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This week’s firearm of the week is the Browning Hi-Power. The Hi-Power is based on a design by the American firearms inventor John Browning. Browning died in 1926, so Dieudonne’ Saive at Fabrique Nationale or FN completed the design. FN is located in Herstal, Belgium.
Mr. Saive was a firearms genius in his own right. He improved many of John Browning’s designs. Saive designed the FN Model 1949, which was the Firearm of the Week a few months ago. He also developed the FN FAL which continues to used by many countries.
The Browning Hi-Power was the first 9 mm handgun to use a true staggered column magazine. With 13 rounds in the mag and 1 in the chamber it carried nearly twice the capacity of the Colt 1911 or the Luger P08.
Browning started on the design around 1923 and Saive completed it and began manufacturing in 1934. It was adopted in 1935. Sometimes it has been referred to as Browning P-35.
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.
The Hi-Power was a sales success, and was extensively used in World War II by German and British Commonwealth forces. After the war, the Browning Hi-Power was adopted as the standard military service sidearm of many Western countries, including the United Kingdom and Belgium. Modern versions remain in production today, three-quarters of a century later.
I purchased mine, NIB around 1979. It is a Belgian made pistol and is just a great weapon. It has become the standard by which modern pistols are designed.
Remember from last week, the Walther P-38 and this week the Hi-Power. Virtually all your modern handguns incorporate high capacity magazines and are double action P-38. Over 70 years ago these technologies were being incorporated into pistol designs.
Have you repeated the Pledge of Allegiance lately?
Blessing,
Big Mullet
