FN High Power: What’s Old is New and Classics are Redefined

One of the biggest announcements at SHOT Show 2022 was the introduction of the all-new FN High Power, inspired by the iconic original John Moses Browning design. It keeps several of the iconic features of the original High Power but has been redesigned, as they say, “for modern shooters.”

Comparisons to Springfield’s SA-35 and the Girsan MC P35 were immediate. So what are the new features?

Scroll down or hit the nav-bars to learn more about the FN High Power.

• Historical Design, Contemporary Relevance: High Power 2022
• FN Brings Back the Hi-Power: What’s Old is New
• High Power: a Classic is Redefined
• The 2022 FN High Power

The reaction at SHOT and on social media:

Is the reaction justified? We’ll have to wait and see.

The new FN High Power was announced at SHOT Show 2022. Available in Black, FDE, and Stainless Steel. Each comes with two sets of grips from the factory and custom grips are available as a separate purchase.

Historical Design, Contemporary Relevance: High Power 2022

David Higginbotham

FN’s new High Power is a big deal for fans of the old Browning design, and its timing seems to be perfect. There’s a ton of buzz surrounding the FN launch, but there are many other companies taking advantage of the gun’s resurgent popularity. But my gut tells me this one is going to rise to the top.

Full disclosure. I’m a fan of the gun. I’m a 1911 fan, too, though I stopped carrying a 1911 daily almost a decade ago. The High Power, though, feels immediately familiar.

Discovering the High Power was, for me, something like falling for a woman only to find out she has a little sister that you fall for, too. The 1911 and the High Power are clearly related, and—now—and especially after the 2022 SHOT show, I’d be hard-pressed to choose one over the other.

When Springfield dropped the SA35, I immediately picked one up. I’ve not had any hiccups with it yet, and it smells like an old gun should. It ticks that historic box for me and appeals to four of the five senses—which isn’t something I can say for most guns.

But this new FN is distinctly different. This isn’t an homage. This is a fully-realized overhaul of the design—a gun that makes a compelling argument for the design.

In fact, with its 17+1 capacity, I’d say this is going to be a gun that appeals to fans of the classic metal builds. The Sig P226, the 92FS, or even the 1911 (and for sure any 1911 in 9mm). These guns have a weight to them that gun companies are reembracing (even Smith with the new Smith and Wesson CSX).

The FN High Power reboot builds in more magazine capacity, for one. Along with the addition of rounds, the materials of the mag are upgraded—much more stainless steel and polymer.

The guts have had an upgrade, too, though I’m not up to speed on those improvements yet. They worked on the fire control group, updated the lockup, and they’ve even worked on the reliability with all of the wild varieties of 9mm currently in use.

They’ve killed the magazine disconnect, which is a big improvement. The controls are ambidextrous. FN has even worked on the trigger pull.

On the outside, they’ve built out the texture for a better grip. The grips are polymer. Even the beavertail has been drawn out more.

I’m looking for the right metaphor here to capture this moment. It isn’t like VW reintroducing the Beetle. That was a joke. This gun is clearly built on the original and not just shaped something like it. While it is not a classic High Power, it is distinctly a High Power.

Will it catch on? I am hearing two polarized views on the subject. I was at a media event recently with 8 writers and editors, and we were talking about the High Powers. The room was split. Some of us were 100% on board, and already putting money down to prove it. The others were at the opposite end and couldn’t see the point in any new High Power production.

From their perspective, there were enough High Powers in the wild already. If you want one, buy one. No need, they argued, to remake them.

This FN, though, isn’t the old High Power. Like the tricked-out 1911s that flooded the market a decade ago, this is a gun that addresses problems.

And like those other Browning designs that preceded it—even way back in 1935—this new FN feels exceptional in the hand. The weight is an asset that will take an already capable design and, with these improvements to the trigger, ergonomics, and internals, make this 80-year-old design a gun that clearly has relevance in 2022.

Holding one in your hand is like shaking hands with a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. 

What’s Old is New: FN Brings back the Hi-Power

Mike Searson

As you’re no doubt already aware, FN USA rolled out a new pistol at SHOT Show 2022. It wasn’t all that new in some respects, but apparently has quite a bit of improvement on the original. For over 80 years they produced this pistol and as sales declined due to other forces in the marketplace, most of us thought it went away gently into the night.

In 2018 Browning announced the end of production of one of the great John Moses Browning’s designs. The venerable Hi-Power HP-35. In all honesty, Browning passed away before it was finished. It was completed by Fabrique National’s Dieudonne SaiveIt, a prolific designer and inventor in his own right. Although it carried Browning’s name for decades, the overwhelming majority were made by FN for Bowning.

Of course, the FN pistols always carried a premium. Although first produced in 1935, some 50 years later it became my pistol of choice. The magazines held 13-rounds and it was single-action as opposed to the double-action and later striker-fired guns that came to prominence in the 1980s and 90s.

Like any other successful pistol, it saw it’s share of clones once the patents expired. However, aficionados always held the Belgian-made guns by FN in the highest regard. Truth be told, I’ve owned original Belgians, Argentine pistols made under contract, Hungarian and Israeli clones, and even a Mk 3 made in Belgium and assembled in Portugal.

FN’s new version after a 4-year hiatus has one major improvement going for it: It’s American-made.

The second major improvement is the loss of the magazine safety. I’m not completely opposed to a magazine safety as a general rule. I hate them when they compromise the handgun’s trigger, however, as they did with the Hi-Power.

Moving down the line, the next change for the better appears to be a slightly enlarged beaver tail at the rear of the frame in order to prevent slide-bite. This is followed by improved sights and a larger ambidextrous safety mounted on the frame, very similar to the Mk 3.

Browning revealed 3 versions: a black matte, stainless, and a flat dark earth Cerakote version.

What more could you want?

Some shooters have been clamoring for a version that could be equipped with a red dot sight. This might have some merit as dots are becoming the wave of the future. It may not be traditional, but neither is Cerakote on one of these classic designs.

A threaded barrel could be a nice addition, but the Hi-Power does not work well as a suppressor host, and sustained suppressed fire could damage the pistol.

Personally, I would like to see a version with the tangent type of rear sight and maybe a slot to add a shoulder stock or brace. I realize that may sound like a pipe dream and would be just as happy with any of the three that were just released. Because the list of new features keeps going.

Takedown is quicker and easier by eliminating pins. The ejection port is enlarged, even the slide release is made more efficient than previous models and best of all may be the improved magazine capacity.

Traditionally, the Hi-Power held 13-rounds, which is how the Hi-Power earned its name. It held 13-rounds as opposed to 7 or 8, as was typical of most 9mm pistols of its early days until the 1970s When pistols by Beretta, CZ, etc. were made to hold 15. The new magazines hold 17-rounds

One almost wonders if FN would have implemented changes such as this 5 years ago if the design would have been terminated. Holding one in the hand is like shaking hands with an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time.

The good news is that it is back with a vengeance.

It is simpler, more robust and more effective.

For more information see fnamerica.com.

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FN High Power – A Classic Redefined

By Travis Pike

FN gave everyone a nice little shock when they announced the High Power. It certainly wasn’t the first High Power released this year, but it’s arguably the best. The FN did their own slight modifications to the gun to improve it and reduce some of the issues the classic Hi-Powers had. In the end, they produced a trio of truly beautiful guns.

FN’s High Power (Not Hi-Power): What’s New

Well, first, they are calling it the High Power instead of the Hi-Power. However, they changed more than the name. The High Power is still a John Browning design, and it’s just slightly improved. First, they dumped the magazine disconnect so we can all rejoice at an improved trigger pull. In fact, it’s crisp 4 pounds and is very nice.

Ever get hammer bite from an old-school Hi-Power? Well, you won’t now. The hammer doesn’t travel as far down as the previous Hi-Power, and the revamped ergonomics ensure your pretty, soft hands don’t get bit. They built up a fat beavertail to allow you to get a nice high grip on the gun without getting bit by the slide.

FN extended the frame a hair to not only give you more grip but more capacity. The OG Hi-Powers used stunning (for the time) 13 rounds (!), but these days that’s hardly extraordinary these days. In fact, that’s less than my tiny SIG P365.

Happily, FN pushed the (proprietary) magazine capacity to 17 rounds and increased the grip to get an overall height of 5.62 inches.

Off the top keen eyes will notice the presence of ambidextrous controls. This includes the manual safety and the slide release. FN opened up the ejection port on the High Power to ensure ejection and reliability. The barrel is cold hammer-forged, and the sights are steel.

All Dolled Up

FN released the High Power with three different finishes. We got the classic blued with brown grips, a sleek and downright sexy stainless with black grips, and finally, the always tactical FDE. According to their website, each gun will come with two different sets of grips to doll up your pretty little gun. The High Power has a total of seven grips available, and you can make it as pretty or as plain as you want.

A Legacy

The New High Powers won’t get the same love the old Hi-Powers have. I might break hearts here, but the new High Powers apparently won’t have parts compatibility with old Hi-Powers. They’ve made a few too many changes to guarantee safe and reliable operation.

That being said, FN’s newest High Powers will be a plug, play, and enjoyable option for shooters looking to embrace a modernized classic. FN has seemingly taken the High Power as far as it can possibly go.

For more information see fnamerica.com.

High Power 2022

Stephanie Kimmell

• The hammer and beavertail have been redesigned to eliminate hammer bite.
• Capacity has been expanded with a new 17-round magazine. 
• The magazine disconnect was eliminated, making a single-action trigger.
• The safety and slide releases are ambidextrous.
• The takedown lever swivels, for faster field stripping.
• Improved internals and a modern barrel lockup.

“The High Power is such an iconic design, and synonymous with FN really. We recognized the gravity of reintroducing this newly redesigned pistol with such a storied history,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “Rather than introduce a clone of the original, we had to deliver much more than other brands, knowing the FN High Power would be held to a higher standard. FN pays homage to the prolific design, while modernizing the ergonomics, functionality and operation. We respect what this pistol has meant to generations of FN collectors and feel the new FN High Power dovetails perfectly with the rest of the FN pistol line, carrying a future-forward design to the next generation of shooting enthusiasts.”

Here’s how FN described the new High Power in the official press release.

Paying Homage to a Legend

The FN High Power is one of the most distinct and recognizable designs in the metal pistol category with its signature keyhole muzzle profile, tapered slide, longarm slide release, rounded hammer, and more. These key features are ubiquitous with a FN High Power and have been carefully integrated into the new design.

“FN conducted a thorough historical design study into the classic High Power design to identify what truly makes High Power what it is,” said John Ryan, Director of Product Management for FN America, LLC. “These features set the design apart from other metal pistols in the market and were extremely important for us to include in the modern evolution of the new FN High Power so as to pay respect to the significance of Browning’s original design.”

Ten specific core elements were selected as areas of priority, with the signature elements of the keyhole muzzle, long arm slide release, taper of the dust cover and John Browning’s overall influence, the underpinnings of the classic design are embedded into a modern arms masterpiece, built for today’s sport shooter.

A Truly Modern Pistol

While the new FN High Power is inspired by the original aesthetically, this new gun features dramatic improvements to ergonomics and fire control design, accuracy, and increased magazine capacity, besting any clone of the original.

“The original High Power design was prolific, with more than one million produced and sold over its 80-year history. As the enduring last design of John Browning, we’ve done our due diligence to include those unique features that set this pistol apart while modernizing the design with features we expect in today’s market,” said Chris Cole, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, FN America, LLC. “Through current manufacturing and design expertise, the all-new FN High Power addresses everything from trigger pull and feel, ergonomics, reliability with current 9mm loads and more, all to appeal to a modern gun buyer looking to expand their gun collection with timeless style and superior performance.”

With improved internals and a modern barrel lockup, the new FN High Power design is more robust and capable of cycling most 9mm loads, something that the original design lacks in today’s world. Sport shooters desire more magazine capacity, so FN upped the ante, increasing capacity to 17+1 rounds. Ambidextrous controls aid in overall operability and the elimination of the magazine disconnect makes for a single-action trigger that breaks crisply and cleanly.

Overall improved ergonomics, new grip and frame texturing to aid in control during fire and extending the beavertail to address the often remarked ‘High Power hammer and slide bite,’ and more, the gun feels and functions the way a modern pistol should.

Taking the design even further, FN engineers resolved the complex takedown method of the original design and updated it to current standards. Now, disassembling your FN High Power for cleaning and maintenance is as simple as taking down any modern polymer pistol, simply rotating the takedown lever allows shooters to instantly field strip a FN High Power.

From NATO’s trusted sidearm for more than 80 years to a modern pistol designed for today’s sport shooter, the FN High Power has been enhanced to exceed every expectation. Each new gun ships with two pairs of polymer grips, and with three new frame colors and seven accessory grips, perfecting and personalizing your FN High Power has never been easier.

The new FN High Power is equally at home stacking small groups on target or protecting what matters most, pointing naturally with driftable steel sights and shooting with pinpoint precision, thanks to the smooth, single action trigger. FN adds 25% more rounds over the original, with an industry-first 17+1 capacity.

At 40 ounces, the robust design keeps the signature rake of the dust cover and long arm slide release, adding ambidextrous controls for instinctive operation. An extended beavertail and raised hammer fit perfectly in hand, thanks to the future-forward design.

If you happen to be at SHOT, you can learn more about it at the FN Booth (#11860).