The epitome of heresy (dont look if you are sensitive and cant abide puppies and guns being hurt!)

[Scout]

Vis wz. 35 or 'Radom.'

One of the finest handguns from that period.

Sadly this example of the fine Polish throughbred has been nickel plated.

Looking at that particular gun finish is about as 'nice' as being punched in the gut.

Early occupation model but of course collectors value has sadly been diminshed (to say the very least!) due to the horrible nickel plating job.

It sold cheaply for $270.

Auction site is in Ocala, Florida.
Maybe the plating job was done there in order to prevent the climate from destroying the gun.
....or maybe the plating job was done in another country at another time - who knows.
I personally lean towards it having been plated post war in the US, but thats just me.

LOT #3 - *F. B. Radom VIS Mod. 35 9mm Semi Auto Pistol

[big ned]

Many vet bringbacks were subsequently plated by the guy's who bought them back. I've seen Lugers, P38's and PPK's that have all had the treatment, i'm sure other chaps here can extrapolate more on this practice.

[Scout]

Yeah, thats my impression as well.


....the horror......, the horror......

[Larboard]

Nickel plated vet bringback pistols are just part of history... there's nothing particularly horrible about it, in fact a screaming deal on a Radom pistol. The plating has worn off, in fact it's very cool. If you (OP) were the one that bought it, you did very well. At this point, "unplating" it would do much more harm than good, and will in fact lower the value of the pistol.

[SteveR]

Post war 40s, 50s, 60s war time pistols held little value. The first P38 I had I paid $20.00 for it to use as a shooter It had never been fired. This was the mid 60s. Lugers were $30.00 every where. Type 14 Nambu's were $2.00 if it was in a holster. But I am talking 50 years ago.
So today you find chromed WW II pistols.

[Scout]

Nickel plated vet bringback pistols are just part of history... there's nothing particularly horrible about it, in fact a screaming deal on a Radom pistol. The plating has worn off, in fact it's very cool. If you (OP) were the one that bought it, you did very well. At this point, "unplating" it would do much more harm than good, and will in fact lower the value of the pistol.

Ho-hum, to each his own

Plenty of things have been done to man and machine through history, that are 'just part of history.'
That doesnt make them any less horrible within each of their own fields.

A nickel plated gun is small potatoes as compared to the other end of the scale of course.

So in that respect it is of course only worthy of a mental shrug, as you suggest.

But to someone who appreciates a fine handgun, a flaking nickel plated gun is horrible - especially if done to a quality firearm like the one in the OP.

I find a factory blued Vis wz. 35 'cool' (if thats the current vernacular), but I certainly dont find a flaking nickel plated gun cool and I wasnt the buyer . I wouldnt touch it with yours

Bottom line is that there is no accounting for taste. You stick to the nickel plated ones and Ill continue to like blued and parkerized guns

Lets just agree to disagree

[jonobo]

Re-chrome it and use it as your pimp gun!

[Wagriff]

Not only is it nickel plated, but it was badly Done.....they even plated the Barrel?? I would almost be tempted to Replate this thing again, just to make it Look better. Once plated, as said above, there is no going back. You can only try to Maintain the plating and hope for the best...

[Scout]

Post war 40s, 50s, 60s war time pistols held little value. The first P38 I had I paid $20.00 for it to use as a shooter It had never been fired. This was the mid 60s. Lugers were $30.00 every where. Type 14 Nambu's were $2.00 if it was in a holster. But I am talking 50 years ago.
.................................................. ..........

I try not to think about how cheap guns used to be....and conditions pre-GCA68 otherwise known as 'the good old days'

Must have been nice to have had some pocket change and a hankering for a nice vet bring back.

I remember visiting the fantastic J.M. Davis firearms Collection in Claremore, OK and reading about how mr. Davis scooped up guns from vets.
Its a massive collection and I can heartedly recommend a visit there, if you like guns.

A 'very good collection' doesnt even begin to describe it.

Re-chrome it and use it as your pimp gun!

Indeed a finish worthy of a pimp
I once bought a one-owner Connie from '73. That and the nickel plated horror would go nicely together, yo!

Not only is it nickel plated, but it was badly Done.....they even plated the Barrel?? I would almost be tempted to Replate this thing again, just to make it Look better. Once plated, as said above, there is no going back. You can only try to Maintain the plating and hope for the best...

I agree wholeheartedly - very badly/slobby executed nickel job.
As you say, the barrel even looks plated - why on earth do that.
If nothing else does, that aspect alone reduces it to a 'wallhanger.'
Not that i would be seen dead with that thing in my house

[crites1234]

personally i have always wanted a colt 1911 either made of nickel or nickel plated for a replica of one of my favorite video game guns the "cursed pistol" in the brothers in arms series particularly Hells highway