I've owned several Browning Hi-Powers since the late1960's. They are my favorite single action semi. I even prefer it to the 1911. I gave my latest Browning, a 75th Anniv. commemorative, to my son a year or two ago.

I purchased a late production SA 35 ser. # HP35XXX several months back. It's a beauty. Excellent fit and finnish, very tight and smooth slide to frame. Best P35 trigger I've had probably due to the absent mag/trigger safety. Excellent sights, groups tight point of aim @ 15 yds with any ammo I've tried. Very accessable and functional safety lever.
Only about 300-350 rnds through it so far and with no hiccups what so ever.

I truely believe this is the best Hi-Power I've ever had

I agree. Same with mine.

Glad to see this post as I've been wondering about the SA.

Does anyone know if SA actually manufactures the SA35 or is is more like the Croatian XD series?  Is is a really nice Turkish pistol (for instance).

It seems that there was some flaw in the lockwork early on.  Is that all in the past?

I just moved to a free state, but when I lived in Washington, I stocked up on Mec-Gar BHP magazines just prior to their mag ban.  Now I'd like to get a pistol to use them in.

My experience has been the same as yours, love the SA-35.  I’ve owned Girsan, FM, FN, Browning, FEG, and the SA is my favorite.  I’ve been reading good things about the new Centurion though, so I may have to get one just to see how it stacks up.

I have 1 SA35 and 2 Girsan P35 clones.  The SA35 is very nicely finished and has comfortable checkered wooden grips and a very positive single sided safety the is easy to hit with the thumb.  Its trigger pull is sadly very mushy and heavy; the slide lifts noticeably when the trigger is pulled.  No 1911, this one.

One of the Girsans is dirt brown with black plastic grips, operates smothly and reliably.  The other Girsan is hard chrome plated with gold safety, trigger, hammer and slide stop.  The gold stuff makes it ugly but it is the slickest, smoothest P35 ever.  The G-10 grips are ok but nice walnut would be nicer.  The ambidexterous safety would be much better if shaped like the Springfield or if the grips were relieved a bit more.  It requires a bit of effort to get the thumb under the safety to apply it.  Trigger pull on both Girsans is clean and crisp once the magazine disconnect is removed but very heavy.  Sights on both Girsans are excellent.

Both the SA35 and the Girsan pistols are accurate enough for defensive pistols and are dead nuts reliable.  The only malfunctions in a couple thousand rounds spread between the three guns has been ammo (my crummy reloads).  They are not as accurate nor as easy to shoot as my Colt or Kimber 1911s.  They do not cost as much either.

Out of 7 or 8 Hi-Powers I've owned, the only Browning I can recall surpassing the accuracy of my SA35 was a 1990's MKII  made in Portugal/assembled in Belgium. It was phenominal and certainly a 1-off. It was also dead-butt ugly with a nasty  medium gray finish and plastic grips.

I tried a Girsan before the Springer and as much as I tried to like it, I couldn't get past the goofy front sight and the fact it patterned like 00BS at 20 yds.
That's when I decided to fork-up the extra cash for a SA35. I'll never regret it.

By the way, mine DOES NOT have a spongy trigger, as someone mentioned above. It's very light and crisp.

I picked up an SA35 right after they came out.  Very nice, absolutely nothing I can complain about.  Sold my Browning not long after.  The Springer was better in every way.

Yes, very nice trigger.

I handled a EAA/Girsan at a LGS this weekend.  It had a flat trigger and the trigger pull was horrible.

Mine:

I hear nothing but good reports on the SA35.
Back when he was still around, Karl Sokol and I talked about the SA Hi Power a lot. He praised it and had high regards for the SA35. I think the only thing he said needed to be replaced was the extractor or disconnector (can't remember).
He worked on 3 of my FN Hi Powers and I was planning to send him an SA35 but then he passed away.