Browning Hi-Power Pistol: A Powerful Weapon with Killing Power

The Browning Hi-Power pistol, also known as the P-35, GP-35 (Grande Puissance) or simply the BHP, is a legendary weapon designed by the brilliant American designer John Moses Browning and brought to serial production by the Belgian company Fabrique Nationale (FN) Herstal. Adopted in 1935, the Browning Hi-Power became one of the most influential and long-lived pistols of the XNUMXth century, used by the armies, police and intelligence services of dozens of countries for decades. Its innovative design, high magazine capacity and reliability made it the benchmark for many subsequent models. The history of the Browning Hi-Power, its technical characteristics, design features and areas of application emphasize its significance as one of the most successful projects in the history of firearms, which continues to be relevant even in the XNUMXst century.

History of the Browning Hi-Power pistol

The history of the Browning Hi-Power begins in the 1920s, when the French Army announced a competition for a new semi-automatic pistol to replace aging revolvers and pistols such as the Lebel M1892. Requirements included use of the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, a magazine capacity of at least 10 rounds, compactness and reliability in combat conditions. John Moses Browning, already famous for creating the Colt M1911, BAR rifles and machine guns, began work on the project in 1921 at the request of FN Herstal, with whom he had collaborated since the beginning of the century. Browning developed a prototype that combined his signature short-recoil locking system with a double-stack magazine, a revolutionary solution for the time, as most pistols had single-stack magazines with a capacity of 7-8 rounds.

Unfortunately, Browning died in 1926 before he could complete the design, and work on the pistol was continued by his colleague Didier "Dieudonné" Saïve, FN's chief engineer. Saïve refined the design, adding a safety catch, improving the ergonomics, and adapting the pistol for mass production. In 1935, the pistol was introduced as the Grande Puissance (GP-35), which translates as "high power," and adopted by the Belgian army. It soon became known as the Hi-Power, especially in English-speaking countries, where the name stuck thanks to FN's marketing efforts. Production began at FN's plant in Herstal, Belgium, and by the 1930s, the pistol was being exported to Europe, Asia, and Latin America, quickly earning a reputation as a reliable and powerful weapon.

Browning Hi-Power pistol design

The Browning Hi-Power is a short-stroke, Browning-style blowback action, with a lug on the barrel engaging grooves inside the bolt. After firing, the barrel and bolt move rearward together, then the barrel is lowered by a cam mechanism, freeing the bolt for reloading. This design, first used in the Colt M1911, was adapted for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, which provided less recoil than the .45 ACP but retained high penetration. The 118-inch (13 mm) barrel was made of forged steel, ensuring durability and accuracy, and the double-stack magazine held 08 rounds, a significant improvement over the single-stack magazines of competitors such as the German Luger P1911 or the American Colt MXNUMX.

The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action pistol, meaning that the hammer must be manually cocked before the first shot, or after each shot unless the slide is reloaded. This made the pistol less user-friendly than later double-action models such as the Walther P38, but it simplified the design and reduced production costs. The pistol featured a manual safety on the left side of the frame that locked the hammer and slide, as well as a safety on the trigger, making it safer to carry. In early versions, the safety was quite small and awkward, but in later models such as the Mk II and Mk III, it was enlarged and made ambidextrous for left-handed use.

Browning Hi-Power Pistol Specifications

The Browning Hi-Power's frame and slide were made of steel, making the pistol heavy (about 880 grams without a magazine), but strong and resistant to damage. The weapon's length was 197 mm, height was about 129 mm, and width was 36 mm, making it compact for its time, although not the most convenient for concealed carry due to its angular shape and lack of ergonomic solutions such as replaceable grip pads, which appeared in later models. The weight with a full magazine reached about 1000 grams, which ensured stability when shooting, but made it difficult to carry for a long time. The muzzle velocity of the bullet reached about 350 m/s, and the muzzle energy was about 500 J, which provided good penetrating power at close range. The sighting range is stated at 50 meters, although the effective range was usually limited to 25-30 meters, which is typical for pistols of that time.

Below are the main characteristics of the Browning Hi-Power in the form of a table for clarity:

These parameters highlight the balance between power, accuracy and magazine capacity that made the Browning Hi-Power revolutionary for its time. Its double-stack, 13-round magazine became the standard for many subsequent models, and the reliability of the design has allowed the pistol to remain relevant for decades.

Using the Browning Hi-Power Pistol

The Browning Hi-Power saw service in a variety of settings. It was adopted by the Belgian Army in 1935 and was exported to other countries including Great Britain, Canada, China and Latin America in 1939. During World War II, the pistol was used by both sides in the conflict: the Allies, such as Great Britain and Canada, where it was manufactured under license by John Inglis and Company as the Pistol No. 2 Mk I, and the Axis, as the FN factory in Herstal was captured by the Germans after the occupation of Belgium in 1940, who continued to manufacture the Hi-Power for the Wehrmacht under the designation Pistole 640(b). In total, over 300 units were produced during the war, making it one of the most widely produced pistols of the conflict.

After the war, the Browning Hi-Power became the standard pistol for the militaries and police forces of over 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Greece and Israel. In the UK, it remained in service until 2013, when it was replaced by modern models such as the Glock 17. The Hi-Power was used in Canada and Australia until the 1990s, and was used in some African and Asian countries until the early XNUMXst century. The pistol was also popular with special forces, including the British SAS, due to its reliability and magazine capacity. In the civilian sector, the Hi-Power was a hit in the US, where FN heavily promoted it through its distributor, Browning Arms Company, earning it the name "Hi-Power". It was prized for its accuracy and smooth trigger pull, making it a popular choice for target shooting and self-defense.

FN Herstal continued to improve the Hi-Power over the decades. In the 1960s, a version with adjustable sights and an enlarged safety was introduced, and in the 1980s, the Mk II and Mk III models were introduced with improved ergonomics, an ambidextrous safety, and a rust-resistant finish. In the 1990s, a .40 S&W version was introduced to meet American market demand, but it was not widely used due to competition from more modern models. Production of the Hi-Power continued in Belgium until 2017, when FN officially discontinued the pistol, declaring that its design was outdated and the market demanded lighter, more modular models like the FNX or FNS. In total, over 82 million units were produced in 1,5 years, making the Hi-Power one of the longest-running pistols in history.

In popular culture, the Browning Hi-Power has become a symbol of classic firearms due to its elegant design and long history. It can be seen in films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, where it is used by the main characters, or in the TV series Supernatural, where its reliability and power are emphasized. In games such as Call of Duty, the Hi-Power is presented as a weapon of World War II, reflecting its historical role. In real life, the pistol has been praised for its accuracy, reliability, and magazine capacity, but criticized for its outdated design, heavy weight, lack of modern solutions such as a Picatinny rail or interchangeable grips, and the inconvenience of the safety in early versions.

The Browning Hi-Power is more than just a pistol; it is a symbol of an era when engineers like John Browning created weapons that would survive decades. Its history is intertwined with the development of weapons technology, global conflicts, and the evolution of weapons standards. Although the Hi-Power has long been out of production, it remains an object of interest to collectors, historians, and shooters, recalling a time when steel construction and simplicity were more important than ergonomics and modularity. Today, the Browning Hi-Power is a classic that continues to inspire new generations, proving that a successful design can become immortal.