Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during World War II by both the Allied and the Axis militaries. After occupying Belgium in 1
Image details
Contributor:
andrew chittock / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
C1F6N1File size:
11.5 MB (437 KB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
2464 x 1632 px | 41.7 x 27.6 cm | 16.4 x 10.9 inches | 150dpiDate taken:
2 January 2005Location:
ScotlandMore information:
This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.
Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during World War II by both the Allied and the Axis militaries. 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 a German inspection and acceptance mark, or Waffenamt, such as WaA613. In German service, it was used mainly by Waffen-SS and Fallschirmjäger personnel. Hi-Power pistols were also produced in Canada for Allied use, by John Inglis and Company. Inglis produced two versions of the Hi-Power, one with a fixed rear sight and one with an adjustable rear sight and detachable shoulder stock (primarily for the Chinese contract). The pistol was popular with the British airborne forces, covert operations and commando groups such as the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the nascent British SAS (Special Air Service) Regiment. In the post-war period, Hi-Powers remained popular among many police and military forces, with over 50 armies (93 nations) issuing the pistol since its invention. Former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein often carried a Browning Hi-Power, as did many Iraqi military officers. 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, British Army, Indian Army, Australian Defence Force, Argentine Army, Luxembourg Army, Israeli 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.