Post by jaypee on Jun 26, 2017 11:10:56 GMT -5
BROWNING HIGH POWER NAMES AND DESIGNATIONS
One of the real difficulties in learning about the High Power lies in making some sense of the multitude of names used to describe it. There is “Browning High Power,” “Browning Hi Power,” “FN Browning Hi Power,” “ Browning FN Hi Power,” “P-35,” “GP-35, “BHP,” “HP,” “HP-35,” “Model 1935,” and so on. In the next few paragraphs we will attempt to reach some working definitions for the more important ones and provide some information about them. Our comments are based on history, current practice, and common understandings within the firearms community.
“BROWNING HIGH POWER” vs. “BROWNING HI POWER”
This has become a very confusing issue thanks to the fact that both terms are being used interchangeably by writers, and that FN and Browning Arms Co are going in confusing directions with them. We hope these comments will help eliminate some of the confusion.In 1935, the Browning High Power pistol was introduced as the GP, or “Grande Puissance”, the term Grande Puissance being French for “high power.” Since John Browning is credited with its invention, the pistol has been known, even in its earliest days, as the “Browning High Power” pistol – this is the correct, official FN spelling for the pistol. So, given these circumstances, literally every Browning High Power pistol ever produced by Fabrique Nationale, can rightfully be called by that name – the “Browning High Power.”
Here the plot thickens. As the story goes, in 1954, the Browning Arms Company of St. Louis, Mo. began importation of the Browning High Power pistol with its company name and location stamped into the slide. But they already had several products with the name “high” in them, so they looked for a way around using the word in the nomenclature of their new FN import. The solution they arrived at was to name the pistol the “Browning Hi Power,” using the cut-down, trendy, non-word “Hi” instead of the word “High.” Although this name does not appear on the gun and never has, it is the official Browning Arms Co spelling to this day.
So, one might surmise that the Browning Arms Co. import would enjoy exclusive use of the term “Browning Hi Power”– i.e. that only those FN pistols imported by Browning Arms Co. since 1954 would be known by this name. This was true at one time, but it is not the case anymore. Read on.
The Browning Arms Company has moved away from reserving this name as an exclusive name for its import only. Yes, “Browning Hi Power” is still the trade name in use at Browning Arms, but the company website is now using the term “Browning Hi Power” as a reference to FN pistols produced long before their “Hi Power” import came into being. This seems understandable, since FN has owned Browning Arms Co. since 1977. Also, gun writers and BHP enthusiasts are using the “Hi Power” term more and more to pertain to any and all FN-built High Power pistols, not just to the Browning Arms import, giving the term considerable interchangeability with the older term “Browning High Power.”
So, what conclusions can we reach out of all of this that might be of help to our members? We think there are three:
1. “Browning High Power” is the official FN spelling, and the term can pertain to any and all FN – built High Power pistols produced from 1935 to the present.
2. “Browning Hi Power” is the official Browning Arms Company spelling for its Hi Power import dating from 1954 and it has been used to market the pistol for 63 years. However, this is no longer a term used exclusively to describe the Browning Arms Co. import. It is now being used to describe any and all FN – built High Power pistols made since 1935, regardless of whether or not Browning Arms imported them. Browning Arms Company is even using the term in this fashion….
and therefore……
3. “Browning High Power” and “Browning Hi Power” are now mostly synonymous, and are trending towards the former being the preferred European title and the latter being the preferred American title for the same guns.
Synonyms for these terms often seen in gun forum discussions are: “FN/Browning High (or Hi) Power,” “Browning/FN High (or Hi) Power.” All are good, useful descriptions.
“BHP”
“HIGH POWER”
In common usage, when unaccompanied by a manufacturer’s name, this term is usually understood to refer only to the Browning High Power.
“HI POWER”
This one can be synonymous with “High Power,” above, but differs a bit in that it can also be interpreted to be a reference to the Browning Arms Co. import, the term having been used to advertise and market that line of pistols for the past 63 years.
“HP”
An abbreviation for Hi Power or High Power, above.
“HP-35“
An abbreviation combining the term “High Power” with its date of introduction, 1935. This is not widely seen, but is around.
“MODEL 1935”
This designation was born with the first quantity order for 1,000 FN High Power pistols in 1935 by the Belgian Army.
“M-35 Hi Power”
This term was used to refer to the Browning High Power pistol in a prominent cover-page article that appeared in a much-sought-after 1952 edition of the American Rifleman magazine, and is seldom encountered.
“FNHP”
At various times FN-USA has imported High Power pistols into the United States and sold them in competition with the Browning Arms Company Hi Power import. They are essentially identical to the BHP except for their external finish and placement of the serial numbers. These pistols are factory-built High Powers without Browning Arms markings, and are known on discussion forums as “FN Hi Powers,” or “FN High Powers,” abbreviated “FNHP.” This is the common gun forum understanding of this term. And although it can be effectively used as a reference to any FN-built High Power pistol, it seldom is, the term “BHP” being much more widely used for this purpose.
“P-35” and “GP 35”
The Browning High Power was originally named the “Grand Puissance” by the factory, which is French for “High Power.” It is the earliest term used to describe the pistol. Shortly afterward, the year of introduction, 1935, was added, making it the “Grande Puissance 35” or “GP 35” for short. It is sometimes written as GP-35”, “GP35,” and “G.P. 35,” and sees a considerable amount of use. The term “P-35,” or “P35,” actually has a completely different meaning: In keeping with the European system of arriving at nomenclatures for their military pistols, it essentially stands for Pistol, Model of 1935. It too sees a great deal of use. Both are correct references to the Browning High Power.
The term “Browning/Saive P-35” and “Browning/Saive GP-35” are also seen in gun forum discussions and advertisements, and are also clear and useful references. The hyphen may or may not be used.
“The GP”
This is a term abbreviating the French “Grande Puissance,” or High Power in English. It is occasionally seen as a reference to the BHP, but is not widely used.
SOME RELATED TOPICS
MARK NUMBERS
Mark numbers are synonymous with model numbers and are widely used in describing military equipment. BHP enthusiasts are all aware of the Mk. II and Mk. III BHP’s, but may not be aware that other High Power variants and copies use them as well. For instance, there were the Inglis No. 1 Mark I* and No. 2 Mark 1*’s of World War II. Kareen also produced High Power copies called the Kareen Mk’s I, II, and III. Then there is the “FN MK III,” a contemporary of the current Browning product and marketed by FN Herstal, (FNH) outside the United States.
NOTE: Articles have been written in which the authors referred to a “Browning High Power Mark I,” one author even going so far as to describe it as the most important model of the BHP ever made - but no such model ever existed. The term was never used by either Browning or FN. It is a completely spurious designation.
To hyphenate or not to hyphenate
Marketplace Designators
CONCLUSION
End
