Canadian Inglis Browning Hi-Power

[albertacowboy]

One of my favourite handguns is my 3T Inglis. In the course of research on this weapon, I have some questions. I can't seem to find the answers in Clive Law's book on Canadian military handguns, and I regrettably have not yet made my intended purchase of his book "Inglis Diamond." Does anyone know when the first regular issue of these pistols was made to Canadian troops in WWII, and whether any Inglis Hi-Powers reached Italy before the Canadian troops there were transferred to NW Europe in the early months of 1945?

My Inglis was, I think, made in December 1944. If I seem lax in not yet purchasing Clive's great book, rest assured that it is on the list of hopeful acquisitions already submitted to the chief financial controller of the household. An old soldier once told me that women control half of the votes, most of the money, and all of another anatomical item.

Many thanks!

 

[sunray]

As I recall, most of 'em went to the Paras and Commandoes during W.W. II(production started in Feb of 1944 and ended in Oct of 45) and weren't general issue until after the war. Even though the pistol was officially adopted by the Canadian Army in 1944. I don't think 1st Div would have seen them in Italy or NW Europe.

 

[bdft]

GrantR is explaining everything and posting pics here: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258967

 

[paulz]

There is another Clive Law book, which I have, but the title of which I can't remember (I'm at work), Canadian Military Handguns or something like that. Starts with colt revolvers for the Militia in the 1850's right up to the first SIG purchase, has quite a lot of detail about the issue of the Inglis, including the no.1 s that were converted to no.2, and the various holsters, and dates and serial numbers.

 

[stencollector]

According to the Inglis Diamond, if your serial number is before 3T6723, it is an Oct of 44 gun, and if it's after that number in the 3T series, then it's a December gun.

According to the book, there were dribbles of Inglis Hipowers for tests and trials to England from May44 until September, when the order came for 17,500. By December, of 44, the order was increased to 25,400. So I guess the first general issues would be in that time frame between September and December. The chart shows these as all being delivered in Oct (10,000), Nov ()11,000)and finally in Dec (4,400).

it is on the list of hopeful acquisitions already submitted to the chief financial controller of the household

If you have to, hide your change for a while to buy the book. She'll never have to know. The book is worth the risk.

 

[GrantR]

Stencollector: the delivery dates you refer to would relate to British-issue Inglis pistols I believe ....

In other online discussions (.... where, exactly, I can't remember .... ) the consensus of opinion by others seemed to be that Inglis pistols weren't issued to Canadian Infantry in theater until at least January 1945, or at the earliest in late December 1945.

However, this image of Canadian Officers obviously armed with Inglis pistols (in "Chinese Pattern" holsters) was identified as having been taken November 30, 1944 -

 

[stencollector]

These numbers are out of Chapter 7 of the Inglis Diamond, which cover the Cdn Army Overseas adoption of the pistol, and the CMAC allocations to the Cdn Army.

 

[GrantR]

These numbers are out of Chapter 7 of the Inglis Diamond, which cover the Cdn Army Overseas adoption of the pistol, and the CMAC allocations to the Cdn Army.

Rob - My error! Now I see what you are referring to, and it is definitely in reference to allocations for the Canadian Army Overseas. Hadn't noted (or at least hadn't remembered) that part .... amazing what new discoveries (or re-discoveries) there are to be made in the mass of information in Clive's book.

With the first substantial allocation of Inglis pistols to CAO requirements not coming until October 1944, it makes sense that they wouldn't get to Europe, and then into the hands of troops, until quite late in the year, at the earliest.

I also see that, after discontinuance of efforts to deliver pistols to China, a total 14,485 No. 1 pistols were on hand at the Longue Pointe Ordnance Depot, of which Britain accepted 6,008 and Canada took 8,477 (or, according to other records, 8,479 - "depending on who was doing the counting", as Clive puts it ...) all of which were allocated for CAO use in January of 1945.

All wartime allocations of No.1 pistols to either British or Canadian service should accordingly have serial numbers no higher than 1CH6576, which was apparently the last No. 1 pistol made when production of that version was suspended in October 1944 ( having slowed to a relative "trickle" for the last couple of months, anyway.)

That jibes completely with my own "Canadian-issue" No. 1 pistol (1CH4149, produced in August 1944) which actually got a C-broadarrow acceptance/ownership stamp on the left rear face of the slide, and subsequently was one of the 1,578 pistols sent as postwar aid to Belgium in 1950, and thus didn't get converted to No. 2 specifications in the later retrofit of remaining "Chinese model" pistols in Canadian inventory ....