Our very own Prince Harry in Afghanistan

What, no fountain pens? His highness must be informed about the superior writing quality of these seemingly archaic instruments at once!!

More importantly that piece looks in need of some serious maintenance!

FP's are the British Officer's writing stick of choice but they are less than brilliant at writing on the plasticised maps that the modern-day warrior prefers. Tragically I know that the grey barrelled pen is a water-soluble OHP marker (purple shows up well on targeting documentation and just hints at a royal lineage) and the black barrelled are the permanent markers (brown and green are also favoured military ink colours - I used to consider that if all else failed I could at least colour myself in with a basic camouflage scheme).

I used to use a similar pen arrangement in theatre as if the maps were not plasticised (or just covered with Fablon) then in desert (sweaty) or jungle (humid and sweaty) environments you fairly soon just had a small collection of papier-mache sculptures. With the Fablon variety you could use the maps again and again by cleaning off the previous objectives with white spirit and having what was essentially a fresh map for the next day's fighting. The other advantage to using plasticised maps is that they could be used for a wide variety of alternative employment like constructing a shelter, water-carrying, making improvised hats for dressing up as pirates or several of the other activities that pass the long spells of tedium punctuated by attention-grabbing multi-tasking that make the battle-space such a fun place to be.

I am however pleased to see a move away from the old Browning Hi-Power 9mm SLP that was my semi-trusted companion for so long. Looking at the position of the safety catch, is that a Beretta?

I don't think it's a Beretta; I would have identified it as a Hi-Power. I emailed my brother; he knows pistols much better than I.

I remember the safety catch and the slide-locking lever being on the other side. However, the profile looks like a good old Browning SLP and they were standard issue...

He did not seem to have had a good school after all, as the pen is mightier than the pistol.

I've seen a lot fewer Hi-Powers than 1911s and I'm no expert. If someone had asked without suggesting anything, I would have said that I thought it was a Hi-Power. I'll post again when my brother replies to my email.

That is indeed a Hi-Power.

Is it dirty or just worn?

Appears to be just common wear from use... those pistols are "parkerized" a fancy way of saying phosphate deposit painted... it wears quickly under general use. I'd refer to that pistol as exhibiting "holster wear", but as you can see.... no holster. From the photo and knowing what I know about Mr. Browning and his pistols, I certainly hope that sucker doesn't have a round in the chamber... Hammer down with safety in *any* position on that pistol just isn't safe.

It's likely that it doesn't have a round in the chamber. He not an untrained mobster carrying it in his waistband. Carrying without a holster like that, especially if I were also carrying a rifle, I'd probably carry it in condition 3 also.

Can you even switch on the safety with the hammer down?

The condition is pretty indicative of how we used to get them from the armoury. It is not standard practice to have "one up the spout" but we did often load the mag to full physical capacity...

Well, yeah.

The recommended load was 10 rounds in the magazine if it was likely to remain charged for an extended period, the magazine would physically hold 13 rounds but the pressure on the spring was increased considerably which (it was thought) could increase the chances of a misloaded round.

Oh, I didn't know that. I've downloaded at the range just to save my thumb but I'd never heard of downloading for reliability.

I have heard that 8-round 1911 magazines, which fit 8 rounds into the space for 7, are thought to be slightly less reliable. My opinion is that when you're trusting your life to a weapon, you should go with something that's been widely tested and proven. Thus, 7 rounds in a 1911.

No FP, but that's a nice, well-worn Browning High Power 9mm. Too bad it's not cocked and locked.

Our Royals have shot themselves in the foot quite enough over the last few years.

I'm still sure that the safety should be on the other side of the slide...

Should take a moment to praise the guy. How many folks with his advantages who has everyone screaming "stay home" would force the military to send him off with his mates to fight? I say "force" because I just get the feeling that the situation happened this way. Unlike nearly all the politicians we have in America today, Harry is a throwback to the days when real leaders actually fought for their people and the decisions they made. Hope the adoration for him at home is MASSIVE!

Shame on the media outlet who revealed his deployment. At least let the guy finish his tour. 3 months to be quiet was too much?? I don't bash the media as a general rule, but this is certainly enough to sour one on the whole industry.

Here's to Harry

LOL! As have our Presidents.

Oh, and the safety is ambidextrous on the Prince's sidearm.

It's funny looking at it now. I had one as my personal weapon when I was wearing the green suit but I can barely remember what was where. I think the problem was that I was also toting a sawn off Browning semi-auto shotgun at the time, which was a much more interesting weapon! Happy days!

A Browning 870 pump makes a nice door knocker, room clearing gun, and has a nice bark to it. Did you use 00buck?

My brother confirmed that it's a Hi-Power Mark III, which has an ambidextrous safety and is a newer model but not especially new. Is he left-handed? He's wearing it on his left side so an ambidextrous safety makes sense.

I love the feel of a 1911's manual safety; I wish that the Hi-Power had an identical one.

I think it's wonderful that the prince has decided to go out there on the battlefield and actually DO something. It will do much to change and improve his public image and from what we know of the prince - such a change is long overdue. I support him for doing this

Unfortunately, because of the media outlets (including Australia's "New Idea", soon to be reborn as the "No Bloody Idea"), Harry has been sent back to the UK. Not only was there the personal risk to him, but there was the associated risk to his comrades. His mates in his unit apparently called him a "Bullet Magnet", and most times when he was on patrol he had to have part of his face covered to limit being recognised.

His grandmother (aka HRH The Queen) insisted that his unit treat him like any other soldier.

Many of Britain's princes have served their nation. Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, was a helicopter pilot in the Falklands War.

I can understand well what Queen Elizabeth means, but given the circumstances, I doubt Prince Harry would have been ABLE to get preferential treatment, even if he wanted it (which he didn't, and I respect him for that). She did the right thing by insisting on no special/favourable/preferential treatment

I do know that the Lord Viscount of Harrisburg uses an Aurora Optima on all his official proclamations.

Fred

What, no Conway Stewart?

SG, No6 or solid, but we got into trouble for using solid

Shouldn't that be aka HRM The Queen? As monarch, she is Her Royal Majesty, siblings and children are Their Royal Highnesses.

Since I'm NOT one of HRM's loyal subjects, I claim no expertise and would defer to anyone with some expertise in the Honours and Titles appropriate to the royals.

Andy