Springfield SA-35 Review & Hi Power MK3 Comparison - TheFirearmGuy

I bought a Browning HP back in the 90's, beautiful gun, hi polish bluing, walnut grips. I recently purchased a SA35 and am very happy with the quality. It's not as fancy as my older Browning, but very nice with a more practical finish for everyday carry. I will carry my SA35 six days a week and will carry my fancier Browning to Church on Sunday!😊

Crazy how German commandos carried these in WW2. Goes to show Browning was a genius, that even America's enemies valued the gun.

I just got an sa. 35 before Christmas, I absolutely love it. Very accurate, a dream to shoot, and comfortable to hold. I don't like the finish too much and will get it cerakoted and add a trijicon front sight.

Another gun on my list to buy. I love me some Springfield Always love it when I check my phone and see you've posted a new video!

Great video. I would love to have a Hi Power. But knowing the SA-35 is good, have improvements and costs much less, I would have one.

I've been carrying and shooting Hi-Powers for thirty years. I love the ergonomics and reliability. The downside has always been the miserable trigger, but that's a fairly easy fix and I'm pleased that SA addressed that and left out the damned mag safety that spoils the trigger on the original. What they are missing out on is creating an aluminum frame version for carry. FN made a few of these in the early 80s and I was lucky enough to find one. The steel frame is about 34/35 ounces, the aluminum frame is about 24 ounces bringing it down to about the same weight as a Glock 17/19. At that weight it becomes an excellent carry gun.

I have an SA35 and love it. Also have a Girsan MCP35 Match with flat trigger, no magazine disconnect and a MCP35 PI which has a 4 inch barrel, it has the magazine disconnect.

Excellent, accurate review as usual. I also own a Springfield Armory SA-35, purchased a few months ago and an old FN Hi Power MK3 (that actually has a Browning rollmark) plus an Argentine FM High-Power. Both of the older pistols have the epoxy finish that has scratched up badly but otherwise protects the metal. I like the older pistols but prefer the SA-35 for the same reasons you pointed out in the video. A collector might want a real FN but a shooter should get the SA-35.

👍👍appreciate your reviews Dan, they’re always well done.

Been looking at this pistol for a while. Glad you reviewed it!! Always appreciate your content!!

I lost count but I've bought a few you gave the thumbs up on and have not been disappointed. This one is next in line.

The Browning Mk 3 has a horrendous trigger pull because it has both a magazine disconnect safety and a firing pin block safety that both impinge on the trigger. The firing pin safety also makes disassembly of the firing pin difficult. The spur hammer on the Mk 3 also causes hammer bite whereas the rounded hammer does not.

Great review! Thanks, Dan. I have a Browning I purchased in 1974, which is one of my favorite handguns. After they discontinued them, I thought I would retire it to the gun safe and get one of the Tisas clones, which I did. And though the Tisas was a good gun and every bit a copy of the Browning, I just wasn't using it much and so I did what I very rarely do, and sold it. I still shoot the Browning occasionally, but not enough that I really needed to retire it. I rarely carry it anymore as I retired and now live in a very warm climate and the Browning (and my 1911s) are really too big and heavy to conceal with light clothing which I wear year 'round. On the rare day I need to wear a jacket or sweater, the Browning, or one of my 1911s, gets taken out for a walk. The Springfield looks like a great option for someone that wants the Browning High Power design. I think they have done a great job with fit and finish, and I love the grips! Even better than originals! Oh, and YES, it is a "biter". I have very large hands and the original Browning "rowel/ring" hammer is a wicked biter! I replaced mine with a spur hammer decades ago. The spur hammer of the MKII/MKIII was designed to eliminate that.

Dan, great thumbnail (and video). Your channel has come a long way since I first saw your videos when I was in middle school. Keep up the great work 👍👍

Thank you for the review. Current holster options include the Milt Sparks Summer Special II, Galco Combat Master and Summer Comfort, and the Mitch Rosen 5jr Express (on SA's site).

I finally got my SA-35, now it's off to the range!

I tried to purchase the SA 35 a couple of times. Three samples have come through my local gun shop. All three of them had substantial scratches on them and one had the front dovetailed sight hammered in an angle with the right part of the dovetail sticking out of the slide. All three were returned to Springfield by the gun shop and I have not seen another one locally. There must’ve been a batch of SA 35s with bad quality control before they left the factory. The original sample you have looks beautiful! As always, thank you so much for the video.

Thanks Dan for the video. I was not able to find a sa 35 but found a fn 2022 high power. First high power that I had shot so it felt very good.

cool video ! I seem to be going backwards in time, started with AR-15s and Glocks 19s, now I do have some nice Custom Shop 320s, but I have started liking nice 1911s and wood guns (esp Browning). Something about those old guns from years ago..... Thanks for the video !

Thanks, Dan. Nice video.. The range comparison should be fun.