THANKS for the informations! In the city of Radom in September 1939, my late grand-father (1914-2014), podporucznik of the Reserve (1 star in 1939, 2 stars today), was called to service and got his sidearm at FB plant in the evening of 03/09 or early in the morning of 04/09, a "warm" brand new wz. 35 ("Polish eagle" as the US call them) coming straight from the montage. As his regiment were no more in Radom and was signaled at Łuck, he started to chase it, crossing the Vistula river and heading for the city of Lublin. On his way in this chaos, he met the 4th Battalion of Pioneers, and fought in this unit, against the Germans and then against the Soviets, who surrounded them in the woods, and his ViS with its leash was "borrowed" there by a Red Army NCO…
Thank you for your clear and interesting introduction, for those who are unfamiliar with the Polish "Radom", & the position it was placed into, following the German occupation.
I picked up the first edition of York's book in black and white a month before the color edition was announced (oooof!). However, the difference was night and day and I just had to get the color edition as well!
Great video! I like the way you pointed out the machining and production simplifications the German production engineers made to decrease manufacturing hours, eliminating parts and ultimately to produce more guns per week/month. The one great change you didn't cover adequately was the grips screw change. The original "small head" screws are threaded into bushings/posts that are pressed into the frame (just like the Colt M1911). The later "large head" screws did away with the bushing/pedestal complexity and reduced the part count from 8 parts (4 screws and 4 pressed in bushings) down to be just 4 screws and those just going into simple threaded holes on the frame! This grip change was 2nd only to the takedown lever removal in part reduction and cost significance. I think it deserves a callout in a video as detailed as yours.
Thanks! I tried to cover some topics that were not already covered in other videos, and tried to regurgitate some facts/details from York's book on video. I hope it was helpful!
Thank you for the shoutout. Nice collection and I really need to get a 3 lever at some point. I also really need to get that particular book and it would go well with Berger's book.
The LAST ONE "100% Polish" that went out from the FB factory, only few MINUTES before the Germans arrived, was the serial number 52518. After that, the Poles made a huge pile of pistols in the backyard (more than 2 meters high), and put it on fire with gasoline. When Germans entered the factory (it was September the 8th 1939, about 3 PM), they have the fire quickly stopped and retrieved the pistols (after changing the plastic grips that melted, and springs, they issued them).
you showed a radom with a T serial number saying it was made in the radom factory. the last radom made in the factory was the K series. all subsequent radoms were made by steyr.
Correct, if we are being particular/specific. As you mentioned, only very early German occupation examples were made entirely at Radom. I would have to double check William York’s book, but if I recall correctly, Steyr did the final assembly and made the barrels, but Radom still made the parts kits for that serial number range.
I wish there was a source good reproduction mags (or affordable original mags, maybe they are more available in Europe that we never see in the US. You would think with the production numbers there would be at least some mags floating around)
THANKS for the informations!
In the city of Radom in September 1939, my late grand-father (1914-2014), podporucznik of the Reserve (1 star in 1939, 2 stars today), was called to service and got his sidearm at FB plant in the evening of 03/09 or early in the morning of 04/09, a "warm" brand new wz. 35 ("Polish eagle" as the US call them) coming straight from the montage. As his regiment were no more in Radom and was signaled at Łuck, he started to chase it, crossing the Vistula river and heading for the city of Lublin. On his way in this chaos, he met the 4th Battalion of Pioneers, and fought in this unit, against the Germans and then against the Soviets, who surrounded them in the woods, and his ViS with its leash was "borrowed" there by a Red Army NCO…
Apologies for the inconsistent audio levels in the video. My kid went down for a nap during the middle of recording so I had to start whispering :D
Thank you for your clear and interesting introduction, for those who are unfamiliar with the Polish "Radom", & the position it was placed into, following the German occupation.
These are such beautiful pistols. Glad they reprinted York's book recently. Nice video and thanks for sharing.
I picked up the first edition of York's book in black and white a month before the color edition was announced (oooof!). However, the difference was night and day and I just had to get the color edition as well!
Great video! I like the way you pointed out the machining and production simplifications the German production engineers made to decrease manufacturing hours, eliminating parts and ultimately to produce more guns per week/month. The one great change you didn't cover adequately was the grips screw change. The original "small head" screws are threaded into bushings/posts that are pressed into the frame (just like the Colt M1911). The later "large head" screws did away with the bushing/pedestal complexity and reduced the part count from 8 parts (4 screws and 4 pressed in bushings) down to be just 4 screws and those just going into simple threaded holes on the frame!
This grip change was 2nd only to the takedown lever removal in part reduction and cost significance. I think it deserves a callout in a video as detailed as yours.
Thanks for the identification of a good gap in coverage in my video. I do agree that this should have been covered in more detail.
Thanks for this video on a interesting topic that is not very known and talk about on RUclips except Ian. Thanks for preserving history !
Thanks! I tried to cover some topics that were not already covered in other videos, and tried to regurgitate some facts/details from York's book on video. I hope it was helpful!
@@mkruk2 And it was helpfull ! Using the book add some really precise facts and details, bien joué l'ami.
And there is also Tom (Whiteman) from "Legacy Collectibles" who made several very nice videos about them.
Thank you for the shoutout. Nice collection and I really need to get a 3 lever at some point. I also really need to get that particular book and it would go well with Berger's book.
I have one with the prefix "Z" and the first 3 numbers of the serial number are 666 , has German markings , decent shooter .
The LAST ONE "100% Polish" that went out from the FB factory, only few MINUTES before the Germans arrived, was the serial number 52518.
After that, the Poles made a huge pile of pistols in the backyard (more than 2 meters high), and put it on fire with gasoline.
When Germans entered the factory (it was September the 8th 1939, about 3 PM), they have the fire quickly stopped and retrieved the pistols (after changing the plastic grips that melted, and springs, they issued them).
you showed a radom with a T serial number saying it was made in the radom factory. the last radom made in the factory was the K series. all subsequent radoms were made by steyr.
Correct, if we are being particular/specific. As you mentioned, only very early German occupation examples were made entirely at Radom. I would have to double check William York’s book, but if I recall correctly, Steyr did the final assembly and made the barrels, but Radom still made the parts kits for that serial number range.
VIS 35 is the best pistol ever made.
Don't poke your eye out kid with that stick! Son you are a mountain of information sir ! Ty
I wish there was a source good reproduction mags (or affordable original mags, maybe they are more available in Europe that we never see in the US. You would think with the production numbers there would be at least some mags floating around)
Hi. I have VIS 35 in M Block. Do you maybe know ( if you have Radom VIS Book) what branch of German army use that particular series Thanks!.
Hello Marko. That level of detail is likely not documented in surviving reference material.
@@mkruk2 Its to sad... Thank you anyway . Best regards, Marko.