2022 is shaping up to be quite the year for the gun industry at large. So far there have been some tremendous releases from S&W to Taurus and everyone else in between.
There have also been several new gun manufactures that nobody has ever heard of before enter the market, as well as old makers who haven’t released anything new in what seems to be an eternity.
The gun market is ripe with new consumers and everyone wants a piece of that proverbial pie.
Industry Trends:
Every year there is an overarching trend. This trend is where several companies focus on the same or similar product releases.
Many would have you believe that it’s accidental, or coincidence at best. And while I have no proof to say otherwise, I don’t believe in coincidence. Not when three separate gun manufacturers revive a gun that has been out of production for years.
It’s almost as if several manufacturers get together and say, ya know what, let’s all focus on this for the upcoming year.
Two years ago, it was the year of the 5.7X28 cartridge after several gun makers released platforms for it.
The year before that I think it was the year of the 22lr.
2022 – The Year of Hi Power:
2022 is looking like it’ll be the year of the Hi Power. Three different manufacturers, at least as far as I’ve counted but there could be more that I missed, just released a new Hi Power within the last month or two.
Springfield Armory SA-35
First, Springfield Armory released their SA-35. By the way, we have a review already published on it and it is an outstanding tribute to John Browning’s unfinished work (just click that link).
The SA-35 does an excellent job of bringing a functional pistol to the market at a great price. In all honesty, it’s probably the best of the three because of how well it performs and its overall affordable MSRP.
It sits right in the middle price wise, but has a refined trigger.
EAA P35
Then right in time for SHOT Show 2022, a few others were teased. First up at the Industry Day at the Range, we have the P35 from EAA. I had the chance to shoot a few rounds through the one they had and the pistol worked well.
I remember being in awe at how light the pistol felt in hand, even though it was all steel. The trigger is the worst of the three, but it can be refined if needed.
Here is the video of us shooting the new Hi Power at the range:
Though, it does have the worst trigger of the three guns, it is also the most affordable. And, according the the VP dude we spoke to, there are tons of options available for this classic new release.
Some of the options have beaver tails, others have rails, and still others have different finishes. You can see what I’m talking about in the below video:
FN High Power
Finally, we have FN’s newest release, which is a modernized rendition of the Hi Power, actually called the “High Power.” While FN caught a lot of heat for this release, I actually quite like it.
The pistol itself is very pleasing to the eye and has modern features like an easy takedown and being fully ambidextrous. It also has the best trigger of the three, and the highest MSRP.
I’m not a fan of the $1300 MSRP, and would never buy one of these for that price when there are other options on the market. However, it is a gorgeous gun that is optioned correctly.
Of course, MSRP depends on the specific model you choose, and you should be able to find them for somewhat less than MSRP.
You can watch our video of the FN High Power, here:
Conclusion:
2022 has turned out to be the year of the Hi Power, and I’m glad it has. This is a gun that deserves some attention, and it seems to have finally arrived.
