The Springfield Armory SA-35 4” proves the semiauto single-action pistol still has a place in the everyday carry gun market.
Springfield’s new SA-35 4", essentially the compact version of the company’s SA-35, trims barrel length to 4 inches while retaining the platform’s classic steel-frame appeal.
In a world where polymer-frame, striker-fired 9mms dominate, it may seem that a metal-frame, single-action is something of a dinosaur.
However, Springfield’s SA-35 has proven there are still plenty of shooters who prefer a classically styled pistol.
Springfield Armory launched the SA-35 in 2021, and since then they have added several versions. The newest member of the family is the SA-35 4”, a smaller, lighter version of the original SA-35 that is optimized for everyday carry.
While the standard SA-35 comes with a 4.7-inch barrel, the new SA-35 Compact version features, as the name suggests, a 4-inch barrel.
By shortening the barrel and reducing weight, Springfield Armory has engineered the SA-35 Compact so it’s easier to conceal and carry, but the Compact still boasts a 15-round capacity.
That’s equal to the full-sized version. Most importantly, it offers the look, feel, and performance that have kept P-35-style pistols popular for almost a decade.
READ MORE: Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm Semi-Automatic Handgun Review
The P-35 Legacy: How Browning’s Classic Design Still Shapes Carry Guns
During the 1920s, the French military was seeking a new sidearm. FN commissioned the legendary John Browning to design a new pistol that met the needs of the French military.
Specifically, the new pistol needed to be compact, hold at least 10 rounds, be robust and simple to operate and disassemble/reassemble, and effective to 50 meters. The French also requested that the gun include an external hammer and safety and a magazine disconnect.
John Browning developed a short-recoil locked breech semiauto 9mm for FN and applied for a patent on his pistol design in 1923.
Unfortunately, Browning died in November 1926, shortly before the patent was awarded. The French military ultimately did not choose the pistol at the end of their trial, but FN believed that they had an excellent pistol and began producing the P-35, as Browning’s gun was known, in 1935.
It wasn’t long until Germany’s simmering hostilities erupted into World War II, and when the German Army stormed through Belgium, they took over manufacturing facilities.
By then, the plans for the P-35 had made their way to Canadian manufacturer Inglis, who began building P-35 pistols of their own. The P-35 was one of the only weapons used by both Axis and Allied powers in World War II.
The P-35 became a popular military sidearm the world over. P-35 clones were manufactured in Argentina, Bulgaria, Israel, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries (some under license, some unlicensed).
The P-35 has been in use by police and military units on every continent except Antarctica, and it saw service in conflicts large and small around the globe.
I had a professional hunter in Africa who had served in the Border War during the 1980s. He told me of a fellow soldier who killed a lion with his P-35 pistol.
According to my PH, their battalion was camped along the Angolan border when the cat entered the barracks under the cover of darkness and was killed with a single close-range shot as it stood over one of the soldiers.
For years, Browning offered their Hi-Power (a clone of the P-35) on the American market, but in 2018, Browning and FN stopped production of the Hi-Power.
Springfield filled that gap in the market in 2021 with the launch of the original SA-35. New this year are the Gloss Blue model and the 4”.
READ MORE: New Classic: Springfield Launches Polished Blued SA-35 9mm
Shorter Barrel, Same 15-Round Capacity: What the SA-35 4" Changes
By reducing the barrel length from 4.7 inches to 4, Springfield reduced the overall length to 7.1 inches.
That makes it almost .2-inches shorter than a Glock G19 and allows the SA-35 4” to be concealed more easily.
Weight is also reduced to 29.8 ounces, down 1.7 ounces compared the original SA-35.
Springfield was wise not to reduce capacity, though. A compact carry pistol that holds 15+1 rounds is appealing, and owners can also use existing magazines.
I’m an SA-35 fan and already had a spare 15-round magazine that fit in the gun without any issues.
One metal mag is provided with the pistol, and like most everything else on the SA-35, they’re made of metal.
Interestingly, the compact 4” model of the SA-35 holds more than the 13-round full-sized P-35 clones.
Forged Steel, Walnut Grips, and Smart Updates for Everyday Carry
The SA-35 4” utilizes a locked-breech short recoil system like the full-sized Springfield model and includes Springfield’s SA-35 recoil spring and guide rod.
The 4-inch barrel is cold hammer-forged and features a 1:10 twist rate. It also comes with an improved feed ramp that is suited for feeding a variety of ammunition.
Both the slide and frame are made from forged carbon steel, and they feature a matte-blue finish that reduces glare and holds up well to daily handling.
The grips are made from checkered walnut with the Springfield logo and offer a classic styling touch to the pistol (although aftermarket grips are available).
Both the front and backstrap are uncheckered. The edges of the frame are beveled for comfort and concealability, and the rounded slide does not bite into the shooter’s body while carrying the pistol.
The slide features angled rear serrations but lacks front serrations.
If you’re a P-35 or Hi-Power fan, you know that one of the drawbacks of the original design is that it was prone to slide bite.
Springfield redesigned the original hammer and beavertail to reduce this, and that allows for a proper high grip on the pistol without the worry of being “bitten.”
SA-35 4" Sight System and Controls
Both the front and rear sights of the SA-35 4” are mounted in dovetails cut into the slide.
The rear U-notch sight is serrated to cut glare and features a tactical rack design that allows for one-handed cycling. The front is a simple white dot.
It’s an efficient and effective sighting system that functions well in bright sunlight and draws the eye to the front sight. That’s a good thing because the SA-35 is a modern gun that doesn’t offer a slide that is cut for optics.
The controls are easy to operate. There’s a manual safety and a slide stop that’s easy to locate, even while you’re in a hurry.
The round mag release button is well-positioned, too, and there’s an external extractor mounted on the right side of the slide just aft of the chamber cutout.
Unlike its distant relative, the M1911 (another Browning design), the SA-35 doesn’t use a bushing system, and that makes takedown simpler for many gun owners.
The new SA-35 Compact carries an MSRP of $799 and is currently available.
Comfort, Concealment, and Practical Tradeoffs of the SA-35 4"
The SA-35 4” is smaller and lighter than the 4.7-inch SA-35 and is therefore easier to carry and conceal.
The added weight of the metal frame does make it a few ounces heavier than its polymer-frame rivals, but with a proper carry belt the added mass doesn’t make very much difference.
The grip is 1.3 inches wide, so it’s not as thin as Springfield’s 1-inch-wide Hellcat. If you want the lightest, thinnest carry pistol, the SA-35 4” doesn’t fit the bill.
If you can live with the added weight and length, though, you’ll likely enjoy Springfield’s new compact SA-35.
I like the SA-35 guns in general and have several IWB holsters for them. I could carry the SA-35 4” in both the 3 o’clock and appendix positions without worrying about printing, so long as I wear a cover garment.
How the SA-35 4" Runs on the Range
| Load | Grain Weight | Avg. Velocity | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiocchi Range Dynamics FMJ | 147 | 963 fps | 2.78 in. |
| Hornady American Gunner XTP | 115 | 1,159 fps | 2.19 in. |
| Hornady Critical Defense FTX | 115 | 1,162 fps | 1.90 in. |
| Nosler ASP JHP | 124 | 1,130 fps | 1.78 in. |
| Sierra THD JHP | 124 | 1,108 fps | 2.48 in. |
The weight and grip design make the SA-35 4” very pleasant to shoot. Recoil is manageable and you can shoot this gun quickly and accurately.
Trigger break was a right at 5 pounds and offered a light, smooth take-up and a crisp single-action break. There was none of the sponginess that’s sometimes an issue on striker-fired polymer-frame pistols.
The Springfield was also quite accurate. I tested the Springfield at 25 yards, and while shooting from a rest it routinely produced five-shot groups at or around 1.5 inches.
That’s certainly more accuracy potential than is required from a carry gun, but like the standard SA-35, the 4” model proved capable of producing exceptionally tight groups.
One cluster with Nosler’s ASP 124-grain ammunition would have been under an inch, save for one errant shot. The group still measured 1.51 inches.
There were no issues with reliability throughout the test. Praise Springfield’s design team, no slide bites!
In the ultra-competitive carry gun market where pistols are compared feature-for-feature, some may say the lack of front serrations is problematic. It didn’t prove to be.
Bonus: the Springfield’s silky smooth action allowed me to perform press checks without struggling for a solid hold on the gun.
SA-35 4" Verdict: A Carry Gun for P-35 Fans
As a fan of everything P-35, I really like this pistol. Springfield carried over everything that was right about the original P-35 design, made some needed updates, and created a pistol that fans could love with the original SA-35.
The new 4” version offers a bit less weight, a bit less length, all the capacity, and just as much panache.
SA-35 4” Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm
- Action: Single-action semiauto
- Barrel: 4 inches
- Overall Length: 7.1 inches
- Capacity: 15
- Finish: Matte blue
- Weight: 29.8 ounces
- Sights: U-notch serrated black rear with tactical rack, white dot front
- MSRP: $799
- URL: springfield-armory.com
- Springfield SA-35 4” Performance
- URL: Springfield Armory SA-35 Series