Springfield Armory SA-35: High Praise For The High Power

The Browning High Power is an iconic pistol. Developed in the 1920s and 1930s, first by John M. Browning and then later by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal, the gun has a legend of historic proportions. It was finalized in 1934 and released in 1935 as the P-35 and was used by various militaries. The Springfield Armory SA-35 is a direct descendant of the original High Power. Let’s look at a bit of history before looking at the gun itself.

Springfield Armory SA-35 9mm Pistol

Live Inventory Price Checker

	Springfield Armory SA-35 9mm Pistol	Rainier Arms	$ 769.95
	Springfield Armory SA-35 9mm 15-Round Magazine	GunMag Warehouse	$ 25.99
	Springfield Armory SA-35 9mm 4.70" 15+1 (Walnut/Carbon Steel)	Ammunition Depot	$ 685.49
	Springfield Armory SA-35 9mm 15 Round Magazine	The Mag Shack	$ 29.99

The Backstory

Many of my gun reviews are about modern firearms without much history, but since the High Power is such a storied pistol, I’ll break with my usual form and discuss some history.

 It all began in the mid-1920s. The French military wanted a new service pistol. That pistol had to meet several requirements:

• The gun must be compact.
• The magazine must have a capacity of at least 10 rounds.
• The gun must have a magazine disconnect device, an external hammer, and a positive safety.
• The gun must be robust and simple to disassemble and reassemble.
• The gun must be capable of killing a man at 50 m (55 yd). 

The last criterion dictated a bullet of at least 35 caliber, a bullet mass of around 120 grains, and a velocity of 1,100 f.p.s. All of these pointed to 9mm being the caliber of choice, especially since it was for the French military. The 9mm was popular in Europe. It was with these requirements in mind that FN commissioned John Browning to come up with a new pistol.

One problem was that he had to start over, as he had sold his 1911 design to Colt and therefore could not just duplicate that design for this pistol. He built two prototypes, one blowback-operated and the other a locked breech design. He duly applied for patents for these two guns in 1923. It was granted in 1927. Both pistols used the new staggered magazine arrangement invented by Saive… we call it double-stack. (Coincidentally, that’s where the High Power gets its name – its magazine held 13 rounds, an unheard of capacity at that time. Truly High Power!).

The story gets more involved. John Browning died in November of 1926, so Messr. Saive took over development of the pistol. The military had expressed interest in the locked-breech model, so that was the one chosen for further development. The Colt patents expired in 1928, so Saive incorporated some 1911 traits into this new pistol, such as similar take-down and a barrel bushing. 

In 1929, FN decided to cut to the chase and release a pistol that would stand on its own merits and hopefully be picked up by a military organization. The French were still deliberating on pistols, after all these years. FN settled on pursuing the locked-breech variation. They came out with the “Grand Rendement” – High Resource, evidently because of the 13-round capacity. By 1931, the gun had that capacity, a curved backstrap, and a barrel bushing integrated into the slide, after ditching the 1911 holdover parts. The Belgian military ordered 1000 of them for field tests, a good start. 

By 1934, the pistol was basically in the form we know today and had been adopted by Belgium and other nations. Funny… France went with a different pistol, but by then, FN didn’t care because they were selling them elsewhere. It was officially released as the “Grand Puissance” (High Power) in 1935 and was given the model number P-35. 

This was one of the few pistols to have fought on both sides during WWII, as the Germans took over the FN factory and had the guns produced for their Wehrmacht. But, FN had been cagey earlier when they could see the writing on the wall and had plans and designs sent to the John Inglis company in Canada, where the gun was also produced for the Allies.

That’s enough history. Now, let’s look at the Springfield Armory (SA) pistol before us…

Features

The SA-35 is a faithful reproduction of the original High Power, but with a few differences. It is important to note that parts are interchangeable, and that the original High Power magazine will work in the SA-35. The safety lever is different – it’s extended, and only on the left side of the gun. Also, the sights are different… they are larger and easier to acquire than those on the original.

Sights

Speaking of sights, here’s what we have on the SA-35. A front post with a white dot, and U-notch, Tactical-rack rear. These are definite upgrades over the original “bumps”.

Checkered Walnut Grip Panels

The grip panels are definitely old-school walnut with some well-defined checkering. I like the way they feel. Two coats of Tru-Oil on them bring out the grain and protect them.

Matte Blue Finish

No, it’s not Parkerized, but it is a matte blue finish that should withstand bumps and bruises well.

Recoil Spring

Here’s something I discovered by accident. The SA-35 spring is longer than that of the original gun and those of other clones being made today. This provides sure operation of the slide and practically guarantees good functioning. The original High Power spring is about an inch shorter than this one, as are most of today’s other clone springs. As I allude to below, please notice which direction the guide rod “loop” is pointing when you take it out, and replace it the same way. There’s a spring-loaded detent ball in the guide rod that grabs the slide release rod and needs to be oriented correctly. It usually will work the other way, but doing it right is best.

More Photos

Specifications

• Caliber 9mm
• Color Black
• Barrel 4.7″ Cold Hammer Forged, 1:10
• Slide Forged Carbon Steel, Blued
• Frame Forged Carbon Steel, Blued
• Sights White Dot Front, Serrated Tactical Rack Rear
• Recoil System SA-35™ Recoil Spring & Guide Rod
• Grips Checkered Walnut
• Magazines (1) 15-Round
• Trigger Pull 4 lbs., 5 oz. (measured)
• Weight 31.5 oz
• Length 7.8″
• Height 4.8″
• MSRP $799
• Variations: Tactical Gray, Coyote Brown (either, $859)

Quibbles

I don’t have enough quibbles to constitute a “con” listing, but there are a couple. The gun ships with one magazine. That’s it. Every other pistol SA sells (as far as I know or have had experience with) comes with at least two mags. One is all you get here. The pistol is solid, accurate, and reliable; I just wish it had a spare mag with it. You can order a SA-35 mag for about $30. Other 15-rounders are out there, as well. 

The other quibble has to do with the safety lever. On the other hand, High Power clones are out now, and the safety is on both sides of the gun. The original wasn’t ambidextrous, but beginning with the FN MkII, it was. I wish it and the slide release were replicated on the right side of the gun. That would allow this lefty to carry it when needed without resorting to gyrations to disengage the safety or to drop the slide. Because of that, I doubt if this gun will be carried much outside of my property.

Thoughts

I wasn’t quite sure what to call this section, so we’ll go with thoughts. I have some thoughts and opinions about this pistol that don’t fit elsewhere, so here goes. 

First, I had always wanted to shoot a High Power, but since I didn’t know anyone who owned one, that didn’t happen. I remember when SA brought the SA-35 out and how I thought I’d love to try one. Again, I didn’t know anyone with one. So, when the chance to get one for review popped up, I grabbed it. I really like this pistol. 

Why?

Because it fits. It fits my hand. It’s almost like a 1911 but a bit different. The grip angle is pretty much the same, and the grip is familiar… minus the grip safety. Takedown is way easier with no barrel bushing to mess with and no swinging link under the barrel. 

What else does it fit? It fits my old-timey idea of a full-size duty pistol.

I cut my shooting teeth about 50 years ago, before polymer was ever a gleam in its daddy’s eye, to use the old saying. I grew up shooting chunks of blued, hardened steel with real walnut grip panels attached. That was the standard. Do I like “modern” pistols? Of course. I own a bunch. It’s just that, when I first saw and then picked up the SA-35, I knew it had to come live with me – it reminded me of times gone by, a different era. Sometimes, that’s not a bad thing.

The grip panels are truly comfortable – checkered walnut is hard to beat. Again, the gun just fits. I knew when I picked it up for the first time, fresh out of the box, that I would sell a rifle or whatever so I could buy it, which I did. I don’t get that feeling with too many pistols. Recently, that feeling has crept up when I handled two other SA guns… their Echelon compact and their XDM Elite 10mm 4.5”. Both of those pistols now live with me.

Once you find a well-fitting pistol that is accurate and reliable, you run with it. So it goes with this SA-35.

Another reason the gun didn’t go back is its trigger. That under-5-pound single-action trigger is great… hardly any take-up and minimal creep, a clean break. It pretty much lets you put bullets where you’re looking — at least it will for a better shot than I am. Add in the very useful sights and you have a winner.

Take-Down

It’s easy. Remove the mag and make sure the chamber’s empty. Pull the slide back and lock the safety into the second notch. Push up on the slide release and press it out the left side. Release the safety and remove the slide. Separate the barrel and spring. When putting things back, make sure the spring guide rod is in the correct orientation, as I mentioned above. It goes back together easily. For shooters who may not be familiar with uncaptured (free) recoil springs, you just need to show it who’s boss and shove it into the channel. Line it up straight after it’s in and you’re good to go.

Target Time

I waited for the wind to calm down – it was going at a good 35 mph clip – and then set a large “shoot and see” target up at 25 yards at my backyard range. I gathered a small assortment of 9mm ammo and proceeded to “shoot for record” 10-round groups. Ten-round groups are my preference. You get more info than with 3- or 5-shot groups. 

Here are a few shots of the target corners…

Any of these loads would work for practice. Although not tack-drivers, they are all mostly shooting fairly close to the point of aim. The Armscor and the Winchester are closest to P.O.A.

It’s worth mentioning that some reviewers complain about the SA-35’s “beavertail” digging into their hand due to sharp corners, but I had no such experience. I have medium-sized hands; maybe that’s why I came away blood-free. No hammer bite, either – the hammer used is a round one, not a spur variety. That helps.

Conclusion

The Browning High Power has been around for 90 years. It has been used by many military organizations and thousands of civilian shooters since its introduction in 1935. Although it’s undergone some minor upgrades, the current High Power is still recognizable as such. Springfield Armory’s SA-35 is one of the more refined clones on the market. They upgraded the sights and the trigger, put a nice matte finish on it, and extended the safety lever. They also added some spiffy walnut grip panels. The gun is handsome and is a shooter. I know I’m glad I finally own a well-made tribute to the venerable High Power, I believe I’ll keep this one and NOT sell it to buy something else!

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About Mike Hardesty

With experience spanning over 45 years, Mike Hardesty has long enjoyed shooting and reloading. An inveterate reloader, he casts bullets and reloads for a diverse array of firearms, each handled with long-practiced precision. Living in rural Indiana, his homestead boasts a personal 100-yard range where he shares his love for guns to his four sons, their wives, and eleven grandchildren. As a recognized author, his writings have been featured in notable platforms like Sniper Country, Bear Creek Arsenal Blog, Pew Pew Tactical, TTAG, Dillon Precision’s Blue Press, and Gun Made, revealing his ongoing passion for firearms at the age of 72.