I recently saw some guys who had the magazine safties removed from their Hi Powers. This meant that not only would it fire a round in the chamber with no magazine inserted but empty magazines drop free from the gun.

I want to do this to my gun.

How difficult is this? I can do a field strip ok but I'm not a master gunsmith. Can anyone talk me through it? Is their a step by step with photos on the net that I could be linked to?

You should be able to find what you want here:
www.fnhipower.com/

It's not difficult to do. Just keep in mind the liability concerns should someone else get hold of your gun. Do this at your own risk.

It is a simple process to remove the mag safety on a Hi-Power. The mag safety system is behind the trigger. It is only a plunger, a spring, and a crosspin that you are removing from the trigger. However, it is going to require you to break the pistol down to the bare receiver. On the other hand, there are some lawyers that would have a field day with you in deactivating the safety system. There are some companies that would deactivate the mag system. Robar is one of them.

I had a gunsmith do it for about $30.  Along with him doing a nice job, I figure that a gunsmith vs. a home chop job will provide a small amount of liability protection.  (i.e. "Well why would a gunsmith agree to do this if it really is dangerous?")


GO FOR IT!  Once you have this done, you will never go back.

Why would you want to do this?  I sure would be hesitant to carry it cocked and lock the way it was designed to be.

If you don't like the small safety that comes on it (compared to a 1911 design), you can actually get an extented safety that is almost identical to a 1911 for more ease of use issues.

John Browning had a great design with the BHP and the 1911...I would personally be reluctant to take off any of the safeties he designed since they really aren't much of a hindrance.

Quoted: Why would you want to do this?  I sure would be hesitant to carry it cocked and lock the way it was designed to be. If you don't like the small safety that comes on it (compared to a 1911 design), you can actually get an extented safety that is almost identical to a 1911 for more ease of use issues. John Browning had a great design with the BHP and the 1911...I would personally be reluctant to take off any of the safeties he designed since they really aren't much of a hindrance.

Mostly I want empty mags to drop free. Second I want to be able to fire the weapon with the magazine removed. Most modern handguns will do this. As far as cocked and locked, I'm not messing with the rear safety at all.

Tailgate, it honestly sounds like you have zero experience with the HiPower since you claim that the magazine disconnect is not much of a hinderance.  Removing this "safety" does the following:
Cleans up the trigger pull.  The plunger drags against the magazine.
Allows magazines to drop free.  With practice you learn to strip them out, but this is not as fast or reliable and is not applicable on your other firearms.
Allows you to drop the hammer when there is not a mag in place.  Ever try IPSC/IDPA or other competition with a mag disconnect?  It's really annoying.  It also prevents you from goofing up by putting a loading mag into the pistol to drop the hammer or doing the same thing on another pistol because of muscle memory.

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Reading your post again, it now looks like you thought he wanted to remove the thumb safety.  I hope that's not what you thought.

So you removed the mag disconnect in order to be able to compete in pistol matches....if you happen to use it defensively....

I don't think Tailgate is wrong.

I've never understood the rush to remove magazine saftey on the Hi-Power; I carry one daily. One of it's great advantages is that you can deactivate the weapon by dropping the magazine. Unlike a lot of "modern" weapons.

If you use it only in competition, I see where the lighter (<5lbs) trigger pull can be an advantage.  But, I guarantee you (and I speak from personal experience) will not notice the difference between a trigger pull with the mag safety in place or a trigger pull with the mag safety removed when you're trading shots with someone who's trying to kill you.

On the street, I want a weapon I can deactivate if the bad guy grabs it and I have to go for a backup gun or a knife.

The magazine safety does not preclude a good trigger pull, send your Browning/FN to any of the excellent smiths who specialize in HP tuning and you'll get a 5 lb trigger pull with the mag safety in place.

I had my gunsmith remove my mag safety as well. Even though I often break down my 1911 to bare frame, I wasn't real comfortable doing the HP work myself.

Yes, it does help the trigger pull. I'm not a cop so I'm not concerned about a thug taking my gun away from me. Once a thug sees my gun, chancers are my finger is already on the trugger. >gg<

Quoted: So you removed the mag disconnect in order to be able to compete in pistol matches....if you happen to use it defensively....

If I happen to use it defensively....I will be well trained and practiced in its use because of the time spent in competition and training with it.  It is my primary handgun for competition, training, and defense.

Quoted: I don't think Tailgate is wrong. I've never understood the rush to remove magazine saftey on the Hi-Power; I carry one daily. One of it's great advantages is that you can deactivate the weapon by dropping the magazine. Unlike a lot of "modern" weapons.

I've never understood why it was added to the pistol in the first place.  I found the mag disconnect to be one of its great disadvantages, as listed earlier in the thread.  

I also forgot another safety problem related to the disconnect.  It is possible dump the mag on a different pistol and presume that it is now deactivated, even though it isn't.

If you use it only in competition, I see where the lighter (<5lbs) trigger pull can be an advantage. But, I guarantee you (and I speak from personal experience) will not notice the difference between a trigger pull with the mag safety in place or a trigger pull with the mag safety removed when you're trading shots with someone who's trying to kill you.

I don't recall the trigger break being noticeably lighter after the removal; it removed the drag from the take up and made the break a little crisper, that combo makes it much easier to tell when all the slack is out.  I don't believe this trigger improvement would impair my shooting in a gunfight and not one of the 15k+ rounds (SWAG) I've put through the pistol so far have been in a gunfight, so I think this is well worth it.

On the street, I want a weapon I can deactivate if the bad guy grabs it and I have to go for a backup gun or a knife.

I do not want my weapon disabled by the removal of the magazine; if the mag does get dumped in a struggle I still want to be able to fire the round in the chamber.

The magazine safety does not preclude a good trigger pull, send your Browning/FN to any of the excellent smiths who specialize in HP tuning and you'll get a 5 lb trigger pull with the mag safety in place.

Send it off!  Are you kidding?  I don't even like leaving stuff at the local gunsmith.  That also sounds like it is more expensive and will definitely take longer to get your pistol back.

How do you get a smooth, clean trigger pull with the disconnect still there?  Does the 'smith polish the front of all your magazines?  Will the magazines drop free when the 'smith is done?  Some 'smiths can shorten the takeup of the trigger, can this still be done?

It is a real hassle in IPSC matches, but that is the only reason I want to take mine off.

Quoted: Reading your post again, it now looks like you thought he wanted to remove the thumb safety.  I hope that's not what you thought.

Correct...that is, I misread it to mean "thumb safety" not magazine safety.  As to someone's comment earlier about me not having any experience with a BHP...well, I have SOME experience with it but do not own one.  I much prefer .45acp caliber over 9mm, so stick with the 1911.  However, I am probably going to sell my Beretta 92F (circa 1985 or so) and either buy a BHP or put it towards a nice .308 rifle (probably Remington 700 PSS).

Sorry for the misread.

"Send it off! Are you kidding? I don't even like leaving stuff at the local gunsmith. That also sounds like it is more expensive and will definitely take longer to get your pistol back."

Francisco....try it I guarantee you'll like it. lol

:-)

Quoted: "Send it off! Are you kidding? I don't even like leaving stuff at the local gunsmith. That also sounds like it is more expensive and will definitely take longer to get your pistol back." Francisco....try it I guarantee you'll like it. lol :-)

I'll take your word on that.  Who do you recommend and how much would it cost to have them come to me?

I've had four HPs during the past 25 years, and the first was a WaA stamped 1942 product without the mag safety.  When I bought a used MkII (yeah, two)for an incredibly low price from a Columbus, OH dealer, the difference in pulls between the two was noticeable.  I stripped the MkII and knocked out the pin holding the mag safety plunger and spring and the MkII was immediately improved in smoothness of pull.  A couple years ago I traded my second 92FS for a MkIII BHP (Portugese assembled) and did the same after a cursory first box of ammo through it.  Early BHPs and wartime BHPs did not have the mag safety, so that is a point of contention in defense of the liability hounds.

Noah