I'm kinda a 1911 snob. Been shootin them for over 50 years. Used them to protect myself in Vietnam. My son is a 9mm guy he bought me a SA35 I've been shooting reloads through it. It's runs flawless and is much more accurate than I thought it would be I've shot 3k rounds through it can't put it down. My only complaint is I wish the safety was I bit harder to take off..I might fix that in the near future
I like everything you’ve done to make this a video that has actually demonstrated every possible way to use this firearm, and the fact that you, like me do things your way for yourself.
Agree completely. In fact, for it was all the BHP's shortcomings, I never bought a BHP. I bought a Springfield armory SA-35, recently and it has performed brilliantly. +1 ditto.
Great video my friend. I can totally relate to the idea of getting rid of every Hi-Power I have had up until this point. But... I have been reading a lot about the SAS and so I felt it necessary to go buy one of the new Springfield SA-35 pistols . Thanks for your hard work on this topic.
My first centerfire pistol was a Browning HP I bought in the early 90's. It just feels so natural in your hand to point and shoot. I was recently at a gun store and they had the new SA35. Kind of like test driving a new car I made the mistake of handling it in the store and now I own it! I have no regrets (until my wife finds out 😂), it's very well made and a classic design.
Just bought one today. I have zero experience with Hi-Power type pistols, but I bought one today after not even being in the market for one a week ago. I took it straight to the gun range after two hours of bringing it home and swabbing out the barrel before shooting it. I ran 75 trouble free rounds through it with no issues. This looks like it's going to be a fun gun with no buyers remorse whatsoever. I've put so much money into older collectable Smith revolvers lately. It's great to buy a fun gun for under $700 and not worry so much about it. Plus, it's bringing me into the Hi-Power platform for well under a grand.
I got my SA35 last September. I've owned a BHP since 1986-7 so I have some experience with the original. I still have the BHP although I've had it tuned up at Terry Tussey Gunsmithing in 2014. The SA35 shoots fine and with a serial number in the mid 12,XXX, I believe the initial issues were addressed. I carry the SA35 occasionally, and it takes nightstand rotation in my bedroom. I've had a gunsmith clean up the trigger to eliminate the creep so it has a decent trigger and good ergonomics. I like the SA35 and it's a keeper.
I never knew I wanted a SA-35 until I handled it about 6 months ago. It took me a few months before I took it to the range but OMG it hooked me from that point. I love my 1911’s and Glocks but this thing was amazing. I had to work at missing the mark on the target. It naturally aimed very good. They are hard to find but if you find one buy it, you won’t regret it. By the way great review.
Ill be honest bro, I just got back from the range today with my new SA-35. Its in the 35k ranges serial number wise so I'm really hoping the problems these guns had in the first batches has been ironed out by now by Springfield. I also want to add this is my first BHP clone BUT I am an avid shooter who has carried and or trained with almost every platform of pistol there is. From revolvers to 1911's to striker fired handguns. Pistols with fixed barrels and tilting barrels and multiple types of grip angles and sights. I'm pretty well rounded. I think this gun was one of my best performers. I generally stick to 1911's but I am pretty pleased with the SA-35. The trigger is not all that bad. Without the mag disconnect safety it has like a 5 lb trigger pull with a nice break and not much slop at all. The rest however is not AS GOOD, but still usable. I noticed most my shots the trigger reset very positively and I could both hear and feel it very well, but every 5-6 rounds I would notice almost NO noticeable reset on the trigger and it was making me hesitate. Because I was working that trigger and I just wouldn't get a click now and again. Ide slowly pull the trigger thinking it was dead still and nope it fired off. No issues just a little bit of a weird reset on the trigger it seems. No extraction issues, no stove pipes and no errors of any kind impeding my ability to shoot. I was pleased with the accuracy, it performed very well. I will say it feels a tad more back heavy than a 1911. The 1911 is way better balanced over all. The recoil impulse on the BHP isn't bad at all, but it can have more muzzle flip from the way the weight of the gun is spread out. Just means you gotta really drive it out that and keep a good hold on it to keep it all the way flat. Its not hard to control, its just a tad more flippy than a standard 1911 is IMO.
Last fall I purchased a Springfield sa-35 and a girsan mc-35. The springfield trigger was so rough and gritty that I ended up taking it ti a gunsmith to smooth it out. Now it runs fine. I had the mc-35 mag safety removed to improve the trigger pull. I find the springfield shoots below point of aim and the front sight on the girsan keeps drifting to the left. The slim grip on the springfield feels better, in my small hands than bulky grip on the girsan
Used an Inglis HP and an FN HP in the forces in the 80s and 90 and had my own FN mk2 for competition use, none of the 3 problems you identified were ever a problem, although I had better sights on my own FN. In the UK the government stole our legaly owned auto pistols from us.Would love an SA35 or Tissas right now. 🤤. Thanks for the review.
I have a FEG Hungarian version of the Hi-Power, identical to the original design. It came without magazine safety, not sure if that is factory set. Bought it 25 years ago for 175 dollars. The only upgrade I have done to it is change the front and back sights. I replaced them with Heini sights, made custom wooden grips... It shoots very good and chugs any kind of ammo/brand without any problems
@@jaman878About 10 - 15 years ago, those FN licensed and built FEG's were being brought into the USA by Coles and a few others as truly screaming deals. The vast majority there wasn't much other than holster wear on them: carried for years, rarely fired. Most were selling in the $150 - $200 range. The lightweight shorty Detective models sold for a little bit more. I should have put more effort into finding and buying a Detective, but at the time my C series was "good enough" in my eyes and I didn't want one bad enough. Now I want one - but I'm not willing to pay the price of one. If I found one at a price that works for me, about all I would do is new springs throughout, better sights, and a classy refinishing job (which is kind of dumb for a carry gun carried out of sight... but it is what it is... life is too short for ugly handguns).
Highpower has always been a beautiful design its just better after Springfield Armory got done modifying it to its present condition. I just got done buying one today and have had a smile on my face all day.
Great review. I’ve owned a few hi powers back in the 80’s. Yes the only reason to wanna scrap the mag disconnect was because of the trigger. I always thought it was one of the most ergonomic guns out there. I’m considering buying an sa35 but I’ve seen numerous videos of extractor problems right around the 7 or 800 rnd count. Do know if Springfield armory has corrected that problem?
Am a collector and I buy some just to collect like the Browning Hi -Power and others just to shoot like my Glock pistols. For manual and magazine safeties? Not a fan of them.
Forged or cast: makes no difference compared to what you specify for the metal from a metallurgy point of view. Absolutely no reason these knockoffs couldn't have been patterned on the slightly slimmer and lighter original T and C series High Powers, whether cast or forged. The Canadians (and others) are still using their original WWII T series handguns 75+ years since they left Inglis to go to the regiments that are still using them in the 1940s. Those High Powers have shot nothing other than STANAG 9mm ball intended more for submachine guns than pistols throughout that time. STANAG ball ammo is pretty close to what SAAMI considers +P ammunition. Urban legend has it that will destroy cast High Powers. If cast were somehow inferior, the militaries of the world like the Canadians would have shot those High Powers into trash to be condemned decades ago. But then... militaries do crazy things like inspect their weapons once a year, including gauging the springs and replacing them when they're out of spec. I bet most of the High Powers in civilian use have never had the recoil spring replaced - just as most of these clone knockoffs never will have their springs replaced. Those buying any of the current knockoffs - or any other semiautomatic pistol - can ensure the longevity of their pistols by at least changing the recoil spring at reasonable intervals that match the amount of shooting they do. I change mine once every year - the springs are very inexpensive.
Well, should I buy a Hi-Power? Yep! I just did! Waited a year for Springfield to work out the kinks. It’s a great companion to my three Berettas, M9, M9A3 and 92S, Glock 19 and 48 and Sig M17! Ohh yeah, it’s also great alongside my Mil-Spec 1911, made by the same company.
I bought a Springfield Armory sa-35 and I have had to send it back to them 4 times, (they still have it) for FTF and FTE issues. I've tested it with 5 different mags, and 3 kinds of 9mm ball both 115 and 124 gn ammo. The gun does have a low serial number, mid 800's but that should not make a difference. I hope this 4th trip to the zoo fixes it. I have a Turkish model also and I have not had any jams or other malfunctions. Choose wisely folks.
I called Springfield Armory last week and they emailed back that they would send me a new SA 35 in the next few days. They also said they could only do this once. They also said I could trade up to another pistol and pay the difference. I just elected to have another P 38 with a higher serial number. Will keep you informed on the outcome.
@@nursesteve12 your original SN falls in that early group that had extraction issues. The extraction issues appear to set in around the 300-800 round count. I just watched a newer sn# model in another video and the txtractor on it looks like it sits taller in the frame. I’m curious how the replacement treats you. Id love to buy one but I’m doing my homework now.
@@h.r.puffnstuff8705 They sent me a new gun and it seems to work better. 25 rounds through it and no ftes. I am babying it and lubing the hell out of it. Stay tuned for more info after another range outing.
@@rdmfjones5421 The Girsan standard model has a magazine safety (I have this one and promptly removed it), The MCP-35 Ops has modern features (Optic cut and light rail) and no Mag disconnect safety. The nice thing about Girsans is that old Hi-Power parts and most BH Springs upgrades work as well
@@desertsoldier41 None of the elite units like 22 SAS, Royal Marines, SBS, etc nor any of the world's militaries using the original T series High Powers replaced the magazine safety. For the Brits, that included not removing it when they upgraded their High Powers with MkII/MkIII sights and ambidextrous safeties. Nor did they replace their existing magazines with the spring loaded magazines Browning has had OEM on High Powers that would reliably drive the magazine out of pistol and into the sand, mud, jungle, or whatever was at your feet. Presumably, while civilian users like none of that, the military of the world throughout the service life of the High Power seems these are features - not bugs as civilians believe they are. But civilians are in the majority playing shooting range games, while the SAS and others are going to war. Most of those military and civilian T and C series High Powers have a smooth five lb. trigger pull after some training and use. Apparently the military believed and continues to believe that's just about right for a handgun used in a TIC by a soldier driven with adrenelin. M16 variant service rifles have trigger pulls generally around eight lb. in comparison.
Since you only make these videos for yourself, I decided to annoy you and subscribe. 🤪Bought an SA-35 a few months ago, SN 26xxx. Agree with everything you said in the vid.
Thank you for your video, realy liked it. I love the hi power and have been a fan for the past 20 years the Girsan mpc 35 and the Tisas are outstanding and much better than the Springfield.
The solution to your hi power complaints would have been a CZ 75 carried cocked and locked, if you could wait till somewhere around the time they were imported, 1991-92 ? My SA 35 keeps my original CZ in the safe….mostly because the sights suck….gunsmiths suck at putting good sights on the CZ slide….now the new CZs many great choices…..the S A 35 needs 18.5 # recoil spring….for more reliability ! Ya got me grumpy, Thanks
Better than average knowledge of the platform, but lots of fails. Lack of corporate knowledge of the platform, and it shows. But all in all, an entertaining video. BTW, that isn't an original High Power that you're using as your example - those are MkII/MkIII originals and earlier copies that this SA is patterned from. Not the original T and C series High Powers they replaced. The later versions are a little heavier, slightly bigger, and less svelte in the hand - something those who have never owned a version prior to their MkII/MkIII High Powers will not know. "The damn mag safety", repeatedly. First, the idea that it's terrible that the magazine doesn't dive to the jungle floor, trench floor, etc when you push the magazine disconnect? That's a Bad French Idea from a Bygone Era? Seriously? Some of our good ol' home grown American ignorance on display? Does that happen with the modern service rifles of the USA and the other militaries of the world - push the magazine release and the magazine instantly plummets to the sand beneath your feet or the mud in the bottom of a ditch in a grape field in Afghanistan? Rattle down to the bottom of a staircase you're climbing in Fallujah while clearing houses of hajjis? That "bygone French era"? No - because unlike civvies who have never had all expenses paid trips to the two way rifle range, those of us in the military STILL want to KEEP magazines to be available to recharge with more ammunition when we have the chance. Rifle or pistol of any make or model; don't care, same-same. TICs can last a LOT longer than a gunfight with a carjacker in the Walmart parking lot. Originally, removed magazines got stowed in a pocket or inside our shirts; now we have dump bags. A partially used magazine went back into a different pouch when replaced with a fully charged one ('tactical reload' or something like that for the IPSC/IDPA game guys?). Civilians that play gun games or perhaps may do one magazine change in a self defense situation if the first 16 or so rounds doesn't carry them to the end may not care. The militaries of the world who do carry the handgun into harms way certainly DO care. Fun High Power trivia fact, the last development prototype of what became the FN High Power was the 'Grand Rendement' just two years earlier. Looked almost identical except for slightly smaller magazine capacity and had a magazine disconnect, BUT designed so the magazines fell free. It was rejected by several militaries including the Belgian BECAUSE the magazines fell free, and a soldier would have had to have his hand over the bottom of the magazine, snatch them out of the air, pick them up off the ground, or leave them behind. In short, for military users, it's an intended feature - not what civvies call a bug. Let me know if our current American small arms replacement program includes a requirement that our new rifles' magazines must drop free with the speed of gravity when the magazine release is pressed... Browning, BTW, since the advent of their MkII/MkIII last versions (about 35+ years ago) has been supplying purchasers of their new High Powers with magazines that are spring loaded - giving those who want to see magazines depart from the magazine well with the speed of a dragster leaving the starting line that apparently what they want to see. The militaries of the world have said "no thanks". Second, in my 30 years in the military as a small arms instructor, I trained hundreds, probably thousands of combat arms soldiers on the military FN - just as many other instructors also did. In all of those troops, I never encountered a single one, including the smallest females, who couldn't be shown how fire the pistol to drop the hammer without a magazine in place. But... you shouldn't need to join the military to be trained on how to do that; figure it out for yourself. Alternately, it's described in the original military pam for the pistol; go find and download it... good background corporate knowledge to bone up on when talking about the High Power platform. Third: the wails of anguish that "High Power triggers are terrible!" - reminds me of my salad days in the early 1970s when the same howls went up about new and surplus government spec 1911s and new S&W revolvers in general. Aside from the C series High Power that I bought in the early 70's (meaning, the actual classic High Power, not the MkII/MkIII that these knockoffs are patterned on), I once took my digital trigger pull gauge into the battalion lockup and measured the trigger pull on a couple of dozen of the WWII manufacture military High Powers. All of them still have the magazine disconnect they left the factory with in the 1940s. All of them had trigger pulls that measured around 5 lbs - as does my C series High Power that I've owned, fired, competed with, and is now my daily carry. Which, for a fighting handgun to be used while in a situation where you're pumped full of adrenaline due to the threat, being shot at, etc... is pretty much just about right. Fun fact, the M16 variants in the racks across from the High Powers had trigger pulls that all hovered around the 8 lbs mark. The military seems to feel that light trigger pulls are bad ideas on rifles specifically intended for fighting when intended to be used by troops in a TIC, same as for handguns. Anyways, imagine that! Turns out, just like brand new revolvers, government 1911s, etc, if you actually shoot and train with a new handgun, the parts that move against each other will smooth out. They smooth out even faster if you polish those contact points - in the case of the magazine disconnect, it's contact surfaces with magazines and internals. Might take a lazy man spending more time checking his Facebook feed than the job at hand about an hour to polish it up. I'm not going to tell people to either remove the magazine disconnect or leave it in place - you buy any version of this pistol (or the models of modern pistols built by S&W in the last couple of decades for American police, not French military) with a magazine disconnect, you do whatever you want that makes you feel better about the pistol you bought. If you want a 3 lb. or less trigger pull on a pistol no matter what you intend to do with it - you do that too... your pistol, your choice. But it's amusing to point out that 22 SAS, the Royal Marines, the SBS, FBI HRT when they carried Novak modified High Powers, the general militaries of the world like Australia, Canada, etc NEVER removed the magazine disconnect. In fact, when the Brits modernized their High Powers to add the much better fixed sights and ambidextrous safety of the MkII and MkIII versions, they still left the magazine disconnect in the pistols. And the trigger pull weight wasn't changed either; presumably a 5 lb-ish trigger pull was about what they wanted. 22 SAS and similar specialized units pretty much get pretty much what they want in the weapons they choose, and they have in-house gunsmiths to give them what they want as far as improvements on their weapons. By deciding they wanted the magazine disconnect still in place, is that proof that they aren't as smart as web forum and social media High Power experts? Just askin' - seems to be a legitimate question for the civilian experts. And that original FN safety - not the larger civilian MkII/MkIII safeties? The troops are taught to disengage it with the inside of their thumb joint when coming to the ready position... not to stab at it with the pad of their thumb as has become corporate knowledge here in America with the paddle safeties of 1911s. The advantage being that the small size allows you to put your thumbs wherever you want in the area of the safety. Might not work for civilian users, but worked good enough for the militaries of the world as well as specialized units like the SAS. To quote somebody here: "If you like this or not, I don't care..." I just did it for me after 50 years of familiarity with the platform both on the civvy and the military side... and holes in the information presented here needed to be filled in.
The fact that you typed all that out and made (mostly) reasoned arguments means I will take it as a compliment. Your professional experience differs from mine when dealing with the use of the handgun. Mine is based in US law enforcement and civilan training. Yours appears to be based on military service somewhere in another country? Either way the barbs kinda seemed unnecessary, but hey I have been called way worse by very dangerous people after 18 years of service so I can take it...
@@rdmfjones5421 Well, to quote a line you might recall: " "If you like this or not, I don't care..." The 'everybody knows' stuff earns it's own reward... certainly no different than the barb launched at our French allies regarding the magazine disconnect. The difference is, when you're in law enforcement you carry a lot and seldom shoot. When you go outside the wire in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc in full battle rattle, you KNOW that sooner or later you are going to be using what you're carrying. Most cops will retire saying they never fired a shot; after 20 years of being at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, very few who deployed there as combat arms will be retiring saying they never fired a shot. To reiterate: the only people that remove the magazine disconnect are Americans in a panic of angst over the trigger pull weight. Not the SAS of Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, etc. Not the Royal Marines or Special Boat Service. None of the line infantry of any of the 50+ nations that issued the pistol. No police force I'm aware of - including the FBI HRT that carried Novak modified High Powers. And if kitchen table gunsmiths can remove the magazine disconnect, then surely those militaries - or their top tier doorkickers - have gun plumbers on the premises that can do that for them. Or a gunsmith like Novak to do it for them. With all that uniformity throughout the world's military and the police who issue it in deciding to leave that magazine disconnect right where the manufacturer put it... seems there's a common belief that it's just fine. Figured out yet how to fire the pistol's trigger mechanism without a magazine in place and the magazine disconnect still in place?
@@NathanSF-qr2ds You know what, at the end of the day, it’s shot placement that counts. Yeah 45 is more powerful than 9mm. But you can still protect yourself with .380 hardball if you can shoot accurately. I just think that comparing two platforms in different calibers are apples to oranges.
@@christophermead9800 "Yeah 45 is more powerful than 9mm." Oh yeah.... and no difference between modern HP and/or bonded core service ammunition and good ol' .380 hardball. No difference if you're John Wick and you can snipe them right in middle of the head with that .380 loaded with FMJ bullets. If only that made it measurably more effective in terminal ballistics, than that might be true. But the manufacturers of service ammunition i.e. Federal, Speer, Hornady, Winchester say that real world differences in police use, there is no measurable difference no matter which of four current service calibers that a department chooses. Also no difference between bullet weights and whether +P or not. Of course, they could be lying despite the fact most of them sell .45 ACP service ammunition for slightly more than 9mm. If so, those who don't trust them when they say no difference should never buy their ammunition for self defense.
I'm kinda a 1911 snob. Been shootin them for over 50 years. Used them to protect myself in Vietnam. My son is a 9mm guy he bought me a SA35 I've been shooting reloads through it. It's runs flawless and is much more accurate than I thought it would be I've shot 3k rounds through it can't put it down. My only complaint is I wish the safety was I bit harder to take off..I might fix that in the near future
After watching 20 ish sa35 reviews. Yours is the best. Already ordered one and can’t wait to take it for a ride.
Hope you enjoy it!
I like everything you’ve done to make this a video that has actually demonstrated every possible way to use this firearm, and the fact that you, like me do things your way for yourself.
Agree completely. In fact, for it was all the BHP's shortcomings, I never bought a BHP. I bought a Springfield armory SA-35, recently and it has performed brilliantly. +1 ditto.
Giving my age away, I saw "Serpico" in the theater as a new movie!
Even tho' I've been a dedicated 1911 guy since 1972, I've always liked Hi Powers.
Having listened to this, RDMF is a perfect description.
Great video my friend. I can totally relate to the idea of getting rid of every Hi-Power I have had up until this point. But... I have been reading a lot about the SAS and so I felt it necessary to go buy one of the new Springfield SA-35 pistols .
Thanks for your hard work on this topic.
I have a Sa-35 it shoots very well, I have not had any issues with it like some people have had.
My first centerfire pistol was a Browning HP I bought in the early 90's. It just feels so natural in your hand to point and shoot. I was recently at a gun store and they had the new SA35. Kind of like test driving a new car I made the mistake of handling it in the store and now I own it! I have no regrets (until my wife finds out 😂), it's very well made and a classic design.
Just bought one today. I have zero experience with Hi-Power type pistols, but I bought one today after not even being in the market for one a week ago. I took it straight to the gun range after two hours of bringing it home and swabbing out the barrel before shooting it. I ran 75 trouble free rounds through it with no issues. This looks like it's going to be a fun gun with no buyers remorse whatsoever. I've put so much money into older collectable Smith revolvers lately. It's great to buy a fun gun for under $700 and not worry so much about it. Plus, it's bringing me into the Hi-Power platform for well under a grand.
I picked one up last January. Like you said I wanted a all metal gun I could carry and for the nostalgia
I bought one today, always wanted a Hi-Power.
I got my SA35 last September. I've owned a BHP since 1986-7 so I have some experience with the original. I still have the BHP although I've had it tuned up at Terry Tussey Gunsmithing in 2014. The SA35 shoots fine and with a serial number in the mid 12,XXX, I believe the initial issues were addressed. I carry the SA35 occasionally, and it takes nightstand rotation in my bedroom. I've had a gunsmith clean up the trigger to eliminate the creep so it has a decent trigger and good ergonomics. I like the SA35 and it's a keeper.
Probably not as cool as a Tussey worked over original one though! But I appreciate the feedback.
I never knew I wanted a SA-35 until I handled it about 6 months ago. It took me a few months before I took it to the range but OMG it hooked me from that point. I love my 1911’s and Glocks but this thing was amazing. I had to work at missing the mark on the target. It naturally aimed very good. They are hard to find but if you find one buy it, you won’t regret it. By the way great review.
Ill be honest bro, I just got back from the range today with my new SA-35. Its in the 35k ranges serial number wise so I'm really hoping the problems these guns had in the first batches has been ironed out by now by Springfield.
I also want to add this is my first BHP clone BUT I am an avid shooter who has carried and or trained with almost every platform of pistol there is. From revolvers to 1911's to striker fired handguns. Pistols with fixed barrels and tilting barrels and multiple types of grip angles and sights. I'm pretty well rounded.
I think this gun was one of my best performers. I generally stick to 1911's but I am pretty pleased with the SA-35. The trigger is not all that bad. Without the mag disconnect safety it has like a 5 lb trigger pull with a nice break and not much slop at all. The rest however is not AS GOOD, but still usable. I noticed most my shots the trigger reset very positively and I could both hear and feel it very well, but every 5-6 rounds I would notice almost NO noticeable reset on the trigger and it was making me hesitate. Because I was working that trigger and I just wouldn't get a click now and again. Ide slowly pull the trigger thinking it was dead still and nope it fired off. No issues just a little bit of a weird reset on the trigger it seems.
No extraction issues, no stove pipes and no errors of any kind impeding my ability to shoot. I was pleased with the accuracy, it performed very well. I will say it feels a tad more back heavy than a 1911. The 1911 is way better balanced over all. The recoil impulse on the BHP isn't bad at all, but it can have more muzzle flip from the way the weight of the gun is spread out. Just means you gotta really drive it out that and keep a good hold on it to keep it all the way flat. Its not hard to control, its just a tad more flippy than a standard 1911 is IMO.
Great video. I appreciate your attention to detail and the way you articulated your experiences. Thank you.
I appreciate that!
Last fall I purchased a Springfield sa-35 and a girsan mc-35. The springfield trigger was so rough and gritty that I ended up taking it ti a gunsmith to smooth it out. Now it runs fine. I had the mc-35 mag safety removed to improve the trigger pull. I find the springfield shoots below point of aim and the front sight on the girsan keeps drifting to the left. The slim grip on the springfield feels better, in my small hands than bulky grip on the girsan
Used an Inglis HP and an FN HP in the forces in the 80s and 90 and had my own FN mk2 for competition use, none of the 3 problems you identified were ever a problem, although I had better sights on my own FN. In the UK the government stole our legaly owned auto pistols from us.Would love an SA35 or Tissas right now. 🤤. Thanks for the review.
Fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing this
In the move “McQ”, John Wayne went straight to a gun shop and bought a Hi Power to replace his Colt Python. He also commandeered a Mac10!
I only remember the MAC from that one! It stole the show.
Don't forget John Wayne bought one in McQ 1974 after all his Pythons got comfiscated!
I have a FEG Hungarian version of the Hi-Power, identical to the original design. It came without magazine safety, not sure if that is factory set. Bought it 25 years ago for 175 dollars. The only upgrade I have done to it is change the front and back sights. I replaced them with Heini sights, made custom wooden grips... It shoots very good and chugs any kind of ammo/brand without any problems
I have one. Wait for the ejection problem... it's coming.
The same sidearm I used in Panamá Guardia Nacional DENI.
@@gunsquawk4443 I have shot over 2,000 rounds and so far no problems at all, even in fast competition shooting events.
My FEG (1986 vintage) has a magazine disconect safety.
@@jaman878About 10 - 15 years ago, those FN licensed and built FEG's were being brought into the USA by Coles and a few others as truly screaming deals. The vast majority there wasn't much other than holster wear on them: carried for years, rarely fired.
Most were selling in the $150 - $200 range. The lightweight shorty Detective models sold for a little bit more. I should have put more effort into finding and buying a Detective, but at the time my C series was "good enough" in my eyes and I didn't want one bad enough. Now I want one - but I'm not willing to pay the price of one.
If I found one at a price that works for me, about all I would do is new springs throughout, better sights, and a classy refinishing job (which is kind of dumb for a carry gun carried out of sight... but it is what it is... life is too short for ugly handguns).
Really enjoyed your review.
Great review, now I want one even more
Great review! I have one too in the 20k sn range. Great gun!
Love my Springfield SA35 but loved the old Browning HP also except for noted issues primarily the trigger
Man......great review ....I live in California .....I don't know if their going to be available here .....if so I'm getting two of them !
Fingers crossed!
Great review!
Highpower has always been a beautiful design its just better after Springfield Armory got done modifying it to its present condition. I just got done buying one today and have had a smile on my face all day.
Right on
Beautiful pistol❤
Great review. I’ve owned a few hi powers back in the 80’s. Yes the only reason to wanna scrap the mag disconnect was because of the trigger. I always thought it was one of the most ergonomic guns out there. I’m considering buying an sa35 but I’ve seen numerous videos of extractor problems right around the 7 or 800 rnd count. Do know if Springfield armory has corrected that problem?
I am approaching 300 on mine now with no extraction issues. Turns out it is a great gun for a new shooter as well.
Am a collector and I buy some just to collect like the Browning Hi -Power and others just to shoot like my Glock pistols. For manual and magazine safeties? Not a fan of them.
I also have a Girsan Match. You should try one.
Very well done video. I subscribed.
Awesome, thank you
Another good thing about the SA35 is it say forged gun not cast , so it’s really good for a pistol you want to upgrade
Forged or cast: makes no difference compared to what you specify for the metal from a metallurgy point of view. Absolutely no reason these knockoffs couldn't have been patterned on the slightly slimmer and lighter original T and C series High Powers, whether cast or forged.
The Canadians (and others) are still using their original WWII T series handguns 75+ years since they left Inglis to go to the regiments that are still using them in the 1940s. Those High Powers have shot nothing other than STANAG 9mm ball intended more for submachine guns than pistols throughout that time. STANAG ball ammo is pretty close to what SAAMI considers +P ammunition. Urban legend has it that will destroy cast High Powers.
If cast were somehow inferior, the militaries of the world like the Canadians would have shot those High Powers into trash to be condemned decades ago. But then... militaries do crazy things like inspect their weapons once a year, including gauging the springs and replacing them when they're out of spec. I bet most of the High Powers in civilian use have never had the recoil spring replaced - just as most of these clone knockoffs never will have their springs replaced.
Those buying any of the current knockoffs - or any other semiautomatic pistol - can ensure the longevity of their pistols by at least changing the recoil spring at reasonable intervals that match the amount of shooting they do. I change mine once every year - the springs are very inexpensive.
I'm watching a video which purports to be about the Springfield SA-35 and more than 12 minutes in, I haven't heard one word about that pistol.
Well, should I buy a Hi-Power? Yep! I just did! Waited a year for Springfield to work out the kinks. It’s a great companion to my three Berettas, M9, M9A3 and 92S, Glock 19 and 48 and Sig M17! Ohh yeah, it’s also great alongside my Mil-Spec 1911, made by the same company.
I bought a Springfield Armory sa-35 and I have had to send it back to them 4 times, (they still have it) for FTF and FTE issues. I've tested it with 5 different mags, and 3 kinds of 9mm ball both 115 and 124 gn ammo. The gun does have a low serial number, mid 800's but that should not make a difference. I hope this 4th trip to the zoo fixes it. I have a Turkish model also and I have not had any jams or other malfunctions. Choose wisely folks.
I called Springfield Armory last week and they emailed back that they would send me a new SA 35 in the next few days. They also said they could only do this once. They also said I could trade up to another pistol and pay the difference. I just elected to have another P 38 with a higher serial number. Will keep you informed on the outcome.
@@nursesteve12 your original SN falls in that early group that had extraction issues.
The extraction issues appear to set in around the 300-800 round count.
I just watched a newer sn# model in another video and the txtractor on it looks like it sits taller in the frame.
I’m curious how the replacement treats you.
Id love to buy one but I’m doing my homework now.
@@h.r.puffnstuff8705 They sent me a new gun and it seems to work better. 25 rounds through it and no ftes. I am babying it and lubing the hell out of it. Stay tuned for more info after another range outing.
The new Turkish girsan match & tactical models don't have the magazine disconnect safety. And have target sights. And most are very reliable.
if that is the case I will have to check them out! thanks!
@@rdmfjones5421 The Girsan standard model has a magazine safety (I have this one and promptly removed it), The MCP-35 Ops has modern features (Optic cut and light rail) and no Mag disconnect safety. The nice thing about Girsans is that old Hi-Power parts and most BH Springs upgrades work as well
@@desertsoldier41 None of the elite units like 22 SAS, Royal Marines, SBS, etc nor any of the world's militaries using the original T series High Powers replaced the magazine safety. For the Brits, that included not removing it when they upgraded their High Powers with MkII/MkIII sights and ambidextrous safeties. Nor did they replace their existing magazines with the spring loaded magazines Browning has had OEM on High Powers that would reliably drive the magazine out of pistol and into the sand, mud, jungle, or whatever was at your feet.
Presumably, while civilian users like none of that, the military of the world throughout the service life of the High Power seems these are features - not bugs as civilians believe they are. But civilians are in the majority playing shooting range games, while the SAS and others are going to war.
Most of those military and civilian T and C series High Powers have a smooth five lb. trigger pull after some training and use. Apparently the military believed and continues to believe that's just about right for a handgun used in a TIC by a soldier driven with adrenelin. M16 variant service rifles have trigger pulls generally around eight lb. in comparison.
Since you only make these videos for yourself, I decided to annoy you and subscribe. 🤪Bought an SA-35 a few months ago, SN 26xxx. Agree with everything you said in the vid.
I will give you a pass on the annoying part! Good luck with your pistols!
Indian Jones uses one twice in two scenes of "Raiders of the Lost Ark".
I just saw a video on that. I forgot all about it.
@@rdmfjones5421 probably the same video I watched.
Tisas isn't available.
Thank you for your video, realy liked it. I love the hi power and have been a fan for the past 20 years the Girsan mpc 35 and the Tisas are outstanding and much better than the Springfield.
Thanks for sharing
The solution to your hi power complaints would have been a CZ 75 carried cocked and locked, if you could wait till somewhere around the time they were imported, 1991-92 ? My SA 35 keeps my original CZ in the safe….mostly because the sights suck….gunsmiths suck at putting good sights on the CZ slide….now the new CZs many great choices…..the S A 35 needs 18.5 # recoil spring….for more reliability ! Ya got me grumpy, Thanks
1911 or nothing.
It’s hipower all the way
Better than average knowledge of the platform, but lots of fails. Lack of corporate knowledge of the platform, and it shows. But all in all, an entertaining video.
BTW, that isn't an original High Power that you're using as your example - those are MkII/MkIII originals and earlier copies that this SA is patterned from. Not the original T and C series High Powers they replaced. The later versions are a little heavier, slightly bigger, and less svelte in the hand - something those who have never owned a version prior to their MkII/MkIII High Powers will not know.
"The damn mag safety", repeatedly. First, the idea that it's terrible that the magazine doesn't dive to the jungle floor, trench floor, etc when you push the magazine disconnect? That's a Bad French Idea from a Bygone Era? Seriously? Some of our good ol' home grown American ignorance on display?
Does that happen with the modern service rifles of the USA and the other militaries of the world - push the magazine release and the magazine instantly plummets to the sand beneath your feet or the mud in the bottom of a ditch in a grape field in Afghanistan? Rattle down to the bottom of a staircase you're climbing in Fallujah while clearing houses of hajjis? That "bygone French era"?
No - because unlike civvies who have never had all expenses paid trips to the two way rifle range, those of us in the military STILL want to KEEP magazines to be available to recharge with more ammunition when we have the chance. Rifle or pistol of any make or model; don't care, same-same. TICs can last a LOT longer than a gunfight with a carjacker in the Walmart parking lot. Originally, removed magazines got stowed in a pocket or inside our shirts; now we have dump bags. A partially used magazine went back into a different pouch when replaced with a fully charged one ('tactical reload' or something like that for the IPSC/IDPA game guys?).
Civilians that play gun games or perhaps may do one magazine change in a self defense situation if the first 16 or so rounds doesn't carry them to the end may not care. The militaries of the world who do carry the handgun into harms way certainly DO care.
Fun High Power trivia fact, the last development prototype of what became the FN High Power was the 'Grand Rendement' just two years earlier. Looked almost identical except for slightly smaller magazine capacity and had a magazine disconnect, BUT designed so the magazines fell free. It was rejected by several militaries including the Belgian BECAUSE the magazines fell free, and a soldier would have had to have his hand over the bottom of the magazine, snatch them out of the air, pick them up off the ground, or leave them behind.
In short, for military users, it's an intended feature - not what civvies call a bug. Let me know if our current American small arms replacement program includes a requirement that our new rifles' magazines must drop free with the speed of gravity when the magazine release is pressed...
Browning, BTW, since the advent of their MkII/MkIII last versions (about 35+ years ago) has been supplying purchasers of their new High Powers with magazines that are spring loaded - giving those who want to see magazines depart from the magazine well with the speed of a dragster leaving the starting line that apparently what they want to see. The militaries of the world have said "no thanks".
Second, in my 30 years in the military as a small arms instructor, I trained hundreds, probably thousands of combat arms soldiers on the military FN - just as many other instructors also did. In all of those troops, I never encountered a single one, including the smallest females, who couldn't be shown how fire the pistol to drop the hammer without a magazine in place. But... you shouldn't need to join the military to be trained on how to do that; figure it out for yourself. Alternately, it's described in the original military pam for the pistol; go find and download it... good background corporate knowledge to bone up on when talking about the High Power platform.
Third: the wails of anguish that "High Power triggers are terrible!" - reminds me of my salad days in the early 1970s when the same howls went up about new and surplus government spec 1911s and new S&W revolvers in general.
Aside from the C series High Power that I bought in the early 70's (meaning, the actual classic High Power, not the MkII/MkIII that these knockoffs are patterned on), I once took my digital trigger pull gauge into the battalion lockup and measured the trigger pull on a couple of dozen of the WWII manufacture military High Powers. All of them still have the magazine disconnect they left the factory with in the 1940s.
All of them had trigger pulls that measured around 5 lbs - as does my C series High Power that I've owned, fired, competed with, and is now my daily carry. Which, for a fighting handgun to be used while in a situation where you're pumped full of adrenaline due to the threat, being shot at, etc... is pretty much just about right. Fun fact, the M16 variants in the racks across from the High Powers had trigger pulls that all hovered around the 8 lbs mark. The military seems to feel that light trigger pulls are bad ideas on rifles specifically intended for fighting when intended to be used by troops in a TIC, same as for handguns.
Anyways, imagine that! Turns out, just like brand new revolvers, government 1911s, etc, if you actually shoot and train with a new handgun, the parts that move against each other will smooth out. They smooth out even faster if you polish those contact points - in the case of the magazine disconnect, it's contact surfaces with magazines and internals. Might take a lazy man spending more time checking his Facebook feed than the job at hand about an hour to polish it up.
I'm not going to tell people to either remove the magazine disconnect or leave it in place - you buy any version of this pistol (or the models of modern pistols built by S&W in the last couple of decades for American police, not French military) with a magazine disconnect, you do whatever you want that makes you feel better about the pistol you bought. If you want a 3 lb. or less trigger pull on a pistol no matter what you intend to do with it - you do that too... your pistol, your choice.
But it's amusing to point out that 22 SAS, the Royal Marines, the SBS, FBI HRT when they carried Novak modified High Powers, the general militaries of the world like Australia, Canada, etc NEVER removed the magazine disconnect. In fact, when the Brits modernized their High Powers to add the much better fixed sights and ambidextrous safety of the MkII and MkIII versions, they still left the magazine disconnect in the pistols. And the trigger pull weight wasn't changed either; presumably a 5 lb-ish trigger pull was about what they wanted.
22 SAS and similar specialized units pretty much get pretty much what they want in the weapons they choose, and they have in-house gunsmiths to give them what they want as far as improvements on their weapons. By deciding they wanted the magazine disconnect still in place, is that proof that they aren't as smart as web forum and social media High Power experts? Just askin' - seems to be a legitimate question for the civilian experts.
And that original FN safety - not the larger civilian MkII/MkIII safeties? The troops are taught to disengage it with the inside of their thumb joint when coming to the ready position... not to stab at it with the pad of their thumb as has become corporate knowledge here in America with the paddle safeties of 1911s. The advantage being that the small size allows you to put your thumbs wherever you want in the area of the safety. Might not work for civilian users, but worked good enough for the militaries of the world as well as specialized units like the SAS.
To quote somebody here: "If you like this or not, I don't care..." I just did it for me after 50 years of familiarity with the platform both on the civvy and the military side... and holes in the information presented here needed to be filled in.
The fact that you typed all that out and made (mostly) reasoned arguments means I will take it as a compliment.
Your professional experience differs from mine when dealing with the use of the handgun.
Mine is based in US law enforcement and civilan training.
Yours appears to be based on military service somewhere in another country?
Either way the barbs kinda seemed unnecessary, but hey I have been called way worse by very dangerous people after 18 years of service so I can take it...
@@rdmfjones5421 Well, to quote a line you might recall: " "If you like this or not, I don't care..." The 'everybody knows' stuff earns it's own reward... certainly no different than the barb launched at our French allies regarding the magazine disconnect.
The difference is, when you're in law enforcement you carry a lot and seldom shoot. When you go outside the wire in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc in full battle rattle, you KNOW that sooner or later you are going to be using what you're carrying. Most cops will retire saying they never fired a shot; after 20 years of being at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, very few who deployed there as combat arms will be retiring saying they never fired a shot.
To reiterate: the only people that remove the magazine disconnect are Americans in a panic of angst over the trigger pull weight. Not the SAS of Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, etc. Not the Royal Marines or Special Boat Service. None of the line infantry of any of the 50+ nations that issued the pistol. No police force I'm aware of - including the FBI HRT that carried Novak modified High Powers.
And if kitchen table gunsmiths can remove the magazine disconnect, then surely those militaries - or their top tier doorkickers - have gun plumbers on the premises that can do that for them. Or a gunsmith like Novak to do it for them.
With all that uniformity throughout the world's military and the police who issue it in deciding to leave that magazine disconnect right where the manufacturer put it... seems there's a common belief that it's just fine.
Figured out yet how to fire the pistol's trigger mechanism without a magazine in place and the magazine disconnect still in place?
I disagree that the P35 made the 1911 obsolete. 13+1 rounds of 9mm is different than 7+1 of 45 auto. Two different animals.
and what about 9+1 rounds of 9mm? evens it out a bit don't it
@@NathanSF-qr2ds You know what, at the end of the day, it’s shot placement that counts. Yeah 45 is more powerful than 9mm. But you can still protect yourself with .380 hardball if you can shoot accurately. I just think that comparing two platforms in different calibers are apples to oranges.
@@christophermead9800 "Yeah 45 is more powerful than 9mm." Oh yeah.... and no difference between modern HP and/or bonded core service ammunition and good ol' .380 hardball. No difference if you're John Wick and you can snipe them right in middle of the head with that .380 loaded with FMJ bullets.
If only that made it measurably more effective in terminal ballistics, than that might be true. But the manufacturers of service ammunition i.e. Federal, Speer, Hornady, Winchester say that real world differences in police use, there is no measurable difference no matter which of four current service calibers that a department chooses. Also no difference between bullet weights and whether +P or not.
Of course, they could be lying despite the fact most of them sell .45 ACP service ammunition for slightly more than 9mm. If so, those who don't trust them when they say no difference should never buy their ammunition for self defense.
This review is to be on the new SA but you waste half the review on bashing the original design 🤦🏻♂️