Girsan MCP35 PI - My Observations
I picked up a Girsan MCP35-PI from my FFL yesterday afternoon. It cost $540 from a no-auction sale on Gun Broker... after Illinois Sales Tax, Shipping and my FFL fee it totaled $662.40. I am happy.
My intention is, and has always been, to harvest the PI short slide and mate it with a spare BHP Alloy Frame. Last night I shipped it off to BHSS along with the FN Alloy Frame host pistol... there was no need test fire before shipping as she will be vastly improved, one way or another. I did take a quick look and weighed some parts to determine suitability for this this project. Some notes below are things I am looking at for a better hybrid carry gun.
TRIGGER -
The mag disconnect is in place and it is pretty rough, but not too heavy. The BHSS trigger with magazine eject spring will replace the stock trigger. The supplied magazine did not drop free.
SLIDE -
The slide is indeed as sexy as a BHP should be... the FM Detective Slide is not and this has always bothered me for no good reason other than a foolish sense of aesthetics. It just doesn't look right.
The complete PI slide is about 27 grams lighter than the FM Detective. Losing yet another ounce in carry weight is nice. Below I am comparing PI slide weights to the FM Detective Slide weight ( fitted with a BHSS barrel and night sights).
This slide features the MKlll type 2 (paddle style) Sear Lever. Mine is silver on the paddle... not sure why it is not blued or even if it is identical to the FN part. I hope Girsan has kept things like these standard to the BHP platform.
RECOIL SPRING & GUIDE ROD -
These parts are not identical to the FM Detective parts, much to my dismay. The Guide Rod is shorter by an unmeasured 1/8 inch or so. The recoil spring is a longer slightly stiffer flat wire single spring rather than the clever dual spring arrangement which FM employed.
With the FM Guide Rod and Spring assembly in place in the Girsan PI slide, I cannot lock the slide back for disassembly due the extra length of the FM Guide Rod.
The Guide Rod is of a design similar to the new BHSS design... open ended where it contacts the slide rather than the standard closed circle. If you have ever played with the FM Detective Slide you know how it is difficult to remove and install the Guide Rod/Spring Assembly. On the Girsan PI, it was even more difficult to remove or install this assembly. In addition... removing the Recoil Spring from the Guide Rod was so difficult that I could not do it. I moved on.
GIRSAN PI SLIDE FIT to FN BHP ALLOY FRAME -
The complete Girsan PI slide seems to fit on all three Alloy Frame FM pistols I have. I could not dry fire on the BHP Alloy Frame which is mated to the FM Detective Slide. It did dry fire just fine on the other two other BHP Alloy Frames. It slides back and forth cocking the hammer very nicely on all three frames... I really think it fits.
Overall it is a good looking pistol with usable sights similar to the Tisas or SA-35. Mine will get a full upgrade to SFS, BHSS trigger and more so I am not concerned with the standard slide release, trigger pull, etc. I think this will make for a sexy looking light-weight short-slide BHP carry pistol. Worse case... she will be all Girsan but upgraded with BHSS parts, the way I like my BHPs to be.
Last note:
She comes in a functional blue plastic case with one 15 round MecGar magazine, a wire bore brush, Instruction Manual and a cable lock. My only picture thus far is displayed below. I will add to this when she returns from BHSS.
I have been waiting for quite some time to find another "Detective" sized slide!
Cheers,
Tim
@ rellascout - thanks for the availability tip!
![Blue Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory]()
My intention is, and has always been, to harvest the PI short slide and mate it with a spare BHP Alloy Frame. Last night I shipped it off to BHSS along with the FN Alloy Frame host pistol... there was no need test fire before shipping as she will be vastly improved, one way or another. I did take a quick look and weighed some parts to determine suitability for this this project. Some notes below are things I am looking at for a better hybrid carry gun.
TRIGGER -
The mag disconnect is in place and it is pretty rough, but not too heavy. The BHSS trigger with magazine eject spring will replace the stock trigger. The supplied magazine did not drop free.
- Ten pull average: 7# 3oz
- High: 8# 1.2oz
- Low: 6# 9.7oz
SLIDE -
The slide is indeed as sexy as a BHP should be... the FM Detective Slide is not and this has always bothered me for no good reason other than a foolish sense of aesthetics. It just doesn't look right.
The complete PI slide is about 27 grams lighter than the FM Detective. Losing yet another ounce in carry weight is nice. Below I am comparing PI slide weights to the FM Detective Slide weight ( fitted with a BHSS barrel and night sights).
- COMPLETE SLIDE: 387grams (vs 409grams/FM)
- RECOIL SPRING & GUIDE ROD: 21grams (vs 18grams/FM)
- BARREL: 81grams (vs 81 grams/BHSS-FM)
- SLIDE: 284 grams (vs 311 grams/FM)
This slide features the MKlll type 2 (paddle style) Sear Lever. Mine is silver on the paddle... not sure why it is not blued or even if it is identical to the FN part. I hope Girsan has kept things like these standard to the BHP platform.
RECOIL SPRING & GUIDE ROD -
These parts are not identical to the FM Detective parts, much to my dismay. The Guide Rod is shorter by an unmeasured 1/8 inch or so. The recoil spring is a longer slightly stiffer flat wire single spring rather than the clever dual spring arrangement which FM employed.
With the FM Guide Rod and Spring assembly in place in the Girsan PI slide, I cannot lock the slide back for disassembly due the extra length of the FM Guide Rod.
The Guide Rod is of a design similar to the new BHSS design... open ended where it contacts the slide rather than the standard closed circle. If you have ever played with the FM Detective Slide you know how it is difficult to remove and install the Guide Rod/Spring Assembly. On the Girsan PI, it was even more difficult to remove or install this assembly. In addition... removing the Recoil Spring from the Guide Rod was so difficult that I could not do it. I moved on.
GIRSAN PI SLIDE FIT to FN BHP ALLOY FRAME -
The complete Girsan PI slide seems to fit on all three Alloy Frame FM pistols I have. I could not dry fire on the BHP Alloy Frame which is mated to the FM Detective Slide. It did dry fire just fine on the other two other BHP Alloy Frames. It slides back and forth cocking the hammer very nicely on all three frames... I really think it fits.
Overall it is a good looking pistol with usable sights similar to the Tisas or SA-35. Mine will get a full upgrade to SFS, BHSS trigger and more so I am not concerned with the standard slide release, trigger pull, etc. I think this will make for a sexy looking light-weight short-slide BHP carry pistol. Worse case... she will be all Girsan but upgraded with BHSS parts, the way I like my BHPs to be.
Last note:
She comes in a functional blue plastic case with one 15 round MecGar magazine, a wire bore brush, Instruction Manual and a cable lock. My only picture thus far is displayed below. I will add to this when she returns from BHSS.
I have been waiting for quite some time to find another "Detective" sized slide!
Cheers,
Tim
@ rellascout - thanks for the availability tip!
1 - 20 of 121 Posts
Just grabbed one off Guns.com, $574.99, plus fees, totaling $638.46. I will have another $30 for my FFL, so OTD should be $668.46. Not bad. Guns.com has a bunch of pissy fees, but shipping was only $7.99. The added processing fees are offset by the low shipping fee.
Subtotal $574.99
Shipping $7.99
Package Protection $4.99
Tax $34.50
Firearm Processing $15.99
Total $638.46
I have never ordered from Guns.com before, so it will be interesting to see how the processing works out. I am a Detective junkie, owning two complete FM Detectives, one FM Detective slide on an FN alloy frame, two Austin Behlert chopped Hi Powers, and a Bob Cogan Custom chopped Hi Power. This will fit nicely, and I am looking to see if I have any luck with mixing and matching with a FN/Browning frames, to be rid of the "safety warning".
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Subtotal $574.99
Shipping $7.99
Package Protection $4.99
Tax $34.50
Firearm Processing $15.99
Total $638.46
I have never ordered from Guns.com before, so it will be interesting to see how the processing works out. I am a Detective junkie, owning two complete FM Detectives, one FM Detective slide on an FN alloy frame, two Austin Behlert chopped Hi Powers, and a Bob Cogan Custom chopped Hi Power. This will fit nicely, and I am looking to see if I have any luck with mixing and matching with a FN/Browning frames, to be rid of the "safety warning".
For those interested in getting a PI, there is a GB seller with a buynow price of $499.99 + shipping $24 and tax/fees. Looks like a good deal and $130 below the MSRP of $630. Not listed as a PI, but as a 3.88" barrel. If you look at the box label, it does say PI and images are of the PI. Seller as of now, appears to have 2 available.
Link for those interested
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973044114
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Link for those interested
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973044114
Image of calibers on one of my FM Detective barrels. Measures 3.886 inches. Dont know the length of the BHSS Detective barrel.
1 - 20 of 121 Posts
