Browning Hi-Power

Browning Hi-Power
A Browning Hi-Power of the Belgian army.
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Belgium  United States
Service history
In service	1935-present[1]
Used by	See Users
Wars	World War II [1]
Production history
Designer	John Browning, Dieudonné Saive
Designed	1914–1935[1]
Produced	1935–present[1]
Number built	1,000,000+ [2]
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	1.0 kg (2.19 lb)[1]
Length	197 mm (7.8 in)[1]
Barrel length	118 mm (4.7 in)[1]
Cartridge	9x19mm Parabellum[1] 7.65x21mm Parabellum .40 S&W
Action	Short recoil operated
Rate of fire	Semi-automatic
Muzzle velocity	335 m/s (1,100 ft/s) (9mm)[1]
Effective range	50 m
Feed system	13-round detachable box magazine[1] 10 rounds in .40SW

The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and later improved by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. The Hi-Power is one of the most widely used military pistols of all time,^[3] having been used by the armed forces of over 50 countries.^[1]

The Hi-Power name alluded to the 13-round magazine capacity; almost twice that of contemporary designs such as the Luger or Mauser 1910. The pistol is often referred to as an HP (for "Hi-Power" or "High-Power"^[4]) or as a GP (for the French term, "Grande Puissance"). The term P-35 is also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935. It is most often called the "Hi-Power", even in Belgium. It is also known as the BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol), particularly in Irish service. In the Canadian Forces it is generally called a "nine mil", or, by French Canadian troops, a "neuf millimètres".

Development

The Hi-Power was designed in response to a French military requirement for a new service pistol, the Grand Rendement (French for "High Yield"), or alternatively Grande Puissance (literally "high power"). The French military's requirements were that the arm should be compact, have a capacity of at least 10 rounds, a magazine disconnect device, an external hammer, a positive safety, be robust and simple to disassemble and re-assemble, and be capable of killing a man at 50 meters; this last criterion was seen to demand a caliber of 9 mm or larger, a bullet mass of around 8 grams, and a muzzle velocity of 350 m/s. It was to accomplish all of this at a weight not exceeding 1 kg (2.2 lb).

FN commissioned John Browning to design a new military sidearm conforming to this specification. Browning had previously sold the rights to his successful M1911 U.S. Army automatic pistol to Colt's Patent Firearms, and was therefore forced to design an entirely new pistol while working around the M1911 patents. Browning built two different prototypes for the project in Utah and filed the patent for this pistol in the United States on June 28, 1923 and granted on February 22, 1927.^[5][6] One was a simple blowback design, while the other was operated with a locked-breech recoil system. Both prototypes utilized the new staggered magazine design (by designer Dieudonné Saive) to increase capacity without unduly increasing the pistol's grip size or magazine length.

The locked breech design was selected for further development and testing. This model was striker-fired, and featured a double-column magazine that held 16 rounds. The design was refined through several trials held by the Versailles Trial Commission.

In 1928, when the patents for the Colt Model 1911 had expired, Dieudonné Saive integrated many of the Colt's previously patented features into the Grand Rendement design, in the Saive-Browning Model of 1928. This version featured the removable barrel bushing and take down sequence of the Colt 1911.

By 1931, the Hi-Power design incorporated a shortened 13-round magazine, a curved rear grip strap, and a barrel bushing that was integral to the slide assembly. By 1934, the Hi-Power design was complete and ready to be produced. It was first adopted by Belgium for military service in 1935 as the Browning P-35. Ultimately, France decided not to adopt the pistol, instead selecting the conceptually similar Modèle 1935 pistol.

Design features

Browning HP "Adjustable Rear Sight Model", made for Finnish air force in 1939. Pistol has internal extractor.

Browning HP "Adjustable Rear Sight Model", made for Sultan of Muscat & Oman. Pistol has external extractor.

The Browning Hi-Power has undergone continuous refinement by FN since its introduction. The pistols were originally made in two models: an "Ordinary Model" with fixed sights and an "Adjustable Rear Sight Model" with a tangent-type rear sight and a slotted grip for attaching a wooden shoulder stock. The adjustable sights are still available on commercial versions of the Hi-Power, although the shoulder stock mounts were discontinued during WW2. In 1962, the design was modified to replace the internal extractor with an external extractor, improving reliability.

Standard Hi-Powers are based on a single-action design. Unlike modern double-action semi-automatic pistols, the Hi-Power's trigger is not connected to the hammer. If a double-action pistol is carried with the hammer down with a round in the chamber and a loaded magazine installed, the shooter may fire the pistol by simply pulling the trigger. In contrast, a single-action pistol must be cocked manually before the first shot, either by thumbing the hammer back, or by pulling the slide to the rear and releasing it. In common with the M1911, the Hi-Power is therefore typically carried with the hammer cocked and the safety catch on (a carry mode often called cocked and locked, or sometimes called condition one).

The Hi-Power, like many other Browning designs, operates on the short-recoil principle, where the barrel and slide initially recoil together until the barrel is unlocked from the slide by a cam arrangement. Unlike Browning's earlier Colt M1911 pistol, the barrel is not moved vertically by a toggling link, but instead by a hardened bar which crosses the frame under the barrel and contacts a slot under the chamber, at 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.

The Hi-Power has two flaws: The standard trigger pull is heavy, especially for a single-action pistol. This disadvantage is a consequence of the Hi-Power's magazine safety design, which was initially added to the model to meet the requirements of the French military in 1935. The standard Hi-Power magazine safety is connected to the trigger and is released by a plunger pressing on the surface of the magazine. This action of the plunger on the magazine adds tension to the trigger pull, and the required force to operate this feature adds resistance as well. This problem is often resolved by removing the magazine safety entirely, thus voiding the pistol's warranty, or by polishing the interface surfaces between the safety plunger and the magazine. After-market trigger springs with reduced tension are also available to improve the trigger pull.

In addition, the pistol has a tendency to "bite" the web of the shooter's hand, between the thumb and forefinger. This bite is caused by pressure from the hammer spur, or alternatively, by pinching between the hammer shank and grip tang. Many HP owners fix this problem by altering or replacing the hammer, or by learning to hold the pistol to avoid injury. While a common complaint with the commercial models with spur hammers similar to that of the Colt "Government Model" automatic, it is seldom a problem with the military models, which have a smaller, rounded "burr" hammer, more like that of the Colt "Commander" compact version of the 1911.

Nevertheless, its ability to hold 13 rounds of ammunition, nearly double that of the Colt M1911 made it very desirable as a military-issue pistol.

Military service

Browning HP 9 mm pistol manufactured by John Inglis in Canada during 1944-1945.

Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during World War II by both Allied and Axis forces. After occupying Belgium in 1940, German forces took over the FN plant. German troops subsequently used the Hi-Power, having assigned it the designation Pistole 640(b) ("b" for belgisch, "Belgian"). Examples produced by FN in Belgium under German occupation bear German inspection and acceptance marks, or Waffenamts, such as WaA613. In German service, it was used mainly by Waffen-SS and Fallschirmjäger personnel.

Hi-Power pistols were also produced in Canada for Allied use, by John Inglis and Company in Toronto. The plans were sent from the FN factory to Britain when it became clear the Belgian plant would fall into German hands, enabling the Inglis factory to be tooled up for Hi-Power production for Allied use. Inglis produced two versions of the Hi-Power, one with a fixed rear sight and one with an adjustable rear sight and detachable shoulder stock (primarily for a Nationalist Chinese contract). The pistol was popular with the British airborne forces as well as covert operations and commando groups such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the nascent British Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. Inglis Hi-Powers made for Commonwealth forces have the British designation 'Mk 1', or 'Mk 1*' and the manufacturer's details on the left of the slide. The were known in British and Commonwealth service as the 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1', or 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1*' where applicable. Serial numbers were 6 characters, the second being the letter 'T', e.g. 1T2345.

In the post-war period, Hi-Power production continued at the FN factory and, as part of FN's excellent marketing and superb product line-up (which also included the FN FAL rifle and FN MAG general purpose machine gun), it was adopted as the standard service pistol by over 50 armies (93 nations). At one time most NATO nations used it, and it was standard issue to forces throughout the British Commonwealth. It was manufactured under licence, or in some cases cloned, on several continents. Former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein often carried a Browning Hi-Power.

While the Hi-Power remains an excellent design, since the early 1990s it has been eclipsed somewhat by more modern designs which are often double action and are manufactured using more modern methods. However, it remains in service throughout the world. As of 2007, the MK1 version remains the standard service pistol of the Canadian Forces, with the SIG P226 being issued to specialized units along with the Sig Sauer P225. The weapon is the standard sidearm of the Belgian Army, the British Army (although the SIG-Sauer P226 is being gradually introduced ), Indian Army, Australian Defence Force, Argentine Army, Luxembourg Army, Israel Police, Singapore Armed Forces and Venezuelan Army, among others. The Irish Army replaced its Browning Pistols (known popularly as BAPs, or Browning Automatic Pistols) with the H&K USP automatic in 2007.

A Browning HP pistol used by the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Technical Specs of the Mk I

A locked-breech, semi-automatic, single-action, recoil-operated pistol. The Browning Hi-Power Mk I uses a 13-round staggered magazine.

Specifications:

• Caliber: 9 mm
• Length: 197 mm
• Barrel length: 118 mm
  • length of rifled part: 100 mm
  • number of grooves: 6
  • direction of twist: right
• Height (without sight, loaded): 127.5 mm
• Width (with stocks): 36 mm
  • (without stocks): 25.5 mm
• Weight (with empty magazine): 0.9 kg
  • (with loaded magazine): 1.060 kg
• Capacity of magazine: 13 cartridges
• Modes of fire: Single action
• Muzzle velocity: 350 m/s
  • V_12.50: 340 m/s
• Muzzle energy: 500 J
• Safeties: Half-cock notch, manual thumb safety, firing pin block, and magazine disconnect
• Trigger pull: 7.5 lb
• Effective Range: 50 m
• Dispersion (firing 10 shots with rest)
  • at 15 metres: 95 mm (height 50 mm, width 45 mm)
  • at 30 metres: 200 mm (height 105 mm, width 95 mm)
  • at 50 metres: 320 mm (height 170 mm, width 150 mm)

Variants

Genuine Browning Hi-Power P35s are still manufactured by FN Herstal of Belgium and Portugal, and under license by Fabricaciones Militares (FM) of Argentina. The Hi-Power remains one of the most influential pistols in the history of small arms. It has inspired a number of clone manufacturers (including Charles Daly of the Philippines & USA, FEG of Hungary, Arcus of Bulgaria, and others). Many modern pistols borrow features from it, such as the staggered column high-capacity magazine, and the Browning linkless cam locking system (which on modern pistols is often simplified so that the barrel locks into the ejection port, meaning the barrel and slide do not have to be machined for locking lugs). Until recently, FEG made an almost exact clone in 9mm and .40 S&W, but the company now manufactures a version with modifications to the barrel, linkage, and slide stop that are incompatible with genuine Hi-Powers.

• The original P35, as noted earlier, featured an internal extractor. During WWII, it was manufactured by Inglis of Canada for Allied use, and by FN in occupied Belgium for German use. Most Canadian P35s were manufactured with a parkerized finish, while most P35s manufactured in occupied Belgium had a blued finish. In 1962 the internal extractor was replaced with a more durable and reliable external extractor alongside other modifications, including a 2-piece barrel and modifications to the locking system for improved durability. Later barrels and frames are not interchangeable with earlier ones.
• The L9A1, was the British designation for the military version of the post-1962 Hi-Power. It replaced Inglis variants in British service and is still utilised by the UK military forces. The L9A1 was also widely used by other Commonwealth armed forces. The Hi-Power was the pistol of choice for the British Special Air Service throughout the Cold War era.

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 is among the best-known models of the P35 developed over the last 50 years. P35s were first imported into the USA in 1954 - the USA civilian market P35s had the 'Browning Arms Company' stamp on the left side of the slide (to meet the import requirement for USA sales). These P35s lack the provision of the lanyard ring - the left side pistol grip for a Mark I is fully covered unlike those produced for military and law enforcement use. A wide variety of options and features are available on the P35 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 9x19mm 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. Genuine FN-produced P35s (either FN (Europe/international) or Browning (USA) for the civilian market will have a 245-prefix serial number. Some Hi-Power variants (Type 65, Type 73) incorporate production changes e.g. spur hammers (commonly seen for 1971-present civilian market P35s) and/or 2-piece barrels (1965 - present). The 'Type 73' variant (with an elongated barrel bushing) of the Mark I was produced into the late 1980s (to 1987) by FM Argentina when Mark II production commenced in the early-mid 1980s (Belgium).
• The Mark I Lightweight is a very rare variant of the Mark I made with a lightweight alloy frame. According to Massad Ayoob, these were introduced commercially in the 1950s but never caught on. The Lightweights are only marked with Fabrique Nationales' rollmarks, not Brownings.
• Mark II is an upgraded model of the original Hi-Power introduced in the early '80s. Some of the upgrades were ambidextrous thumb safeties, nylon grips, 3-dot sights, and a throated barrel.
• Mark III was another advancement over the Mark II released in 1988, which featured a firing pin safety and grips similar to the M9 pistol. The Standard is an original Hi-Power with the Mark III firing system. The Capitan and Practical are also slightly different configured Mark IIIs.

Browning Hi-Power Practical .40 S&W.

• The Practical features a matte-blued slide and contrasting silver-chromed frame. In addition, this model has Pachmayr rubber grips and a rounded Commander-style hammer (same hammer used on pre-1972 Hi-Powers for civilian and military use). The Practical has fixed or adjustable sights, and is available in either 9 mm or .40 S&W. Magazines for all Practical models sport Pachmayr base pads; magazines feature a cartridge capacity of 13 rounds in 9 mm and a cartridge capacity of 10 rounds in .40 S&W.^[7]
• The HP-SFS (Safe-Fast-Shooting) is a current variation on the Hi-Power Mark III with a modified firing mechanism. After the weapon is loaded, 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 system is available for modifying Colt M1911A1s. Magazines are interchangeable with the Mark III and others.
• The BDA and BDAO models were first produced in the 1980s by FN. The BDA model is double action, and the DAO model is "double action only," both versions differing from the usual single-action operation of the P35. These designs have been marketed as the HP-DA and BDA. The DA and DAO models retain many features of the P35, and both are available in full-sized and compact versions. Performance of these models is consistent with FN's high standards. These models resemble the P35, but the most distinguishing feature is the extended SIG-Sauer style trigger guard. Many parts are interchangeable with the P35, but the magazines (although similar) are not. The compact versions also utilize shorter magazines.^[7]
• The Browning BDM Model is sometimes erroneously attributed as a special model of the Hi-Power family of pistols. However, this is actually a unique pistol design only bearing an external similarity to the Hi-Power. The BDM was produced during the 1990s only in North America by Browning Arms Company, and not by FN. The Browning BDM (Browning Double Mode) pistol incorporates many features of the BDA model, but can be switched from double action/single action mode to "revolver" mode (DAO) by the flip of a slide mounted switch.
• 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. The Beretta Cheetah has also been marketed by Browning under the name BDA 380.
• The Rosario, FM90 and FM95 models are manufactured by FM. The Rosario is an almost exact copy of the Mark II intended for Argentine and Latin American sales. The FM90 was an export model based on the Mark II, but with a "Colt style" slide without the characteristic beveled front end. Rubberized pistol grips (similar to the Pachmayr grips used for P35s) with finger grooves were used in place of the traditional slabside wood grips. The FM95 is the current export model based on the Mark III, also with the "Colt style" slide.^[8]
• 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 P35s.

Users

Canadian Army soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment inspect a Hi-Power pistol.

An Uruguayan Marine holding a Hi-Power.

•  Argentina: Made under license and used by the military.^[3][9][10]
•  Australia: General issue sidearm for Australian Defence Force.^[9][10][11]
•  Bahrain^[10]
•  Bangladesh^[10]
•  Barbados^[10]
•  Belgium: Adopted by the Belgian Army in 1935.^[9][12]
•  Belize^[10]
•  Bolivia^[10]
•  Botswana^[10]
•  Brunei^[10]
•  Burundi^[10]
•  Cambodia^[10]
•  Canada: Canadian Forces used pistols made by the John Inglis Co. of Ontario, Canada.^{[3][9][10][13]} Also used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).^[14]
•  Chad^[10]
•  Republic of China: Used pistols made by the John Inglis Co. of Ontario, Canada.^[3]
•  Colombia^[10]
•  Cuba^[10]
•  Cyprus^[10]
•  Democratic Republic of Congo^[10]
•  Denmark^[3][10]
•  Ecuador^[10]
•  El Salvador^[10]
•  Estonia^[3][15]
•  Finland^[10]
•  Ghana^[10]
•  Greece: Used pistols made by the John Inglis Co. of Ontario, Canada.^[3]
•  Guatemala^[10]
•  Honduras^[10]
•  Hungary: Identical copy was produced.^[16]
•  India^[9][10]
•  Indonesia: Komando Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) tactical diver group and Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) special forces group.^[17] Made under license by Pindad.^[18]
•  Iraq^[10]
•  Ireland^[10]
•  Israel: Used by YAMAM.^[14]
•  Jamaica: Issued to officers of the Jamaica Defence Force.^[19]
•  Jordan^[10]
•  Kenya^[10]
•  Kuwait^[10]
•  Lebanon^[10]
•  Liberia^[10]
•  Lithuania^[3][10]
•  Luxembourg^[9]
•  Malawi^[10]
•  Malaysia: General issue sidearms for senior-rank officer of military and police.^[20]
•  Mozambique^[10]
•  Myanmar^[10]
•  Nazi Germany: Over 300,000 pistols were made for the Wehrmacht after the FN factory was seized by Germany. Pistols were designated the Pistole 640(b).^[3]
•  Nepal^[10]
•  Netherlands^[3][10][15]
•  Nigeria^[10]
•  Oman^[10]
•  Panama^[10]
•  Papua New Guinea^[10]
•  Paraguay^[10]
•  Peru^[3][10], Replaced by the MGP-15
•  Philippines^[10]
•  Poland^[21]
•  Portugal Since 1935, namely in the Militarized Police Portuguese Republican National Guard.^[10][22]
•  Rhodesia^[3]
•  Romania^[3]
•  Rwanda^[10]
•  Saudi Arabia^[10]
•  Sierra Leone^[10]
•  Singapore^[9][10]
•  Sri Lanka^[10]
•  Sudan^[10]
•  Suriname^[10]
•  Tanzania^[10]
•  Togo^[10]
•  Trinidad and Tobago^[10]
•  Tunisia^[10]
•  Uganda^[10]
•  United Arab Emirates^[10]
•  United Kingdom: Adopted by the British Army in 1954.^[1][9][10]
•  United States: Used by the FBI Hostage Rescue Team.^[14]
•  Uruguay^[10]
•  Venezuela^[9][10]
•  Zimbabwe^[10]

References

• The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol, by R. Blake Stevens (Collector Grade Publications, 1990)

External links

• Official page
• HiPowers and Handguns
• F.N. mod. G.P. (Grande Puissance) pictures
• The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol by R. Blake Stevens
• Hi-Power pictorial
• History and Disassembly Instructions for the Browning Hi-Power
• Browning Hi-Power prototypes

Manual

• Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide (MANUAL) FN Hi-Power Manual (.pdf)

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