What a find,Type I Polish Radom P-35

[Pugster]

Red Hat,
According to the Terence Lapin book, P35s produced during the year 1940 after the Nazi occupation in Sept '39 were numbered A001 - Dxxxx. For sure they didn't drop the grip slot and takedown catch until sometime after serial number D42xx because mine (D42xx) has all three catches and the slot same as yours. Too bad detailed histories have been lost...

[Pugster]

To all Radom P35 owners... I made another discovery about the history of the gun. The official manufacturer's name of the gun was VIS (you knew that already, but I'm just setting the scene). During the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1944 during which the Jewish resistance were fighting with stolen and smuggled arms, they wrote some songs and in one of those songs "PaŁacyk Michla", there is a line about the men from the Parasol Battalion (part of the resistance) facing down Tiger tanks with only their VISes. Probably a really bad idea, but nonetheless interesting...

[Scarecrow]

wow! nice job. heck of a find for sure!

[Pugster]

Scarecrow,

My wife always said I was the master of trivial information... my response (I thought it but didn't say it) is that one man's trivia is another's vital data....

[Red Hat]

A lot more great info on the P-35! Thanks again for sharing what you found...

[Pugster]

Here's a link to an interesting article regarding the P35. Can't vouch for its accuracy, but its pretty much consistent with the Terence Lapin book on the P35.

The Arms Room: Radom ViS wz.35: The last horse pistol.

[robjams]

Hi guys! Sorry to break in but you guys seem to know a little about the p35 so im wondering if you can help me. I've got one that i inherited from my grandad about 10 years ago after his death. He brought it back after wwII so i've been told and i never thought much about its rarity or value until recently. only problem im having is identifying it. it doesnt seem to match any of the descriptions entirely. cant figure out how to get my pics on here, so im gonna have to describe it best i can. first off, its in really great shape and i've personally shot it maybe fifty rounds i guess. great shooting gun with absolutely no jams. i shoot full metal jackets in it. on the left sideof the slide is F.B RADOM VIS Mod. 35. Pat. Nr.15567.
"P.35(p)"
It has a small eagle to the right of the pat num. and another small symbol to the right of the eagle thats too small to make out. It also has the wa77 under the two lines on the body and slide on the left side. The serial number is a B prefix. B1xxx. From what i've read this is an early run. It has the three levers on the left as well as a stock slot and lanyard ring. Sounds like type 1? Ok, this it where i get lost. This gun has brown plastic grips and the barrell is not blued, its white like the spring. The body, slide and barrell all have the same serial number stamped on them. opposite of the serial number side of the barrell there is an arrow stamped in it and more eagles. from what i've read this gun matches a type one gun except for the brown plastic grips and the non-blued barrell. I also have the leather holster which carries one extra mag. I cant find any markings on the mag and the bottom of it is pinned on. Anyone know if this is rare since i cant find any info that matches this description? All numbers match. Any info would be greatly appreciated!! thanks

[Glockster20]

Originally Posted by robjams

Hi guys! Sorry to break in but you guys seem to know a little about the p35 so im wondering if you can help me. I've got one that i inherited from my grandad about 10 years ago after his death. He brought it back after wwII so i've been told and i never thought much about its rarity or value until recently. only problem im having is identifying it. it doesnt seem to match any of the descriptions entirely. cant figure out how to get my pics on here, so im gonna have to describe it best i can. first off, its in really great shape and i've personally shot it maybe fifty rounds i guess. great shooting gun with absolutely no jams. i shoot full metal jackets in it. on the left sideof the slide is F.B RADOM VIS Mod. 35. Pat. Nr.15567.
"P.35(p)"
It has a small eagle to the right of the pat num. and another small symbol to the right of the eagle thats too small to make out. It also has the wa77 under the two lines on the body and slide on the left side. The serial number is a B prefix. B1xxx. From what i've read this is an early run. It has the three levers on the left as well as a stock slot and lanyard ring. Sounds like type 1? Ok, this it where i get lost. This gun has brown plastic grips and the barrell is not blued, its white like the spring. The body, slide and barrell all have the same serial number stamped on them. opposite of the serial number side of the barrell there is an arrow stamped in it and more eagles. from what i've read this gun matches a type one gun except for the brown plastic grips and the non-blued barrell. I also have the leather holster which carries one extra mag. I cant find any markings on the mag and the bottom of it is pinned on. Anyone know if this is rare since i cant find any info that matches this description? All numbers match. Any info would be greatly appreciated!! thanks

Found this on gunbroker.com;

POLISH RADOM Nazi Marked : Other at GunBroker.com

Hope it helps.

[Pugster]

Robjams,

First, if you haven't already read all the posts on this thread, I suggest you do that - only 3 pages. Some good background info.

Get a magnifying glass (or something) and look again at your P35. The small eagle beside the Pat. Nr. has a small swastika beneath it. That's the German proof mark. The wa77 is actually WaA77 which is the acceptance mark from the WaffenAmt (WaffenAmt = weapons bureau). The 77 is the Radom (Polish city where the arsenal is located) number. The mark to the right of the proof mark is another smaller eagle almost certainly with 623 beneath it. The 623 is the mark for Steyr (in Austria) where the final assembly of the guns took place. The Germans were afraid that the Polish Resistance would get their hands on some of these guns, so the barrels were made at Steyr and the final assembly was there also. Your barrel lug probably has a 623 on it, too. As far as I know, the barrels were never blued (could be wrong). The serial number suggests it was built somethime in 1940.
I'm not sure where the designation Type 1, etc came from and no doubt, there is some logic to that system probably set up by someone who knows more than me, but there were actuall two versions produced prior to 1940. The first was the version for the Polish Army which of course has no Nazi marks and also has the Polish eagle. The second version was basically produced from parts produced before the German invasion in Sept '39 and has Polish AND Nazi markings. The third was produced more or less from 1940-1942 and included the grip slot and 3 catches and only Nazi markings. After that, they started omitting things like the grip slot and then the take down catch, etc. The last versions were apparently pretty ratty.
The history of this gun is closely interwoven with the history of the Polish resistance, the SS and the Warsaw uprising in fall 1944.

[Red Hat]

Welcome, robjams. From your description you have a Type 1 just like mine but with a lower ser#. You have the correct mag for it also. Pugster has posted a lot of great info on the P-35. If you have any more questions we'll be glad to help.