In its stock configuration, its accurate, ergonomic, and classic looking.
Well, now my wish has been granted, and boy is it a good one.
Before Apex was known for making parts, Randy was a pistolsmith.
Apex Tactical offers a range of smart upgrades for handguns including this new low-profile magwell for the Springfield Armory SA-35.
He shelved his ideas of a magwell until the SA-35 came around and re-ignited his interest in the platform.
They didnt just slap something together and ship it out the door.
The magwell is well thought-out, well-fitted to the pistol, and it looks beautiful.
Want to increase the capacity of your SA-35? Apex Tactical offers magazines with 17- and19-roundcapacities.
There are then side supports that create a rock-solid attachment to the left and right sides of the frame.
you then simply file those tabs down to where the marks are on the metal.
Once in place, you tap in the 5mm split pin to hold it all together.
Apex Tactical offers (from left to right) 19- and 17-round extra-capacity magazines, a Low-Profile Magwell, and magwell-cut LOK Grips for the SA-35 (center).
After installation, it looks as if the Apex Magwell was a factory option.
The lines and finish blend perfectly into the frame of the SA-35.
You will notice that the entry contours do not match the Springfield SA-35s frame bevels.
The LOK Grips work perfectly on an SA-35 equipped with the magwell and extra-capacity magazines from Apex Tactical.
This is on purpose.
Secondly, this allows for the optimal alignment of the magazine when it is being inserted into the pistol.
This takes us to the second part of my review.
Apex Tactical parts are well made to last a lifetime. The SA-35 magwell and magazine baseplates show this attention to detail. A 19-round magazine is shown here.
Perfect Partners
Remember I said I wanted a basepad system for the SA-35?
Well, Apex delivered with its new SA-35 Magazine Basepads.
Apex designed these two new magazine basepads to go with the Apex Magwell a 17- and a 19-round version.
LOK Grips with the special geometry cuts and the Apex Tactical parts make this classic pistol a modern masterpiece.
Yes, you are not only getting an extended basepad, but also a capacity bump!
Apex eventually landed on customizing a commercially available Mec-Gar magazine that was similar enough to the P35 magazine dimensions.
But, I think its a small price to pay once you experience it all in action.
After installing all of the parts, the author took the Springfield SA-35 to the range to test the system. Everything worked exactly as intended.
Coming to Grips
The third part of this Apex SA-35 trifecta is the magwell-cut LOK grips.
The grips contour perfectly into my hands, and the G10 material gives ample texture to grip onto.
Hands-On
On the range, the upgraded SA-35 felt as good as it looks.
With the Apex Tactical baseplates, the new magazines hold 17 (right) and 19 rounds (left.) This gives the user additional defensive capabilities.
The new LOK Grips and the Apex Magwell were extremely comfortable in my hands.
I felt as if I was able to control the pistol much easier than before.
The very first thing I noticed was how simple and smooth the magazine insertion was.
Apex Tactical, LOK Grips and Springfield Armory all combine to offer incredible performance in an attractive package.
The positive click of the magazine locking into place without disappearing into the pistol was great.
Getting a grip and controlling the SA-35 was a breeze.
The Apex Magwell worked beautifully in conjunction with the new grips.
During this testing, the author used 1776 USA lead-free ammunition. The ammo performed flawlessly in the SA-35.
The extra-capacity magazines ran flawlessly.
Loading was easy, not overly tight like some magazines Ive encountered.
The magazines perfectly fed every time with no malfunctions during my testing.
When reloading, the magazines dropped with ease thanks to the baseplates added weight on the bottom.
The lead-free nature of the ammo makes it a much cleaner experience at the range.
As far as those buttery-smooth reloads that I mentioned earlier?
You wont be disappointed with these upgrades.
The quality is exceptional!
(To see Jeremysreview of the Apex Tactical Hellcat and Hellcat Pro parts, click here.)
MSRP for the magwell is $200.
