The Hi-Power is so damn cool, enough that I wrote an entire article about it. Between then and now, I stumbled onto a bit of an odd Hi-Power that goes by the name the FEG PJK-9HP FP9. Yep, that’s an absolute mouthful, and what it all stands for, I’m not exactly sure. I can tell you that most people leave the PJK-9HP off and just call this specific model the FP9, or to keep things even simpler, it’s just a FEG Hi-Power.
Who Is FEG?
FEG stands for Fegyver- és Gépgyár, which translates to Arms and Machine Manufacturing Company. This is a Hungarian arms developer that started in 1891 and remained in service til 2004. FEG produced the weaponry used by the Hungarian military services and did so for well over a century. In 2004, FEG filed for bankruptcy. The FEG brand still exists and now makes air conditioners instead of firearms. In fact, they are one of the biggest HVAC exporters in Europe.
FEG wanted to make a Hi-Power clone. Who could blame them? The Hi-Power is a famous pistol in Europe. It’s one of the few guns that fought on both sides of World War 2. It’s famous for beginning the wonder nine trend and continues to be a popular firearm. Once FN’s hold on the patent expired, the market opened up for numerous industries to produce the pistol.
FEG began producing Hi-Power clones in 1971, and they were widely imported into the United States. FEG produced four models of their Hi-Power clones, and the PF9 is one of their more unique designs.
The Confusing World of FEG Hi-Powers
In researching the FEG Hi-Powers and the PF9, I stumbled across scant information. Oftentimes, the information would contradict here and there. Luckily, I found a short book on the FEG Hi-Powers written by Jerry Paregien. It dissects the FEG designs, and they are pretty interesting. At one point, they deviated from the design and used a S&W-like design to save some money. Arguably these guns are not technically Hi-powers.
The PF9, or fourth model, is a standard internal Hi-Power design. The main difference and oddity to the whole thing is the fact that, for some reason, the Hungarians installed a vent rib across the top of the slide of the PF9. Why they did that seems to be a bit of a mystery. I saw some forum old wives’ tale that FEG did this to avoid being sued by FN for copyright infringement, but the patents were already gone, and FEG produced three other Hi-Power clones without the vent rib.
The vent rib doesn’t serve any necessary function by any means. It holds your sights, but not much more. The PF9 was produced in the 1980s, and maybe they thought vent ribs were the future of mounting optics. Maybe I need one of those adapters that allows you to mount a red dot on your vent rib?
Outside of looking unique, I have no earthly idea why they used a vent rib in the design.
All the Hi-Power Quirks
We are blessed in the year of our Lord 2023 that we have Hi-Powers from FN, Springfield, Girsan, Nighthawk, and more. They’ve solved some of the Hi-Power quirks. However, the FEG is straight out of the original Hi-Power playbook with all its fun quirks.
This includes a hefty and sharp hammer bite. Modern firearms handling and Hi-Powers are at odds with each other. This includes a nice high grip. It bites the hand fiercely. Enough that I tossed on a pair of gloves like a baby after firing several hundred rounds.
The gun has a magazine that means three things. First, it won’t fire without the magazine in place — pretty normal for the design, but it has its quirks. Like, the magazine doesn’t drop free and barely comes out of the gun. It’s great for reloads with retention. Finally, it makes the trigger much worse than it needs to be.
The FEG PF9 also has its own quirks that are unique to this particular model. This includes a very stiff safety, almost to the point where I’d rather carry it hammer down. Next, the magazine also holds 14 rounds rather than 13, which I’ll take.
At the Range
The magazine safety ensures the trigger will never be as good as it could be. However, with that said, it’s still a pretty dang good trigger. It’s smooth, light, and crisp. Not as great as a competition model, but pretty dang good. Whoever owned this model before me certainly shot it and honed that trigger into a well-worn hammer dropper.
The sights are all black and fairly small but usable. There is some air between the rear sights and its front sight. This makes it fast and easy to get the front sight on target and to drive lead out there. Sadly the all-black sights blend in with an all-black target which drives me a bit nuts. I like all-black sights in the real world, but against a B8, they drive me nuts.
The hefty all-metal eats up the recoil of 9mm with ease. It’s a joy to shoot — outside of the hammer digging into my hand with every shot. With a brighter front sight, I feel like I would be a machine with this thing. Like every other Hi-Power ever made, the FEG PF9 has amazing ergonomics. The grip is svelte and conceals a double-stack magazine with ease.
Say what you want about Eastern European firearms, but they make them reliable. The FEG PF9 is no different. It eats through lead with ease and chunks it out without complaint; Tula, Federal, SIG, and more. It doesn’t care.
The FEG PJK-9HP FP9
In a day and age where you can buy a multitude of new Hi-Powers, it’s easy to overlook the originals and their many clones, from the FEG to the Argentinian options. These classics are still ticking and hanging around. The Hi-Power is indomitable, and the design is solid. Building a bad one takes effort, and the Hungarians certainly didn’t build bad ones.
