March 26th, 2022
5minute read
It all started with the French.
Specifically, the French military.
The French military called the new service pistol in development theGrande Puissance, which translates roughly to High Power.
The author examines the confusing and complicated history of the P-35 pistol, from its birth in Belgium to its use by the Nazis to its role today. Images courtesy of Rock Island Auction
So, now you know how the name for John Brownings last pistol design came to be.
Personally, I cant roll my tongue to create the nasally r-sound in French.
The real question is this: What do we call this pistol?
This is anInglis manufactured pistol with a tangent rear sight and wood stock. These were manufactured in Canada for the Chinese government.
But first, some back story.
His prototype 9mm pistol had a magazine capacity of 17 rounds.
The slide was designed with a breechblock similar to the Savage pistols of the time.
For many shooters, adding a P-35 with an original stock to their collection would be a real find. This Inglis model is of special interest to many collectors.
And it was a striker-fired pistol.
The breechblock assembly held the striker, the hammer that is linked to the striker, and the sear.
The trigger mechanism links to the breechblock when the slide is fully forward.
Note the distinctive marking on this Nazi-made model withWaffenamtproof marks.
The design was quite different.
Browning passed away in 1926 before the design was finished.
Dieudonne Joseph Saive, famed Belgian small arms designer, took over the design.
This is an Inglis-built pistol roll-marked Mk 1, denoting service in the British Military.*
Saive, in fact, had tweaked a few of Brownings designs as part of his job.
The design was refined after several trials held by the Versailles Trial Commission.
He completed the design, but totally reworked Brownings original striker-fired pistol idea.
Saive ended up using design elements from the 1911.
Hey, it was a proven design and the 1911 design patents expired around 1930, so why not?
He decreased magazine capacity to 13 rounds and incorporated the barrel bushing into the slide.
By 1934, theGrande Puissancewas finished, and the French military shrugged their shoulders and decided to pass.
They chose a home-grown design and called it Modele 1935 pistol.
The 35 refers to the year the pistol was brought into service.
More than 60 other countries would adopt the pistol.
When France walked away from theGrandePuissance, the name was changed to High Power.
This was the first major name change for the pistol, and it happened prior to World War II.
The next name change came when the Nazis invaded Belgium at the start of the war.
Emigrant to Immigrant?
These areWaffenamptproofed and demand high prices from collectors.
Most of the Nazis pistols were issued toWaffen-SSandFallschirmjagerpersonnel.
The idea was to have the John Inglis and Company in Toronto Canada manufacture the pistol for the Allies.
This second variant was for a Nationalist Chinese contract.
By 1945, British Commonwealth troops were being issued the pistol.
British airborne forces and commando units favored the pistol.
The official British designation for the pistol was Mk 1, or Mk 1*.
After the war, production continued in Belgium.
The fixed sight model is the most common and went to various military contracts.
And thats all you really need to know, because, whats in a name?
Go to forum thread
