up as an L9A1 (the one I carried in service) I normally run .25's in it but some times I'll stick .32's in it if I'm playing woodland with dense cover mine has a very satisfying 'snap' too it on firing , accuracy is very good after a few mags threw it and the hop has held true all the time . Others have stated there's are a bit 'meh' when used but I'm inclined to go with the old nut shell of poor QC that we've come to accept from most of the 'cloners' out there . I've always made a point of cleaning and oiling all my WE guns and none of them have let me down yet .

Would I recommend one ? Yes I would but with the caveat of clean and maintain regularly and be prepared that you mite get a lemon !

Edited August 17, 2017 by druid799

[Wingman]

I believe my first WE was the Hi-Power and I have bought several other models since. Their P38 is one of my favorites. I have always found that if I treat all my WE pistols as I would a TM, the run just fine and last quite awhile.

[Wingman]

Adding KWC/Cybergun to that list of manufacturers that I'd like to see make a "modern" or fixed site Hi-Power.

 

Just received their new (to us anyway) Parkerized 1911A1. Its my second of this brand (the other is a Colt Rail Gun) and its just terrific. Markings are probably the best I've seen on a 1911 and performance is excellent (flat shoots .25's past 100 feet).

 

They would likely make it CO2 and if they could double stack the magazines to take 25+, it would be perfect.