In recent years, the High Power has seen a resurgence, thanks in large part to Turkish manufacturers who have not only produced copies of legacy High Power designs but also have updated the concept for the 21st century. In the "American Rifleman Television" feature segment above, we go behind the scenes at Girsan, which produces the MCP35 High Powers imported by European American Armory Corp.
" High Powers have always been a sought-after handgun. But they had gotten to the point where they were out of the average person's reach, let's say," EAA Corp. President Keith Bernkrant said. "And now I brought it back into a more affordable price and a quality product."
The first Turkish-made High Power clones came soon after Browning Firearms announced it would cease manufacturing the legacy design in 2018. These first guns bearing the Girsan name and imported by EAA bore a similar resemblance to the traditional High Power, but there were some notable updates, and later models only showed more modernization.
"In the Turkish market, the people also like this pistol very much. Of course, we have the original drawings or the original pistols we have," Girsan Factory Manager Zafer Capraz said. "We scan them, the 3D models we establish, but we try to make it better. We try to make it flawless."
Today, Girsan operates a modern, ISO 9001-certified factory in Giresun, Turkey, where it produces all of its firearms. In its mission to "improve the Turkish gun industry," the company has implemented the use of modern-day manufacturing practices and quality-control procedures.
"Our priority is always quality. And every day, we improve that," Girsan CEO Veysel Curgul said. "Our father showed the path. He wanted us to make that gun. And we wanted to grow the High Power business. We have realized that there is a gap in that P35 production and there are not many companies producing High Powers."
Today, Girsan produces dozens of different handgun designs that are imported by EAA. Among these are several different models on the tried-and-true High Power, each with its own set of unique features and design elements.
"I think that we fill the niche for people that want to collect them or someone that wants a very traditional handgun, and it wasn't available at a reasonable price," Bernkrant said. "And when it did come back with other companies, it was not, but we're producing a Girsan. We're either producing a copy of it as designed and as produced. Or a modernized version or tactical version."
In addition to its MCP35 line, Girsan also produces a range of other handguns for both the U.S. commercial market, as well as a number of military-contract guns for both Turkish and international customers. Some of the company's other products include its Regard, MC28 and Witness2311 lines.
"We've been in the business for 30 years, and the procedure has never been easy to reach that point," Curgul said. "We worked hard. We wanted to produce the guns that have been legendary in the past, such as 1911 and High Power. Because, as all of us know, legends never die."
To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.
