The Hi Power handgun ranks alongside the 1911 as one of the most famous firearms of all time. At SHOT Show 2022, FN announced the imminent release of an entirely redesigned “High Power,” and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it.
“Everything about this pistol is an evolution of the original design,” FN reps told us when we stopped by their booth. Aesthetically, FN engineers were careful to replicate Browning’s original design. But it’s not a remake or a replica: it’s a modern redesign of a classic firearm.
FN started its High Power redesign by increasing magazine capacity. Rather than 13 rounds of 9mm, which was considered high capacity at the time of it the original gun’s release, the new High Power will come with 17-round magazines. Unfortunately, the new gun won’t be compatible with old magazines.
From there, FN redesigned the takedown mechanism to operate with a simple rotating release, which is a huge improvement over the original. The slide stop and safety are ambidextrous, and the magazine release is reversible.
For sights, FN used the FN 509 dovetail cut, so users will have lots of aftermarket options available.
The trigger is a 4-6-lb. affair that breaks like glass.
The FN High Power will be available in stainless steel, black, and flat dark earth with G10 grips sold separately. The stainless will run $1,369 MSRP, and black and FDE will be $1,269. FN hopes to start shipping these handguns in late February or early March.
If you’re wondering why FN and not Browning is resurrecting the “High Power,” here’s quick history lesson. John Moses Browning invented what would later become the famous “Browning Hi Power” handgun not while working for the company that bears his name but while working for Fabrique Nationale (FN). Browning passed away before he could finish the design, but it was completed by Belgian gun designer Dieudonné Saive.
At the time, FN named the gun the “High Power” due to its large-for-the-era magazine capacity (13 rounds), and Browning’s design went on to become one of the most widely used military pistols in the world.
Click HERE to learn more about the new FN High Power.