Best Hi Power Clones (2026): SA-35, FN, Girsan & More

The best Hi Power clone of 2026 gives you John Browning’s last great pistol design without the collector prices or the old gun’s bad habits. The Hi-Power was the original wonder nine. When most service pistols held seven or eight rounds, it held thirteen, and it went on to serve in dozens of armies and countless conflicts. Then in 2018 Browning stopped making it, and used prices took off.

The good news is that the Hi-Power is back in a big way. Springfield Armory, FN, Girsan, Inglis, and custom shops like Nighthawk all build versions today. Most fix the old complaints: they ditch the magazine disconnect that ruined the trigger, reshape the hammer and tang so it stops biting your hand, add real sights, and bump capacity to 15 or 17 rounds. Some keep every quirk of the original for purists.

Every pistol in this guide has been covered by a GunsAmerica Digest writer, from full range reviews to hands-on first looks at SHOT Show, and each pick links to that coverage. We label the first looks and the older reviews. If you like steel-framed single-action pistols, also see our best classic 1911 pistols guide.

Match the clone to your hand, your budget, and how faithful you want it to be. A gun that only looks like a Hi-Power on Instagram still has to run when you feed it.

Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Best Hi Power Clones In 2026

Picking the best Hi Power clone comes down to how modern you want it, how much you want to spend, and whether you plan to carry it. Here is what to weigh.

Faithful Clone Or Modernized

Faithful clones like the Girsan MC P35 copy the original right down to the magazine disconnect. Modernized versions like the Springfield SA-35 and FN High Power remove the disconnect, reshape the hammer and beavertail, and upgrade sights and capacity. If you want a shooter, modern is better. If you want a period-correct look, a faithful clone or an original is the way to go.

Magazine Disconnect And Trigger

Most original Hi-Powers have a magazine safety that prevents firing without a magazine and makes the trigger heavier and grittier. Our 2013 review measured original High Power triggers anywhere from five to eleven pounds. Clones without the disconnect usually have much better triggers.

Hammer Bite And Ergonomics

The classic Hi-Power’s short tang and spur hammer bite the web of your hand. Look for a ring hammer, a reshaped hammer, or an extended beavertail if you have meaty hands. The thin grip is one of the Hi-Power’s best features, and smaller-handed shooters love it.

Capacity And Magazine Compatibility

Original Hi-Powers held 13 rounds. Modern versions use 15 or 17-round magazines. Not every new magazine fits every gun, and our FN reviewer found the new 17-round FN magazine would not fit his original High Power. Buy spares made for your model.

Barrel Length And Carry

Most Hi-Powers have a barrel of about 4.6 to 4.7 inches. Springfield’s 4 inch SA-35 shortens the slide and barrel for carry while keeping the full-size grip. A good leather holster makes a steel Hi-Power surprisingly comfortable to carry.

Budget, Origin, And Fit

Turkish clones from Girsan and Inglis cost the least. Springfield’s SA-35 is made in the USA at a mid-range price, FN’s High Power costs more, and Nighthawk customs cost more than most people’s whole gun budget. Fit and finish usually track price.

Best Hi Power Clones Ranked: 2026 Product Roundup

Springfield Armory SA-35: Best for Overall Hi-Power Clone (2026)

Springfield was the first to launch a modern Hi-Power revival, and the SA-35 is still the one to beat. It keeps the classic all-steel look with wood grips, but fixes the problems. There is no magazine disconnect, the hammer geometry was changed to stop hammer bite, the thumb safety is more shooter-friendly, the sights are modern without looking out of place, the magazine well is beveled, and the feed system was tweaked for modern hollow points. It ships with a 15-round Italian-made magazine.

Read our full Springfield SA-35 review here.

Our 2021 reviewer said putting rounds downrange was a joy, and that the ergonomics seem frozen in time in a good way, with a shallow grip that feels thin despite the double-stack magazine. He banged 6 inch steel at 15 yards with ease and found wide-mouth hollow points both accurate and reliable. The original version of this guide adds that the SA-35 is a ton of fun to shoot and priced well below a thousand dollars. Springfield has since added color options and a polished blued model, with MSRPs from about $799 to $859 at the time of our 2025 and 2026 coverage.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 15+1
• Action: Single action, no magazine disconnect
• Construction: Forged steel, wood grips
• MSRP: About $799 to $859 by model at time of 2025-2026 coverage

Pros

• Fixes hammer bite and trigger
• Made in the USA
• Accurate and reliable with hollow points
• Classic looks

Cons

• No rail or optics cut
• Some edges are sharp
• Only one magazine included with the 2021 test gun

🛒 Check Current Price for Springfield SA-35 on GunsAmerica

Springfield SA-35 4 Inch: Best for Concealed Carry Hi-Power (2026)

Springfield’s 4 inch SA-35 keeps the full-size frame and controls but shortens the slide and barrel for a handier package, and our 2026 reviewer called it perfect for concealed carry. It weighs about 28 ounces without a magazine, ships with two 15-round magazines in a pistol rug, and has a forged carbon steel slide and frame with a carry bevel. The trigger averaged a clean 4 pounds 1 ounce, which he called exceptional for any Hi Power.

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Read our full Springfield SA-35 4 inch review here.

After about 100 rounds of break-in, an early issue disappeared, and the gun proved reliable with three premium defensive loads. He shot his 10 rounds, 10 yards, 10 seconds test and called it probably a personal best. The sights are a U-notch rear and a white dot front, and the extended thumb safety is actually usable. His cons were sharp frame tang and safety edges, a soft trigger reset, and the disappointment that a pistol at that price still needs edge work. MSRP was $799 at the time of the 2026 review.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 15+1 (two magazines included)
• Barrel: 4 inches
• Weight: About 28 ounces without magazine
• MSRP: $799 at time of review

Pros

• Excellent 4 pound trigger
• Handier for carry
• Reliable after break-in
• Usable extended safety

Cons

• Sharp tang and safety edges
• Soft trigger reset
• Needed about 100 rounds of break-in

🛒 Check Current Price for Springfield SA-35 4 inch on GunsAmerica

FN High Power: Best for Modernized Hi-Power (2026)

FN owned the Hi-Power design, stopped making it, and then came back in 2022 with the High Power, a name change that signals a real redesign. Our reviewer, who owns an original, found the new gun takes a 17-round magazine, has a slightly longer grip, ambidextrous controls with a bigger safety, a larger ejection port, and high-profile dovetailed sights. The magazine disconnect is gone, and the grip was redesigned so that in hundreds of rounds he never felt the hammer or slide bite.

Read our full FN High Power review here.

At about 2 pounds, the weight tames recoil and keeps the gun on target, and he called it an absolute pleasure to shoot. At 15 yards, four different loads shot five-round groups in a tight range, with Hornady Critical Defense posting the best five-shot group, though the gun hit slightly low. One note for owners of originals: the new 17-round magazine would not fit his old High Power. MSRP was $1,269 in black at the time of the 2022 review, with FDE or stainless at $1,369.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 17+1
• Barrel: 4.7 inches, 1:10 twist
• Controls: Ambidextrous, no magazine disconnect
• MSRP: $1,269 black, $1,369 FDE or stainless at time of review

Pros

• 17-round capacity
• No hammer bite in testing
• Great grip and sights
• Soft shooting

Cons

• Pricey
• Hit slightly low in testing
• Magazines not compatible with originals

🛒 Check Current Price for FN High Power on GunsAmerica

Girsan MC P35 (EAA): Best for Budget Faithful Clone (2026)

Turkish maker Girsan builds a huge range of Hi-Power clones, and EAA imports them. The standard MC P35 is true to the original, with a round hammer, ramp-style front sight, drift-adjustable dovetailed sights, a 4 5/8 inch barrel, and an all-steel slide and frame. It holds 15+1 with modern Hi-Power magazines. It is even faithful to the magazine disconnect, which, as our launch coverage noted, a lot of shooters will look forward to removing.

Read our full Girsan MC P35 launch coverage here.

The original version of this guide calls the Girsans nice for the price, and points to the PI compact model and the OPS models with an accessory rail, optic cut, big beavertail, and drop-free magazine for shooters who want modern touches. The MC P35 was priced at $528 at its 2021 launch. If you want a classic Hi-Power to shoot hard without worrying about a collectible, this is the value pick.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 15+1
• Barrel: 4 5/8 inches
• Features: Ambidextrous safety, magazine disconnect retained
• Price: $528 at 2021 launch

Pros

• Affordable
• Faithful to the original
• Many variants including OPS with optic cut
• All steel

Cons

• Keeps the magazine disconnect
• Turkish import fit varies
• Launch coverage, not a full review

🛒 Check Current Price for Girsan MC P35 on GunsAmerica

Inglis L9A1 and P-35: Best for Military-Style Hi-Power (First Look) (2026)

We handled the Inglis line, imported by SDS, at SHOT Show 2024, so treat this as a first look. The L9A1 copies the British military Hi-Power with a ring-style hammer to reduce bite, three-dot sights, and even the lanyard ring, and adds ambidextrous safety levers. The magazine catch is left-side only, and unlike the original this gun will fire without a magazine, because the disconnect is gone.

Read our full Inglis Hi-Power SHOT Show 2024 first look here.

Our team measured the trigger at about 7 pounds and called it remarkably crisp, and one of our editors said wow and I love it on camera. The barrel is forged and machined 4140 with a hard chrome finish. At the 2024 launch, pricing was $480 for the L9A1, $549 for the P-35N nickel and P-35B black, and $649 for the color case-hardened GP-35. If you want an affordable military-style Hi-Power, the Inglis guns are worth a look.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Models: L9A1, P-35N, P-35B, GP-35
• Features: Ring hammer, ambidextrous safety, no magazine disconnect
• Trigger: About 7 pounds, crisp
• Price: $480 to $649 by model at 2024 launch

Pros

• Very affordable
• No magazine disconnect
• Ambidextrous safety
• Classic military styling

Cons

• Left-side magazine catch only
• SHOT Show first look, not a full review

🛒 Check Current Price for Inglis Hi-Power on GunsAmerica

Nighthawk Custom Hi-Power: Best for Custom Hi-Power (2026)

If you want the best Hi-Power money can buy, Nighthawk rebuilds them from the ground up. Our reviewer, who handled one at SHOT Show 2016, listed the platform’s classic complaints: an atrocious stock trigger, a hammer and short tang that bite, the magazine disconnect, no ambidextrous safety, and inadequate sights. Nighthawk tackled every one.

Read our full Nighthawk Hi-Power hands-on review here.

They designed a new beavertail so you can grip high without getting bitten, removed the magazine safety, and reworked the trigger geometry for a pull worthy of the Nighthawk name. The original version of this guide describes it as a crisp four-pound trigger with a straightened shoe, hand texturing on the frame and slide, a Heinie rear sight and gold bead front, a crowned barrel, and competition hammer and sear. Nighthawk later built a final run of 50 with Turnbull. Standard Nighthawk Hi-Power builds ran over $3,000 at the time of our 2018 coverage.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Trigger: About 4 pounds, reworked
• Sights: Heinie rear, gold bead front
• Features: Custom beavertail, no magazine disconnect, hand texturing
• Price: Over $3,000 for standard builds at time of 2018 coverage

Pros

• Best trigger of any Hi-Power here
• No hammer bite
• Custom fit and finish
• Excellent sights

Cons

• Very expensive
• Long waits for custom work
• SHOT Show 2016 hands-on

🛒 Check Current Price for Nighthawk Hi-Power on GunsAmerica

Original Browning Hi-Power (and FEG): Best for Collectors and Used Shooters (2026)

Sometimes the best Hi Power clone is not a clone at all. Our 2013 reviewer called the Browning the original and classic pistol. It has enough weight to absorb 9mm recoil but is light enough for daily carry, it is flat for concealed carry, and he found the reliability excellent. He even pushed back on claims that the steel is soft. The catch is the trigger. He measured original High Power triggers between five and eleven pounds, largely thanks to the magazine disconnect.

Read our full Browning High Power review here.

Originals now command collector prices, and our history feature on the Browning Hi-Power in combat explains why. If you want a shooter-grade gun on a budget, the original version of this guide recommends the Hungarian FEG clones. They are no longer imported but are common on the used market, rock solid, well made, and reliable, with an often ugly finish.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 13+1 (original magazines)
• Trigger: 5 to 11 pounds measured on originals
• Safety: Magazine disconnect on most models
• Availability: Used market only

Pros

• The real thing
• Excellent reliability
• Slim and carryable
• FEG offers a budget alternative

Cons

• Heavy, gritty triggers
• Hammer bite
• Collector prices for Brownings

🛒 Check Current Price for Browning Hi-Power on GunsAmerica

Final Thoughts On The Best Hi Power Clones Of 2026

The best Hi Power clone for most shooters is the Springfield Armory SA-35. It keeps the classic look and feel and fixes the trigger, hammer bite, and capacity, and the 4 inch version is a great carry gun. The FN High Power is the fully modernized choice, the Girsan MC P35 and Inglis guns are the budget picks, and the Nighthawk is the custom dream gun. If you want the real thing, an original Browning or a used FEG still delivers.

Whatever you choose, buy magazines made for your model, break it in with a box or two of quality ammo, and you will see why so many shooters fell in love with Browning’s last pistol.

Related reading: see our guide to the best Springfield Armory pistols.

GunsAmerica has been connecting buyers and sellers since 1997, and you can find new Hi-Power clones and classic originals at GunsAmerica.com. Train hard, shoot straight, and stay dangerous.