Browning Hi-Power / FN GP35

History of Browning Hi-Power / FN GP35

The Browning Hi-Power (or Fabrique Nationale FN GP35 - "GP" for "Grande Puissance") traces its lineage back to the original John Browning Colt M1911 and became Browning's last design before his death in 1926. Design work on the Hi-Power began in 1914 and continued until 1926, with the pistol still in the hands of FN's chief designer, Dieudonne Saive.

Saive replaced Browning's original striker design with a more traditional hammer mechanism. High-power ammunition loaded with the 9x19 Parabellum cartridge is fed from a double-layer 13-round magazine.

Although the gun was ready for production, the onset of the Great Depression was delayed and its official release was delayed until 1935 - hence the FN GP35 designation.

Externally, the Hi Power presents a very traditional semi-automatic pistol look with many of the same lines as the Colt M1911. In the upper area of ??the weapon, the slider protects the critical inner working parts as well as the casing of the barrel and recoil spring, the latter mounted below the barrel. The sides of the slider contain the necessary finger grooves for managing components during cocking. The hammer is clearly visible on the back of the weapon above the handle.

The trigger is held in an elongated loop and attached to an angled pistol grip, which is lined with a grip pattern on both sides. The magazine is inserted into the bottom of the grip in the traditional way, and the magazine eject is located on the right side of the fuselage.

With the start of World War II in the late 1930s, German troops swept across Europe the following year. This includes Belgium - home to the Fabrique Nationale and its factories. As a result, the production of Browning Hi Power was now under German control, and the Army began producing locally a premium pistol named "Pistole 640(b)" (the "b" stands for "Belgium" to denote its Belgian origin).

And just like that, the pistol barely squeezed out a few numbers until the end of the war. During the war, replicas of the guns were shipped to England, where pistols were remanufactured for use by British, Canadian and Chinese armies. For the British, this type proved to be a useful paratrooper and special operations sidearm, as its high-capacity magazine and proven stopping ability surpassed standard revolvers. Local production begins at the Canadian factory and is distributed to waiting troops in time.

The war ended with the defeat of the Nazis in 1945, and the FN factory started producing Hi Power for free again. The war proved that Browning's designs were reliable, robust and capable. Such was the effect on the British that the British Army adopted the Model 1954 as their standard sidearm.

In addition, a total of about 90 countries accept this weapon for various military, security, police and civilian roles.

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Browning Hi-Power comes in a number of variants with different trigger systems, fixed or adjustable sights, and even an optional wooden fixed holster for improved aiming. Early production forms included versions equipped with a tangent rear, while later production models were used in the . 40 Smith & Wesson ammunition or the . 357 SIG ammunition.

As the ultimate design, John Browning's Hi-Power has undoubtedly left a lasting legacy in firearm manufacturing. This pistol has proven to work as advertised and is still being produced today (2012) in one form or another, either under license or as an illegal copy of this masterpiece system.

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