Hello, my name is Ghost Horse and

...I'll be staying out of gun shops for a while.

As you saw in another thread, I recently took over the care and feeding of a 1967 Colt Diamondback. Well, several weeks ago my wife and I made a bet. It had to do with obscure aspects of bowling ball design (I kid you not). I won. I had promised a bracelet she'd been wanting, and she promised a pistol. So for the past few weeks, I've had my eye out on gunbroker and in shops for just the right pistol.

I've also recently come into the market for a nightstand gun. No, these facts are not related. Totally separate issues. Come on, what were you thinking?

So there we were yesterday, in Albuquerque in a gun shop we like (she caught the Henry rifle bug there). I've always thought the Browning (peace be upon him) HiPower was a classy, elegant pistol. But I'm more of a "starts with a 4" guy, so it was a low priority. Well, they had an FEG HiPower that had been customized; a few non standard parts, better three-dot sights, and very nice wood grips. I liked the blueing. It came with a hard case and two magazines, at a price that fit the bet criteria. And my wife liked it. Score!

Well, a case or two down there was a Ruger P94 in a caliber that starts with the right number. It was in just the right condition for a nightstand gun, with good capacity and of course Ruger's reputation. So I grabbed it as a candidate for the nightstand gun. One mag, but I don't sleep in a pistol belt, so I have nowhere to put a spare mag case anyway.

So home they both came!

I did the usual fingernail polish treatment to both pistols' sights. {Edited to add that I don't know why the finish looks so bad at the muzzle end of the slide in this photo. It looks great in reality.}

The HiPower's trigger is nice, but my Colt 1991's is nicer. Still a very good trigger for a non-1911. The HiPower also illustrates the wisdom of detents in the thumb safety. When you're used to a 1911's thumb safety, this one feels a bit mushy; it doesn't snap into position they way a 1911's does. Still, the fit to my hand is very good.

The custom grips have a nice, subtle thumb rest on each side. The checkering really grabs your hand well.

The HiPower and the P94 are a real contrast in slide thickness.

I haven't shot the HiPower yet, but unless it turns out to be a great shooter (which it very well may), it's mostly a fun gun. If it is a great shooter, it would be a great summertime concealment pistol when I want more than 6 or 7 shots in a magazine.

{to be continued almost immediately}