I have a nice 9mm Browning P35 headed my way. I have always wanted a custom Hipower. I am not looking for a $4k showpiece. I am looking for a shooter, similar to the Novak HRT model. I have the shops narrowed to
I am looking for new sights, action job, barrel crown, extended 1911 shaped safety, spur hammer bob, beveled magwell, grey park, and a reliability job. Nothing too crazy.
Any pointers or ideas?
Why aren’t you considering Cylinder and Slide. They have a wealth of knowledge on the High Power, and have many options.
No reason. Kinda forgot to put them on the list. Haha
Novak has had a sterling rep for many years as a BHP mechanic. Although the others may be as good, you should have no trouble recovering your costs in the future if you sell a Novak pistol. He advertises that he doesn’t cut springs to achieve desired trigger pull. Some smiths refuse to remove the mag disconnect, and if you send them a BHP without one, they’re re-install this part and charge the customer. Novak stays booked up. Is he currently accepting new work?
Novak’s shop worked on my 2 Para’s and I’m very pleased! If I ever picked up a HP, I couldn’t imagine sending it anywhere else.
Well, I do have three Novak guns, so I might as well stay in the family. I was just looking for outside ideas.
Ted Yost at Heirloom Precision also does fantastic work on the BHP.
Karl Sokol at Chestnut Mountain Sports, he is located in West Rutland VT.
Hard question to answer Chief, since you’ll tend to run into many of the same problems with getting competent High-Power work done that you will with the 1911: long waits and high costs of customization (if you want best-grade work). No real issues with your standing list, quite honestly. I’ve always had a desire to acquire a P-35 and explore that side of things, as well, but learned a while ago that I probably just needed to concentrate on the 1911, lest I go completely off-the-rails. Mrs. AC already thinks I’m daft on that account, and she is probably entirely on-point.
APW Cogan might be a lead worth exploring (something of a wild guess, admittedly), and of course, Novak’s is a no-brainer if they can otherwise meet your pricing and timeline objectives. In your stead, I think I might just look around GunBroker for a while to see who seems to pop up most often on the “conservatively” upgraded BHPs that you see listed there for sale, as that might lead you to a smith or shop whose work you like that might have otherwise escaped your notice. If memory serves, that’s where I think I spotted a nice Cogan earlier in the year. Would have owned it had I been signed-in correctly when I went to bid. Probably best that I wasn’t. 
AC
Hmm, good idea Chief. I forgot about them. Their prices are reasonable.
Now the decision is even harder. I will say wait times are moot, since Im headed to korea in March.
Another for Cylinder & Slide Shop. Been a long time ago, but they did treat my BHP like it was their own.
I like the Hi-power! Please show us the product when the work is complete as I need some ideas for my own BHP.
Of those you listed, I only have first-hand experience with Don Williams (action works). His work exceeded my expectations. To be fair, it was on a Colt, not a HP.
That said, I don’t think you will go wrong with any of those you listed or have been listed by others. I’m guessing you’ll be waiting a fair bit for any of them, but I’m guessing you already know that.
Make sure you take before and after pictures. I wish I would have done that on my P35 and any others I’ve built (or had built). I seem to forget to take the “before’s”.
Good luck!
Since you have 3 Novak 1911 guns I would go with them. Assuming they have done good work for you I would reward them with doing your P35. As an added bonus they are accepting BHP work!
“Due to the current high demand and backlog of custom work, we are temporarily NOT accepting 1911’s for custom gunsmithing.
This does not affect BHP’s or sight installation.”
Don Williams did mine, also as a work gun / shooter and certainly not a safe queen. Reasonable pricing and gives .mil discounts.
http://www.theactionworks.com/
Don Williams was definitely an inadvertent omission on my part. Any (and all) of the guys associated with the LTW site/effort would rate my highest recommendation.
AC
The only thing wrong with this pistol is the abject lack of holster wear.
Okie John
Oh that was the day I got it back from Don, now she’s got a bit more wear from shooting and my TT IWB. Great pistol, only problem is I can’t carry spare mags as the base plates cut into my sides.
That is a very classy Hipower. Very similar to what I have in mind.
Very Nice looking BHP