# Tell me about Hungarian Hi-Power clones.



## Hammerhead6814

So in my never ending quest to find the handgun for *me* I've run across a Hungarian made Hi-Power. Searching for what people think about these guns was a futile attempt to figure out who owns a Hi-Power and who owns something they think is better (Glock owners, a pox upon you).

Thing is this isn't a western Hi-Power, it's a 9JK-9HP. Some believe they have differences, some say they are the same as an American/Belgium made Hi-Power. All I know for sure is that the one I tested today (rented at a range) was made in America and absolutely blew me away. I still can't get my mind around how this pistol was born in the 1930's. It felt every bit as good as the CZ 75b I tried out and I honestly think I prefer the way it recoiled in my hands to the way a Taurus Pt92 recoiled, and the PT92 weighs more!

But what of the Huns? Are they every bit as good?


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## DevilsJohnson

Can't say I've seen one. You have my curiosity going though.


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## tekarra

FEG made several clones of the Browning, one is an exact copy while others are not. One so called clone is actually colser to the S&W 59. For more detailed information, I suggest you visit www.handgunsandammo.proboards36.com where there was a recent post on FEGSs and also visit www.sunblest.org.


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## Brian E

*Hi High Power and clones*

The clone word does stink, no buddy says Springfield or Kimber clone of a 1911? They are just copies of a great gun. A true copy has the rear barrel lug under the barrel that grabs a large bar in the lower receiver, some other versions are made like a S&W with channels on each side of the barrel. I do not beleive anyone has stated one is superior over the other but I prefer the traditional lug type. Without taking it apart you can usually see an out line on the right side, sometimes hard to see of the lug where its pressed threw. I think the real difference is in tolerances and metals quality. I had one with something Spanish written on the side to do with Policeia, the metal sucked but it did shoot well. FN and FM are usually considered the best. I have had FEG that where pretty good and some KBI "Kassnar Arms" that were great. I have a Browning and a FN and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other except the FN is a better round being a 40cal. *FYI I am hunting for an* *FM Detective*. The Hungarians make decent ones and the FEG and KBI are just importers, they dont manufacture anything to my knowledge. Hell even Mauser made some.


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## EXHSLD

Brian E said:


> The clone word does stink, no buddy says Springfield or Kimber clone of a 1911? They are just copies of a great gun. A true copy has the rear barrel lug under the barrel that grabs a large bar in the lower receiver, some other versions are made like a S&W with channels on each side of the barrel. I do not beleive anyone has stated one is superior over the other but I prefer the traditional lug type. Without taking it apart you can usually see an out line on the right side, sometimes hard to see of the lug where its pressed threw. I think the real difference is in tolerances and metals quality. I had one with something Spanish written on the side to do with Policeia, the metal sucked but it did shoot well. FN and FM are usually considered the best. I have had FEG that where pretty good and some KBI "Kassnar Arms" that were great. I have a Browning and a FN and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other except the FN is a better round being a 40cal. *FYI I am hunting for an* *FM Detective*. The Hungarians make decent ones and the FEG and KBI are just importers, they dont manufacture anything to my knowledge. Hell even Mauser made some.


FWIW, FEG is the Hungarian manufacturer of the P35/BHP "clones" in question, most often designated PJK-9HP. FEG made the Mauser M80 marked as well as the Luger M80 marked P35/BHP pistols. KBI/Kassnar was the US importer of FEG P35/BHP pistols and they later went on to assemble Charles Daly P35/BHP pistols here in the US. The Israeli Kareen P35/BHP pistols were originally produced as well using FEG supplied parts. It is alleged FEG even went so far as to produce P35/BHP pistols with bogus FN markings for Hussein's Iraq. There's a unique history associated with FEG...


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## Buff

Don't know anything about the Hungarian pistols, but I have a few Arcus pistols, which are considered Hi Power clones. Arcus is a Bulgarian company and their latest version, the 98DA is supposedly the Bulgarian Military sidearm. It's not a true clone in that it has a SA/DA trigger rather than SA. I have a 98DA and and a 98DAC, which is the compact version and can use regular size Hi Power magazines; the 98DA cannot. I also have a 94C, the compact version of the 94, which is more true to the Hi Power in that it has the SA trigger.

I've taken them all completely apart and polished the internal parts so the triggers are great. Haven't had any malfunctions with any of them. Finish isn't great, but they were designed as duty guns. You can find the 98s online for around 300 dollars.









Arcus 98DA









Arcus 98DAC









Arcus 94C


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## bryan9905

The FEG PJK-9HP looks identical to the commercial High Power, polished blue finish, checkered walnut grips, rowel hammer. Mine has the worst trigger I have ever encountered, heavy and gritty. The grips do not fit any of my HP's, drilled slightly off. I would not trust any parts to interchange. 








belgian


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## berettatoter

The earlier FEGs used to be a more accurate copy of the HP, but the one I had for about two years, had the S&W type safety in the slide. It ran well, and was the closest I could have afforded to a HP, but I traded it off a couple of years or so ago. I did this because I heard that FEG did not produce it anymore, and if a part failed, it was going to be really tough to find any. Now, don't know how much truth is in that parts availability thing, but I don't think that FEG makes them anymore.


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## Citroen

Some months ago, I bought an FEG Hi-Power from Robertson Trading Company - good price - great gun. Actually it has proven so reliable at the range with any ammo and quite accurate so that I carry it many days (including now as I just returned home). Numrich has parts especially for FEG and I have had do difficulty but so far the gun does not need any parts replaced.

The sights, military type, leave something to be desired and at my advanced age, (80 in October) better sights would help with accuracy but for my needs the gun is great. As I've aged, I have moved somewhat away from my favorite .45 ACP to 9mm and this gun is great for me. One caution, the replacement recoil springs from Wolff seem overly long and I could not install them. The trigger is excellent - once you take up the slack, it breaks clean. If you find one in good shape buy it! Hard to beat 13 + 1 when out and about.


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## KenSLaTrans

I will throw my two cents in here.

I currently own 2 Belgian made Hi Powers, and an Argentine FM Hi Power (made under license by FM issued by FN) One is from 1976, and the other is from 1984 and the FM is from 88. The Hi Power is my favorite pistol, period. Circumstances forced me to carry a Glock for 30 years as my duty gun (which I like and trust and still carry), but I often carried my Hi Power while off duty and still shoot them once in a while in USPSA and IDPA. They are no less viable as a defensive sidearm now than they ever were, especially with modern, premium 9mm defensive ammo.

Having said all that...a gun shop in Tucson, where I live, had a pair FEG PJK9HP copies of the Hi Power in their used case for $199 about fifteen years ago. This is the "more faithful copy" with the half moon sights rather than the "vent rib" that the Kassnar imported ones sported. There was a difference at the muzzle with a more pronounced ring at the front of the slide, and the slide lock lever was slightly different than the one on the Hi Power. One had the spur hammer, the other had the commander style rowel hammer. I chose the spur hammer as is on my other Hi Powers. Those were cosmetic, not practical or mechanical differences. Duly noted.

I bought it mostly out of curiosity. I had been aware of the Kassnar and FEG pistols, but at this price, I had to go ahead and do it.

On the range. The FEG only liked FMJ and Remington 115gr JHP. This was no surprise as early Hi Powers only liked FMJ and Remington 115gr JHP until they were ramped, polished, and throated. No big deal. That's half an hour with a Dremel and jeweler's rouge. The trigger just, flat, sucked. I would estimate 8lbs, and it was gritty. Okay, duly noted. Two hours at the bench with a diamond stone and some care.

Accuracy was "decent". It hit 4" left at 15 yards and an inch and a half high (124gr FMJ). Okay...get out the punches and drift over the rear sight a bit (3 taps) to the center and it was hitting centered and still an inch and a half high, but a drop to 115gr FMJ dropped the POI to half an inch high at 15 yards. I am totally good with that. _Remember, slower bullets hit higher on the target due to exiting the muzzle at a higher point in the recoil arc._

Once the sights were addressed and I was dialed in to POI/POA....it held groups at just about 4 inches at 15 yards, all roughly centered in the high 10, low 9 ring. That is "acceptable" for defense as much as I hate that term, the reality is that it will do the job and honestly it is still more capable of accuracy than 95% of the people who will shoot it. Let's face it, most people aren't capable of shooting their guns as well as the guns are capable of being shot.

So, I ramped polished, and throated it, and did a trigger job, shitcanned the magazine safety, and cut two coils out of the mainspring (they are Browning Spec and therefore designed to bust hard Euro primers on subgun ammo) and this was a tremendous improvement in the trigger press, which is now down to 5lbs and not gritty and only has the "expected" amount of creep that is found on any Hi Power due to the pivoting trigger. Yes, a nice 1911 trigger makes me a snob, and so does a nice Glock trigger on a competition gun....BUT...again...most people who own a pistol or a rifle don't know the difference between a good, decent, great, or crappy trigger and they are going to slam, mash, pull, grab, and slap it anyway, so out of the box...the FEG trigger will be fine.

The sights, being the old half moon, are..."adequate" but opening up the rear notch carefully will help. This is CAREFULLY done with a fine file and a bench vise. But again...95% won't _really_ use their sights anyway...so, meh. The sights out of the box will be okay.

All the being said...if you have any practical bench skills, you can make the FEG into a pretty good pistol for defense and carry. I like it from the point of view that it gives someone who can't spend upwards of a grand on a Hi Power a reliable, decently accurate, and solid pistol for only a few hundred dollars.

The steel on the gun seems to be top notch. There has been no galling or signs of wear over the years, and as long as Browning or the South African magazines are used, it runs like a champ any time I have shot it.

Don't be afraid to buy one. I am an admitted (recovering) gun snob, but I appreciate a pistol that performs as well as this one has for an economical price. I even bought a GI RIA 9mm a couple of years ago to build into a 9mm Single Stack for USPSA and it is great.


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## berettatoter

I have a FEG, and it is a nice shooting gun. The bluing is a little strange now...kinda took on a "plum" color, but the gun runs fine. I don't shoot it much, nor do I carry it. If something breaks on it, it is tough to get parts for. 

Overall, they are decent HP clones. I only have one now, and my FFL guy has like three more of them on his shelves, and I find myself wanting to replace the one I traded off, but I probably won't.


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## Onefreetexan

Have many different FEG handguns, My favorites are the PMK’s. (380’s),,, the triggers on mine are very light and crisp. No problems with any of them,,, I think they are great guns.


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