The Yost-Bonitz rear sight is designed so it can be used in a one-hand cocking scenario.

Curiously, this Hi Power retains its factory barrel. For many Hi Power fans, replacing the factory barrel with a new Bar-Sto barrel is a “required” step right behind removing the magazine disconnector. This one, judging from my accuracy testing, was deemed accurate enough by Ted to be left in place.

Ditto the magazine disconnector. As light and crisp as the trigger is, I was surprised to see the Ted had left the magazine disconnector in place.

A classic like this needs appropriate accessories. Were I going to subject this Hi Power to the rigors of a shooting class or competitions, I’d put it in a Kydex holster like a Blade Tech or Cen-Dex. For daily carry, leather would be my first choice, and Galco makes both holsters and mag pouches fro the Hi Power. The best part of any or all is that you simple ask for a “Hi Power” holster.

The magazines are identical in exterior dimensions, and the holsters are close enough that you can make a .40 fit a 9mm holster. Just a quick note: Mec-Gar magazines are just as good as factory (and factory magazines often are Mec-Gars) and a lot cheaper.

As you would expect, the Yost SRT runs flawlessly. I haven’t fed it any reloaded ammo, but I have not yet found a factory load, nor a commercial reload, that it doesn’t function 100 percent with.

As with other handguns, it does have its preferences. So far, 180-grain bullets seem not to be its thing.

I took the Hi Power to a law enforcement class and let the other instructors use it so they could hark back to the days of their youth. It seems many of them owned and even carried a Hi Power in the days before polymer. With the Yost SRT we were able to ring the 65-yard steel plates with a satisfactory percentage of our shots, but switching to 165s brought much more success.

With factory 180s and the milder 165s the steel-framed Hi Power is sedate in recoil. Move up to the more robust 165s, or use the lighter, faster bullets, and the recoil can become interesting. Still accurate, but interesting.

I did a little stunt shooting and tried the Yost SRT on a computer pop-up rifle course: 20 targets, from 50 to 300 meters. With a rifle I can do 20 hits in my sleep. With a handgun the best I’ve ever done is 11. With the Yost SRT I managed seven from standing.

Springs and Such
When requesting pistols for their 1930s trials, the French wanted lightweight ones. The slide of the Hi Power is lighter than that of a 1911, and to control it and keep it from battering you need to use a full-power spring. In competition circles it is common to be running a 1911 with a very light recoil spring. You can’t do that on the Hi Power.

In endurance testing of a 9mm Hi Power, I found the extra-power recoil spring had been stressed enough at the 4,000-round mark that it was then only as strong as a standard spring. So my plan for the .40 is to assume that the spring will last only as long as its 9mm brother, and I will replace it every 4,000 rounds or sooner.