BHP war history

[Onmilo]

It isn't just south and central asian conflicts that hi-powers show up in.
They are well represented in south and central america, almost all of africa and the middle east and still show up in former communist countries such as china and russia.

You would be hard pressed to list the conflicts where the hi-power WASN'T represented!

I am sticking with 1939, there just wasn't that many of them floating around prior to 1939, the French, Belgian, and Lithuanian orders were the only real large orders prior to 1939 and none of them with the exception of the Belgians in the African Congo were involved in any major conflicts.
The Congo wasn't a Conflict, it was a slaughter, enough said on that matter.

Spaniards were pretty proud of their domestic production at the time of the civil conflict and Camp Giro's, Rubies, and M400 Astra's would have predominated along with a mix mash of domestic revolvers.
The Germans weren't using the Hi-Power at that time.

 

[jaysouth]

How many HPs were used in combat?

Most of the armies that had/have HPs issue them as symbols of authority for officers. Other than MPs, few armies issue handguns to the frontline grunts doing the real fighting and dying.

The Russians also issue handguns to officers as symbols of authority. They are not issued to enlisteds because they are not "war fighing" weapons. According to doctrine, the handgun is not used for fighting the enemy but instilling discipline in a forced conscript army

 

[jaysouth]

By the way, Wickipedia lists 27 countries as past/present military users.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_L9A1#Users

However if you read the entire text of the entry, it states that 93 countries used the HP in war service.

Gentle hint: Wickipedia is an excellent starting point for reference but should not be considered as authortative. Usually more research including looking up footnotes is in order.

 

[legion3]

The Germans issued a pistol to just about everybody in WW2, all ranks and all forces.

the British and canadian forces did not but the BHP was quite prevelent. In later wars the British and australian forces did issue pistols to quite a few troops, lance corporal and above.

The US did not.

Once again the pistol gets short shrift in war history books...too bad.

Not everyone who did the fighting was a rifle toting grunt. Tank Crews, artillery crews, supply clerks etc, and in Germany anyone who was left.

 

[matai]

So whats the best BHP to buy today?

 

[kamagong]

So whats the best BHP to buy today?

This one -

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=007B&cat_id=051&type_id=022

 

[jerryrigger]

SAS used BHPs from their inception right up until they adopted the Sig 226 that they tend to use now, although there are probably some still in service with them the same way some of their guys float toward HK handguns...the BHP has seen alot of action in its time...

 

[Starcheck55]

BHP is horribly underrated compared to fanaticism some show to the 1911.

and yes, i know there are sooooooo many different options available to the 1911 that make it infinitely more customizable and therefor more popular.

for the record - i own a Kimber CDP II Pro but no BHP at this time.

 

[legion3]

and yes, i know there are sooooooo many different options available to the 1911 that make it infinitely more customizable and therefor more popular.

Well some might say that the 1911 needs those different options to make it work , not me of course...but some would.

Shows that the BHP does not need to be customized as it was perfect at birth

Funny the 1911 military original gun worked all the time, however, it took craploads of customizing and tweeking to make it unreliable.

 

[Onmilo]

Another funny thing about 1911 pistols.
The old Series 70s I have shot were all 100% with standard hardball.
Most serious users replaced the goofy collet bushing with a standard USGI solid bushing and happily blazed away.

People started wanting hollowpoionts when Super-Vel brought out 185 hollowpoints and Remington followed suit with a 185 hollowpoint, both of these were well known as crap ammo but everybody wanted them because it was the in thing.
Next CCI offered up the 200 grain flying ashtray hollowpoint, another load of fabled stopping power with just two faults, it was incredibly inaccurate in most guns and just as unreliable.

The whole hollowpoint push prompted many gunsmiths to get into the 1911 'accuracy and reliability' package promotion and many became famous and quite well off working on these old guns.

The Hi-Power was quick to follow because it also had it's faults.
The magazine safety in unneccessary, the thumb safety was too small and the large pad offerings were way too easy to knock into the safety off position.
The magazine catch springs are somewhat weak and prone to inadvertantly releasing the magazine when bumped or leaned on and the fixed sights are all but unusable as practical.

All these faults have now been corrected by FN and unfortunately the Hi-Power hasd now waned in popularity to the more modern plastic wunderpistolen.
Consequently FN has shifted production to Portugal and the word is they no longer produce the pistol in any great numbers instead concentrating on H&K type pistols.
A shame really because with the improvements, the Hi-Power is still a very practical and more than adequate combat pistol.