Previously, these were thought to have been produced in haste for the Polish military as the Germans were advancing. They are also missing the proper Polish acceptance stamp on the trigger guard and bear no German markings either. These pistols bear typical Polish markings, including a prominent Polish eagle on the slide, but the serial numbers on the slides and barrels generally do not match the frame. The factory continued making rifles, but ceased pistol production until early 1941, when preparations were under way to invade Russia.Ī series of about 3,000 pistols, all dated “1939” on the slide and stamped with the highest serial numbers recorded, holds one of the many mysteries in the history of the Vis 35. The Germans then took over the factory and put it under the auspices of the Austrian conglomerate Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. The Vis pistols were used by the Polish army fighting the German invasion in 1939. In addition to producing the pistols, the plant also specialized in making Polish variants of the Mauser Model 98 rifle and carbine. Originally designed as a Polish officer’s sidearm, the Vis pistol was manufactured from 1936 in Fabryka Broni (Weapons Factory), hence the initials “FB” on the left grip, located in the city of Radom. The story of the pistol’s production under German occupation is rife with life-and-death situations experienced by the unwilling workers who made them, some of whom played a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Nazis, while others just tried to hold on to their lives. While many praise their aesthetics, ergonomics and reliability, the dramatic role they played in World War II is also part of the appeal.

35, as they are known in Poland, their country of origin, are currently enjoying a surge in popularity among collectors.

Vis radom p35 serial numbers