HiPowers Are Back!

[BarryinIN]

The world’s best handgun…

The handgun designed to fit the human hand…

The handgun carried by the coolest people…

The glorious, celebrated, loved, and admired Browning HiPower…

Is back.  
 

But not from FN/Browning.   

Springfield Armory is making them right here in the USA.   Or so they say here:

https://www.springfield-armory.com/sa-35-series-handguns/sa-35-handguns/
 

I swear I have ranted on here before that SA or Kimber should start making them, with the small changes it begs for (sights and thumb safety), maybe in stainless and a lightweight alum frame option, and actually TRY to sell them unlike Browning… but I can’t find it now.

My dream might be here.

Please, SA, don’t screw this up.  I won’t even comment that they didn’t extend the frame tang and used the most bite-prone hammer design because I’m so appreciative of this gift to the world.

I read rumblings of this a week or two ago but didn’t believe it.  Well, boy howdy doo, there it is.  

Shipping now, they say.   The local gun shop is closed today, but I pestered the owner’s son and found they don’t have any yet. He is going to start checking tomorrow.  I had another gun purchase in mind, but I might hold off on that one.

 

I do have to wonder about SA’s claim to making them in the US.  This could have changed, but they didn’t used to actually make any guns, at least not the way most people think of it.   The 1911s had the frames and slides made in Brazil by Imbel.   Entry level guns were more or less rebranded Imbels.  At the other end of the scale, the Custom Shop guns were made up from not-quite-finished frames and slides, machined and finished by SA.   The rest fell somewhere in between.   The XDs are made in Croatia and rebranded.  At least some rifles had their receivers made in Australia by ADI. 
So I have to wonder what the situation is with their HiPower.   I seriously doubt they invested in a total manufacturing process for them.  As much as I like the design, it’s not going to be the biggest seller.

 

But welcome back, wherever you’re from!

 

 

 

[wwillson]

Oh my goodness!!

I will absolutely buy one!  The Hi-Power has been at the top of my next gun list for years.  When I get it I will post pictures.

[BarryinIN]

I’ve heard that Brownell’s shows it in stock at $679.99.  I was hoping for better than MSRP minus $20, but I’ll see what I can shake out.  
 

Want to make that $680 from Brownell’s sound better?  
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/914387224

It started at one penny.  After 3.5 hours, it’s at $930.  Only six days, 20 and one half hours to go!

Ah, the first of a new gun to hit Gunbroker.  Always fun.  

OK, what I SHOULD wait for is an optics-ready model.  If it ever happens.   In stainless.  

[BarryinIN]

That one sold for $2525.  

Well congratulations, someone gets to say they are first.

[wwillson]

I don't need one that badly!!!

[BarryinIN]

I have five Browning/FNs.  Seriously, my cost for all five adds up to less than that.  And no, I didn’t buy them in 1970 either.  

[BarryinIN]

I've seen a couple reports of the firing stop being loosely fitted on these.  One claimed it dropped out when hand cycling the gun.  That would be a tricky thing to accomplish, but I suppose not impossible.

I've also seen one photo of the rear end of the slide that was poorly finished, with circular tool marks visible. I'm not too picky about wanting a gun's finish to be absolutely flawless, but I sure would not have accepted what I saw.

 

Being very early production guns, I am not a bit surprised to learn of issues like these. 

Also, being early production guns, I am not a bit put off from the SA-35 by it.  Things like this will happen.  I'd be more surprised if such a project went perfect from the start.  

 

The good news is maybe the selling price on these will now plummet to around $2,200.

[wwillson]

23 hours ago, BarryinIN said:

The good news is maybe the selling price on these will now plummet to around $2,200.

LOL!

I'll not be in the bidding for one at these prices.  Hopefully, the early production bugs will be out of them when I'm serious about buying at a realistic price.

[Astro14]

I genuinely want one of the SAs.  But they sold out so quickly that I am going to have to wait (Mrs. Astro was looking for Christmas present ideas, and this fit into her budget/plans).  Once G&A put it on the cover, we all knew it would be gone in minutes...

[BarryinIN]

And then there’s this:

 

[BarryinIN]

https://fnamerica.com/highpower/?fbclid=IwAR1ZS7ovUm4JQhVdD6zBsyynkrQ9c6qbFxTamLxHmaYVbpLSLphHZ5prWQ4
 

A 40 ounce single action 9mm that only vaguely resembles a BHP and has an MSRP of double the SA.   I’m not sure who the target audience is here.  

[wwillson]

Which will be better, the Springfield or the FN? 

[BarryinIN]

I think it will depend on what the buyer wants.
 If you want a classic HiPower with some improvements that make it easier to use- the SA.

I’m not sure who the FN will please.  I’m sure it could be a great functioning, good shooting gun.  It might, and should, have a great trigger. But it’s going to be chunkier feeling and heavier than an HP or most other guns in its class.  

[BarryinIN]

Today I got an In-stock Notice for SA-35s from Osage County Guns.  Yes, today, 51 weeks after the first post in this thread.   
 

They have two left.  
$849.99

No, I did not order one.  Not yet.  
 

https://osagecountyguns.com/springfield-armory-hp9201.html

 

[BarryinIN]

At the very least, I hope to handle one at the NRA convention in April.