Polish Radom
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....