FN Hi-Power Mk II

FN Herstal · Pistol · Discontinued · 1982

Also known as: Browning Hi-Power Mk II, FN GP-35 Mk II, BHP Mk II

Overview

The FN Hi-Power Mk II is an improved production version of the classic single-action, 9mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol, manufactured by FN Herstal from 1982. Building on the original Browning Hi-Power, the Mk II introduced an ambidextrous frame-mounted thumb safety, a throated barrel for more reliable feeding of hollow-point ammunition, wraparound moulded grips, and improved larger fixed sights. It retained the Browning short-recoil, tilting-barrel locked-breech action and the 13-round staggered-column magazine that gave the design its 'Hi-Power' name, and served as a transitional model between the original pistol and the later Mark III.

Specifications

Weight (empty)990 g (34.9 oz)
Weight (loaded)1150 g (40.6 oz)
Overall Length197 mm (7.76")
Barrel Length118 mm (4.65")
Height130 mm (5.12")
Width35 mm (1.38")
Sight Radius165 mm (6.50")
Action TypeShort Recoil
Firing MechanismHammer Fired
Trigger TypeSingle Action
Magazine Capacity13 rounds
Magazine TypeDetachable Box
Muzzle Velocity335 m/s (1099 fps)
Muzzle Energy458 J (338 ft·lbf)
Effective Range50 m (55 yd)
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Rifling Twist250 mm (9.84")
Number of Grooves6
Frame MaterialSteel
Slide MaterialSteel
Barrel MaterialSteel
Stock MaterialPolymer
FinishMatte Parkerized

Calibers

Features

Variants

Base model

Browning-Hi-Power

Service history

Operators

Production

Production years: 1982-1988

One of several production generations of the Hi-Power; total Hi-Power production across all marks exceeds one million and the pistol has been adopted by more than 50 countries.

Origin

Country of origin: Belgium

Designer: John Browning, Dieudonné Saive

Discontinued: 1988

Notes

Produced roughly 1982-1988 before being superseded by the Mark III. Typically finished in a matte parkerized or epoxy coating rather than the high-polish blue of earlier commercial guns. Retains the magazine safety (magazine disconnect) characteristic of the Hi-Power family.

Background

The Hi-Power was the last handgun design John Moses Browning worked on, completed after his death by FN engineer Dieudonné Saive; the Mk II modernized the decades-old design for law-enforcement and military users in the 1980s.