By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
I own quite a few recreational firearms and others that are owned purely on the basis of nostalgia, as a link with the past.
Some are still useful others really make you appreciate what we have today.
For example, I have owned a number of Browning High Power 9mm handguns over the years. The High Power will give good service if maintained, although other pistols perform better with less maintenance. Just the same, I could not resist purchasing an affordable clone of the High Power a few weeks ago, the Century Arms Centurion, which is a close clone of the original.
Made in Turkey, this pistol seems worth its price—less than four hundred dollars new—and offers a chance to see what it is like to own a piece of history on the cheap.
A Little History
The High Power was introduced in 1935. It was among the last firearms designed by John Moses Browning although another engineer finished up the work after Browning’s death.
Browning designed the High Power to sell in an international market. This 9mm pistol was less expensive to manufacture than the Luger, Walther P 38, or Colt 1911, but offered good reliability. Eventually, the High Power was adopted by more than one hundred nations. It is still issued by our Canadian allies and many others.
The High Power became increasingly expensive to manufacture and was eventually discontinued, then reintroduced. But that is another story. Suffice to say a thirteen shot 9mm pistol with good reliability and accuracy potential proved popular.
During the 1960s and 1970s many police agencies in the United States adopted the High Power for special teams and fugitive squads. Alas, small sights and heavy trigger action were the norm in those days. Later High Power pistols featured Novak sights and a better trigger.
The small thumb safety on the original is often criticized. It really isn’t that bad with practice. T, but this defect was also addressed in modern versions. If you want a High Power to carry, get the Springfield SA 35 and carry with confidence. If you want to see what an original was like, the Centurion has merit as a range gun.
The Centurion features a black finish, and the controls are faithful to the original High Power. However, the sights are improved. While the sights are not Novak-types, they are useful.
The pistol features a magazine safety, which means that if the magazine is removed the pistol cannot fire. One thing which surprised me immediately is the trigger action. As noted earlier, original High Power handguns featured heavy actions of more than six pounds. The Centurion trigger breaks at just over five pounds. It is smooth enough for good shooting, which was difficult to achieve with the original High Power design and this pistol proved to be more accurate than expected, largely due to a good trigger and improved sights.
Delivered in a hard case with a three-piece set cleaning rod and a single magazine, the Centurion wears inexpensive checkered plastic grips, which do allow for a firm grasp.
Mounted on the rear left of the frame, the thumb safety snaps into place in a positive manner. The slide lock is easily manipulated, and the magazine latch is a standard Browning design. If you are left handed you are left out. I shoot with my right hand but practice left-hand shooting, also. But then this is a clone of the original so we cannot expect it to be left hand friendly.
The 4.7-inch barrel seems well fitted, and disassembly is faithful to the original P 35/High Power: Lock the slide to the rear, remove the magazine and check the chamber. The slide lock is moved into a slot in the slide and then bumped out from the right to left. Next, the recoil spring assembly is pulled out and off the barrel. Be certain to remember which way it fits into place! Then the barrel is easily removed. Simply slide the barrel back and up. Before firing this handgun, it is good to lubricate the long bearing surfaces. Old style iron likes lubricant.
Live Fire
I fired the pistol with a wide range of FMJ ammunition and a handloads using the Hornady 124-grain XTP over enough Titegroup Powder for 1,000 fps. The pistol is easy to shoot well and recoils little. A 32 ounce 9mm handgun isn’t going to snap your wrists.
The Centurion did well in most combat drills. I fired the piece for five-shot groups at 15 yards. With the Black Hills 124-grain standard pressure JHP ammunition, it will keep five shots in two to two and one half inches at this distance.
During the test some types of 9mm ammunition failed to extract properly. These were not off brand or poorly made loads. This is odd as the original was designed to feed with 9mm Luger ammunition in all its international flavors. Case rims are inconsistent and the High Power’s heavy hammer fall was designed to ram cartridge cases into the chamber and light them off if they were off spec. With certain loads the pistol runs fine.
The Black Hills load runs well and Winchester 115-grain FMJ is fine as well. As stated this is a recreational handgun and perhaps an occasional hiking companion. Just the same I may attempt to tune the extractor at a later date.
To carry the Centurion I dug out one of my favorite all around holster. This one was ordered for the 1911 but since it features a thumbreak and retention screws it is good enough for the High Power. I carry any single action Browning type cocked and locked, hammer to the rear, safety on. In this case the thumb break passes under the hammer. Not a bad system at all.
The holster is a Falco (Falcoholsters.com) C116. The leather is nicely tanned and workman ship is excellent. This holster makes for comfortable and secure carry during the daily walk and when hiking for exploring. The Centurion is a fun gun and one that provides shooters a similar experience to firing the original at a fraction of the cost.
Centurion 14 pistol
Specifications
Caliber 9mm Luger
Capacity 15 rounds in this version with MecGar magazine
Action Locked breech single action
Barrel length 4.7 inches
Weight 32 ounces
Average price $390.00
