FN High Power vs Browning Hi Power vs Springfield SA-35

[shooting on a shoestring]

Wow these are some weird times we’re living in!

So FN has its new High Power out to replace the discontinued Hi Power just a few months after Springfield started making their SA-35. I was an early buyer of the SA-35 and there’s a thread on here comparing my SA-35 to my Browning Hi Power (BHP). Not sure yet if I’ll be buying the new High Power, but if I do I’ll take a few pics and share my thoughts. If someone can beat me to it, please do.

Just looking at the FN website and Shot Show ads, I see a spark of hope here. The FN High Power MSRP is $1369. The SA-35 MSRP is $699. I was disappointed with the SA-35 in the sloppy barrel to slide fit (0.013” clearance on mine) and the resulting large group size. I’m optimistic the high priced High Power could have room in its price tag to accommodate a much better job of machining and barrel fitting, and smaller groups coming out of its muzzle.

I also see the FN High Power barrel does not have the traditional locking lug design but uses the squared off breech design. I see that as a good thing. The locking lug design requires some hard to do machining inside the slide. And that’s also a weak point for wearing out an original BHP firing heavy loads.

I think the FN High Power went overboard with the take down lever and the ambi-slide release. But I’m glad to see the ambi-safety.

More magazine capacity is really not a selling point after 15 rounds so I’m not impressed with 17.

No magazine disconnect, good.
Sounds like trigger pull weight is in a good range 5 lbs or so.

The sight dove tail cuts are for FN 509 sights. Sounds like a proprietary dove tail cut, but I’m just inferring that.

40 ounce pistol. That’s a heavy one for now days.

I’m wondering who their target market is?
Sure I’m interested…in one.
But who else would be interested? First time buyers? Someone using it for nightstand duty? Police agencies? Or maybe just as an alternative to polymer frame striker fired guns? Seems like an odd thing to try to sell a lot of now days. But I wish them the best.

I wonder if they’ll chamber it in 30 Super Carry?

[RKJ]

I've only seen pictures on the web but I'm not impressed. To me it looks blocky and uncomfortable. At first I was impressed with the round count but again not after I looked at the gun and price. FN could have made it like the Detective HP's or kept the original and had a good seller (maybe not, they did discontinue the HP for a reason) but in my opinion they missed the boat here. Time will tell.

[nicholst55]

Someone on another forum described the new FN High Power as the result of an original Hi Power and a Sig having a baby. I am not currently impressed by FN's latest and greatest, but I have yet to handle or even see one in the wild. The gun appears blocky and awkward, but time will tell.

[Bigslug]

Not being terribly impressed with the HP design in the first place. . .

It looks like they cut out the rear of the frame as if to install a 1911-style grip safety, but changed their minds at the last minute and then filled it back in.

Too bad really. They could have used that to install a 1911 style sliding trigger and done away with the HP's HORRIBLE teeter-totter fire control system.

It at least LOOKS like they may have gone back to the original 1911-like internal extractor. Since I'm currently in the throes of dealing with weaknesses in that area on an FEG clone, I think ANY change in that department is to the good. If nothing else, you should now be able to work on an troubleshoot extraction issues without first having to remove the HORRIBLE teeter-totter.

I dunno. . .given that there are 9mm 1911's, and also high-capacity 1911/2011's with MUCH better (or at least more proven) guts inside, I'm pretty solidly in the "WHY?" camp on this one.

[376Steyr]

I'm thinking more along the lines of New Coke, the Mustang II, and the Star Wars prequels. Because slapping a respected name on a product doesn't automatically make it good.

[FergusonTO35]

I think that FN is smart enough to realize that the new High Power is not going to unseat the Glock 17 as the reigning world standard for 9mm pistols. I also think they are keenly aware that this pistol is not going to set any sales records. The high sticker price is going to prevent that from happening all by itself. Rather, I think FN has determined that there is a demand out there, however small, for a high quality single action auto pistol that is not a 1911. If FN does this gun right and the quality and accuracy is up to par, I could see it being one of those guns that commands serious respect and admiration, even if most of us don't cough up the cash for it. In other words, like the Sig P-210.

[am44mag]

SA's Hi-Power is an updated Hi-Power clone that shares a lot of parts comparability.

FN's Hi-Power is not a Hi-Power, it only looks like one. It shares no parts comparability, it is a completely different gun by FN's own admission, and it's MSRP is double that of SA's clone.

If you want an actual Hi-Power, buy SA's clone or an original. Also, from what I've seen. The fit and finish of FN's "thing" is lacking. The SA clone on the other hand looks quite nice. I don't know who FN's target market with that new "Hi-Power" was. It seems like they already pushed away the main people who would pay that much for a Hi-Power by not making it an actual Hi-Power. Most other shooters aren't going to pay that price for a lookalike that's basically just a large, heavy 9mm.

[Greg S]

Am44mag... I was just gonna state that FN 'updated pistol has alot of new proprietary parts not interchangeable with the older FN P35s, Browning Mk1-3 or SA P35

[gwpercle]

I cut out a full page color photo of that Springfield SA-35 ...
It is one Drop Dead Gorgeous thing to look at ...
If I wasn't 72 and blind in one eye and have glaucoma ... I would be all over that Sweet Looking thing .

Getting old sucks ... I remember when I put up pictures of Girls I couldn't have ...now it's guns I'll probably never have ... But at least I can admire the Blue Steel and Walnut , so good looking !
Gary