WWII German Pistol Question

F

Fuzzy

New member
A friend of mine just inhereted a German P-35(p) from her grandfather and I was wondering how much it was worth. She didn't have much info, just that it was a P-35 and all the serial numbers matched. I think her grandfather took it as a war trophy. I can ask her for more info tomorrow Her father estimated it's value at around $350, I was just wondering if that was accurate. She doesn't really want it, so if she sells it I'd kinda like her to know how much it's worth.

My aunt sold my grandfather's 1920s era Winchester Model 70 for like $300 so I know how a less than honest gun store owner can take advantage of someone who doesn't know what they have.

Thanks,
 
Well, it could be one of 3 guns, actually...

A Browning High Power, P-35.

A Polish Radom, Vis 35 (also called a P-35 by some)

Or a Walther P-38.

The $350 could be in the ball park, or could be high or low. There's no way to tell without actually seeing the gun to know exactly what it is.

Any chance of putting up a photo?
 
if this is what i think it is, a radom 9mm, there are about 4 different grades. the best is the grade I, made from 1935 (or 36, can't remember right now what the first year was) to 1939. these had the polish eagle on the left side of the slide and the year it was manufactured. the '37 was the rarest, '36 2n rarest. the '39s had mismatched serial numbers on the parts from the factory. from then on, they were made for the nazis (because the nazis ran over poland and took over the factory). these have the left side marked with 'F.B.RADOM VIS MOD.35 PAT.Nr15567' followed by a nazi proof (eagle over 77). these fall into 3 grades, the earliest ones being the best, the later ones having lousy fit and finish and no takedown latch.

generally, if you have only 2 levers on the left side, this is a cheaper version. (nazi) ~$300

if there are 3 levers on the left side and it is nazi, ~$350-$450

if there are 3 levers on the left side and it is nazi and it has a stock slot, with good finish ~$450-$550

if there is a polish eagle and it has a stock slot, with good finish this is worth more depending on the condition.

the most accurate way to get the value is to get the serial #'s and check in a book for the grade. i can't remember now what the serial # blocks were, but they are the best way of nailing down the exact model and then use the guns condition to adjust the value.

a good place to start is the auction boards. gunbroker and auctionarms regularly have a few up for sale.

i have a matching '36 in excellent condition and was offered $2000 for it by 3 different dealers. if it is in good shape, and you know some of the story of how it got here, get it and keep it. pieces of history like that are disappearing. i knew the vet that brought back the one i have. he told me where he got it and left it to me when he died. that's worth more than a couple of bucks. if you can, send me a pic and i might be able to help you.
 
If it reads, "P-35(p)", it's not a Browning; it's a Radom VIS-35. The little "p" denotes, "Polnisch." (Sp.?)

Also, you can ask her if it has a grip safety. If it does, it's definitly the Radom. I hope it finds a good home. How much history will vanish as our older vets die and their heirs don't want to preserve their souvenirs and their memories?

Lone Star
 
Ah crap... I missed that little (p).

Yep, that would make it a Radom.

I have one with a decocker but no take-down lever. Accurate, reliable, and fun to shoot, only I'm having extraction problems now. Don't know whether it's the ammo I'm shooting, or whether it's the extractor...

If it does have the Polish eagle and is in good condition, $3,500 isn't out of the realm of possibility as an asking price.
 
I have the late war two lever Radom, it shoots almost like a .22, no recoil at all! Of course, it's a pretty heavy 9mm pistol... :)

Radom_VIS.jpg
 
Hi, Mike and Johnwill,

You probably know, but on the late Radoms, the decocker is also the takedown lever. With the mag out, you retract the slide, hold the decocker down, and then release the slide, letting the tail of the decocker rest in the notch in the hammer. That lines the slide stop with the slide cutout for removal.

Jim
 
Hi, Fuzzy,

I am not going to defend shysters, but a pre-WWII Model 70 is not always a big ticket item. A heavily used one in a common caliber will not sell for much over $400, so the $300 from a dealer might not have been the rip off it looks like. Of course, new in the box, and in a rare caliber or configuration, they can run over $2000.

FWIW, all the books that give gun values list retail prices, or what a buyer might expect to pay. But dealers can't buy at those prices and stay in business. So folks selling guns to dealers have to accept a dealer price, which will be less than the book price. Sales to individuals might net the full book price, but the seller might have to wait a while to find a buyer, where the dealer will buy the item quickly.

BTW, the Model 70 was not made until 1936, so it would not be a 1920's gun.

Jim
 
You probably know, but on the late Radoms, the decocker is also the takedown lever.
Click to expand...
Yep, I did know that. Probably why they left off the takedown lever, they were trying to push as much iron out the door as possible by that time! :D
 
Thanks Guys

Thanks for all the info, as it turns out, she doesn't want to sell it, she was just interested to see how much it was worth. I found a web page with a history of it and she was pretty interested in reading it. She's not a 'gun' person, I don't think she's fired one in her life but this little piece of her family history is going on display in her living room.

The Winchester Model 70 was made until 1936? I guess my mom was wrong about the date. But, the rifle is older than her and everyone who was around when he got it is dead. Oh well.
 
The Winchester may have been a Model 54. The Radom P-35 in German service was designated P-35(p). If memory serves, their ordnance term for the Browning 9mm Hi-Power was Pistole 640(b), with "b" indicating Belge (Belgian). I think it was Jeff Cooper who started calling the Browning a P-35... it has been legitimately called M-35... Pistole a Grand Puissance, Modele 35.
GP-35 also works, but I think Chairman Jeff created P-35 for that gun. It has no doubt confused many people...

Lone Star
 
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