Inglis P-35 N: A Browning Hi Power Clone Done Well

When Browning discontinued production of the Hi Power in 2018, it didn’t take other brands long to fill the vacuum left behind by the passing of this iconic pistol. The latest company to bring back the Hi Power is Inglis, which makes its Hi Power clones in Turkey and imports them to the United States at very reasonable prices.

The Inglis name will always be synonymous with the P-35 pistol. However, the Inglis that imports P-35 pistols from Turkey today is different than the original John Inglis and Company of Canada. Following World War II, John Inglis and Company of Canada stopped manufacturing firearms and began making home appliances, and in the 1980s the company was acquired by Whirlpool. Inglis Manufacturing is owned by SDS Imports of Knoxville, Tennessee—the same company that owns Tisas, Tokarev USA, Military Armament Corporation and Spandau Arms.

Inglis currently offers four Hi Power clones: the P-35 N, P-35 B, GP-35 and the L9A1. The Inglis P-35 N 9mm I tested is built with forged components and a 4140 button-rifled barrel with a 1:10 twist.

The forged steel frame is similar to the original Hi Power—cast frames did not become common until the Mk III version in .40 S&W—and the gun features rear slide serrations and the traditional machine cuts on the slide and frame that narrow the front portion of the pistol for easier holstering and reduced weight.

Extractor and Sights

The original Hi Power pistol had an internal extractor, but in the 1960s Browning switched to an external extractor. The Inglis P-35 pistols also feature externally mounted extractors.

The black U-notch rear sight of the P-35 N rests in a dovetail in the slide and is drift adjustable. The front sight is fiber optic—a modern addition to the P-35 design—and it too rests in a dovetail cut in the slide. As with other P-35/Hi Power pistols, the slide is not cut for optics.

The original Belgian P-35 was a fine pistol, but it wasn’t without its flaws. First and foremost, improperly positioning your hand on the gun could result in a painful hammer bite when firing, and that more than any other drawback has probably put more people off the P-35. Inglis wisely addressed this issue by adding a “no bite” hammer with a round hammer ring and mild chamfering. Capacity was also bumped up from 13 on the original P-35 to 15, and the new Inglis guns come with a pair of metal 15-round magazines.

Almost certainly the most despised feature of the original P-35 was the magazine disconnect safety, a feature that the French military deemed essential on its sidearms. The Inglis has no such disconnect safety and will fire without the magazine in place.

Safety and Grips

The French also wanted a pistol with a manual safety, which the original P-35 offered. The Inglis P-35 N incorporates an ambidextrous manual safety, so the gun is easier for lefties to shoot.

The Inglis website indicated that the P-35 N came with G-10 grips. But when I unboxed the pistol I was certain they were wood grips, and messaged Neil Sanders at SDS Imports to verify. The grips are wood, and the design and diamond-point checkering look very much like the grips on the original gun.

Dimensionally, the new Inglis P-35 N is similar to the original Belgian P-35. The Inglis has a 4.7-inch barrel and weighs in at 31 ounces unloaded just like the original gun. Height is 4.9 inches, and the Inglis has a maximum width of 1.4 inches.

The forged steel frame and slide make this pistol heavier than competing polymer-frame pistols, but the weight and balance of a P-35 are ideal for accurate shooting and recoil management. I still believe that no gun feels better in the hand than the Hi Power and its clones.

Construction and Accuracy

The metal components are well-built and free of excessive machine marks, and the matte electroless nickel finish looks very good. Slide-to-frame and barrel-to-slide fit are both good. There are a few minor aesthetic upgrades it could use, such as a serrated slide top, but overall the fit, finish and quality are solid for a working gun.

I like the black U-notch rear sight, too. The green fiber-optic front sight is functional kind of like a fanny pack, but as with a fanny pack I don’t think it helps with overall aesthetics. The Inglis P-35 N is a classic pistol appealing to classic pistol fans, and I think a simple brass bead would have done nicely, but what do I know? Apparently fanny packs are back in fashion, too.

Accuracy was pretty good. Hornady’s Critical Defense ammunition provided the smallest five-shot, 25-yard group of the day at 1.3 inches, but most groups hovered around 2.5 inches and a few topped three inches.

The gun was reliable for the most part. Federal’s 135-grain Hydra-Shok Deep ammo twice failed to return the slide completely to battery, and one Wilson Combat round didn’t chamber. But that was it, and the other ammunition ran just fine.

Final Thoughts

The trigger isn’t awful, but you’re not going to mistake it for a tuned 1911. Break weight was five pounds, 12 ounces, and I measured it after I was all done testing. It’s got a gritty feel that might smooth out after more shooting.

Overall, though, this gun was fun to shoot. Three failures in the first 150 rounds isn’t a bad record, especially for a new pistol, and the quality of the Inglis belies its price. This is a solid pistol that could use a better trigger, but I still consider it a bargain.

As a mostly faithful P-35 clone, the Inglis shines brightest when you’re off the bench. The gun absolutely sits in your hand and handles beautifully. That’s the reason why people fall in love with the P-35 platform, and the Inglis doesn’t disappoint. The grip is relatively large, and the pistol’s low center of gravity—thanks to that forged steel frame—keeps it planted. If you want to shoot fast, this is a great 9mm option.

I’ve had the opportunity to shoot other guns in the SDS family, and I’ve been impressed by them and think they offer exceptional value. I’ve recommended them to friends who were searching for guns that offered good quality at modest prices. But this was my first experience with the Inglis Manufacturing sub-brand, and while it’s not perfect, the P-35 N is a solid P-35 clone that’s fun to shoot.

I’m of the belief that no handgun collection is complete without one quality P-35/Hi Power firearm. The Inglis fits that bill and does so at a $634 price tag that’s considerably lower than some competing P-35 pistols, and that makes it a winner in my book.

Inglis P-35 N Specs

• Type: single-action semiauto
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: two 15-round mags supplied
• Barrel: 4.7 in., button rifled 4140 carbon alloy steel, 1:10 twist
• OAL/Height/Width: 7.5/4.9/1.4 in.
• Weight: 31 oz.
• Construction: matte nickel-finished forged steel frame and slide
• Grips: checkered walnut
• Trigger: 5.75 lb. pull (measured)
• Sights: black drift-adjustable U-notch rear, green fiber-optic front
• Price: $663
• Manufacturer: Inglis Manufacturing, InglisMfg.com

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