• SUBSCRIBE TO MAGAZINES
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
YOU MUST BE A VIP - WELCOME TO THE NEW ATHLON OUTDOORS SUPERSITE! We are excited you are here!!

TESTED: Is the JMB Classic Hi-Power Perfected in the Springfield SA-35?

ShareTweetPin
The Springfield Armory SA-35.
Will Dabbs MDbyWill Dabbs MD
May 2, 2022
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous is a holy gathering of gun nerds that takes place in the shadow of the Grand Tetons Mountain range every year in October. Manufacturers trot out their latest and greatest, while geeks like me get to paw over it all and claim it’s work. The super special treat for me this year was a certain retro classic from Springfield Armory and its SA-35.

The Springfield Armory SA-35

Did you ever just marvel at the technical brilliance of some remarkable contrivance? When I was a kid a telephone was as big as a sneaker and tethered to the wall. Nowadays there are 7.1 billion smartphones riding about in people’s pockets. 89.9 percent of the world’s population uses them. Times have certainly changed.

While we put-upon American gun owners are indeed pretty quick to gripe when our elected public servants strive to restrict our Second Amendment rights, ours nonetheless remains the most heavily armed population in human history.

A stroll through your local gun emporium demonstrates a simply breathtaking array of defensive firearms of literally all shapes and sizes. If you have human hands you can find a gun to suit your particular anatomy. If you don’t have human hands, then I am genuinely impressed with your reading comprehension skills.

Amidst all that cool stuff there yet remained one glaring omission. Modern guns can be had with frames crafted from polymer, steel or aluminum. The many-splendored nuances of barrel length, finish, magazine capacity, trigger and features are the spaces where dreams thrive or die.

However, up until now there was a single niche in the pantheon of modern handguns that was egregiously overlooked. Nobody in the United States made a production version of the one gun that birthed them all—the inimitable Browning Hi-Power. Thankfully, the good folks at Springfield Armory have just fixed that for us with their uber-cool new SA-35.

The Springfield Armory SA-35 being fired at the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous.

Mechanical Perfection

Some mechanisms are apparently flawless. The paperclip, the claw hammer, the mousetrap, Vise-Grip pliers and my wife leap to mind as proper examples of contrivances at the apex of their mechanical evolution. Those things simply cannot be improved upon. In the world of firearms, one mechanism likewise reigns supreme.

John Moses Browning was the most gifted firearms designer who ever lived. The great man had 128 patents to his name when he died of heart failure at the FN factory in Liege, Belgium, in 1926. Browning designed every rifle-caliber automatic weapon used by American forces during World War II. That guy was a gun-bodging savant.

An original wartime FN Hi-Power made under Nazi occupation is shown on the left alongside the new-production Springfield Armory SA-35.

His M1911 pistol had already changed the way the world made handguns. When tasked to craft a pistol and associated cartridge with which to arm American troops fighting radical Islamists during the Moro Insurrection in the Philippines around the turn of the 20th century, Browning simply took the European standard 115-grain 9mm bullet and doubled it. The resulting 230-grain .45 ACP sets the standard for combat handgun effectiveness even today.

The M1911 was a locked-breech, short-recoil handgun that operated via a pivoting link attached to the barrel. This mechanism was reliable, accurate and rugged. However, call me a heretic if you must, it still wasn’t quite perfect. In June of 1923 Browning filed a patent for what would ultimately become the Browning Hi-Power. This mechanism was apparently the pinnacle of handgun evolution.

That’s not hyperbole. Whether your favorite combat pistol has FN, Glock, HK, Canik, SCCY, Walther or Springfield Armory on the side, they all run off of the same basic short-recoil, locked-breech design pioneered in the Browning Hi-Power. This mechanism is fairly simple and yet remains sufficiently reliable to drive almost every modern combat handgun on the planet.

Technical Details

The SA-35 is classic Hi-Power tweaked ever so slightly for the Information Age. The barrel locks to the slide at the moment of firing via the linkless wedge system used by most of the world’s combat pistols. The interface between the slide and barrel does not require a bushing, while the left-sided magazine catch and slide release are in the perfect spots.

The left-sided thumb safety is very slightly enlarged over that of the original 1935-era Hi-Power. This appendage is larger than the original yet smaller than the later versions to come out of Belgium. I think it’s perfect. This switch is easily accessed yet small enough not to hang on stuff or get in the way.

The controls on the SA-35 (top) are tweaked slightly when compared to this 1943-production FN Nazi Hi-Power.

The original Hi-Power magazine carried 13 rounds. By the pre-war standards of the day this was a simply breathtaking capacity. However, nowadays we can do better.

The new Springfield Armory SA-35 packs 15 rounds into the same space. I have no idea how they pull that off. Magic, I guess. I tried these new magazines in a couple of my WWII-vintage Hi-Powers and they fit and function just fine there, as well.

The front sight is a fixed blade with a white dot, while the tactical rack rear sight is drift-adjustable for windage. Belgian Hi-Powers were available with all manner of fancy adjustable target sights, but such stuff leaves me clammy in a combat pistol. The sights on the SA-35 are perfect for its intended mission.

The finish is an attractive dull blue, while the grips are classic stained walnut. The overall aesthetic is utilitarian yet classy. For target work, service use, personal defense or concealed carry the SA-35 combines Information Age awesome with Old World combat chic.

Trigger Particulars

The trigger is simply delightful. The original single-action Browning Hi-Power trigger was hamstrung by a ghastly magazine safety. That first Hi-Power was designed as the result of a set of specifications for a new French combat handgun, so I assume that’s where the abominable magazine disconnect safety originated.

I have always been of the view that stuff that mechanically disabled my pistol was bad. The point here seems to be that if grappling for control of a handgun, then one might simply eject the magazine to render the gun inert.

My take is that there is a stronger probability that you might drop your magazine before the gun runs dry and have need of that round in the chamber before you might get the fresh mag in place. I dislike magazine disconnect safeties on basic principle.

This contrivance also originally conspired to taint the trigger slightly on those early guns. The new Springfield Armory SA-35 thankfully does away with that superfluous rascal. As a result, the SA-35 trigger is nigh heavenly.

The external ring hammer on the SA-35 is easily accessed and designed to preclude hammer bite. The end result is a gun designed to be carried in Condition 1 with a round in the chamber, the hammer back and the thumb safety engaged. This requires a certain level of gunmanship to be executed safely. However, the argument could be made that if you cannot manage your weapon safely in this state you might need a bit more practice.

The SA-35 is substantial without being bulky. It is a beautiful, svelte and elegant combat pistol.

Does She Run?

In a word, swimmingly. The SA-35’s trim architecture makes for comfortable carry, even concealed under something minimalist like shorts and a t-shirt. The gun falls into my hand like an old friend. The double-stack magazine drops free and yields a grip geometry not unlike Goldilocks. For me, it’s not too big and not too small, but rather just right.

As the frame is steel there is enough mass to easily gobble up recoil, so follow-up shots are smooth and fast. The friendly single-action trigger lends itself to both accuracy and comfort. Unlike the striker-fired guns that are so popular these days, there is little concern with trigger stacking or sponginess.

The SA-35 points naturally and runs like a crack-addled cockroach. By modern standards, the gun is substantial without being obese. The trim geometry makes it easy to pack, while the double-stack, single-feed magazine offers plenty of on-tap chaos.

There is no Picatinny rail on the dust cover. However, most concealed carry holsters do not readily accommodate lights or lasers anyway. The end result is smooth, sleek and svelte, the very image of the alpha combat handgun.

Oddly, the SA-35 suffered the rare failure to extract just with Remington 115-grain FMJ. It ran absolutely everything else flawlessly and shot plenty straight. Remington makes great ammo. Weird.

This is the world’s most perfect handgun action. Add that splendid single-action trigger and you synergistically create a delightful range experience. Should you ever find yourself reaching for the SA-35 while out where the wild things roam, you will be ideally equipped.

Performance results of the Springfield SA-35.

Ruminations

The Springfield Armory SA-35 fills a massive hole in the American gun culture. Little runs nicer, even today, and this svelte Old World, steel-framed smoke pole is made right here in the USA. This is, indeed, the gun that birthed them all.

If you’ve never run a Hi-Power before you should give it a try. John Moses Browning was a freaking genius, and his rarefied sense of mechanical brilliance graces every sensuous curve of the timeless Hi-Power. Combine this classic combat pistol with modern high-tech social bullets, and you have the ideal defensive solution for the security-minded shooter with an appreciation of the finer things.

I had wanted an SA-35 for years without even realizing it. I had a pair of Hi-Powers that rolled off the lines in the 1940s, but those were collectible guns, not working guns. By contrast, the Springfield Armory SA-35 is the Hi-Power you can actually use.

With an MSRP of $699, it is within financial reach of the typical American working man, as well.

For more information, visit Springfield-Armory.com.

Springfield Armory SA-35 Specs

Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 4.7 inches
Overall Length: 7.8 inches
Weight: 31.5 ounces (empty)
Grips: Checkered walnut
Sights: White-dot front, serrated tactical rack rear
Action: Single-action
Finish: Blued
Capacity: 15+1
MSRP: $699

This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns March/April 2022 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show

Ruger LC Charger Left

NEW for 2023: Ruger LC Charger Brings 5.7x28mm to Pistol Line

The CZ DWX Compact.

First Look: CZ DWX Compact Comes in a Concealed Carry Size

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: The Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

TRENDING

crimson trace, crimson trace lg-646, bersa thunder

Crimson Trace Laser Upgrades for Bersa, Glock Pistols

Marysville Police Armed Homeowner home invasion

Marysville Police: Armed Homeowner Perfect During Encounter with Suspect

desantis rail ryder, rail ryder, desantis rail ryder holster

DeSantis Rail Ryder: An Injection-Molded IWB Belt Clip

Texas School District Purchases AR-15 Rifles

Texas School District Implements AR-15s Into New Safety Protocols

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

I hopped back down into the drug tunnel, crawling back to the safety of the U.S. side of the border fence.

No Shit There I Was: Crawling Through A Drug Tunnel Into Mexico

“Hola!” I said in a semi-boisterous, oh-shit type of voice to the machine gun-toting Mexican federales (Mexican Police) as I...

RELATED POSTS

Father's Day Gifts for 2023.

10 Father’s Day Gifts for the Shooter in Your Life [2023]

...

Considerations of the crossdraw.

Does the Crossdraw Have a Place in Concealed Carry Methods?

...

The Magnum Tyler Desert Eagle.

Magnum Research Releases the Limited-Edition Tyler Desert Eagle

...

Load More

MOST POPULAR

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show

Ruger LC Charger Left

NEW for 2023: Ruger LC Charger Brings 5.7x28mm to Pistol Line

The CZ DWX Compact.

First Look: CZ DWX Compact Comes in a Concealed Carry Size

TRENDING

Auto-Ordnance “Commander in Chief.”

Auto-Ordnance Adds 2023 “Commander in Chief” AR to Trump Line

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show

The Magnum Tyler Desert Eagle.

Magnum Research Releases the Limited-Edition Tyler Desert Eagle

LONG RANGE PRECISION VIDEO SERIES

MORE VIDEOS

The Uzi and its long history in Hollywood movies.

Lights, Camera, Uzis: The History of Hollywood’s Uzi Love Affair

R. Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.

In His Own Words: How R. Lee Ermey Became Gunnery Sgt. Hartman

HANDGUNS

The Magnum Tyler Desert Eagle.

Magnum Research Releases the Limited-Edition Tyler Desert Eagle

Odin’s Workshop custom SAR9.

Hooked for Life: Odin’s Workshop Transforms SAR9 Pistol

Tisas 1911 Raider

Tisas 1911 Raider: The MARSOC-Inspired Raider Tribute Pistol

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite pistols

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite: Pistol Modularity Redefined

The Beretta 92XI SAO.

Beretta Expands Its Popular 92 Line with the 92XI SAO

Ruger LC Charger Left

NEW for 2023: Ruger LC Charger Brings 5.7x28mm to Pistol Line

RIFLES - click to see all

Daniel Defense Global War on Terror Rifle

NEW for 2023: Daniel Defense Global War on Terror Rifle Package

The Blaser R8 Ultimate Carbon Rifle Series

Blaser R8 Ultimate Carbon: Lightweight Hunting Machine in .22-500

Weatherby Model 307 action and rifles.

Weatherby Model 307: First New Weatherby Action in 50+ Years

The new Springfield Armory Saint Victor in tungsten grey finish.

Springfield Armory Adds SAINT Victor 5.56 in Tungsten Grey Finish

AMMO - click to see all

Federal Train + Protect 10mm

Federal Premium Adds 10mm to Train + Protect Line of Ammo

Testing the effective range of the .410 for hunting and survival.

So Just How Far is the Effective .410 Range for Hunting & Survival?

Two new Henry lever-action rifles chamber the Remington 360 Buckhammer.

360 Buckhammer: Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

Arsenal SAM7SF lead AK evergreen

Top 20 AK Rifles & Soviet Weapons

A collection of .45-70 loads for lever-action rifles.

Magnificent 7: Testing Seven of the Best .45-70 Cartridges

Back when the west was wild, coach guns were your best bet against unwanted threats.

Best Coach Guns: the Stow-N-Go Defenders You Want Riding Shotgun [2023]

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .