This is my experience with the SA-P35, condensed version.
I got the gun a year ago. I was very excited. I really wanted to like this gun. It came with one mag and a 4.5 pound creepy, gritty trigger. The back of my hand got pinched or poked by the sharp corners of that stubby little beavertail.
The best I could do at 25 yards was 4.5 inch 5 shot groups. The barrel bushing lock-up, if you want to call it that, was very loose; I’m guessing 5-10 thousands. It also shot 4 inches low. I sent it back to Springfield Armory. Six weeks later I got it back with a 3 shot group of1.5 inches at 10 yards and the gun met their accuracy criteria.
The day I got the P-35 back, I did something I almost never do. I traded it off. I got a CZ75B. I put LOK Palm Swell Bogies on it. I sent it to Cajun Gun Works. $700 later I have fabulous 9MM; a single action trigger pull as nice as any Model 41. And it painlessly shoots to the POI. It has, several times, put 5 shots right at 1.5 inches at 25 yards, sitting braced just like God and Elmer Kieth intended. Was the CZ expensive? Yes, it sure was. Is my CZ a better value than the P-35? To me, no question, a resounding YES.
I forgot to mention both the wood grip panels on the P-35 developed a hair line crack.
That’s just one gun. I’m just one guy. If you had better luck with a P-35, I’m happy for you.
PS: I also bought a Shadow 2. It shoots every bit as good as the 75, maybe better.
