Browning Hi-Power
The
Browning Hi-Power is based on a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol conceived and patented in the United States in 1922 by American
John Browning, who eventually took his ideas to
Belgium and the arms manufacturer
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. The design was fully developed and realized through the efforts of Belgian arms designer Dieudonne Saive working at FN. This pistol was noted for having the first functional double-column magazine of
9 mm Parabellum rounds, capable of holding 13
cartridges, and allowing a 14th loaded in the chamber. (Modern "flush fit" magazines are now available which hold 15 cartridges, allowing a 16th to be loaded in the chamber, and magazines which extend beyond the grip can hold considerably more.)
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Browning HP "Adjustable Rear Sight Model", made for Finnish airforce. Pistol has internal extractor |
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Browning HP "Adjustable Rear Sight Model", made for Sultan of Muscat & Oman. Pistol has external extractor |
The
P-35 Models were first produced in 1935 as the "Grande Puissance". [
1] Browning's initial concept was for a striker-fired pistol with a single-stack magazine; consultation with Dieudonne Saive at FN apparently convinced him to revise his design to incorporate a hammer mechanism and a higher capacity, double-stack magazine. Most of the salient features of this design were finalized before Browning's death in 1926 but economic conditions in Europe delayed its introduction.
Browning Hi-Power pistols were originally made in two models: "Ordinary Model" with fixed sights and an "Adjustable Rear Sight Model" with tangent type rear sight and a slotted grip for attachment of a wooden shoulder stock.
After WWII, the design was modified to replace the internal extractor with an external extractor for an incremental reliability improvement.
This pistol is often referred to as an "HP" (for "Hi-Power" [
2] or "High-Power") or as a GP (for the French term, "Grande Puissance"). Another common nickname is the "King of Nines." [
3] It is most often called the "Hi-Power"; in Belgian military and police circles the name "GP" is the most common.
This gun, like many others of Browning's design, operates on the
short-recoil principle, with the barrel being cammed down and away from the locking lugs in the slide (which surrounds the barrel). Unlike his earlier Colt
M1911 (the famous Colt .45 automatic), the barrel is not moved vertically by a toggling link, but by a hardened bar which crosses the frame under the barrel and contacts a slot under the chamber (the rearmost part of the barrel). The barrel and slide recoil together for a short distance but, as the slot engages the bar, the chamber and the rear of the barrel are drawn downward and stopped. The downward movement of the barrel disengages it from the slide, which continues rearward, extracting the spent case from the chamber and ejecting it. After the slide reaches the limit of its travel, the recoil spring brings it forward again, stripping a new round from the magazine and pushing it into the chamber. This also pushes the chamber and barrel forward. The cam slot and bar move the chamber upward and the locking lugs on the barrel reengage those in the slide.
It was the first successful pistol design to utilize a double-stack magazine, meaning that the cartridges did not ride directly on top of each other, but instead were housed staggered, so that more could be fitted within the length of the pistol grip. This necessitated an increase in the width of the grip, but this is not a problem for average hands. The grip of the Hi-Power is ergonomically balanced and comfortable in most hands, and the pistol is renowned for its accuracy and reliability, and cursed for its penchant for "biting" its user in the web of the hand, between the thumb and first fingers, with its excessively long stock hammer. Many HP owners replace the stock hammer with a smaller one.
Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during WWII by both the Allies and the Axis powers. The pistols the Allies used were produced in Canada by
John Inglis and Company. The pistols used by the Germans were produced by FN in Belgium under German occupation. The P-35 remains popular among militaries, over 50 armies have issued the P-35 since its invention. It is also quite popular in covert operations. The famed British special operations regiment SAS (Special Air Service), the FBI - HRT (Hostage Rescue Team), and the WWII era U.S.
Office of Strategic Services (OSS) are among some of the organizations that have made use of the Hi-Power. Many Iraqi officers (including generals) were relieved of their elegant customized Hi-Powers during the invasion and occupation of
Iraq. The MK1 version is currently in service with the
Canadian Forces, and the weapon is the standard sidearm of the
British Army,
Australian Army, the
Venezuelan Army, among others.
A locked breech,
semi-automatic,
single-action recoil-operated pistol. The Browning Hi-Power Mk III uses a 13-round staggered magazine.
Specifications:
* Caliber: 9 mm Parabellum or .40 Smith and Wesson
* Length: 7.9 in (200 mm)
* Barrel length: 4.6 in (118 mm)
* Weight: 2 lb (930g)(unloaded); 2.3 lb (1.085 kg) (with loaded magazine)
* Capacity: 13 + 1 or 10 + 1
* Feed device: 10, 13, or 20 round box (larger capacities available)
* Modes of Fire: SA
* Muzzle velocity: 1160 ft/s
* Safeties: Half-cock notch, ambidextrous manual safety, firing pin block, and magazine safety
* Sights: Blade front w/ notch rear (dovetailed to slide), white high visibility markings standard (3 vertical bars), 6.2" (159 mm) sight radius
* Trigger pull: 7.5 lb
* Maximum Effective Range: 50 m
Genuine Browning Hi-Power P-35s are still manufactured by FN Herstal (imported to North America by Browning) of Belgium and Portugal, and by FM (licensed to Fabricaciones Militares) of Argentina; remaining one of the most influential pistols in the history of small arms. The Hi-Power has inspired a number of clones (including Charles Daly of the Philippines & USA, and FEG of Hungary), copies (including Arcus of Bulgaria), and other firearms that borrow features from it (chiefly the linkless cam system). FEG used to make an exact clone, but has now modified the barrel, linkage, and slide to be incompatible with genuine Hi-Powers (most other parts are compatible though).
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Browning Hi-Power with adjustable sights |
* The
Browning L9A1, a military version of the P-35 Hi-Power, is still utilized by several branches of the UK military forces. The Hi-Power was the pistol of choice for the British
Special Air Service (Special Forces), throughout the
Cold War era. In Britain, the pistol is often referred to as the
Browning 13-shot.
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Browning Hi-Power .40 S&W - groove is machined into the side of the slide to allow clearance for the slide release on .40 S&W and .357 SIG models. |
* The
Mark I,
Mark II,
Mark III,
Hi-Power Standard,
Hi-Power Practical, and
Capitan are among the best known models of the P-35 developed over the last 50 years. A wide variety of options and features are available on the P-35 models. Recently, Hi-Power pistols have become available in the
.40 S&W and
.357 SIG loadings. However, the use of these calibers in guns designed and built for
9 mm Parabellum has created cases of broken or warped frames. Only Hi-Powers specifically built for these rounds should be used to fire them. The pistols manufactured for these two rounds are easily identified by examining the left side of the slide--a groove is machined into the side of the heavier slide to allow clearance for the slide release.
* The
HP-SFS (Safe-Fast-Shooting) is a current variation on the Hi-Power Mark III with a modified firing mechanism. After loading the weapon, the hammer is pushed forward which automatically activates the safety catch. When the shooter is prepared to fire, the safety is pressed down with the thumb, releasing the hammer to spring backwards into the usual, single action position. A similar stystem is available for modifying M1911A1's. Magazines are interchangeable with the Mark III and others.
* The
Detective is a short slide HP produced by FM. The Detective slide group is also available without the frame, and is interchangeable with other FM and FN Hi-Power P-35s.
The
DA & DAO Models were first produced in the 1990s by FN. The DA model is double action, and the DAO model is "double action only," differing from the single action operation of the P-35. This gun has been marketed under the name of
HP-DA and
BDA-9. The DA and DAO models retain many features of the P-35, and both are available in full size and compact versions. Performance of these models is consistent with FN's high standards. These models resemble the P-35, but the most distinguishing feature is the extended SIG-Sauer style trigger guard. Many parts are interchangeable with the P-35, but the magazines (although similar) are not. The compact versions also utilize shorter magazines.
The
BDM Model was first produced in the late 1990s by FN. The Browning Double Mode pistol incorporates many features of the DA model, but can be switched from double action to single action at the flip of a lever. These models do not strongly resemble the classic design of the P-35, lacking its sleek lines. The performance of this model is excellent though. Magazines are usually interchangeable between the full size DA, DAO and BDM models.
* Both the DA / DAO models and the BDM model borrow features from the
SIG-Sauer SIG P220 pistols marketed under the name Browning Double Action (BDA) in the 1970s. Beretta 84 has also been marketed by Browning under the name BDA 380.
* Two of the four handguns used by
Thomas Hamilton in the
Dunblane Massacre were 9 mm Browning HP Pistols.
* A Browning HP was involved in the accidental death of Australian Private
Jacob Kovco in
Iraq April 2006.
* Saddam Hussein carried a Browning Hi Power.
*
Browning Arms Company*
Browning L9A1*
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal/FN
*
John Browning*
M1911*
Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide*
HiPowers and Handguns*
F.N. mod. G.P. (Grande Puissance) pictures*
Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide (MANUAL) FN Hi-Power Manual (.pdf)
