Posted: 2/9/2007 6:41:28 PM EDT
|
In the past few years my buddy bought a P35. I can't recall if it's Browning or FN (not very schooled on P35's), but it's the real deal (not a clone). It's the highly polished blued version with adjustable sights. I think this is what he has.  Browning Hi-Power Standard He pulled the sights and had AO install their Express sights (big front dot, wedge rear). I hate the sights and told him he should've installed Heinie Straight-8's or Trijicons. Oh well. At the very least he said the Express sights are the same slide cut so I can install other sights if I choose, but it's money out of my pocket to make it right. He has a four 10 round mags for it. I'd need to supplement that with some standard capacity mags. At any rate, it was purchased locally NIB. Out of the 150 rounds through it, I fired probably 30 of them. It's a beautiful, sweet firing gun. My first chance firing a P35 and I loved it. It seemed like a 9mm brother to the 1911 that I love (well, it is). My buddy just bought a P2000 and is so smitten by it that he wants to offload the P35. Says I can have it for $400. I have a P226 (made in W. Germany) and a new P226R. I have a Wilson Combat 1911. I have compact 9mm's and below. I have pretty much all the pistol bases covered that I feel I need (or want). Should I buy this P35 from him? Is it a good deal? I'm sure he's losing money to know that it's going to a friend who is going to treat it well. And, more importantly, what can this P35 do that my P226's can't? That's really the question here. Emotionally I want a P35 as I love the design, but is it inferior to the P226 such that it's not worth it? That's a question I really don't know the answer to. Am I better off spending my money on other stuff or is this a worthwhile expansion to the collection? Please educate me on P35's, mags, sights, etc.. Thanks, Corey EDITED to add that the above pictured pistol is exactly like his except his does not have the slide cut for the adjustable sights. It might have had OEM adjustable sights but they sat in a standard slide dovetail. There were not large cutouts for the sights, which should give me more options if I want to change them later. |
|
The P35 is a Single Action which you can carry cocked and locked. In terms of terminal ballistics it is the same as your Sig P226. By sending the pistol off to a good smith you could probably get better a pistol back with better accuracy than your SigP226. The pistol is a classic and is John Browning's last design (though his protege: Dieduonne Saive: inventer of the FAL, finished the pistol after Browing died). Now if you had a Sig P210: Hop on it. As the pistol is unparalled in terms of accuracy. |
|
Please don't make me hurt with those pics of custom P35's with beavertails. Those are just killing me! My friend is definitely losing money on the deal but he wants the gun to go to someone he knows that will appreciate it and care for it. He wouldn't list it on the EE at this price. But in base stock OEM form, how does this pistol compare to my P226's? Corey PS I'd love a P210, so do even go there. I've seen the custom P210's and they make me wet. |
+45 Focus on ammo but .................. Not sure of your state law but if you can buy it without a 4473 do it. IMHO the FN would be worth 50-100+ less than the Browning depending...... 4 $10 mags can be upgraded cheap, 17 rds for $17 see CDNN Do a little research and you'll be happy with your buy. Or just get a Sig 220 
|
................... I'm a hardcore 1911 guy. The only 9mm pistols I own are a Belgium made P 35 and a West German P226 
|
We've talked about this already and you know my opinion. But since I was up half the night with a vomiting kid and am not in a particularly subtle mood (am I ever) I'm going to give you a public lashing. [WOTG quote] What are you, retarded? [/WOTG quote] Do you ever need a reason to buy a new gun? It doesn't matter if it does anything different than the guns you already have! (BTW, it doesn't) It doesn't matter if you ever even shoot it. You don't shoot the pistols you have now!  You have the opportunity to buy a great pistol that you know the history of, from a friend, P2P, at a very reasonable price. If it's a matter of "I can't afford it right now" then don't buy it. If it's a matter of "I don't really want it but it's a good deal" then don't buy it, or buy it and sell it to someone that does want it. If you'd rather spend the money on something else, then spend the money on something else. I can completely relate to that. Obviously your friend has no personal connection with the pistol or HE'D BE KEEPING IT FOR HIMSELF. This doesn't need to be an emotional drama. It's not particularly exotic. It's not particularly rare. It's definitely not an expensive pistol or a collectors items. It's not a high performance, HSLD, tacticool, or high tech gun. It's not an unusual caliber. It is what it is. It's a big, heavy, thumb biting 9mm that has a following almost as cultish as 1911 aficionados (usually the same people). You've given me the "just as John Moses Browning intended" crap yourself, so I know you're in this category. You've shot it and say that you like it. If you don't see it is a worthwhile expansion to you collection, then don't buy it. If you buy it and decide you don't like it you will always be able to sell it, probably at a small profit. It will never be your primary carry gun. There are many different guns that are better suited for that role (as your friend must have discovered). It's going to be a safe queen for the rest of its time in your possession, exactly like it has been since it was purchased new. The question you need to ask yourself is this, if you don't buy it are you going to regret it? If the answer is no, and you aren't particularly thrilled by the gun, then give it a pass and let him sell it to someone else. You have several decent centerfire pistols and not one .22 semi-auto. You have several self-defense oriented firearms and not one plinker. You have a few rifles, but not one of them is really good for hunting. You have several long guns but not one decent shotgun. You have many firearms but not a single one of them is a long-range or hunting gun. I think you should buy a shotgun before you buy more pistols, but I know that isn't going to happen. At the very least you need a .22 of some sort. You have kids and not one gun that can fill the role of teaching them how to shoot at an early age. With the $400 you could be well on your way to buying any number of firearms that DOES fill the rather large gaps in your collection. TIA. YMMV. IBTL. BOTD. J/K. Ohs the Noes!!111 No animals were harmed during the writing of this rant but many electrons were extremely inconvenienced. |