The Browning High-Power Pistol

(Paperback)

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Description

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.

Reviews

"Osprey knows it's business very well. This is a quality reference work, with loads of well written historical background on this iconic firearm, and well selected photographs. This book would be perfect for someone with little or modest knowledge of the High Power, and those of us with references that may be much more in depth will still find this volume of use." --AMPS Review

This is a very nice reference book that contains a well written informative text, many subject specific photographs and illustrations, well detailed captions and more, with the main focus being on the Browning High-Power pistol and it's use from its introduction to its continued use through today. As with the other Osprey Publishing titles, I would have no hesitation to recommend this book to others as it will be a welcome addition to one's personal reference library. - Armorama

I really appreciated the structure that Osprey's Weapon Series utilizes, starting with the origin of the selected weapon and the following discussion on its development, operational use, and finally a summary of its effectiveness in the 'Conclusion' chapter. Leroy Thompson provides an easy read with plenty of photographs that support the storyline. The labeled cutaway illustrations provide insight into the machine gun's operation through Alan Gilliland's full color illustrations. Adam Hook's color paintings put you into the battle in three different eras. I was able to read the book easily over two evenings. If you own one the previous releases in the Weapon series, you know what you are getting. If this is your initial entry into this series, you will be quite pleased. - IMPS / USA Reviews

Author Bio

Leroy Thompson has trained and advised military and police special-operations units around the world, focusing especially on the tactical use of firearms. He has previously had more than 50 books published, and appeared as a weapons expert on documentaries for Discovery, National Geographic and the BBC. He lives in Missouri, USA. Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, several 19th-century American subjects, the modern Chinese Army, and a number of books in the Fortress series. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world. He lives in East Sussex, UK. Born in Malaya in 1949, Alan Gilliland spent 18 years as the graphics editor of the Daily Telegraph, winning 19 awards in that time. He now writes, illustrates and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers (alangillilandillustration.blogspot.com). He lives in Lincolnshire, UK.