What a find,Type I Polish Radom P-35

[Red Hat]

It has the slot for the stock. I had an expert on the P-35 look at it a few weeks ago and he said it was most likely made around 39. It's one of the first ones made after they took over the factory. It's all matching serial numbers. I thought that the magazine didn't match but he told me it was the correct one. The first runs didn't have any markings on the Mag and like mine the bottom plate was pinned on so everything is correct. He said it was one of the better Type 1 he's seen. He's writing a book on the history of the Radom so he has a little knowledge on the subject. I'm happy with it and plan on keeping it.

I'll have to get the serial number later. It's locked in a safe in my shop but the Prefix is a 'B' and I think it was B2XXX number. There was a 'A' run and a 'B' run on the first batches. These were Three lever with the Shoulder Stock slot and with nice finishes. Sequential runs started leaving off the hammer drop and the takedown lever replacing them with roll pins. The finish suffered also. Machine marks and substandard bluing were the norm. Rumor had it that some of the slave labor they used to manufacture the firearms sabotaged a lot of the firearms so they wouldn't fire.

[sportowy]

Thanks - whenever you have time - I collect Radom data and pictures.

There is a lot of good informaion out there on this gun - just google. And there are at least two reasonably priced books on the topic that I know of:

The Radom - by Robert J. Berger

Vis: The Model 35 Radom Pistol - by Terrence W. Lapin (Hyrax Publishers, LLC)

[rappini]

I also have a Radom with basically the same markings and I was wondering if you happen to know what wgt your recoil spring is? I'm having some issues with loading and thinking of increaseing the recoil spring wgt.

[Red Hat]

I don't have any idea what weight the spring is. If you want to get another one here is a good place for parts. *|*e-GunParts.com)

[Pugster]

Gents and Ladies, I'm new to this group and wanted to share some info regarding my Radom P35 and some additional info regarding the pistol in general.

Background: I'm a retired baby-boomer who is offspring of two serious gunners (father was USN aviation ordnanceman and my Mom was USN aerial gunnery instructor - both WWII).

I got my Radom P35 from my uncle who was a complete NON-gunner. He was in a US Army artillery outfit in WWII and brought it back with him... amongst other things.

The pistol passed through my Dad's hands and then to me and other than keeping it clean, nothing was done with it.

After being overseas for 25 years (oil business) including 10 in Europe, I've become something of a historian and presently (for the past few years), I've concentrated on the Holocaust but WWII in Holland runs a close second.

I have had possession of my P35 for some time, but it didn't get the attention that my Brownings, etc, have received. Recently, I looked at it a bit closer and found that the original holster has the Runic SS stamp inside the flap and that prompted more research. Mine has serial number E42xx and has the takedown catch, the lanyard loop and the slot for the shoulder stock - all components have matching numbers. Considering its age, it is in remarkably good condition - no pits, but some bluing loss. Internally, the barrel is like a mirror (wish my arteries were as good).

A bit of history: the Germans did final assembly of many of these guns in Steyr (Austria) because they were concerned that the finished guns would fall into the hands of the Polish resistance. They were right... bits and pieces were smuggled out of the FB Radom plant and ended up in the hands of the resistance in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto where they were assembled and used during the uprising.

After the Germans took over the FB plant, many of the pistols were issued to Waffen SS and SS Police units who made up the Einsatzgruppen. As you probably know these units followed the Wehrmacht into Poland, the Baltic States and Russia and shot about 1 million Jews... no doubt, some of them using P35s.

Probably, some of you serious collecters will scream, but since I live only about 40 miles from the Novak shop in Parkersburg, WV, I intend to have my P35 bead blasted, reblued and have Novak sights installed. My wife and I live at the end of the road with just our Friesian horses and Pugs and SharPeis and we are surrounded by meth labs and perverts. The P35 will become my primary carry gun... it is too elegant to leave on the shelf.

Lastly, Terence Lapin has written a good book on the P35. I recommend it to all interested... available from Amazon. Thanks for bearing with me....

[Red Hat]

First of all, welcome Pugster! Thank you for sharing the information you gathered on the P-35. They are definitely a fine firearm with a diverse history. I'd love to find one in bad shape so I could build it up the way I'd like it. I couldn't bare to modify the one I have.

[Pugster]

Red Hat,

Thanks... yours looks almost identical to mine except I have a different marking on the trigger guard. The 623 stamp is the Steyr indicator - final assembly was there. Check the barrel lug - if it has a single Runic S then that barrel was made at Mauthausen Concentration Camp by slave labor. If the barrel has 623, then it came from Steyr.

[Red Hat]

Thanks, I'll dig it out of the safe later and check it.

[Pugster]

rappini,

Ref you question about springs back in Jan, Wolff makes a complete set of replacement springs for the P35. They are packaged together and called "Service Pak Type - 1" - price $11.99. They also have magazine springs that are +5% priced at $7.49 each. I just got a complete set for my P-35 a few days ago... still in the box. Wolff website is: Wolff Gunsprings Manufactures springs for modern and vintage firearms, guns, hammer, pistols, handguns, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, semiautomatic, accessories, weapons, law enforcement, hunting, shooting, recoil, colt, mainsprings, magazines, IPSC. Hope I'm not telling you something you already know.

pugster

[Red Hat]

I just realized that I didn't post the ser# for sportowy. B23XX

Pugster, I checked the barrel and it is a 623.