I think you got the better part of the deal!That is in perfect condition and it could of be owned by a member of the Polish resistance!
The Vis was considered the best gun at the time.Tony do you mind posting your pre-war Vis pistol?
Thanks
I think you got the better part of the deal!That is in perfect condition and it could of be owned by a member of the Polish resistance!
The Vis was considered the best gun at the time.Tony do you mind posting your pre-war Vis pistol?
Thanks
Here are some pics. of two WWII polish knives. The first one I have been told is a Polish fighting knife, if you know different please advise. The second one is a FS knife used by the 1st. Polish para Btn. The original owner gave me this knife and also his picture. I cannot find the picture but it will appear on here soon. John
Nice Blackpowder!Where did you get the first knife??
Same here. For me it’s everything after 1947 that is uncharted territory (by choice) - the year that marks the demobilization of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Although I do know that the crownless ‘LWP’ eagle was phased out starting in 1989 to be replaced by the wz.93 (1993) design with the crown restored. Below is a quick pic I just snapped showing the standard land forces eagle patterns.
Left is the wz.19 in effect until 1939. There were variations (such as the Jan Knedler eagle shown in my avatar), but these was the primary pattern.
Middle is the wz.40 pattern used by the Polish Armed Forces in the West. This example is a J.R.Gaunt, London product.
Right is the current wz.93 pattern. This type is often passed off as prewar – knowingly and unknowingly. Case in point here on this current ebay auction:
160322499872
Regards,
T.
Nice eagles you have there Tony.
Does anyone else think that the pre-war and exile eagles design should be used instead of the wz.93???
Speaking of eagle badges does anyone have a pre-war screw back badge or a cloth eagle??
Thanks
Yes 3mk, they are a sad sight aren't they Here's an example that was given to me. I took this bird in out of compassion for the poor thing.
And to get back onto the "display" track of this thread, attached are pics of some of my flock - wz.19 and the wz.40 PSZnZ with several of the smaller F.S. cap eagle along the bottom. I've posted these two frames previously on another thread, so apologies for repeating.
T.
Like you said it really is a sad site
No need to apologize for posting these pictures in another thread everyone loves looking at your great collection.Dont worry about the display part of this thread this can be a thread of anything relating Poland and pre-ww2/ww2
Hello John,
Be still my heart! That is an incredible piece that you are very fortunate to own. Most fascinating to see is the smooth grip. This is claimed to be a unique characteristic favoured by the Poles, to which some scoff is pure myth. A good friend of mine, Dr. Bill Windrum who is an authority on FS knives maintains that it is a fact. I am happy to see some proof here that supports Dr. Windrum.
Please post the photo of the original owner.
Best,
Tony
In the rapid fire posting here I almost overlooked commenting on your fine P.35. This looks to be a Grade II German occupation Vis, based on the serial number prefix that appears to be an M and the missing “P.35(p)” stamp below the slide markings. If so then the shoulder stock slot should be missing. Can you verify this Ade? About 140 000 - 160 000 of the Grade II were made between 1941 - 1943.
Pics of my pre-war “Eagle” and my Grade III Occupation Vis from about 1943. Both are fully functional. This is an older picture and I have since replaced the reproduction pre-war holster for the Eagle with a genuine one. The occupation Vis is shown with an original holster.
As mentioned before, the pre-war Vis is one of my pride and joys. The quality is superb. The Poles lavished much care and attention into their production. I’ve only fired it once, and it was accurate and smooth a silk.
The German occupation Vis is a typical mid war product with the unique brown grips. These Grade III’s have no take-down latch or shoulder stock slot, and characteristic hollow sheet-metal drift pins. The mounting stresses of the war for the Germans are very clearly showing in these pistols as the production was speeded up and fit and finish suffered as a result. Although despite the rushed production the gun maintained its well established reputation as a tough combat pistol that was amongst the best at withstanding the rigours of field use and abuse.
It certainly had a well deserved reputation as a superbly engineered and rugged pistol, but there were equally fine pistols in use by the Germans and Allies. The Germans were very well aware of the qualities of the Vis and knew prior to their invasion in 1939 that they were to spare the factory in Radom in order to resume production.
Regards,
Tony
PS I also attached a couple of interesting period pics
Amazing guns Tony,I can only dream of owning a pre-war Vis pistol.
Similar Threads
Bookmarks