Infantry Weapons

Browning Hi-Power pistol

The Browning Hi-Power is a classic 9 mm semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning and completed by FN Herstal, documented in Islamic State hands in Iraq and Syria.

Conflict side
Islamic State
Built by
FN Herstal
Built in
Belgium

Service History

In service
Adopted in 1935 and widely exported; later documented in Islamic State stocks in Iraq and Syria.
Used by
Islamic State, Iraqi security forces, Kurdish forces
Wars
War against the Islamic State

Production History

Designer
John Browning and Dieudonne Saive
Designed
1920s-1935
Built by
FN Herstal
Built in
Belgium
Unit cost
Varies by period and market
Produced
1935-2018
Number built
1.5 million+
Variants
Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Hi-Power Practical

Specifications

Caliber
9x19mm Parabellum
Operation
Short recoil-operated, locked-breech, single-action
Weight
About 1 kg unloaded
Length
About 197 mm
Magazine
13-round detachable box magazine
Effective range
About 50 m

Conflict Usage

War against the Islamic State
Side: Islamic StateRole: Captured sidearmstrike

War against the Islamic State: Conflict Armament Research documented a Browning Hi-Power pistol used by Islamic State forces and captured from them in Iraq and Syria.

Browning Hi-Power pistol Images

Related Weapon Systems

AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familyAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 archive they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.

Sources