Type I “Pre-Alpha” VIS35

krukster86

krukster86

Well-known member
I had an opportunity to grab a desirable "Pre-Alpha" Type I early German Occupation production VIS35 at a very attractive price. These are denoted by a lack of a letter prefix in the serial number, elegant finger cutouts in the trigger area, stock slot cutout, fine fit/finish and bluing, and the absence of a lanyard loop. Of course all serial numbers match, and you do not see the "cut corners" and rough finish of the later German Occupation production examples.

As you can see in the photos, the slide appears to have a different finish than the frame. It is my understanding that this is attributed to the Germans messing with the bluing solution in early production. I’ve seen some pre-Alphas in this two-tone condition and others with plum/purple slides.

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Kruk: The no-letter-bloc pistols are very tough to find. This bloc also held the majority of KM pistols as well. Back in the day I found and purchased #204 (at the same shop and counter where years later acquired the Polish Wz98a). The pistol was matched and about 70% finish. Frame/slide were a thin, copper-red color like observed of some P.38s. All secondary components were deep Polish rust blue. No lanyard loop. White barrel. If you have Robert Berger's RADOM pistol booklet, most of those pictured were of my collection. There is a interesting example #0567 (not mine) with blank slide and deeply blued pictured. Evidence suggests a first run of pistols was possibly made with zero preceding the serial number (with a couple above 10,000). Then standard production began of no-letter bloc pistols. I think #204 had no zero prefix, but sadly don't have any remaining documentation from that time...
 
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pwcosol said:
Kruk: The no-letter-bloc pistols are very tough to find. This bloc also held the majority of KM pistols as well. Back in the day I found and purchased #204 (at the same shop and counter where years later acquired the Polish Wz98a). The pistol was matched and about 70% finish. Frame/slide were a thin, copper-red color like observed of some P.38s. All secondary components were deep Polish rust blue. No lanyard loop. White barrel. If you have Robert Berger's RADOM pistol booklet, most of those pictured were of my collection. There is an interesting example #0567 (not mine) with blank slide and deeply blued pictured. Evidence suggests a first run of pistols was possibly made with zero preceding the serial number (with a couple above 10,000). Then standard production began of no-letter bloc pistols. I think #204 had no zero prefix, but sadly don't have any remaining documentation from that time...
Click to expand...
I have - three digit and it’s without a prefix
 
Outstanding example! (blued barrel, too). It is believed not every P35(p) delivered to the Kriegsmarine was KM accepted. Some have a N or O with issue#. Others with the N or O but no issue number. I think pistols got delivered to the KM depots and were only property numbered upon issuance. Those depots in the East got overrun by the Soviets during 1944-45 and remaining arms were handed out prior to what was then Navy seamen with no ships turned infantry. Also find the E|WaA623 accepted holster very interesting as well. Do not recall if I ever saw one so marked. However, this would have been something from the early period of Radom's factory being occupied and managed by Steyr. Earliest German pattern P35(p) holster I ever found was a cordovan red color (have seen similar on some pre-WW2 Kar98k cartridge pouches). The acceptance marking was in blue ink stamped right between the belt loops. It was a large, rectangular box with E/WaA77 on one side. I had observed this same type of stamp before and they were typically found on the inside of period Kar98k buttplates, on the brown, protective painted interior.
 
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