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Retrohoplology
Oct. 30th, 2021 07:38 amWalk into any gun store in this country and you can't swing a proverbial dead cat without hitting some flavor of 1911. The Cult of Colt has kept the ancient .45 alive well past its centennial. However, another John Browning-designed* pistol improved on the 1911 (he said trollishly) and achieved equally-lasting international regard despite never gaining more than lukewarm acceptance in the U.S. I refer, of course, to the Browning Hi-Power, otherwise variously known as the Grande Puissance, HP-35, and GP-35. Licensed production and quasi-legal copies and derivatives proliferated internationally, and some have made it to our shores, but there hasn't been an American-built Hi-Power clone.
Until now.
Springfield Armory announced this week the SA-35, their take on the Hi-Power. From their own advertising and, more importantly, early pistolsmith reports, it is a faithful copy with full parts compatibility and a few key differences. Those differences include the factory omission of the magazine disconnect (a French military requirement in the original spec that contributes to the Hi-Power's greatest weakness, its mediocre trigger), a less-bitey hammer (never a problem for me, personally, but I don't have strangler's hands), a slight bevel to the magazine well for more reliable loading, and a more accessible factory safety. In short, Springfield's factory-spec pistol includes many of the improvements that the Hi-Power enthusiast community considers necessary for a reliable defensive pistol.
Springfield has a mixed reputation in firearms circles but their higher-end 1911s seem to be pretty well-regarded. Combine this with the fact that their own web page for the new gun is titled "SA-35 Series Handguns" (emphasis mine), and there's a certain implication that the initial release will be followed by additional variations. Possibly just different finishes, which still would not be bad... but I'm crossing my fingers for an optics-ready version or an SA-35 TRP. There are also a couple of Hi-Power variants that Springfield might decide to delve into, such as the "artillery" model with a detachable stock (have fun with that one, ATF) and the shorter-barreled "Detective" model from Argentina's FM.
This has my attention. The only development in pistol-world that could make me happier would be someone stepping up to release a lightly-modernized H&K P7...
* Technically, Browning did the initial design work before passing away. Dieudonné Saive of FN picked up the torch and finished the Hi-Power. Saive later designed the most beautiful battle rifle of the 20th Century, the FN-49, as well as the later and much more famous FAL. Dude doesn't get nearly enough name recognition.
Until now.
Springfield Armory announced this week the SA-35, their take on the Hi-Power. From their own advertising and, more importantly, early pistolsmith reports, it is a faithful copy with full parts compatibility and a few key differences. Those differences include the factory omission of the magazine disconnect (a French military requirement in the original spec that contributes to the Hi-Power's greatest weakness, its mediocre trigger), a less-bitey hammer (never a problem for me, personally, but I don't have strangler's hands), a slight bevel to the magazine well for more reliable loading, and a more accessible factory safety. In short, Springfield's factory-spec pistol includes many of the improvements that the Hi-Power enthusiast community considers necessary for a reliable defensive pistol.
Springfield has a mixed reputation in firearms circles but their higher-end 1911s seem to be pretty well-regarded. Combine this with the fact that their own web page for the new gun is titled "SA-35 Series Handguns" (emphasis mine), and there's a certain implication that the initial release will be followed by additional variations. Possibly just different finishes, which still would not be bad... but I'm crossing my fingers for an optics-ready version or an SA-35 TRP. There are also a couple of Hi-Power variants that Springfield might decide to delve into, such as the "artillery" model with a detachable stock (have fun with that one, ATF) and the shorter-barreled "Detective" model from Argentina's FM.
This has my attention. The only development in pistol-world that could make me happier would be someone stepping up to release a lightly-modernized H&K P7...
* Technically, Browning did the initial design work before passing away. Dieudonné Saive of FN picked up the torch and finished the Hi-Power. Saive later designed the most beautiful battle rifle of the 20th Century, the FN-49, as well as the later and much more famous FAL. Dude doesn't get nearly enough name recognition.