Small arms of India

[W.G.Ewald]

zh29

[video]http://www.forgottenweapons.com/zh29-at-the-shooting-range[/video]

 

[ALBY]

0_o

That is over kill...

As far as angos are not our blood brothers these rifles are not an over kill but a 200% assurance that the tango will see giod in a split second of time

 

[Kunal Biswas]

As far as tangos are not our blood brothers these rifles are not an over kill but a 200% assurance that the tango will see giod in a split second of time

Still Over Kill as a assault rifle ..

Not Practical..

 

[shom]

Here we will find out the capabilities of side arms of Indian Army.
The list of side arms provided in our Army are as follows:-

Name Type Caliber Origin
Pistol AUTO 9 mm 1A Semi-automatic pistol 9mm Parabellum Canada

Glock 17 Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum Austria
Beretta 92 Semi-automatic pistol 9mm Parabellum Italy
SIG Sauer P226 Semi-automatic pistol 9mm Parabellum Germany and Switzerland

Going for the 1st one":-

1) Pistol Auto 9mm 1A"- (also known as browwning high power)


windows 7 screen shot
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. The Hi-Power is one of the most widely used military pistols of all time,[3] having been used by the armed forces of over 50 countries.[1]
The Hi-Power name alluded to the 13-round magazine capacity; almost twice that of contemporary designs such as the Luger or Mauser 1910. The pistol is often referred to as an HP (for "Hi-Power" or "High-Power")[4] or as a GP (for the French term, "Grande Puissance"). The term P-35 is also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935. It is most often called the "Hi-Power", even in Belgium. It is also known as the BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol), particularly in Irish service.
Produced locally by Indian Ordnance Factory/Ishapore Arms using stamping dies from the former John Inglis manufacturing facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Design:-
The Browning Hi-Power has undergone continuous refinement by FN since its introduction. The pistols were originally made in two models: an "Ordinary Model" with fixed sights and an "Adjustable Rear Sight Model" with a tangent-type rear sight and a slotted grip for attaching a wooden shoulder stock. The adjustable sights are still available on commercial versions of the Hi-Power, although the shoulder stock mounts were discontinued during World War II. In 1962, the design was modified to replace the internal extractor with an external extractor, improving reliability.
Standard Hi-Powers are based on a single-action design. Unlike modern double-action semi-automatic pistols, the Hi-Power's trigger is not connected to the hammer. If a double-action pistol is carried with the hammer down with a round in the chamber and a loaded magazine installed, the shooter may fire the pistol by simply pulling the trigger so long as the slide was previously cocked, or by pulling the hammer back and pulling the trigger. In contrast, a single-action pistol must be cocked manually before the first shot, by pulling the slide to the rear and releasing it. In common with the M1911, the Hi-Power is therefore typically carried with the hammer cocked and the safety catch on (a carry mode often called cocked and locked in the USA or "made ready" in the UK, or sometimes called condition one).
The Hi-Power, like many other Browning designs, operates on the short-recoil principle, where the barrel and slide initially recoil together until the barrel is unlocked from the slide by a cam arrangement. Unlike Browning's earlier Colt M1911 pistol, the barrel is not moved vertically by a toggling link, but instead by a hardened bar which crosses the frame under the barrel and contacts a slot under the chamber, at 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 Hi-Power has two flaws: The standard trigger pull is heavy, especially for a single-action pistol. This disadvantage is a consequence of the Hi-Power's magazine safety design, which was initially added to the model to meet the requirements of the French military in 1935. The standard Hi-Power magazine safety is connected to the trigger and is released by a plunger pressing on the surface of the magazine. This action of the plunger on the magazine adds tension to the trigger pull, and the required force to operate this feature adds resistance as well.[7] This problem is often resolved by removing the magazine safety entirely, thus voiding the pistol's warranty, or by polishing the interface surfaces between the safety plunger and the magazine.[8] After-market trigger springs with reduced tension are also available to improve the trigger pull.
In addition, the pistol has a tendency to "bite" the web of the shooter's hand, between the thumb and forefinger. This bite is caused by pressure from the hammer spur, or alternatively, by pinching between the hammer shank and grip tang. Many HP owners fix this problem by altering or replacing the hammer, or by learning to hold the pistol to avoid injury. While a common complaint with the commercial models with spur hammers similar to that of the Colt "Government Model" automatic, it is seldom a problem with the military models, which have a smaller, rounded "burr" hammer, more like that of the Colt "Commander" compact version of the 1911.
Nevertheless, its ability to hold 13 rounds of ammunition, nearly double that of the Colt M1911 made it very desirable as a military-issue pistol.
Military Use:-
Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during World War II by both Allied and Axis forces. After occupying Belgium in 1940, German forces took over the FN plant. German troops subsequently used the Hi-Power, having assigned it the designation Pistole 640(b) ("b" for belgisch, "Belgian"). Examples produced by FN in Belgium under German occupation bear German inspection and acceptance marks, or Waffenamts, such as WaA613. In German service, it was used mainly by Waffen-SS and Fallschirmjäger personnel.
High-Power pistols were also produced in Canada for Allied use, by John Inglis and Company in Toronto. The plans were sent from the FN factory to Britain when it became clear the Belgian plant would fall into German hands, enabling the Inglis factory to be tooled up for Hi-Power production for Allied use. Inglis produced two versions of the Hi-Power, one with an adjustable rear sight and detachable shoulder stock (primarily for a Nationalist Chinese contract) and one with a fixed rear sight. Production began in the Fall of 1944 and they were on issue by the March 1945 Operation Varsity airborne crossing of the Rhine into Germany. The pistol was popular with the British airborne forces as well as covert operations and commando groups such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the British Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. Inglis High-Powers made for Commonwealth forces have the British designation 'Mk 1', or 'Mk 1*' and the manufacturer's details on the left of the slide. They were known in British and Commonwealth service as the 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1', or 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1*' where applicable. Serial numbers were 6 characters, the second being the letter 'T', e.g. 1T2345. Serial numbers on the for the Chinese contract instead used the letters 'CH', but otherwise followed the same format. When the Chinese contract was cancelled, all undelivered Chinese-style pistols were accepted by the Canadian military with designations of 'Pistol No 1 Mk 1' and 'Pistol No 1 Mk 1*'.[9]
In the post-war period, Hi-Power production continued at the FN factory and, as part of FN's marketing and product line-up (which also included the FN FAL rifle and FN MAG general purpose machine gun), it was adopted as the standard service pistol by over 50 armies (93 nations). At one time most NATO nations used it, and it was standard issue to forces throughout the British Commonwealth. It was manufactured under licence, or in some cases cloned, on several continents. Former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein often carried a Browning Hi-Power. Former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi carried a gold-plated Hi-Power with his own face on the design of the grips which was waved around in the air by Libyan rebels after his death.[10]
While the Hi-Power remains an excellent design, since the early 1990s it has been eclipsed somewhat by more modern designs which are often double action and are manufactured using more modern methods. However, it remains in service throughout the world. As of 2007, the MK1 version remains the standard service pistol of the Canadian Forces, with the SIG P226 being issued to specialized units along with the Sig Sauer P225. The weapon is the standard sidearm of the Belgian Army, Indian Army, Indonesian Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, Argentine Army, Luxembourg Army, Israel Police, Singapore Armed Forces and Venezuelan Army, among others. The Irish Army replaced its Browning Pistols (known popularly as BAPs, or Browning Automatic Pistols) with the H&K USP automatic in 2007. From 2013 the British Army is replacing the Browning with the polymer-framed Glock 17 Gen 4 pistol, due to concerns about weight and the external safety of the pistol.[11]

windows 7 screen shot
I didnt found enough details on this gun and its use in Indian Army. I request thw senior members and veterans enlighten us on BHP (Browning High Power)

 

[W.G.Ewald]

The pistols were originally made in two models: an "Ordinary Model" with fixed sights and an "Adjustable Rear Sight Model" with a tangent-type rear sight...

Browning Hi-power tangent sight

 

[shom]

Browning Hi-power tangent sight

Also It has an immense accuracy. this video would describe better than me.
Browning Hi-Power: Demo and Attempt at Accuracy - YouTube

 

[shom]

Here we will find out the capabilities of side arms of Indian Army.
The list of side arms provided in our Army are as follows:-

Name Type Caliber Origin
Pistol AUTO 9 mm 1A Semi-automatic pistol 9mm Parabellum Canada

Glock 17 Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum Austria
Beretta 92 Semi-automatic pistol 9mm Parabellum Italy
SIG Sauer P226 Semi-automatic pistol 9mm Parabellum Germany and Switzerland

Going for the 1st one":-

1) Pistol Auto 9mm 1A"- (also known as browwning high power)


windows 7 screen shot
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. The Hi-Power is one of the most widely used military pistols of all time,[3] having been used by the armed forces of over 50 countries.[1]
The Hi-Power name alluded to the 13-round magazine capacity; almost twice that of contemporary designs such as the Luger or Mauser 1910. The pistol is often referred to as an HP (for "Hi-Power" or "High-Power")[4] or as a GP (for the French term, "Grande Puissance"). The term P-35 is also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935. It is most often called the "Hi-Power", even in Belgium. It is also known as the BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol), particularly in Irish service.
Produced locally by Indian Ordnance Factory/Ishapore Arms using stamping dies from the former John Inglis manufacturing facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Design:-
The Browning Hi-Power has undergone continuous refinement by FN since its introduction. The pistols were originally made in two models: an "Ordinary Model" with fixed sights and an "Adjustable Rear Sight Model" with a tangent-type rear sight and a slotted grip for attaching a wooden shoulder stock. The adjustable sights are still available on commercial versions of the Hi-Power, although the shoulder stock mounts were discontinued during World War II. In 1962, the design was modified to replace the internal extractor with an external extractor, improving reliability.
Standard Hi-Powers are based on a single-action design. Unlike modern double-action semi-automatic pistols, the Hi-Power's trigger is not connected to the hammer. If a double-action pistol is carried with the hammer down with a round in the chamber and a loaded magazine installed, the shooter may fire the pistol by simply pulling the trigger so long as the slide was previously cocked, or by pulling the hammer back and pulling the trigger. In contrast, a single-action pistol must be cocked manually before the first shot, by pulling the slide to the rear and releasing it. In common with the M1911, the Hi-Power is therefore typically carried with the hammer cocked and the safety catch on (a carry mode often called cocked and locked in the USA or "made ready" in the UK, or sometimes called condition one).
The Hi-Power, like many other Browning designs, operates on the short-recoil principle, where the barrel and slide initially recoil together until the barrel is unlocked from the slide by a cam arrangement. Unlike Browning's earlier Colt M1911 pistol, the barrel is not moved vertically by a toggling link, but instead by a hardened bar which crosses the frame under the barrel and contacts a slot under the chamber, at 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 Hi-Power has two flaws: The standard trigger pull is heavy, especially for a single-action pistol. This disadvantage is a consequence of the Hi-Power's magazine safety design, which was initially added to the model to meet the requirements of the French military in 1935. The standard Hi-Power magazine safety is connected to the trigger and is released by a plunger pressing on the surface of the magazine. This action of the plunger on the magazine adds tension to the trigger pull, and the required force to operate this feature adds resistance as well.[7] This problem is often resolved by removing the magazine safety entirely, thus voiding the pistol's warranty, or by polishing the interface surfaces between the safety plunger and the magazine.[8] After-market trigger springs with reduced tension are also available to improve the trigger pull.
In addition, the pistol has a tendency to "bite" the web of the shooter's hand, between the thumb and forefinger. This bite is caused by pressure from the hammer spur, or alternatively, by pinching between the hammer shank and grip tang. Many HP owners fix this problem by altering or replacing the hammer, or by learning to hold the pistol to avoid injury. While a common complaint with the commercial models with spur hammers similar to that of the Colt "Government Model" automatic, it is seldom a problem with the military models, which have a smaller, rounded "burr" hammer, more like that of the Colt "Commander" compact version of the 1911.
Nevertheless, its ability to hold 13 rounds of ammunition, nearly double that of the Colt M1911 made it very desirable as a military-issue pistol.
Military Use:-
Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during World War II by both Allied and Axis forces. After occupying Belgium in 1940, German forces took over the FN plant. German troops subsequently used the Hi-Power, having assigned it the designation Pistole 640(b) ("b" for belgisch, "Belgian"). Examples produced by FN in Belgium under German occupation bear German inspection and acceptance marks, or Waffenamts, such as WaA613. In German service, it was used mainly by Waffen-SS and Fallschirmjäger personnel.
High-Power pistols were also produced in Canada for Allied use, by John Inglis and Company in Toronto. The plans were sent from the FN factory to Britain when it became clear the Belgian plant would fall into German hands, enabling the Inglis factory to be tooled up for Hi-Power production for Allied use. Inglis produced two versions of the Hi-Power, one with an adjustable rear sight and detachable shoulder stock (primarily for a Nationalist Chinese contract) and one with a fixed rear sight. Production began in the Fall of 1944 and they were on issue by the March 1945 Operation Varsity airborne crossing of the Rhine into Germany. The pistol was popular with the British airborne forces as well as covert operations and commando groups such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the British Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. Inglis High-Powers made for Commonwealth forces have the British designation 'Mk 1', or 'Mk 1*' and the manufacturer's details on the left of the slide. They were known in British and Commonwealth service as the 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1', or 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1*' where applicable. Serial numbers were 6 characters, the second being the letter 'T', e.g. 1T2345. Serial numbers on the for the Chinese contract instead used the letters 'CH', but otherwise followed the same format. When the Chinese contract was cancelled, all undelivered Chinese-style pistols were accepted by the Canadian military with designations of 'Pistol No 1 Mk 1' and 'Pistol No 1 Mk 1*'.[9]
In the post-war period, Hi-Power production continued at the FN factory and, as part of FN's marketing and product line-up (which also included the FN FAL rifle and FN MAG general purpose machine gun), it was adopted as the standard service pistol by over 50 armies (93 nations). At one time most NATO nations used it, and it was standard issue to forces throughout the British Commonwealth. It was manufactured under licence, or in some cases cloned, on several continents. Former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein often carried a Browning Hi-Power. Former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi carried a gold-plated Hi-Power with his own face on the design of the grips which was waved around in the air by Libyan rebels after his death.[10]
While the Hi-Power remains an excellent design, since the early 1990s it has been eclipsed somewhat by more modern designs which are often double action and are manufactured using more modern methods. However, it remains in service throughout the world. As of 2007, the MK1 version remains the standard service pistol of the Canadian Forces, with the SIG P226 being issued to specialized units along with the Sig Sauer P225. The weapon is the standard sidearm of the Belgian Army, Indian Army, Indonesian Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, Argentine Army, Luxembourg Army, Israel Police, Singapore Armed Forces and Venezuelan Army, among others. The Irish Army replaced its Browning Pistols (known popularly as BAPs, or Browning Automatic Pistols) with the H&K USP automatic in 2007. From 2013 the British Army is replacing the Browning with the polymer-framed Glock 17 Gen 4 pistol, due to concerns about weight and the external safety of the pistol.[11]

windows 7 screen shot
I didnt found enough details on this gun and its use in Indian Army. I request thw senior members and veterans enlighten us on BHP (Browning High Power)

Courtesy:- Wikipidia

 

[shom]

Browning Hi-power tangent sight

Browning High power is made by famous FN of Herstal Belgium. We have seen FN FAL from them, one of the best Battle Rifle. Can we say that Browning High Power is one of the best Side arm for the army? What the experts say in this regard sir?
This is the website of FN. http://www.fnherstal.com/primary-menu/products-capabilities/handguns.html

 

[mikhail]

Browning High power is made by famous FN of Herstal Belgium. We have seen FN FAL from them, one of the best Battle Rifle. Can we say that Browning High Power is one of the best Side arm for the army? What the experts say in this regard sir?
This is the website of FN. Handguns

mate i don't know whether Browning High Power is the best side-arm or not for the Indian armed forces but i can tell you one thing which is its very popular among the security forces because of its lack of maintainence and reliable feature.i found an interesting article about the Browning

Originally Published in Guns Magazine
February 2004

Into The Crucible
Then came Hitler's invasion of the Low " Countries. Belgium was quickly conquered, and the FN factory annexed to the Third Reich's cause. Saive and some of his colleagues managed to flee to free countries. Saive was instrumental in founding a production line at the John Inglis Company in Canada, where the Hi-Power would be produced throughout World War II for Canada, England, China, and other Allied nations.

Meanwhile, some 319,000 Belgian Hi-Powers were manufactured by the Nazis during their occupation. By the time the Allies liberated Herstal, the German occupying forces had had to resort to forced labor, and the guns they were producing were the worst Brownings of all time, with ugly finishes and often poor fit.

Time marched on. In the second half of the 20th Century, the Browning Hi-Power became the overwhelming choice of service pistol for most of the NATO nations and virtually all of the British Commonwealth countries. It was said that the Hi-Power was the only firearm in common use on both Allied and Axis sides in World War II. Nor would this be the last time men with Brownings would face other men with Brownings in battle. The P-35 was the standard sidearm of both sides in the Falklands intervention, and many were used by both Israeli and Arab forces in the Middle East.

Copies would be licensed by FN from factories in Canada and Argentina. Unlicensed copies would emerge from Hungary, Israel, and even Indonesia. (An agreement was in place for England to build them at Enfield during the war years, but the project never got off the ground.) Hi- Powers assembled in Portugal began earning a reputation for superior functionality in the 1980s. Stevens estimates that FN alone had produced 1.5 million of these pistols by the mid- 1990s.

The P-35 has been produced in other calibers, notably .30 Luger and, in the 1990s, .40 S&W. Various double action models have been offered to the market, one designed by Monsieur Saive himself in 1952. The most mechanically intriguing of these options was the FA, or Fast Action design, which survives today as the SFS (Super Fast Safety) retrofit offered for both Hi-Powers and 1911s by Bill Laughridge's Cylinder & Slide Shop (800-448-1713; Cylinder & Slide Inc). A lightweight aluminum alloy frame, also designed by a then-aging Saive in the 1950s, was offered commercially but never caught on.

The quintessential Browning Hi-Power remains a steel-frame single action semiautomatic chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. It is today imported into the United States by FNUSA.

Beyond History: The P.35's Attributes
It is far more than a sense of history that drives the continued fascination of the shooting world with this oldest 9Xl9 pistol design currently in production. Some elements of the Browning's design make it irresistible to shooters.

"Aside from its less-than-optimum cartridge, it is an excellent weapon," Jeff Cooper said of the 9mm Browning. "If it is not quite right as issued, it is readily modified by a competent gunsmith into the best heavy-duty 9mm auto in existence." (2)

Ask a dozen Hi-Power enthusiasts to name three things they like about the gun, and one word will almost certainly be common to all of them: "feel." John Browning was a master of ergonomics long before the word was coined. His design work on the Grand Rendement would have been roughly concur- rent with the U.S. Army Ordnance Department's review of Model 1911 features that could stand improvement, and would result in the updated Model 1911Al.

During a study that ran from December 11, 1920 through October 22, 1923,new features were discussed including a shorter trigger easier for small fingers to reach. These were set in stone in the "-AI" modifications made official on June 15, 1926, well before Browning's death, (3) and would have been well known to him while working on the large capacity 9mm pistol for FN. The trigger reach on the Grand Rendement appears to have been retained on the P-35, and in turn is functionally identical to that of the 1911Al.

This is probably why, in spite of its double stack magazine, the Browning Hi- Power seems to fit so well in even small hands, while still being comfortable in large hands. The glory for this must be shared with Saive, who did the final fine-tuning of the grip shape, which so many shooters with hands of all sizes describe as a perfect fit with natural pointability.

So much care was taken not to make the grip too fat that the trigger linkage of the P- 35 actually extends up into the slide area. As we shall see, the Browning trigger pull is notoriously difficult to tune, largely because of this strange geometry of its design.

The Browning has an extremely slim slide, elegantly tapered toward the front, when compared to modern duty-type 9mm autos. This makes it extremely discreet to conceal and noticeably more comfortable to carry inside the waistband. The gracefully slim barrel combines with the light weight to enhance speed of draw and target acquisition. As a rule of thumb, the loaded Browning 9mm will be about the same weight as the unload~ 19l1Al .4S auto.

However, there is indeed no free lunch. The Browning Hi-Power, when seen in light of the way we use handguns today, was a flawed gem. Fortunately, most of those flaws can be polished away, so to speak, at the hands of an appropriate artisan.

Fixing the Flaws
Many of the Hi-Power's flaws were cured over time by the industry, and particularly by FN/Browning. Until 1962, the GP had an internal extractor that was very small, and prone to breakage. Notes master Hi-Power custom gunsmith Bill Laughridge of the Cylinder & Slide Shop, "The fastest way to break one of the old extractors is to lock the slide back, drop a cartridge into the chamber, and then slam the slide on top of it. Always cycle the first round into the chamber out of the magazine!" In '62, however, the Browning was strengthened by a much more durable outside-mounted extractor.

For most of its existence, the thumb safety of the Browning was a flat little thing so palpably mushy that your sense of touch literally couldn't tell you whether it was on or off safe. The lever was also extremely difficult to manipulate. Browning changed that in the 1980s, with a great leap forward. The new safety catch was just right in size, positive yet easy to operate both up or down, and -for the first time -ambidextrous. Another problem solved.

Restricted Diet
Most Hi-Powers, for most of the gun's epoch, were manufactured for military hard- ball. The tough jacketed, pointy nose rounds fed reliably, but hollowpoints were a different story. It was simply understood back then that if you wanted to carry your P-3S with effective ammunition, you would send it to a custom gunsmith to have it throated. Factory throating came with the Portuguese- assembled Brownings beginning in the Eighties. Quel difference! Now, they fed even wide-mouth JHP rounds out of the box, without a pistolsmith's attentions.

Serious shooters were never really satisfied with Hi-Power sights. The tiny front post and "U" notch rear were impossible to pick up in anything but the best light and conditions of calmness. Although the 500-meter tangent sight setting (listed as a thousand meters on the first few models, according to Stevens) was a joke, (4) shooters liked it if only because it gave a slightly larger, clearer sight picture than the fixed service sights. There were those who said that a 300 or 400 meter sight setting would actually put the 9mm bullets pretty close to correct for elevation at perhaps 200 meters.

In the latter 20th Century, the manufacturers had spotty results with the adjustable sights they installed as factory options. One in particular, made of sheet metal, caused pistolsmiths to grind their teeth. Those 'smiths did a land office business, though, installing BoMars for the serious marksmen. A BoMar sight rib attached to a Hi-Power was the ticket for David Westerhout of South Africa, the first man to ever win the IPSC World Championship with a 9mm, back about a quarter century ago.

Today's pistolsmiths usually install Novak or Heinie fixed night sights on custom Brownings. Frankly, many thought that Browning solved the problem nicely with the big, blocky fixed sights they began putting on the guns in the 1980s.

If FN was optimistic about thousand- meter sights, Saive may have been optimistic about the 13-round magazine capacity. Each generation rediscovers the fact that the P-35 is most reliable when its magazines are down- loaded by one round. Brit soldiers were taught to load only 12 per mag, and SAS troopies told me they were disciplined for having a thirteenth round in a magazine.

Less Than Refined Triggers
The Browning Hi-Power has always been infamous for a trigger pull that is mediocre at best. Sometimes creepy, sometimes "stagey," it is always heavy, though in the best examples it is heavy and smooth. Today's pulls are not truly bad, they're just not as forgiving of a frisky trigger finger as are the lighter-pulling guns that shooters currently seem to favor.

Except for some of the Nazi Hi-Powers, in which the device was deleted as a cost- cutting measure, this gun has traditionally come with a magazine disconnector, which keeps the chambered round from firing if the magazine is not fully seated. This kept the magazine from falling free when the release button was pushed, a feature Americans like, and it also gets in the way of the trigger linkage and further worsens the trigger pull and makes it heavier. Much of this, too, has been fixed.

When Browning had to come up with a ten round magazine to satisfy the demands of Clinton's 1994 law, they put a little spring on the bottom. I don't mean to be uncomplimentary when I say it resembles a rat-trap. It doesn't seem to slow down reloading, and when the mag release button is pushed, this spring ejects the magazine with vigor.

This feature constituted one small silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud. A ten round magazine is all you need in IDPA shooting, for example, and indeed, that's all the rounds you're allowed to have in the magazine in Enhanced Service Pistol class, the category in which a Hi-Power would compete in that sport.

Laughridge's Cylinder and Slide Shop can alter your pistol and high capacity magazines to drop free. It involves judicious polishing of the contact surfaces on both the disconnector and the front faces of the magazines. The price is reasonable, and it gives you the best of both worlds. I say that because the common solution -simply removing the disconnector -is unwise in today's times of unmeritorious lawsuits.

I know of one case in which the prosecutor made a big deal out of a Hi-Power with disconnector removed being proof that its owner was reckless with firearms. This despite the fact the Browning was not even the gun involved in the shooting in question.

The burr or rowel type hammer that was so long the Browning's trademark tended to bite the web of many shooters' hands. For some years now, FN has been using a more conventional spur hammer, which for most people seems to solve the problem. It's an easy retrofit to older guns.

Shortcomings One Must Live With
Col. Cooper said the only problem with the Browning was its caliber. That has been solved in a couple of ways. Today's 9mm defense ammo is not your father's 9mm Luger round. If modern 9mm +P+ ammo had been available in Jeff's formative years, handgun history might have changed, because 115 grain JHPs at 1,300 fps or so produce autopsy results with phrases like "macerated heart," something you'll never see with a subsonic .45 Auto bullet. If you must have larger bore diameter, Browning brought out the Hi-Power in .40 S&W in the 1990s, and it can still be had. More on that shortly.

There is, however, one other short- coming with the 9mm Browning. The P-35 is not the most rugged of 9mm pistols. It was designed back in the '20s, remember, before using submachine gun ammo in pistols became the military paradigm, and before today's high-pressure self-defense loads. The gun being slim, the parts are relatively small and therefore relatively fragile. In addition, many pistolsmiths consider the Browning's parts comparatively soft in virtually every incarnation of the gun.

From Venezuela to Great Britain; I've seen quantities of broken Brownings in government arsenals whose slides and frames were cracked by the brutal hammering of 9xl9 NATO ammo. +P and +P+ loads also seem to be contraindicated. Listen to Bill Laughridge, who said to me, "Tell your readers in all caps, DON'T USE +P IN HI- POWERS! It's been my experience that even a few magazines of +P will upset the locking lugs."

Calibers
A .22 conversion unit for the Hi-Power was considered by FN, but never produced. (5) The vast majority were produced in 9mm Parabellum. A relative handful were made in .30 Luger. 9mm Para and the 7.65 mm Luger round are normally "interchangeable calibers" in the sense that all you need to swap is the barrel.

The .30 being a necked down 9mm (or the 9mm being a blown-out .30, depending how you look at it, though the case dimensions are actually a bit more complicated than that), the same extractor and ejector will work for both cartridges.

While pistolsmith Laughridge has seen .30 Luger P-35s run with as little as 10 pounds of recoil spring weight, the two calibers will usually both work with a standard l7-pound recoil spring: Today, the .30's only purpose is to give you a good gun in countries where you can't have a 9mm; anything the .30 Luger cartridge can do, the 9mm Luger cartridge can do better.

In the 1990s, Browning announced a .40 S&W caliber version; but there was a long stutter between announcement and avail- ability. The reason was that the very high pressure of the .40 cartridge and the high slide velocity it engendered gave reliability and durability problems. This writer had been dubious: if hot 9mm wrecked P-35s, what would .40 do to them?

It turns out that Browning did it right. The slide on thy .40 version is much heavier, more like that of a Government .45 ACP. That plus a stronger recoil spring seem to allow the .40 Browning to stand the gaff. Indeed, Laughridge says that the trick set-up is to get a .40 Hi-Power and convert it to 9mm. Now it Will take the hottest 9mm without damage, have even less recoil than the origina19mm P-35, and be convertible to .40 S& W at will.

Bottom Line
Classics endure. The Browning Hi- power is a classic. The ones made today by FN are better than ever. Throated to feed hollowpoints, ;'drop-safe" thanks to the Mark III passive firing pin safety, and still with those graceful lines and that perfect fit in the hand; they are proof in steel that quality is timeless. There was a til1)e not long ago when it looked as if they would become extinct, and I for one am glad this did not become the case. Best of all, their current suggested retail makes these prestigious handguns proportionally more afford- able than at any time in the last 30 or 40 years.
The Browning Hi-Power Today

 

[shom]

mate i don't know whether Browning High Power is the best side-arm or not for the Indian armed forces but i can tell you one thing which is its very popular among the security forces because of its lack of maintainence and reliable feature.i found an interesting article about the Browning

Nice find mate. It is really a low maintenance gun. It is popular in our police forces also.
I found this testimonials from this website:-http://policelink.monster.com/products/products/1960-browning-hi-power-9mm
Member Reviews

Socrates_max30

dochudon, Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:19:56 UTC.

I started out with revolvers wouldn't carry an auto cause I tried a Beretta and I couldn't hit nothing with it. I can drive nails with my .357. I had spent all day at the range and a friend of mine had an FM Hi Power so I tried it he only had six rounds left I rapid fired all six in the 10 ring. It just felt right, so I bought one for $250.00, carried it for years. Then I traded it in for a Belgian Made Browning Hi Power because it had a much more user friendly safety and it was ambidextrous.
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Anonymous, Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:47:12 UTC.

Love the weapon but I dont like carring this cocked n locked as it does not have a grip safety. I feel like the safety could be bumped off too easy.
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prolibertate, Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:05:36 UTC.

I bought my first and only in Belgium in 1967 for $68 at the factory...all SF personell assigned to the 10th Group carried them because of the ease of finding 9mm ammo as compared to .45, plus they were lighter and carried more rounds. I kept it all the way through my SF time, then started using it as an off-duty gun because when I started with Metro, revolvers were used by uniform and DB. After I got to DB, the county lightned up and started allowing DB's to use automatics and I started carring my old Browning again on-duty...I still have it, though while down there, I changed over to a Colt .45 and used it because of the knock down that the 9mm didn't have. Do I like it...absolutely...you've got to remember, it was the basic design that all blow back automatics used for a century...never jamed, regardless of the type of ammo used...just a good solid all around pistol...and carried it condition 3 all the time and NEVER had the safety accidently disengage, un-like my Colt!!
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bruce2110, Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:24:38 UTC.

the hi-power is an awesome waepon...it was one of the last of John Browning's weapon designs and it has the distinction of being used by BOTH sides during WWII...british and germans both carried it...my on problem with the Hi-Power is that with Very Large hands like i have the grips are WAY TOO SMALL!! but it still has my vote as a tack driving waepon of excellent design and practicality!!!
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Cot_max30

hbg522, Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:55:11 UTC.

i actually fired one of these yesterday and bought it today. not a bad handgun. heavy for sure and not to happy with the safety but it fires aweful smooth. not a glock but a descent handgun.
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protectangelgirl, Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:21:40 UTC.

I believe every woman should learn how to operate one of these and own one. For protection --ONLY!
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Anonymous, Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:49:07 UTC.

I have an old one made in 1938 it still is is a great feeling gun I have replaced the barrel and the ejector is worn and needs to be replaced but as many rounds as it has had through it it is a good gun, highly recomend for home protection.
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Georgepic001hs0

gpmoraitis, Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:36:26 UTC.

All in all I'm quite happy with the pistol. For a weapon designed in the early 1900s, I was surprised to see that the MkIII model has a finger-pin block in addition to the half-cock notch, thumb safety and magazine safety. Like most other pistols today it also has a disconnect safety - meaning it won't fire unless it's fully in battery (or close to it) - but Browning doesn't advertise that any more than other manufacturers do.
One thing I will be changing on the gun... well, two things actually:
1) I anticipate changing the hammer. While I don't have overlarge or fat hands, I still felt the hammer on every shot. I am going to be seeking out a burr (Commander style) hammer to replace the stock hammer with.
2) While a fully adjustable rear sight is cool, my usual shooting doesn't require that level of precision; and my usual carry / handle of the weapon has proven to abuse the back sight anyway. I'll be replacing the sights with a set of XS Sights 24/7 Standard Dot sights.
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Robocop33, Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:48:51 UTC.

The Hi-Power is a beautifully crafted Semi-Auto and I would be proud to own one. Very accurate and reliable. It is an outdated weapon and lacking in the features required for LE such as it is only single action and no way to carry it cocked safely IMHO. It is also heavy and limited rounds and only a 9mm. This is the reason I ranked it only 3 stars. That all said, as far as a beautiful weapon, I love it and would love to have one as they are a joy to fire.
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choirboy1112, Thu, 29 May 2008 21:58:24 UTC.

best single action auto i have ever shot. acurate
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ctoler, Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:53:40 UTC.

great pistol! It has a natural feel to it and works great on instinctive shooting!
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TopRad, Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:59:12 UTC.

I bought a Hi-Power about 14 years ago, and its mainly my wife's weapon now. She loves it! Even with its double-stack mag, its easy for her small hands to manipulate. We've fired hundreds of rounds without a hiccup. And although it is capable of being carried locked and cocked, I do like the magazine disconnect that makes it unable to fire without the mag installed. The only issue I have with this weapon is the trigger. The trigger on our gun has kinda sharp edges, and after a few mags, it starts to chew into my finger. I'm currently in the process of finding a gunsmith that will smooth the edges of the trigger for me, or even install a wider, more contoured trigger (ala Beretta). Other than that, its a wonderful gun, and my wife wouldn't have any other....at least until I get her to try a SIG!
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Retleo, Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:07:11 UTC.

Super shooter, easy to load, point & shoot. A classic auto.
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rhood, Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:15:42 UTC.

I love shooting this little beautiful piece of work.
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cpowell5266, Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:43:44 UTC.

I have a Browning Hi Power 40 cal. and it is an excellent duty weapon. It could have a bigger magazine capacity, but overall the weapon ,meets all my needs. The action is very good and I bought the gun new.


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Anonymous, Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:23:13 UTC.

It's a good weaon, but I have a small grip so I find that my Sig is a better fit and easier to handle. Overall though, a nice pistol.


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Anonymous, Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:07:19 UTC.

The Browning Hi-Power was the first handgun that I owned at the age of 21. I still have that old T-series pistol, and now also have a customized Practical. My Hi-Powers have been utterly reliable with all ammo used. They fit my hand perfectly, and point naturally. I have carried one, cocked and locked, for over 40 years as a private security officer or on my concealed handgun license. I have never had a problem with this carry mode. I cannot think of a finer 9mm weapon and still prefer it to the now ubiquitous Glocks.
There is something aesthetically pleasing about a Hi-Power. No other handgun has the same appeal.

 

[shom]

Browning High power is made by famous FN of Herstal Belgium. We have seen FN FAL from them, one of the best Battle Rifle. Can we say that Browning High Power is one of the best Side arm for the army? What the experts say in this regard sir?
This is the website of FN. Handguns

Seems I need to give calls to the experts,,, @Kunal Biswas dada,,, please come and give your testimonials regarding this gun ,,,I need a users point of view.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Its a very nice handgun, Very powerful..

 

[shom]

upload foto

upload foto

 

[shom]

Some of the original Brownings were made in Portugal also. See what i found while studying.
"Portuguese Hi Powers"
Hello. I recently read a post in which a fellow referred to the "Portuguese Hi Power", saying that they were "built" in that country. Now and again, I've seen this same thing written about by others. Such claims are simply in error.

The fact is that no FN or Browning Hi Power has ever been manufactured in Portugal.

For the last several years, Browning-marked Hi Powers usually have the familiar "Made in Belgium" on them along with "Assembled in Portugal" but so far absolutely none have been made in Portugal. (FWIW, since some may not be aware of it, FN makes the Browning Hi Power. Browning does not make it. Browning has never manufactured a Hi Power. FN (Fabrique Nationale in Belgium makes the Browning Hi Power. Browning is the US importer.)

Kurt Wickman, who was one of the early 'smiths at Novaks, told me that some of the very best Hi Powers he'd ever seen were early "Assembled in Portugal" guns. When I asked why, he advised that FN sent folks to Portugal to make sure that their tolerances were held. Since I own both early and later-run "Assembled in Portugual Hi Powers", I examined examples of each. I can find no major differences at all! It would appear to me that either the Portuguese assemblers take pride in their work or have their "feet held to the fire" by FN, but I find no consistently measurable differences; the work remains very nice indeed. (As I understand it, the original reason for having the guns assembled there was simply lower labor costs.)

I shoot a lot of 9mm Hi Powers and have for right at four decades now. In my observation, current guns do not usually have trigger pulls that are either as light or break quite as cleanly as the older guns from the '60's, '70's, and even '80's but they group just as well or better! They definitely feed a much wider variety of blunt-nosed ammunition, ie: JHP's.

This refinished Mk III has flawlessly fired many, many rounds. It was "Assembled in Portugal". It continues to serve well and function flawlessly. I would trust my life and those of my family to it.

This is fairly typical of what I expect Hi Power Mk III 9mm pistols to do at about 15 yards. For me, this is accurate enough. These pistols were never intended as Camp Perry match guns. That said, I think that they offer very excellent service accuracy. This gun used to shoot the group in this picture was also assembled in Portugal.

Some of the T-series Hi Powers had a fine a polished blue as could ever be in my opinion but I am in no way convinced that they grouped any better or were any more reliable than current Hi Powers. I like both the "old classic" Hi Powers and the newer Mk II and Mk III pistols. I actually prefer the Mk III for a heavy-use Hi Power.

The older guns are getting harder to find to be sure and will only continue to do so. Find 'em while you can and buy them if you want examples of the earlier Hi Powers. I find them as gorgeous a pistol as has ever been made! Having said that, do not think that you have a "second-rate Hi Power" if you happen to have a "C" series, Mk II, Mk III or one of its variants.

You don't...and it wasn't "made in Portugal"!
(Courtesy:- hi-powers--handguns: "Portuguese Hi Powers")

upload foto
See here it is written on the body of the gun.

upload foto

 

[mikhail]

Its a very nice handgun, Very powerful..

Sir,sometime in the near future @shom and i will probably get a chance to use this beast at the police training academy

 

[shom]

Dont know about its relevancy but I found this while searching. Please give it a look while goin through everyone.
Havildar Fateh Singh was born on 24th Feb, 1920 in village Karsola, Jind district, Haryana. He was the son of Chaudhary Bharat Singh, a Jat farmer. Havildar Fateh Singh could not get education because there were no schools in his village at that time. Against his father's wishes, he joined the Jat Regiment of the Indian Army on 3rd June, 1939. During World War II he served in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Middle East, Cairo, Java, Sumatra, Burma and Singapore. On his return to India, his battalion, 3 Jat was posted in Jammu & Kashmir. After the 1948 war, Havildar Fateh Singh was given the Hony, rank of Captain for his bravery. He retired from the Army on 3rd June, 1967 and went back to his native village.

1948 India-Pakistan War: On the night of 13/14 September 1948, an attack was launched by 3 Jat on the Chabutra feature in Zozila Pass area of Jammu & Kashmir. Havildar Fateh Singh was in charge of a platoon of the leading company. The platoon while moving in to attack came under heavy automatic fire from an enemy browning gun. The platoon suffered casualties in both dead and wounded, and Havildar Singh succeeded in leading his platoon to a relatively safer position. But the leading and the rear companies were now pinned down and even the slightest movement resulted in heavy fire. At 1500 hours his Commanding Officer ordered Havildar Fateh Singh to move down to the flat spur to arrange the collection of the wounded and the weapons of the dead. Havildar Singh moved out without hesitation and was hit by a bullet from the enemy browning. He was given up as dead by the rest of his men. But half an hour later, he moved again only to be hit by another bullet in the arm. He lay still and made another bold attempt at 18.30 hours and this time succeeded in reaching the lower slopes. He succeeded in gathering four wounded and eight weapons of the dead. At 1915 hours while attempting to return he was attacked by about 15 enemy soldiers. In spite of being wounded, Havildar Singh protected his post and killed three enemy soldiers by throwing grenades. The rest of the enemy then withdrew.

Havildar Singh was able to return to his Battalion with the wounded and the weapons, helped by Jem Misri Lal and party. His CO was an eye witness to this whole episode. The bravery, courage, patience and determination displayed by Havildar Fateh Singh in successfully helping and extricating the wounded, in spite of himself being wounded was a unique example of gallantry of the highest order. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) on 14th September, 1948.
Courtesy:- Havildar Fateh Singh MVC - Jat Regiment - Indian Army - Maha Vir Chakra - Haryana - India

 

[shom]

PISTOL AUTO 9 mm 1A



A Personal and special service weapon capable of semi-automatic fire. It is a recoil operated, magazine fed, self-loading pistol in which the breech is positively locked at the moment of firing. It is not fully automatic. The trigger has to be pressed and released for each shot. When all the cartridges have been fired and the magazine is empty, the mechanism is held in the open position by the action of the slide.

Specification :
Calibre 9mm
Weight
With magazine empty 0.935 kg
With magazine loaded 1.075 kg
Length Over all 205 mm
Barrel length 120 mm
Magazine Capacity 13 rounds
Ammunition used Cartridge SA Ball 9 mm MK.2z(Parabellum)
Rifling 6 grooves, 1 turn in 254 mm, R.H.
Muzzle Velocity 396.23 m/sec.
Number of components 54
Range 50mts
I got this data from website of rifle factory Ishapore.

 

[arnabmit]

@shom please do write about the FN P90 and FN Five Seven duo used by SPG. I am in love with the pair.

 

[shom]

@shom please do write about the FN P90 and FN Five Seven duo used by SPG. I am in love with the pair.

I will be posting every small arms used by our Army. If I miss something then all are welcomed to post. Just chiiiillllll,,,,,,

 

[shom]

PISTOL AUTO 9 mm 1A



A Personal and special service weapon capable of semi-automatic fire. It is a recoil operated, magazine fed, self-loading pistol in which the breech is positively locked at the moment of firing. It is not fully automatic. The trigger has to be pressed and released for each shot. When all the cartridges have been fired and the magazine is empty, the mechanism is held in the open position by the action of the slide.

Specification :
Calibre 9mm
Weight
With magazine empty 0.935 kg
With magazine loaded 1.075 kg
Length Over all 205 mm
Barrel length 120 mm
Magazine Capacity 13 rounds
Ammunition used Cartridge SA Ball 9 mm MK.2z(Parabellum)
Rifling 6 grooves, 1 turn in 254 mm, R.H.
Muzzle Velocity 396.23 m/sec.
Number of components 54
Range 50mts
I got this data from website of rifle factory Ishapore.

Pistol Auto 9mm 1A is the only handgun which is manufactured in Indian Ordnance factory. Others are of .32 and .22 caliber which are of no use for the army. That's sad. Our country is not very much developed in side arms.