The "Browning Bite"

Need help finding an Indy Gun, want to discuss film used guns...

Moderator: Cajunkraut

Post Reply
User avatar
Pyroxene
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 1820
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 9:35 am
Location: San Marcos, TX
Contact:

The "Browning Bite"

Post by Pyroxene »

If you plan on getting a Browning Hi Power, beware of the Browning Bite.

Image

It happens when the hammer comes back and pinches the webbing on the shooter's hand. The gun bites on my hand but I don't mind.

Image

If you have big hands, it could be a problem. For some shooters, it's not. I believe the problem can be corrected. Talk to you gunsmith.

I read a review in a gun magazine the other day about a new pistol coming out. It had the ring hammer and the article reported the exact same thing. Shooters complaining about the hammer pinching them in the hand. Proving that those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it.

Pyro.
User avatar
binkmeisterRick
Stealer of Wallets
Posts: 16926
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:22 pm
Location: Chattering with these old bones

Post by binkmeisterRick »

OW! That bite HURTS! :shock: My brother-in-law has a Browning and it's a sweet gun, but they're not kidding when they call it a bite!
RonC
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 444
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 1:44 pm
Location: Paige, Texas

Post by RonC »

Pyro, it hasn't been a problem for me, as I was "blessed" with a small hand! :D I have seen it many times, though, with others.
User avatar
zohar
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 311
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2002 7:17 pm
Location: South Carolina
Contact:

Post by zohar »

I've had it happen (freakishly huge hands syndrome). That's why I like the beavertail grip safety on my 1911. Saves the web of my hand a lot.
User avatar
IndianaCollins
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2002 8:18 pm
Location: The Well of the Souls, located in GA, not Tunisia
Contact:

Post by IndianaCollins »

My hands aren't that big, but I've had the "berretta"-bite before. I remember the first time I handled a Berretta 96(my brother-in-law's), I grabbed it by the top of the slide and racked it, resulting in having my pinky finger caught in the action, and had two little cuts on my finger like this ()

:?
User avatar
Pyroxene
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 1820
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 9:35 am
Location: San Marcos, TX
Contact:

Post by Pyroxene »

One note: A good pair of #1123s or #1130s fixes this problem. ;)
User avatar
Michaelson
Knower of Things
Posts: 44484
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2002 12:55 pm
Location: Out here knowing stuff and things and wishing I were with the family at Universal Studios Orlando

Post by Michaelson »

That's why I'm a wheel gun man myself. I've been bitten to many times by semi-autos to get past that and embrace them as a side arm. Regards. Michaelson
thePawn
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 7:40 pm

Post by thePawn »

:cry: Ouch that hurts.
User avatar
Bufflehead Jones
Legendary Adventurer
Legendary Adventurer
Posts: 3191
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 10:11 pm
Location: Maryland

Post by Bufflehead Jones »

Michaelson wrote:That's why I'm a wheel gun man myself. I've been bitten to many times by semi-autos to get past that and embrace them as a side arm. Regards. Michaelson
I used to carry a wheelgun, eventually had to go with a semi-auto for the increased firepower. I have carried a Berretta 92FS on a daily basis, since Berretta became the U.S. Military firearm, however many years ago that was. With proper training and trying to be careful, knock on wood, I have never been bitten by the Berretta. I have pretty large hands, not fat, but large with long fingers. However, accidents do happen and when they do, it can be ugly. I guess that's why they call them accidents, if you meant to do it, they would call them intentionals. :roll:
Peacock's Eye
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 154
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 10:25 am
Location: Somewhere in Mississippi

Post by Peacock's Eye »

I've yet to be bitten by a semi-auto--my hands are medium-sized and don't seem to get in the way.
Scandinavia Jones
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
Posts: 1684
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2004 4:54 pm
Location: East of Swindiana

Post by Scandinavia Jones »

Anyone here ever fired the broomhandle Mauser? Heard they were known to deliver deep, nasty bites too...

/SJ
User avatar
Pyroxene
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 1820
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 9:35 am
Location: San Marcos, TX
Contact:

Post by Pyroxene »

Scandinavia Jones wrote:Anyone here ever fired the broomhandle Mauser? Heard they were known to deliver deep, nasty bites too...

/SJ
I think RonC has. We were talking about it the other day at lunch. He didn't mention a bite. Good question.
RonC
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 444
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 1:44 pm
Location: Paige, Texas

Post by RonC »

Yes, I have fired a Broomhandle Mauser quite a bit. I never had a problem with it "biting" me...but then neither does the Browning, so I'm probably not a good judge of that. It will take someone with larger hands than I to fire one and let you know.

Ron
Thefumegator
Archaeology Student
Archaeology Student
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2002 5:57 pm
Location: Utah, USA

Post by Thefumegator »

I've got 2 Hi Powers -- A Browning with a spur hammer and a FEG clone with a ring hammer. The spur hammer has never bitten me, but the ring hammer will bite me HARD when doing drawing exercises.

About 3 days ago, I replaced the hammer with a spur hammer that I got from ebay. No more biting. Of course, the spur hammer may still bite people with huge hands... it depends on the person, but it is generally recognized as "less bloodthirsty" compared to the ring-type hammers.

For those of you that don't want to change the hammer, there are a couple of options.

1) Don't grip the pistol so high. This is naturally what you want to do when you draw (which is why I got bit), but practice gripping so that the web of your hand stays below the grip tang.

2) Pyro is right: some good WL gloves will eliminate the problem, but some have dexterity issues (like trouble operating the safety or mag release).

3) There is a product that can be found here: www.comkydex.com that will take care of that problem as well. It is a kydex (polymer) beavertail that fits underneath the grips. It has some good reports on www.fnhipower.com and is much less expensive than having a gunsmith put a real beavertail on your HP.

Wes
User avatar
Pyroxene
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 1820
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 9:35 am
Location: San Marcos, TX
Contact:

Post by Pyroxene »

Yea. And Tip Burns told me of a fourth fix when I got the gun. Maybe I can get him to chime in.

Pyro
Thefumegator
Archaeology Student
Archaeology Student
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2002 5:57 pm
Location: Utah, USA

Post by Thefumegator »

What fix was that? :?:

Oh, I've heard you can put duct tape on the web of your hand, too... So I guess there are plenty of other ways that I didn't think of. :roll:

Wes
User avatar
Forrestal
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2002 7:26 am
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Post by Forrestal »

I’m considering buying a Walther PPK/S. I’ve heard similar stories about “bite”. Anyone have any experience with this?
Regards,
Forrestal
schwammy
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 421
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2002 11:31 pm
Location: Burbank, California

Post by schwammy »

My grandfather was a tanker in WWII and he brought home a Walther PPK with Nazi markings on it. His was the only one I've ever seen that had flat-bottomed magazines rather than the ones with the extended grip on the bottom. I made the mistake of showing my cousin the gun once when we were kids, and later when Grandpa died, my cousin asked for the Walther and got it. No good deed goes unpunished.

I don't remember a bite, but then I don't have big hands.
User avatar
Solent MKIII
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
Posts: 1332
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 7:42 am
Location: Sharing living space with a near-sighted scrap pile

Post by Solent MKIII »

Scandinavia Jones wrote:Anyone here ever fired the broomhandle Mauser? Heard they were known to deliver
deep, nasty bites too...
Oh, yeah. Those suckers can chomp ya' pretty good if you're not careful.
I've fired a bolo broomhandle ( shorter barrel and smaller grip ) and that
thing nipped me several times before I moved my hand down lower on the
grip ( having large hands doesn't help, either ) There's no stop for the web
of your hand on the back of these pistols and the hammer comes down
pretty far as the slide goes back into battery. If you're ever gonna buy a
broomhandle, pick up the standard model - the larger grip is a little easier
to get a good grasp on.

Very neat gun to shoot - you just gotta grip 'em right! :junior:
carebear
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 153
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:09 am
Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Post by carebear »

Forrestal wrote:I’m considering buying a Walther PPK/S. I’ve heard similar stories about “bite”. Anyone have any experience with this?
Regards,
Forrestal
The Walthers are better known for slide bite than hammer bite.

A lot of folk's hands rise up high enough that the sharp edges of the slide cut into the web of the thumb as it cycles. You get parallel cuts that allow you to measure common household objects in units of "Walther slide width". :D
Terryhimself
Archaeology Student
Archaeology Student
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2002 10:25 pm
Location: The Freak State..Maryland

PPK Bite

Post by Terryhimself »

The current new U.S. Made PPk has an extended tang on the frame which eliminates the slide or hammer bite. Walther (S&W) has managed to do this without making the pistol overly large. It still conceals well.
When I first sarted carrying and shooting 1911s back in the early 1970s, it was accepted that you were going to end up with a red mark in the web of your hand by the thumb. This was caused by the long spur and short tang..It was worn as a sign of honor.
Later when the extended tang was made available, just about everyone went to them and soon the red spot was gone.
As far as slide bite, the worst I ever had was from a Beretta 950 in .25A.C.P. which would leave two perfect blood grooves between the thumb and index finger. Needless to say I did not keep this one for long.
User avatar
cooncatbob
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:38 pm
Location: Carmichael, CA
Contact:

Post by cooncatbob »

A Walther P-38's hammer will bite you if your holds too high.
User avatar
hocfutue
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 335
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:20 pm
Location: WA, USA

Post by hocfutue »

Never had Browning bite, but whoo boy, I know all about M1 thumb. If you don't follow the proper drill when releasing the bolt on the Garand rifle, your thumb can get mashed between the bolt and the breech, with great speed, force, and profanity.[/code]
dr. tyree
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 247
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2002 3:03 pm

Post by dr. tyree »

1911's can take a bite out you as well. Yet another reason I love wheelguns.
User avatar
TheMechanic
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 597
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:56 pm
Location: In a skillet with potatoes & onions

Post by TheMechanic »

I had a 1911 A-1 that use to bite me all the time. I found that just putting a bandaid on my hand before I went shooting solved the problem. That or gloves of course.

I now have a Kimber with a beavertail grip safety. Problem solved.
Post Reply