The Fabrique-Nationale Hi-Power is nearly the same age as the Walther P.38.
While features of the P.38 live on in the Beretta Model 92, the HP is still made and is indistinguishable from guns designed in the past ten years except for the lack of aplastic polymer frame.
![]()
For the most part I think that the P.38 is a product of its time whereas the Browning design is simply far ahead of its time. The Walther is a lot like other designs from the late '30's and seems extraordinarily clunky by today's standards. It's completely modern in 1938 though with advanced features that surpassed nearly all of the guns that came before it in a service pistol.
While features of the P.38 live on in the Beretta Model 92, the HP is still made and is indistinguishable from guns designed in the past ten years except for the lack of a
For the most part I think that the P.38 is a product of its time whereas the Browning design is simply far ahead of its time. The Walther is a lot like other designs from the late '30's and seems extraordinarily clunky by today's standards. It's completely modern in 1938 though with advanced features that surpassed nearly all of the guns that came before it in a service pistol.