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.) Image File history File links Browning_HP_West_German_Police. ... Image File history File links Browning_HP_West_German_Police. ... John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of weapons which were used in the U.S. military for decades in the 20th century. ... Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often known as Fabrique Nationale and abbreviated simply as FN or FN Herstal originated in the Belgian city of Herstal, near Liège. ... ball and hollowpoint 9mm Luger rounds are popular handgun ammunition. ... Rimmed, centerfire . ...

The Grande Puissance

Browning HP "Adjustable Rear Sight Model", made for Finnish airforce. Pistol has internal extractor

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. Image File history File links Browning_HP_(Finnish)_with_stock. ... Image File history File links Browning_HP_(Finnish)_with_stock. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (814x356, 50 KB) Opis Source:http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (814x356, 50 KB) Opis Source:http://www. ...

Browning Hi-Power pistols were originally made in two models: "Ordinary Model" with fixed sights and an "Adjustable Rear Sight Model" with tangent type rear sight and a slotted grip for attachment of a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", even in Belgium.

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. The short-recoil system of operation is that which uses the recoil of the firearm to function (that is, to lock/unlock the firearms breech, to extract and eject the cartridge case from the firearm, to feed a new cartridge into the chamber, and to ready the firing mechanism). ... The M1911 is a single action, semi-automatic handgun, chambered for the . ...

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.

Military service

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 Australian Army, the Venezuelan Army, among others. John Inglis and Company was a Canadian firm which made weapons for the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth military forces during the World War II era. ... The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime (but not direct) precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency. ... The Canadian Forces (French: Forces canadiennes) are the combined armed forces of Canada. ... The Australian Army Emblem The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... CURRENTLY WORK IN PROGRESS The Venezuelan Army is a proffesional armed body designed to defend the countrys sovereignity and borders and aid in the development and progress of the country in any way possible, as the matter of fact, army units have frequently participated in social actions and construction. ...

Example technical description (Mark III)

A locked breech, semi-automatic, single-action recoil-operated pistol. The Browning Hi-Power Mk III uses a 13-round staggered magazine. A semi-automatic firearm requires a trigger pull for each round that is fired. ... A US Army 45 Colt. ...

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

Models

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).

• 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.

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 availible 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 Browning L9A1 is a semi-automatic pistol, firing a 9×19 mm bullet from a 13-round magazine. ... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged after World War II between the global superpowers of the Soviet Union and the United States, supported by their military alliance partners. ... Image File history File links Browning-HiPower-40SW.jpg Summary Browning Hi-Power . ... Image File history File links Browning-HiPower-40SW.jpg Summary Browning Hi-Power . ... The . ... The . ... two 357 SIG rounds & a 9 mm for comparison The . ... The . ... two 357 SIG rounds & a 9 mm for comparison The . ... ball and hollowpoint 9mm Luger rounds are popular handgun ammunition. ...

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.

SIGARMS is the American incarnation of Swiss manufacturing firm Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), a company most famous for its firearms, as SIG Arms AG. SIGARMS was set up in 1985 in order to manufacture and import SIGs firearms into the USA, although as of 2000 it has been a... The SIG Sauer P220 is a popular handgun available in . ...

Fiction - movie and pop culture

• Al Pacino used a Mark II Hi-Power in the movie role Serpico.
• Eddie Murphy was seen in Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II using a Hi-Power (the movie poster had him holding a Colt M1911).
• Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard) used a Hi-Power throughout the TV series "The A-Team".
• The villain in the Charles Bronson film Death Wish 3 had a 1960s-manufacture Hi-Power, and in New Jack City (1991), Ice-T was seen with a Hi-Power when Chris Rock was portraying a crack addict.
• James Bond as portrayed by Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day uses an FN Hi-Power in the sailboat scenes (although the movie poster shows him holding a Walther P99 that was used in other scenes.)
• Lionel Luthor, father of Lex Luthor on the Smallville (TV series) is fond of the DA model Hi-Power. (the producers may have selected this model due to its "sinister" streamlined appearance)
• Alec Trevelian, played by Sean Bean, also uses a DA model Hi-Power in the 007 film GoldenEye.
• Anita Blake, the fictional heroine of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton, owns a Browning Hi-Power, which is one of her favorite guns.
• Claire Redfield of Capcom's survival horror video game, Resident Evil 2, uses a Browning HP during her side of the game's story, as does Ada Wong.
• Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark uses a Browning HP. It can be viewed in the bar scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and later just before Katanga's ship is boarded. [4]
• Switch in The Matrix used a nickel plated Hi-Power Practical throughout the film. Can be seen clearly during the alley scene with Neo and Trinity in the rear of the old Lincoln.
• Kevin Costner uses one as a sidearm throughout the movie The Bodyguard.
• Players on the Opposition team in the Desert Combat modification for the computer game Battlefield 1942 use the Browning HP.
• Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals were often seen sporting hi-powers, especially in later seasons.
• Several soldiers in the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist use Hi-Powers, as well as the older Browning M1910. Riza Hawkeye often switches back and forth between the two, and even used both at once on one occasion.
• Rally Vincent from the manga Gunsmith Cats modifies a Browning High Power for her informer friend Becky in the last chapter.

Al Pacino (right) with Robert Duvall in The Godfather. ... Serpico is a 1973 film based on the true story of New York City policeman Frank Serpico who eventually went undercover to expose the corruption of his fellow officers, after being pushed to the brink at first by their distrust and later by the threats and intimidation they levied against... This article or section is missing needed references or citation of sources. ... Beverly Hills Cop (1984) is an American comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy. ... Beverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott. ... The M1911 is a single action, semi-automatic handgun, chambered for the . ... George Peppard, Jr. ... The A-Team (1983 - 1987) was a television show about a group of fictional ex-US Army commandos on the run from the military. ... Charles Bronson This is about the actor. ... The Death Wish series consists of five movies starring Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter raped. ... New Jack City is a 1991 crime-thriller film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson and Chris Rock. ... Ice-T: Photograph by Steve Rapport Ice T is the stage name of Tracy Morrow (born February 16, 1958), an American rapper, rock musician, author, and actor. ... Chris Rock Chris Rock (born February 7, 1965 in Andrews, South Carolina) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... The James Bond 007 gun logo James Bond, also known as 007 (pronounced double-oh seven), is a fictional British spy created by writer Ian Fleming in 1953. ... Pierce Brosnan at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ... Die Another Day is the twentieth James Bond film made by EON Productions and the fourth and final film to star Pierce Brosnan as Ian Flemings James Bond. ... Walther P99, 9 mm version with green polymer frame The Walther P99 is a pistol made in Germany by Walther Sportwaffen. ... Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and archenemy of Superman. ... Smallville is an American television series that debuted in 2001 on the WB Television Network. ... Shaun Mark Bean (born April 17, 1959) is an English actor from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. ... GoldenEye is the seventeenth James Bond film and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as Ian Flemings British secret service agent, James Bond. ... Spoiler warning: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter is a series of dark fantasy/alternate history novels by Laurell K. Hamilton, narrated in first person hard_boiled detective style by the title character, Anita Blake. ... Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American horror and science fiction/fantasy writer. ... Claire Redfield is a video game character appearing in the Resident Evil survival horror series of video games. ... Capcom (カプコン in Japanese) TYO: 9697 is a leading Japanese developer and publisher of computer and video games. ... Resident Evil 2 ) is a survival horror game by Capcom originally released for the PlayStation in 1998 and the second installment in their Resident Evil series. ... Ada Wong is a recurring video game character appearing in the Resident Evil video game series. ... Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones Dr. Henry Indiana Jones, Jr. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a film released by Paramount Pictures in 1981. ... Switch was a member of the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar, a Zion hovercraft commanded by Morpheus in the 1999 movie, The Matrix. ... The Matrix is a science-fiction/action film first released in the USA on March 31, 1999, written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski. ... Kevin Costner from the movie Wyatt Earp. ... For other uses, see The Bodyguard (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this list may require cleanup. ... Battlefield 1942 is an expansive first-person shooter (FPS) set in World War II developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows (2002) and Apple Macintosh (2004). ... From Left : Martin Shaw as Ray Doyle, Gordon Jackson as George Cowley, and Lewis Collins as William Bodie. ... Fullmetal Alchemist ), commonly abbreviated FMA or Hagaren by fans, and is known as Full Metal Alchemist in Japan, is a manga series created by Hiromu Arakawa and serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan. ... FN Model 1910 The FN Model 1910 was a Blowback (arms) operated, semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning and manufactured by FN of Belgium. ... This is a listing of fictional characters from Hiromu Arakawa’s anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist. ... Gunsmith Cats is a series of manga and anime work by Kenichi Sonoda. ...

Notable incidents

• 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.

Thomas Hamilton is the name of several people: Thomas Hamilton, 19th-century Scottish writer Thomas Hamilton, 19th-century Scottish architect Thomas Hamilton, perpetrator of the Dunblane massacre in 1996 Thomas Hamilton, politician in Northern Ireland Thomas Hamilton, politician in Manitoba, Canada This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which... The Dunblane massacre was a multiple homicide which occurred at the primary school in the town of Dunblane, Scotland on March 13, 1996. ... Private Kovco in Uniform Jacob (Jake) Bruce Kovco (born 25 September, 1980, Melbourne; died 21 April, 2006, Baghdad) was a private in the Australian Defence Forces who died, reportedly of a gunshot wound to the head, while on deployment in Baghdad. ...

See also

• Browning Arms Company
• Browning L9A1
• Fabrique Nationale de Herstal/FN
• John Browning
• M1911

Browning Arms Company was founded in Utah in 1927. ... The Browning L9A1 is a semi-automatic pistol, firing a 9×19 mm bullet from a 13-round magazine. ... Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often known as Fabrique Nationale and abbreviated simply as FN or FN Herstal originated in the Belgian city of Herstal, near Liège. ... John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of weapons which were used in the U.S. military for decades in the 20th century. ... The M1911 is a single action, semi-automatic handgun, chambered for the . ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Browning HP

• Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide
• HiPowers and Handguns
• F.N. mod. G.P. (Grande Puissance) pictures

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Manual

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