The Browning High-Power Pistol

Making its debut in 1935, the Browning High-Power was the worlds most widely used military pistol for much of the 20th century. Military and law-enforcement agencies in more than 90 countries have issued the High-Power and it has seen combat in conflicts from World War II through to the War on Terror. After conquering Belgium, Nazi Germany produced more than 300,000 High-Powers for use by the Waffen-SS, Fallschirmjger and others, and after 1945 the High-Power became standard for most NATO-armed forces as well as scores of others. Chambered for the 919mm Luger cartridge, John Brownings High-Power improved on the classic Colt M1911 design, especially in its use of a far simpler takedown system. The pistols innovative 13-round magazine, designed by Dieudonn Saive, staggered the cartridges for higher capacity without unduly increasing the grip size. During its 82-year production run at Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Belgium, the design evolved slightly, but a 2017 High-Power was still easily recognizable as a descendant of the original model. Packed with gripping material including detailed technical specifications, contemporary photographs and highly accurate artists renditions, this title is a comprehensive and informative guide to the worlds most iconic semi-automatic pistol.