krukster86
Well-known member
As NorthYuma put it in another thread on the Jan C Still Luger Forums,, collecting Polish Eagle VIS 35's these days are "elite collector status" territory. Ever since I found out about these pistols when looking at my uncle's book of Polish small arms as a teen, I was enamored by them. However, the extremely high price point has always been quite off-putting. I instead meandered around that issue by scooping up good deals on Nazi occupation examples (but even now, deals on those are few and far between).
Over the course of this year, I have sold off a handful of milsurps rifles that I didn’t exactly “love” anymore, and in the process I had funds to save up for (another) “grail” / “white whale” of mine.
The newest addition to the pack is a pre-war Polish eagle 1938 dated FB Radom VIS35 from Jimja (who is a member of this forum). It is all matching but unfortunately, it has a significant amount of external pitting, which allowed it to be “affordable” relatively speaking. To put things into perspective, I wring my hands at the thought of spending more the $1,500 on a collectible firearm.
Due to the pattern of nasty pitting, I suspect one of two things:
1. This pistol has spent a good decade or two stored in a leather holster with some moisture.
2. This pistol may have been buried by the Poles after the collapse of Poland in September 1939, to be used under occupation by the Armia Krajowa (Home Army), or to be unearthed after the war to prevent capture by the Nazis.
Without any sort of provenance however, one should conclude that the pitting is likely from poor storage. However, the internals are all pristine and it came with an appropriate Polish proofed magazine.
It is no show pony at all, but I am quite happy to have this one in my collection, warts and all, and it satisfies a childhood desire to own one.
The below photos are from Jimja, who did a fine job with the photography.
Over the course of this year, I have sold off a handful of milsurps rifles that I didn’t exactly “love” anymore, and in the process I had funds to save up for (another) “grail” / “white whale” of mine.
The newest addition to the pack is a pre-war Polish eagle 1938 dated FB Radom VIS35 from Jimja (who is a member of this forum). It is all matching but unfortunately, it has a significant amount of external pitting, which allowed it to be “affordable” relatively speaking. To put things into perspective, I wring my hands at the thought of spending more the $1,500 on a collectible firearm.
Due to the pattern of nasty pitting, I suspect one of two things:
1. This pistol has spent a good decade or two stored in a leather holster with some moisture.
2. This pistol may have been buried by the Poles after the collapse of Poland in September 1939, to be used under occupation by the Armia Krajowa (Home Army), or to be unearthed after the war to prevent capture by the Nazis.
Without any sort of provenance however, one should conclude that the pitting is likely from poor storage. However, the internals are all pristine and it came with an appropriate Polish proofed magazine.
It is no show pony at all, but I am quite happy to have this one in my collection, warts and all, and it satisfies a childhood desire to own one.
The below photos are from Jimja, who did a fine job with the photography.
