Browning High Power

[steve666]

Love it

The best 9mm ever, even if it is single action. Mine is a Belgian made 1955 West German Police Contract Gun that I've had since '75.

 

[Electron don]

Brwoning HP First Love

My father brought one back from WWII in Europe. It had the German Waffenmarks and holster. He wasn't front lines troops. His signal corps unit usually came in 2-3 days later. The ironic thing was that he ended up with the Browning because everyone wanted a Luger to take home.

This was the first centerfire pistol that I ever shot. My brother & I used to shoot it at every opportunity. In my younger days and being broke, I used to carry it when making night deposits for a movie theater. I lost the toss with my brother when we were settling Dad's estate is the only reason that I don't have it today.

I would carry one today except that I'm not used to the cocked and locked carry that it requires.

 

[Srtsi4wd]

.30 Luger

That is awesome. How did you acquire this one? What's it like to shoot?

 

[protouraero]

I purchased it off of Gunbroker a few years back.
I actually have 2 of them, the other is NIB, w/o an Import mark.

 

[Allenicomp]

I've been considering sending one of mine off to get customized. Have been checking Novak and Cylinder & Slide. Anyone have recommendations...

 

[glockman49]

Hi Power

Never met anyone who didn't say the Hi Power was the best feeling gun they ever picked up.

 

[Electron don]

Finally got a hi power.

Well almost, it's a FM M 90. It's a clone made in Argentina for the police and military. My understanding is that it was made under license with the hi power people. Right out of the box, it feels like an old friend. It's not as pretty as the FN hi powers but for ~$300 - I 'll take it. Hope to get to the range soon and find out how we get along.

 

[seamusalaska]

I had one of the Belgium models with the most beautiful bluing I've ever seen on a gun. i had to sell it (money crunch at the time) and still regret it 12? years later. It was a work of art.

 

[Colt556]

I have a few HPs. I own a couple Inglis with stocks, a German Police gun with holster and a couple commercial guns. They fit my hand perfectly and very comfortable to shoot. John Browning was a genius to be able to design the 1911, 1918 BAR, 1919 MG, M2 .50 BMG, P35 BHP, A5 Auto, etc...

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I just picked up a HP myself!

I also learned, yesterday, that Browning died in 1926. The HP design wasn't finalized until 1935. While he had the basic idea sketched out, it was really Dieudonne Saive who made the pistol what it was / is. FN used Browning's name on the pistol as name recognition / advertising. I knew he died before the pistol was released and that DS finalized the design, I just didn't realize how many years passed between his death and 1935.

It was also called the High Power by FN almost from the start. Better, it was the GP35; Grand Puissance. When translated, the GP = High Power

The P35 designation didn't come until after the Germans invaded and called them "Pistole 35", or P-35. So, unless you have an early pistol produced under the German regime, it isn't 100% technically correct to call it a P35...

Anyhow, fascinating history behind that pistol.

 

[OD*]

The HP design wasn't finalized until 1935. While he had the basic idea sketched out, it was really Dieudonne Saive who made the pistol what it was / is.

Pretty much.

This is the last design of the HP that JMB personally worked on.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Pretty much.

This is the last design of the HP that JMB personally worked on.

What's even MORE interesting is that JMB's original designs had the pistol as a STRIKER FIRED weapon.

But Saive and FN waited until Colt Co's patent on the 1911 ran out and then were able to incorporate those designs into the High Power.

So, JMB's new company had to wait until his old company's patents expired in order to use more of JMB's work.

"nothing new under the sun" comes to mind.

 

[SelfDefenseInstructor]

I had a much newer one that had an abundance of safety features not found on the original (mag safety,etc), which quickly soured me on what appeared to be an otherwise excellent handgun.