Jediwarrior Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Greetings from Virginia, I want to know what is the difference between the Browning Hi-Power MKIII and the earlier pistols. I saw in Gunbroker that the MKIII uses a different trigger spring and/or sear lever. Is this supposed to make the trigger pull heavier or lighter? Just wondering coz I might buy a used one for collection, and I customize it later on. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 The Browning's changed in stages so all the changes didnt occur at once. A MKIII is the common term for Hipowers made after about 1988 or so, Features that set it apart were lack of ribbed slide, dovetail front sight, and actual usable factory sights, The trigger spring is lighter but , the sear lever is different and now has a spring so it sorta evens it back out. The lever now serves as a firing pin block which is a decent design and actually makes field stripping easier. The slide has a cut out for the new lever so you cant remove it. The MK III has an improved ramp on the barrel which enables them to run hollowpoints without a hitch. The older barrel had some issues as it was designed for FMJ's . The only real operational differences I noticed was a MKII trigger job can have a shorter reset, and the MKIII will run hollowpoints out of the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Also, the MKIII guns have factory ambi-safeties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jediwarrior Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 Hey Joe, thanks for the info. That was very informative. Now, I know what to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boats Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Big difference is most III's have cast frames and II's are forged. I say most because early III's were forged for a while. Way you can tell is look at the bottom behind the Magwell. Forged frames are smooth cast have "ripples". Collectors like forged most shooters prefer the cast frame. Rumor is they could not go to 40 cals until the switch over to cast. If you are going to buy one goggle Steven A Camp and get his "Shooters Guide to the Browning Hi Power." Some collecting info but focused more on shooting. Boats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 On a MKIII, when you remove the magazine lock you'll need to go to the stronger MKII trigger spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Big difference is most III's have cast frames and II's are forged. I say most because early III's were forged for a while. Way you can tell is look at the bottom behind the Magwell. Forged frames are smooth cast have "ripples".Collectors like forged most shooters prefer the cast frame. Rumor is they could not go to 40 cals until the switch over to cast. If you are going to buy one goggle Steven A Camp and get his "Shooters Guide to the Browning Hi Power." Some collecting info but focused more on shooting. Boats Small correction, google "Stephen A Camp" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boats Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Thanks I never could spell. There is a good High power man up in Lexington Va. He tweaked the MK II I own now. Google "Fletcher custom pistols" Nice guy and a regular competitor. Boats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunBugBit Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 (edited) A Mark III can have a lighter trigger than some think, safely. One of the the biggest single improvements is mentioned in Browning's "9mm Field Service Guide". It talks about putting a secondary cut on the lower edge of the sear nose. Have a smith do it if you're not comfortable. He should know how to leave enough primary engagement surface yet still give your trigger pull a good improvement. The tiny sear lever spring can be snipped by about 1/3 and give some pull weight reduction while still leaving intact the firing pin block function of the sear lever. The mag disconnect often gets removed, and most don't give that a second thought because so many semi-auto pistols do not have such a feature. A differently leveraged sear lever is the most "violating" change to the gun due to the need for new holes in the slide, but is the one that can get the trigger down around 3.5 lbs or maybe even lighter. A Garthwaite competition trigger is flatter than the factory trigger and makes it easier to press near the bottom of the trigger, giving better leverage. And then there are other things that can be done to improve trigger reset. A Hi-Power that has all of the major trigger improvements will have a VERY sweet trigger. Take these things under advisement with a good smith and only have done what you're comfortable with. If your smith gives you your Hi-Power back and now it has hammer follow, that's an oopsie and will need to be corrected. Edited November 20, 2012 by GunBugBit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD525Shooter Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Here is the link to Mr. Camp's website. http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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