Post-War Commercial Finnish Valmet Lahti L-35 L35 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,328
WOA#: WY240318JL006
Make: Valmet
Model: L-35, “Lahti”
Serial Number: 6739
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1946
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine and Loaded Chamber Indicator
Markings: The left side of the barrel extension, left of the frame and top-rear of the bolt are each marked “6739”. The top of the barrel extension has a Valmet logo and “L-35”. There are inspection marks on the barrel and trigger.
Barrel Length: 4 3/4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade with a vertical rear face that is dovetailed into a serrated, ramped, banded base on the barrel. The rear sight is a flat topped “U” notch integral to the back of the barrel extension.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic with “VKT” logo at their tops. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 94% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong with some scattered minor nicks and light scratches. The finish is thinning at some edges. There is minor handling wear in the grip areas. The action shows minor operational wear. The screw heads are lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in about Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round magazine.
Our Assessment: Following independence from Russia and the end of the Finnish Civil War, it was decided that Finland needed a domestically produced sidearm for their armed forces. Designed by Aimo Lahti at the VKT State Rifle Factory, the result was the L-35, better known today as the Lahti. The design served the Finns well in the Winter War and Continuation war, with the design also seeing use by Sweden and Denmark. This example is a post-war gun, assembled with extra parts after military production was complete. It is particularly early, the last serial number delivered to the Finnish military was 6731, so this example was one of the very first to be assembled for commercial sale. As an early version, it still has the loaded chamber indicator which would be omitted on later production guns. The post-war guns did not have a provision for a stock/holster to be attached and most were marked with the Valmet brand name rather than VKT. It doesn’t appear to have seen much use since coming to the United States, with a strong bore, good mechanics, matching serialized parts and minor wear in its metal finish. This would be a great pistol to add to any collection, especially given its high condition, lack of an import mark, and scarcity here in the United States. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
