Posted on 01/20/2022 11:51:42 AM PST by PROCON
Hi-Power, meet the High Power.
The Hi-Power — known as the Browning Hi-Power, the Browning Automatic Pistol, the Grande Puissance, P-35, Pistole 640(b), and so many other names — is arguably the most widely-used military handgun of all time. Present in historic conflicts from both sides of the toughest battles of World War II to the Iranian embassy siege in London that made the British Special Air Service a household name, this single-action semi-automatic pistol was unbelievably innovative for its time, boasting a number of features that made it truly higher power than other options of the day.
Now, 87 years after it was first introduced to the world, Belgian gunmaker Fabrique Nationale (FN) has reintroduced the Hi-Power for the modern shooter, unveiling the company’s new 9mm ‘High Power’ pistol at SHOT Show 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The High Power is such an iconic design, and synonymous with FN really. We recognized the gravity of reintroducing this newly redesigned pistol with such a storied history,” FN America president and CEO Mark Cherpes said in a statement. “Rather than introduce a clone of the original, we had to deliver much more than other brands, knowing the FN High Power would be held to a higher standard. FN pays homage to the prolific design, while modernizing the ergonomics, functionality, and operation. We respect what this pistol has meant to generations of FN collectors and feel the new FN High Power dovetails perfectly with the rest of the FN pistol line, carrying a future-forward design to the next generation of shooting enthusiasts.”
(Excerpt) Read more at taskandpurpose.com ...
I sold these things in the 1970’s when they were still in production. My all time favorite was the version with tangent sights and a shoulder stock slot in the backstrap. Waiting for the Springfield guys to pick up the pace and make it. Or do I have to do everything myself?
Steel frame M39? One of S&w’s finest pieces of work. Too good to last. Had a few back in the day.
Painful memory here, too. Had one when I was in my early 20s. Lived in SF at the time and carried everywhere. Regret selling it to this day.
That’s what I thought you meant. Illinois State Police adopted the 39 early on. I know nothing of problems one way or the other. You may be right on that count.
Sorry, keeping my unfired one.
Dry your tears. Turkey makes an excellent Hi-Power right now.
We are glad Alec B. only had a SA!
I bought one of those ISP Model 39s. Total crap. Felt horrible in my hand, jammed repeatedly no matter what ammo I fed it.
One gun I was glad to be rid of.
Now the ISP Model 19 I had was a gem. Still regret selling that one, too.
L
Brand new.
Are you sure FN has reintroduced it? Springfield Armory just introduced their SA35 which is a modern and actually improved version of th P35 for around $750. When FN stopped producing the P35 it cost about $1100.
“unhappy with the magazine safety and how it made the trigger pull feel very gritty.”
You can polish the magazine where the mag safety hits it and remove some of that grittiness.
Quit selling your guns fer crying out loud then! Stick with pouring lemon juice on open cuts, doesn't hurt as much. 😎
And oh by the way, JMB’s prototype was striker-fired and had a 16-round (staggered) standard magazine.
The staggered magazine was Saive’s own design but he scrapped the striker and added a barrel bushing.
Regardless who’s made it, what you buy today has very little in common with what JMB managed to get done before he died.
Great catch and observation.
Well... yes and no. Browning was hindered by Colt’s ownership of some of his patents. Saive finished the P-35 after those patents expired, making the pistol more Browning than Browning legally could.
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