Other names include GP (for the French term, 'Grande Puissance') or BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol). The pistol is often referred to as an HP or BHP, and the terms P-35 and HP-35 are also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935. The name change was kept even after production returned to Belgium.

FN Herstal continued to build guns for the Allied forces by moving their production line to a John Inglis and Company plant in Canada, where the name was changed to 'Hi Power'. FN Herstal initially named the design the 'High Power', which alludes to the 13-round magazine capacity, almost twice that of other designs at the time, such as the Luger or Colt M1911.Дuring World War II, Belgium was occupied by Nazi Germany and the FN factory was used by the Wehrmacht to build the pistols for their military, under the designation '9mm Pistole 640(b)'. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by DieudonnГ© Saive at Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic handgun available in the 9mm and. 20 or 30 rounds made by Rhodesia ( 9mm).

Browning high power serial number