From: kknox@logdis1.hq.aflc.af.mil (Kevin P. Knox)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Hungarian Browning Clone
Date: 15 Oct 92 23:59:40 GMT

I  finally received a pistol that I've been waiting for UPS to deliver (I'm 
an FFL  holder).   It is one of the Hungarian made High  Power  clones.   I 
thought  somebody out there might like MHO of it.   I haven't fired it yet, 
so I'll only be critical of that which is obvoius at this point.

It was imported by Century International Arms in St.  Albans  Vermont,  but 
was manufactured in Hungary by FEG.   It is a model P9R and fires a regular 
9x19mm.   I  had actually ordered the single action version of this pistol, 
but  they  sent the double action model.   After a  good  look  over,  I've 
decided to keep it anyway.

The  finish on the pistol is blued steel and (IMHO) overall  excellent.   I 
would put its finish just a notch (a small notch) below that of a  standard 
Browning  High Power that I once owned.   The slide is steel and the  frame 
appears  to  be  an  alloy.   Where the rear sight  was  drifted  into  the 
dovetail, the metal in the bottom of the dovetail curled up on that side of 
the rear sight.  I picked it off with my fingernail and didn't even know it 
had been there after that.

I  took  the slide off the frame (it operates easily and smoothly)  and  it 
doesn't  look like a Browning barrel would replace the one in it now.   The 
barell linkage is shaped unusually.

The  trigger  is  pretty bad.   To begin with,  it is generally  heavy  and 
creepy.   My wife couldn't even "snap" it one handed double action.  I can, 
but if the hammer is at fully forward instead of the half cock position, it 
passes  the half cock position - *CLICK*  - then - *CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP* 
- *STOP*  (pull  just a little harder) and - *SNAP*!   Then as  the  hammer 
falls, it makes another loud *CLICK* just before it strikes the firing pin.  
Don't ask me?!  In order to see the lockwork, I would have had to drift out 
a  pin and remove the mainspring housing.  I didn't want the hassle,  so  I 
didn't  do it.    Single action isn't much better.   It creeps about  3/16" 
before stopping to disengage the sear.   Then after pulling about 5 lbs (an 
educated guess),  the sear will disengage from the hammer,  but not without 
noticeable movement.   IOW,  it doesn't break cleanly,  it creeps a  little 
during  the break.   I think (and hope) that this trigger will get a little 
smoother from use.   Otherwise,  I think a little polishing compund,  emery 
cloth, and honing stones are in order.  This thing's trigger really made me 
appreciate the trigger on my wife's Walther PP!  Now thats a trigger!

The mainspring housing was probably the "cheesiest" part of this (otherwise 
very nice High Power Clone) gun.  Its also "weird".  I spotted it instantly 
upon  handling  the gun and wondered "what the....?"  At first  glance,  it 
would  appear that the rearward portion of the frame has a different finish 
#from  the rest of the gun.   After taking the grips off (look  nice  - like 
walnut - looked like hand checkering - but kinda shallow) I could tell that 
this  "thing"  was  actually  a mainspring housing which  was  fit  into  a 
machined  recess  in the grip.   It pretty much fills up  the  entire  rear 
portion of the grip.  It looks like a painted finish (I shudder to think!).  
Whatever  it's finished with,  it's darker than the blueing on the rest  of 
the gun.

The  overall "fit" of this gun (once again IMHO) is excellent.   It arrived 
with  two magazines.   The users guide stated that the mags were  14  round 
mags,  but hold 15 rds each.  By the way, both mags that came with this gun 
extended a little over 1/16" from the magazine well (just enough to make me 
wonder  - why?).  Forward  the magazine well on the butt  (just  where  the 
little  finger of the shotting hand would lie) is a recess cut out to  help 
in  removing empty magazines.   Magazines will drop freely from the gun  if 
the mag release button is held.   I had no problem pushing this button hard 

enough to drop magazines.   Just from the difference in trigger positioning 
#from double action to single action, I would say that getting a second shot 
off quickly after taking the first double action,  would be a real  hassle.  
One  would  have  to  re-adjust  his/her grip  &  trigger  finger  position 
completely.

The  hammer block safety operates the same as that of the  Walther  PP.   A 
little roughness is noticed when rotated from "not safe" to "safe".  Again, 
I hope this smooths out a little with use.  I found it impossible to engage 
the  safety one handed (I have large hands), but it disengages very  easily 
with  one  hand.   When  put on "safe",  it is a little hard to  discern  a 
noticeable *CLICK - STOP*.  It stops, but not much to let you know that its 
otherwise  fully safe.   In half cock,  the safety will not  engage.   When 
cocked,  engaging the safety will drop the hammer while blocking the firing 
pin safely.

One  thing I noticed through a bad habit - dropping the hammer gently  with 
my  thumb - I went to drop the hammer with my thumb and  nothing  happened.  
("Huh...What's going on here?")  I found that if you pull the hammer  fully 
to  the  rear and pull the trigger to SLOOOOWWWLLLYYY let the hammer  down, 
the  trigger  disengages  completely from the lockwork.   I  found  that  I 
actually  had to reduce rearward pressure on the hammer to get the  trigger 
to engage so the hammer would move forward.   I'll have to admit,  I  found 
this  more  than a little unnerving and would be VERY hesitant to  do  this 
while  the  gun was loaded and cocked.   Then again,  the hammer will  drop 
safely if the safety is engaged.

All  in  all,  this  gun looks WELL worth the $219.07 that I  paid  for  it 
(shipping  inc).   I would imagine that it would retail for a  little  over 
$300.00  (I bought it dealer cost).   The deciding factor will be found  at 
the range.  I'll let you all know what happens when I shoot it.  Thanks and 
take care.

--- Kev