Oldjarhead
New member
Interested in the Springfield Armory SA-35. I heard the first models had extraction issues. Can some new owners of the Springfield Armory SA35, tell me of their experiences with it, and their impressions. Thanks.
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Springfield Armory SA-35
- Thread starter Oldjarhead
- Start date
sevt_chevelle
New member
Considering the msrp went up, you'll be waiting a bit.
wild cat mccane
New member
I don't have the answer to your question.
If you get serious, and I mean serious, send me a message. I know where they are cheaper than others with free shipping too.
Take care.
If you get serious, and I mean serious, send me a message. I know where they are cheaper than others with free shipping too.
Take care.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
I assume you have seen this discussion?
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=616325
Granted, there's not much there in the way of range reports.
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=616325
Granted, there's not much there in the way of range reports.
Friend of mine has one, I've handled it, its a fine gun, well made well finished and about the "perfect" Hi Power in my opinion, all the things you need and none of the crap you don't.
I've heard the rumors about the early guns having extraction issues, but no one seems to provide any examples or proof. Personally I think it was a BS internet rumor that got waay too much traction.
I actually watched one "tuber" who took a new SA-35, REPLACED nearly half the parts with aftermarket or parts from other Hi Powers, and then gave the gun a bad review when it didn't run well.
I can tell you our local shop has sold over a dozen of them as of last year, and only one was ever returned to the shop and that one was brought to the shop to be shipped to a smith for custom work, after over 2,000rnds with zero failures.
Last I knew, availability is "periodic" as Springfield collects parts and when they have enough builds a batch of guns, then ships them, and doesn't make more until they have enough parts for another "batch".
Our local shop is a good one, the owner actually ticked off his internet sales guy by refusing to let him put them on the net for sale at whatever inflated price they bring. He sold every one local, to people who came into his shop, at or even below MSRP.
His reasoning was simple, and sound, the local people who get a good deal will come back and buy other stuff. In the long run for his business, that's worth more than getting $1400 for a $700 gun off the internet ONCE.
I've heard the rumors about the early guns having extraction issues, but no one seems to provide any examples or proof. Personally I think it was a BS internet rumor that got waay too much traction.
I actually watched one "tuber" who took a new SA-35, REPLACED nearly half the parts with aftermarket or parts from other Hi Powers, and then gave the gun a bad review when it didn't run well.
I can tell you our local shop has sold over a dozen of them as of last year, and only one was ever returned to the shop and that one was brought to the shop to be shipped to a smith for custom work, after over 2,000rnds with zero failures.
Last I knew, availability is "periodic" as Springfield collects parts and when they have enough builds a batch of guns, then ships them, and doesn't make more until they have enough parts for another "batch".
Our local shop is a good one, the owner actually ticked off his internet sales guy by refusing to let him put them on the net for sale at whatever inflated price they bring. He sold every one local, to people who came into his shop, at or even below MSRP.
His reasoning was simple, and sound, the local people who get a good deal will come back and buy other stuff. In the long run for his business, that's worth more than getting $1400 for a $700 gun off the internet ONCE.
Oldjarhead
New member
I appreciate your input, but I am looking for new SA-35 owners, not the months old discussions. Owners who have shot their SA-35s, recently so I can evaluate, to see if there are still extraction issues.
Pardon me for not understanding what you're looking for. To be clear, you are looking for people who have bought a new one in the last few weeks (not months?) and have had issues with them, and you are not interested in reports of people who have had them for months or year+, put hundreds or thousands of rounds though them without any issues, is that correct??
Correct me if I’m wrong, but as best as I can tell you’ve never actually owned one personally.
You are correct, I do not own an SA-35. I do have some hands on, personal experience with lots of gun that I don't currently own, and many I've never owned.
I have some experience with a close friend's SA-35. I've spoken with others who have them, and have heard their experiences. I have owned several Hi Powers, just not that particular one. If you want to disregard my opinion and consider it hearsay, because I don't actually own one, fine, you're free to do so.
I've never owned an M16A1, M60 or M2HB, or many other things I have considerable experience with, either.
Ownership is not the only way to acquire knowledge or skill.
Ownership is not the only way to acquire knowledge or skill.
I don’t disagree. But in terms of the knowledge the OP seems to be looking for in this particular case, I think owning one (and seemingly more so a current production model) is relevant. By the OP’s description they appear to be looking for a very specific group of responders, and in full disclosure I don’t fall into that group either.
To the OP, there is a Springfield Armory forum. You might find more people there meeting your requirements. Sometimes the brand specific idiosyncrasies are easier to get at on brand forums.
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Owners who have shot their SA-35s, recently so I can evaluate, to see if there are still extraction issues.
Over the years I've acquired, or acquired the use of many different firearms in many different calibers. In many cases I got a gun, or got a gun in a specific cartridge, so that I could determine, for myself, if it did or did not do what people claimed it did.
Often, the gun in my hands was what everyone said it was. Sometimes it was better than that, sometimes it was worse.
The reliability of a firearm depends on many factors working together all at the same time. Not just the mechanical quality of the design, or the execution of the build but also other things, including the ammo used, and the way the user operates it.
The way the gun is used matters a lot, and its something one rarely gets informed about when people make claims of the gun having "issues".
I got a good deal on a pistol once, the owner was selling it cheap, because "it jammed all the time". I bought it, took it home and tried it, and sure enough it did jam 3 or 4 times in the first magazine. Gun had "issues", right? yep, sure did, until I properly OILED IT. Since then that gun has run close to 1,000 rounds without a single malfunction of any kind.
First hand accounts of owners/users are always worth hearing and considering, but in my opinion they alone aren't enough to make a valid, informed decision about an entire production run.
Also, minor "issues" with brand new semi autos are rather common. I shot a Glock that was brand new, it jammed 3 times in the first 150 rnds. Never did after that. Was that an "issue" with the then current Glock production, something common to ALL the guns made? Of course not. In the case of that specific pistol, ammo was Win, each jam was identical, the slide stopped just short of complete lock up. And the problem went away, on its own as shooting continued, and never returned. Brand new gun, just needed a little "breaking in" before becoming fully reliable.
People recounting how their gun had "issues" with this or that, and not giving us any more information, not saying (or even determining) WHY the gun had issues, is essentially null data.
I've heard the rumors about the early guns having extraction issues, but no one seems to provide any examples or proof. Personally I think it was a BS internet rumor that got waay too much traction
Watch a few episodes of Hi-Power University on youtube; I think there are at least a half-dozen episodes devoted to the Springfield and its (early) extraction issues.
Jim Watson
New member
I saw early reports of Prodigy extraction failures, too. They seem to have cleared that up, I would hope they made the same correction in the HP.
44caliberkid
New member
I was at Ahlman’s big gun party in 2019 and Springfield reps were there showing off the then new Range Officer. A 9mm version stove pipe jammed continuously. And they kept shooting it and letting potential customers shoot it, where as I would have pulled it and tried another one or just let people shoot The Operator, which was working fine.
wild cat mccane
New member
If it helps, I think the extractor was the only concern and the Cylinder/Slide $32 extractor/spring was the fix?
If that holds true, I wanted a SA-35, I'd buy and feel fine with that modification?
If that holds true, I wanted a SA-35, I'd buy and feel fine with that modification?
Here's a wild thought, take a risk and go buy one.
Find out, for yourself, from yourself what the gun in your hands actually does. Shoot it, test it, break it in, find out that it works, or doesn't work before you start replacing parts.
If, after giving it a fair shake you're not happy with it, sell it! Someone will be happy to buy it.
Find out, for yourself, from yourself what the gun in your hands actually does. Shoot it, test it, break it in, find out that it works, or doesn't work before you start replacing parts.
If, after giving it a fair shake you're not happy with it, sell it! Someone will be happy to buy it.
I have a MKII and a MKIII BHP, and I have shot the SA-35 a few times. I liked the SA-35 when I had a chance to shoot one. If I didn’t already have the BHPs I might be interested in getting an SA-35. But I would probably recommend a decent used MKII with better sights and a trigger job over the SA.