Editing Browning Hi-Power (section)

===Military service and widespread use===
Browning Hi-Power pistols were used during World War II by both [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] and [[Axis powers|Axis]] forces.{{sfnp|Thompson|2020|p=33}} After occupying Belgium in 1940, German forces took over the FN plant. German troops subsequently used the Hi-Power, having assigned it the designation ''Pistole'' 640(b) ("b" for ''belgisch'', "Belgian").<ref name="arnolddw"/> Examples produced by FN in Belgium under German occupation bear German inspection and acceptance marks, or ''[[Waffenamt]]s'', such as ''WaA613''. In German service, it was used mainly by [[Waffen-SS]] and {{lang|de|[[Fallschirmjäger (Nazi Germany)|Fallschirmjäger]]}} personnel.

High-Power pistols were also produced in Canada for Allied use, by [[John Inglis and Company]] in Toronto. The plans were sent from the FN factory to the UK when it became clear the Belgian plant would fall into German hands, enabling the Inglis factory to be tooled up for Hi-Power production for Allied use. Inglis produced two versions of the Hi-Power, one with an adjustable rear sight and detachable shoulder stock (primarily for a [[Kuomintang|Nationalist Chinese]] contract) and one with a fixed rear sight. Production began in late 1944 and they were on issue by the March 1945 [[Operation Varsity]] airborne crossing of the Rhine into Germany. The pistol was popular with the British airborne forces as well as covert operations and commando groups such as the [[Special Operations Executive]] (SOE), the U.S. [[Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS), and the British [[Special Air Service]] (SAS) Regiment. 

Inglis High-Powers made for [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces have the British designation 'Mk 1' or 'Mk 1*' and the manufacturer's details on the left of the slide. They were known in British and Commonwealth service as the 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1', or 'Pistol No 2 Mk 1*' where applicable. Serial numbers were 6 characters, the second being the letter 'T', e.g. 1T2345. Serial numbers on pistols for the Chinese contract instead used the letters 'CH', but otherwise followed the same format. When the Chinese contract was cancelled, all undelivered Chinese-style pistols were accepted by the Canadian military with designations of 'Pistol No 1 Mk 1' and 'Pistol No 1 Mk 1*'.<ref name="inglis">{{cite book |title=Inglis Diamond - The Canadian High Power Pistol |last=Law |first=Clive M. |year=2001 |publisher=Collector Grade Publications |isbn=978-0889352650 }}<!--|access-date=August 6, 2012--></ref>

In the postwar period, Hi-Power production continued at the FN factory and as part of FN's product range, which included the [[FN FAL]] rifle and [[FN MAG]] general-purpose machine gun. It has been adopted as the standard service pistol by over 50 armies in 93 countries. At one time most NATO nations used it, and it was standard issue to forces throughout the British Commonwealth. It was manufactured under licence, or in some cases cloned, on several continents. Former Iraqi ruler [[Saddam Hussein]] often carried a Browning Hi-Power. Former Libyan ruler [[Muammar Gaddafi]] carried a gold-plated Hi-Power with his own face design on the left side of the grip which was waved around in the air by Libyan rebels after his death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/10/20/confirmed-gaddafi-dead-new-york-yankees-baseball-fan-captured-tyrant-115875-23503068/ |title=Confirmed Gaddafi dead: New York Yankees baseball fan 'captured' tyrant - Mirror Online |publisher=Mirror.co.uk |date=2011-10-20 |access-date=2012-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121081052/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/10/20/confirmed-gaddafi-dead-new-york-yankees-baseball-fan-captured-tyrant-115875-23503068/ |archive-date=2012-01-21 |url-status=live }}</ref> A Hi-Power was used by [[Mehmet Ali Agca]] during the assassination attempt of [[Pope John Paul II]] in 1981.