John Browning’s masterpiece 1911 remains a popular self-defense and concealed-carry handgun that sometimes overshadows his other masterpiece handgun, the High Power. Just as the slide and barrel of the full-size 1911 is sometimes shortened to make it more concealable, Springfield Armory is taking its SA-35 pistol and offering it with a shortened 4-inch barrel.
The idea to do a Commander-esque chop job on a High Power pistol originated with Argentinean manufacturer Fabricaciones Militares (FM). In the 1970s, the company introduced a “Detective” version of the High Power that they manufactured under license from FN, combining a shortened barrel and slide with a full-size frame. Unlike the original FM Detective, which had a 3.7-inch barrel, the new Springfield SA-35 uses a 4-inch barrel. This makes the pistol 0.7-inches shorter than a standard Hi Power, with an overall length of 7.1 inches and 1.7 ounces lighter at 29.5 ounces.
The remainder of the 4-inch SA-35’s features match the full-size version, which won a 2022 American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Award as Handgun of the Year. Frame and slide are made of forged carbon steel. Its cold hammer-forged barrel has an improved feed ramp design so that the pistol functions reliably with modern self-defense ammunition. The hammer has been recontoured to prevent “hammer bite.”
Sights consist of a front post with a white dot fit into a dovetail and a rear notched “Tactical Rack” with a serrated face. A factory-tuned, single-action trigger is paired with a left-side only thumb safety that is slightly enlarged to make it easier to disengage. The magazine disconnector of the original design is eliminated and magazines drop free. Magazines are of the standard High-Power pattern but have a 15-round capacity. One magazine is supplied with each pistol. The magazine well is beveled to aid reloading.
The initial versions of the 4-inch SA-35 have the matte blue finish and slim checkered walnut grips that Springfield’s original SA-35 had. And like the original SA-35, expect the 4-inch version to have additional finish options in the future.
The Springfield SA-35 4-inch has the same MSRP as the full-sized model at $799. For more information, see the company’s website.
