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Post by mightymouse on Feb 22, 2019 20:01:08 GMT -5
Posted elsewhere on this forum, but included here as well.... As many of you know, when FM tweaked the design on what would become the Model 90, one of the things they did differently was to widen the ejector. FN did a similar thing when they designed the High Power in .40 S&W, making the ejector wider than it had been on 9mm HPs.
The FM M90 9mm slide assembly will fit and function on the FN .40 frame assembly, at least for the 100-150 rounds I shot thru mine years ago. It is an easy swap, requiring only the complete 9mm M90 FM slide assembly and a .40 S&W HP frame assembly. (I assume the M95 FM slide assembly would work as well.)
The other swap--FN .40 S&W slide assembly on a FM M90 9mm frame assembly--will not work. Apparently there is some considerable difference in feed ramp profiles.
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Post by CXM on Feb 23, 2019 6:11:56 GMT -5
One big difference in the BHP9 and the BHP40 is the locking lugs. The 9mm has two and the 40 has three.
I'm really surprised the 9mm slide would work on the 40 frame because of the difference in the lugs... Some conversion barrels have been made to allow 9mm to be used in the 40 frame that were fitted with three lugs vice the original two, but I don't know how well they worked. There were not enough 40s made for the conversion to have been a very big market.
We learn something new every day.
FWIW
Chuck
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Post by mightymouse on Feb 23, 2019 8:31:47 GMT -5
Chuck, the two lug vs. three lug issue isn't a problem with the M90 slide assembly. I used the complete slide assembly, so the M90 barrel had two locking lugs and so did the M90 slide. The slide fits fine on the .40 HP frame.
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Post by CXM on Feb 23, 2019 8:33:07 GMT -5
Gotcha... I understand now... thanks Chuck Chuck, the two lug vs. three lug issue isn't a problem with the M90 slide assembly. I used the complete slide assembly, so the M90 barrel had two locking lugs and so did the M90 slide. The slide fits fine on the .40 HP frame.
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Post by sams1 on Feb 25, 2019 0:41:33 GMT -5
well, mightymouse... We will soon find out about your "I assume the M95 FM slide assembly would work as well"... As I mentioned on the other thread, I became very curious about your "cross-pollination" experience between the .40 BHP and the FM HP - so much so, that I wanted to see it for myself... I have an FM M95 Classic on the way. I'll let you and Chuck know my findings... Sam
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Post by mightymouse on Feb 25, 2019 8:41:27 GMT -5
well, mightymouse... We will soon find out about your "I assume the M95 FM slide assembly would work as well"... As I mentioned on the other thread, I became very curious about your "cross-pollination" experience between the .40 BHP and the FM HP - so much so, that I wanted to see it for myself... I have an FM M95 Classic on the way. I'll let you and Chuck know my findings... Sam Yes, let us know how it works out. I have long since sold both the M90 and the .40 BHP, so I'm eagerly awaiting the results of your little test.
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Post by sams1 on Mar 1, 2019 0:20:13 GMT -5
Ok - Reporting back:
Received the FM M95 Classic 9mm HP earlier today - a very well made HP 'twin'! This one was shot very little and is in real nice shape - came with the original FM cardboard box, pocket manual, and three magazines!
I'm happy to report that mightymouse was right! The M95, 9mm Slide (complete assembly) mounts on the BHP .40 frame perfectly. My BHP .40 frame has the SFS hammer/safety system installed and still, no problems mounting and cycling normally. Planning to go out to the range and shooting this new hybrid HP next week and will report back.
What surprised me even more, is that the BHP .40 Slide assembly mounts the M95 9mm frame perfectly too! I assume this combo should not be shot as the FM frame was not designed to take the .40 energy/stress.
Sam
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Post by mightymouse on Mar 1, 2019 9:02:20 GMT -5
Sam, my experience with the BHP .40 slide on the M90 frame was that it will simply not cycle. Pull the slide back and release, and the round jammed nose first into the feed ramp, time after time after time after time. I finally got a round loaded by just inserting it into the chamber by hand and allowing the slide to close over it (NOT RECOMMENDED PRACTICE, BTW). That round fired, but the next round in the magazine jammed nose-first into the feed ramp. I gave up on that combo. Let us know how the FM M95 slide works on the forty frame.
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Post by sams1 on Mar 5, 2019 17:36:17 GMT -5
Went to the Range today to try the FM95 9mm/BHP 40 combos...
Range Report:
1. For me it was the first time shooting the stock Argentine FM M95 Classic 9mm since I received it a few days ago. It was a joy to shoot just as it would be with a standard 9mm BHP. Smooth as silk, no hiccups and very accurate!
2. FM M95 Classic HP,9mm Slide assembly (complete assy) mounted on a Browning HP .40 cal Frame: as mightymouse indicated, this combo worked great - as if all the parts were meant to mate and work together! Again, smooth as silk, fun and very accurate - zero issues! if I didn't know the slide and frame are 'hybrid' of two very different guns, I would have never felt any different from a stock BHP.
3. I tried the reverse as well - i.e mounting the BHP .40 Slide assembly on the stock M95 frame. Here, unlike mightymouse' experienced, I had only one instance of failure to feed (on the third round) and thereafter no issues at all and again, this hybrid gun ran and felt as normal as a .40 cal BHP does. Ran only one box of 50 rounds (.40 cal) in this configuration.
Sam
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Post by mightymouse on Mar 5, 2019 20:53:53 GMT -5
I'm glad to hear the conversion worked so well. Enjoy your new 9mm conversion for the .40 BHP! I might add that I have fired some 1200 rounds through a 9mm FM M90 slide assembly mounted on a regular 9mm BHP frame. It was always reliable and was one of my most accurate High Powers.
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Post by sams1 on Mar 5, 2019 22:36:14 GMT -5
mightymouse, For me, it was a very interesting experiment. I like to explore combinations and possibilities and I was very curious about your experience doing this conversion. It would be a safe and a very useful conversion if one had only an M95 frame and a .40 slide assembly so to make a working pistol by mating them. However, If one has both complete and functional pistols, it makes less sense, in my opinion, to do this as a permanent conversion.
I love the classic/original Browning/FN Hi-Powers in both 9mm and .40 and will leave them original. I also like my FM M95 HP and FEG HPs...
It sure was an interesting and enjoyable experiment though! Thank you!
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Post by mightymouse on Mar 7, 2019 20:25:22 GMT -5
Sam, you are welcome! I never did see this conversion as permanent, and probably would have never tried it except I did have the necessary pieces (at the time) available and some time to experiment with them. As opposed to the C&S three lug barrel conversion, the swap for the FM M90 slide assembly was much simpler and easier, requiring no fitting and no out-of-pocket expense. Thank you for sharing your experiences with the swap(s).
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