Pair WWII German Occupied Radom Vis P35 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistols, C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,106
WOA#: WY240309GJ023, WY240309GJ024
Make: Fabryka Broni (Arms Factory), in Radom, Poland
Model: VIS 35 (Vis is Latin for “force”) / Model 35
Serial Number: L7090, B8824
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1942-1944
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol Fed by a Detachable Magazine
Markings:
L7090: There are no import marks. The left side of the slide is marked “F. B. RADOM VIS Mod.35. Pat. Nr.15567 / “P35(p)”” with a waffenamt. The right of the frame has an eagle over “77” waffenamt and the serial number “L7090”. The trigger guard has inspection marks on each side. The slide and barrel are serial-matching.
B8824: There are no import marks. The left side of the slide is marked “F. B. RADOM VIS Mod.35. Pat. Nr.15567″ with waffenamts. The right of the frame has a waffenamt and the serial number “B8824”. The trigger guard has inspection marks on each side. The bottom of the slide is marked “B8091”, the barrel lug is marked “091”.
Barrel Length:
L7090: The barrel has been cut to approximately 3 5/8”.
B8824: 4/8″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade integral to the rib on the slide. The rear sight is a V-notch dovetailed into the rear of the slide. There is a thin narrow rib running down the center of the entire length of the slide with a finely checkered finish.
Stock Configuration & Condition:
L7090: The grips are two-piece checkered black synthetic panels with smooth borders. The grips have some shrinkage and warping, stretched at the grip screw holes. The right panel has a crack in the rear edge. The grips otherwise show minor handling wear. The checkering is well defined. Overall, the grips are in about Good condition.
B8824: The grips are two-piece smooth wood. There are some scattered light nicks and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-plus condition as not original to the gun.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: 1x 8 round magazine in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality:
L7090: Refinished
B8824: Original to the parts. The slide and barrel are not original to the frame.
Bore Condition:
L7090: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 6 out of 10.
B8824: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore. In this writers’ opinion, the bore rates 8 or 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition:
L7090: This pistol retains about 96% of its current metal finish. There is scattered erosion and pitting under the finish. The front of the slide has been cut and re-welded to shorten its overall length. Two grip screws are missing. The guide rod and recoil spring are missing. The remaining screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with a strong slot. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. Overall, this pistol is in Fair condition as customized.
B8824: This pistol retains about 96% of its metal finish. Most of the balance is in minor operational wear. There are a few other scattered minor marks. The guide rod and recoil spring are missing. THe screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, some of the inspection marks are poorly struck (as is common). Overall, this pistol is in Fair-Good condition as not parts-original.
Mechanics: Both Pistols are missing their guide rods and recoil springs. We did not fire these handguns. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: A single 8-round magazine is included. Also included is an assortment of parts including a guide-rod assembly.
Our Assessment: This is a pair of Fabryka Broni Radom VIS 1935 pistols made during WWII under German occupation before manufacture was moved to Steyr in Austria in late 1944. The design of the pistol was roughly based on John Browning’s M1911 with a slide release, de-cocker and grip safety. The VIS was originally designed for the Polish Army, but only saw a few years of service before Poland was occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union. After the war, the Russians forced the Poles to adopt the Soviet TT-33 Tokarev, even though the Tokarev was considered inferior in both ergonomics and reliability, and the VIS was no longer produced.
This pair comprises one that has been modified to “Commander”-style with the slide cut and re-welded to shorten the overall length by about 1″, and one that has original finish on its parts, though the slide and barrel are not matching to the frame. Each of the pair is missing its guide rod and recoil spring, a single magazine is provided. This is a neat pair as the “Commander” would be a fun project to finish out and the other has quite a bit of original finish and would be worth getting some original grips and replacing the guide rod/recoil spring. Some parts are even included to get your project started. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
