Obscure Object of Desire – PJK-9HP FP9 FEG Hi-Power

In the history of ridiculous names for guns, the FEG Hi-Powers stand out. For example, the gun I’ve got today is the Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság PJK-9HP FP9. This is what happens when you live under communism. You’re marketing sucks, and branding is a pipe dream. I can’t tell you what that stands for, but the name is fitting for such an odd version of a fairly famous firearm. From here on out, it’s going to be called the FEG Hi-Power.

The Hi-Power is like most Browning designs, people are going to copy it. The success of the pistol across Western Europe leaked to the East, and the Hungarians can make more than goulash.

FEG stands for Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság, which in English means Arms and Machine Manufacturing Company, and those guys made the gun. This company dates back to 1891, and small arms have always been a big part of the company.

Although these days, if the internet is to be believed, they are mostly an HVAC company. Well, they certainly brought the heat with the Hi-Power clones. Amongst the Hi-Power community, these guns are typically described as robust but ugly. This example certainly doesn’t stray from that reputation. It’s like FEG tried to make a nice-looking gun and had all the ingredients; they just lacked the know-how.

Inside and Out Of the FEG Hi-Power

It’s got a blued finish, which is a bit spotty and uneven. The wood grips are a nice touch, but somehow, it just doesn’t have that Western grace. The gun also has a ventilated rib. Why? I have no idea and couldn’t possibly come up with a reason outside of trying to look cool. Normally, you’d find a ventilated rib on a barrel to raise the sight plain a bit and to prevent the heat mirage of the barrel from distorting your sight picture.

That’s fine and dandy, but I doubt the slide could get hot enough to create a heat mirage. Maybe this allowed someone to patent the gun? I will say there are a few companies that produce optics mounts for vent rib shotguns, and I can’t help but wonder if I could add a red-dot to the vent rib….

That’s a mystery for another day. It’s also a bit of a mystery on how much of a Hi-Power is your FEG? Some are direct clones and others, particularly the P9M series, deviated a bit from the Hi-Power design. These are commonly called the Hi-Power-style pistols. These Hi-Power-style pistols sometimes used a system more akin to the original S&W first-, second- and third-generation semi-autos.

The PJK-9HP FP9 came in both the Hi-Power system and the S&W system. According to Decoding the FEG Hi-Power by Jerry Paregein, the telltale sign is the oval above the trigger on the frame. If it has the oval, it uses a Hi-Power system. The oval is the cross-bolt footprint, which makes decoding this FEG Hi-Power a little easier. Supposedly, the vent rib versions are rare, but that doesn’t seem to increase their value.

My PJK-9HP FP9

I picked this model up for $200 with little resistance at a local auction. People must not have liked the ugly nature of the gun because the previous gun was a FEG that looked like the classic Hi-Power.

I’m a fan of weird guns, so the vent rib is only a plus, as far as I’m concerned. According to the same Decoding The FEG Hi-Power, there were only 500 imported with the vent rib in the mid-1980s. It’s possible other vent rib guns were imported but it’s not well known. Plus, I always wanted a Hi-Power, and this provided a cheap way to ease myself into the world of the legendary Wonder Nine.

In my hand, the gun feels a bit thick; maybe it’s the grips, but it doesn’t have that same vibe as a real Hi-Power. Maybe my problem is that I’ve only ever handled more modern Hi-Powers, and the Hungarians liked it thick?

You can see the OG influence in the grip and beavertail design. The beavertail is more of a nub like the original 1935 variants. Safety is a single-side design, and holy crap, is it stiff.

I gotta really force the thing up and into position. Luckily, this is more of a range gun than a carry gun for me. It has all the Hi-Power goodness to it. The magazine safety is present; the magazines don’t drop free, and the hammer bites like Jaws. It’s expected and not a big surprise.

At the Range With The FEG Hi-Power

When I hear Eastern European guns, I immediately think of terrible heavy triggers, with CZ as the exception. With the rise of Slovenian and Croatian firearms, maybe that idea could die. However, when it comes to old Eastern European pistols, the reputation will likely remain.

With all that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by the FEG Hi-Power’s trigger. Even with the lame magazine safety in place, the trigger was fairly light and smooth. You can feel a little grit if you look for it, but it serves the Hi-Power reputation well.

The sights on the vent rib are small, which is an odd take. They are all black, and maybe a paint pen will liven things up. In good lighting, with the sights aligned, you’ll ring steel. It’s tough to track those all-black sights, but for plinking, I’m not breaking out a timer and trying a 10-10-10 drill. I’m focusing on fun, and I’m having that with the FEG Hi-Power.

Recoil is super light and enjoyable. The all-metal frame and heavy Hungarian metal certainly keep 9mm recoil down. The impulse is smooth and straight rearward. The downside is that aforementioned hammer bite.

The gun cycled several hundred rounds without a hiccup. We might expect terrible triggers with Eastern European firearms, but we also expect reliability, and the FEG Hi-Power lives up to that reputation.

The Cheap Hi-Power Option

As I type this, my second screen has FEG Hi-Power listings up. I guess I got a heckuva bargain, and while they have a reputation for being the cheap Hi-Power, the prices have seemed to creep up. It seems like the cheapest Hi-Power option is Girsan these days. It’s admittedly a bit of a tough sale to spend nearly $600 on what’s likely an ugly beat-up gun, but admittedly, it’s one that works. If you spot a PJK-9HP FP9 for 200 bucks, snatch it up, and you can join the vent rib brotherhood.

 

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