Rifleman Review: EAA MCP35 PI Ops

One of the leaders in the modern High Power market is Turkish manufacturer Girsan, which imports a number of High Power clones through European American Armory Corp. Recently, the company's taken its High Power designs a step further with the MCP35 PI Ops, which builds in a number of upgrades that High Power fans have wanted for a long time. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" Rifleman Review segment above to see the details of this shortened-up High Power.

"Those who are familiar with the High Power market of the last few decades, there was a High Power that came out of Argentina," American Rifleman Executive Editor Evan Brune said. "It was made by a company called FM, and they called it the Detective. So the PI name's a little bit of a play on what we've got here, which is a shortened slide compact High Power. This is the MCP35 PI Ops."

Unlike most High Powers and High Power clones on the market, the Girsan MCP35 PI Ops is equipped with a short barrel measuring just 3.88" long, making it much more compact and easily carried than most duty-size High Power models available today. The gun is still built with a steel frame and slide, and there's a three-slot Picatinny accessory rail located on the frame's dustcover.

"Girsan is the first company to come to market with a shortened up High Power, since the Argentinian company FM made their High Power way back when," Brune said. "But, Girsan being Girsan, they couldn't just leave it there. They had to take it up yet another notch."

Other upgrades include a flat-faced trigger with a short travel and clean break, as well as an optics-ready milled slide that accepts red-dots of the Shield RMSc footprint. The gun also comes with a rowel hammer, upgraded G10 grips and bilateral safety levers. One of the biggest upgrades, though, is built into the back of the frame. This MCP35 PI Ops High Power has a generously sized frame beavertail built right into it.

"Now, I'm a big fan of the High Power, and I love High Powers, but man, if you wanted a High Power that had that, you'd have had to spend a whole lot more money on getting one worked over by a custom shop when you can just buy this one right out of the box," Brune said.

Girsan also includes Mec-Gar's upgraded 15-round metal box magazine with each MCP35 PI Ops, giving owners an extra two rounds over the original 13-round magazine capacity of the traditional High Power design.

"There's just so much going on in this new MCP35," Brune said. "It's basically all of the big High Power upgrades that people have been building into High Powers for decades and spending a lot of money to do it when you can buy this Girsan for a really affordable price."

EAA Girsan MCP35 PI Ops Specifications
Importer: European American Armory
Manufacturer: Girsan (Turkey)
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Barrel: 3.88" carbon steel; six-groove, 1:7.87" RH twist
Frame: 4140 steel; matte black finish
Slide: 4140 steel; matte-black finish
Sights: three-dot; drift-adjustable front, fixed rear
Trigger: single-action; 5-lb., 8-oz. pull
Height: 5.1"
Length: 6.25"
Width: 1.29"
Weight: 25.6 ozs.
Accessories: owner's manual, hard case, cleaning brush, lock
MSRP: $733

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.