FB Radom DOM
My Dad brought a FB Radom 9mm pistol home after WWII and was wanting to know the manufacturing date. Serial number G3404. Thanks
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Post some pics please. There are about 5 serial numbers on parts that should match on a radom. There are many out there, mismatched, so going by just the number you see, may be the age of THAT part only. There are three basic variations: Type I, three levers (slide hold open lever, disassembly lever and decocking lever) and slotted for shoulder stock; Type II, three levers and no stock slot; Type III, two levers (slide hold open lever and decocker, {disassembly lever eliminated}) and no stock slot.
A G34xx should be a later version.0 -
cornbean....thanks for your question. With just this little info, sounds like your father has a later German occupation Radom. Would like to know the Waffenmarks but sounds to me like it is a Grade II, subvariation I that included serial numbers E8000 to M8400. Check the Waffenmark...should be E/WaA77 and it should have black plastic grips. Over 70k of that variation was made, most probably in late 1942 or 1943. Pictures would be good to further run it down...hope this helps for now. 0 -
Yeah this is a typeIII. I took the top slide off and barrel out. The number on the underside of slide matches frame no. The barrel has 404 on it which I assume matches. Both clips have no numbers. 0 -
It has WaA 623 on the upper slide. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cornbean
Yeah this is a typeIII. I took the top slide off and barrel out. The number on the underside of slide matches frame no. The barrel has 404 on it which I assume matches. Both clips have no numbers.
Sounds good. The mags/clips {some here will yell at you for calling them "clips"- Ignore them[:D]} should not have numbers on them.
There are versions that are very collectible, Those guns MUST be researched carefully, some are $400...some are $2000...[:0]0 -
quote:Originally posted by babun
quote:Originally posted by cornbean
Yeah this is a typeIII. I took the top slide off and barrel out. The number on the underside of slide matches frame no. The barrel has 404 on it which I assume matches. Both clips have no numbers.
Sounds good. The mags/clips {some here will yell at you for calling them "clips"- Ignore them[:D]} should not have numbers on them.
There are versions that are very collectible, Those guns MUST be researched carefully, some are $400...some are $2000...[:0]
The magazines (if original and in good condition) are worth at least $100 each.
Are there any capture papers with the pistol? If your father brought it home, following all of the rules, he would've had those papers initially. If he saved them, it can add a nice premium to the pistol.
The period during which that pistol was manufactured was so short that specific dates of manufacture don't make too much of a difference. The variations (already explained by others) are the primary determining factor. Condition is the second. If you post some photos, we might be able to tell you a little more.
The really collectible ones are the relatively few that were manufactured before the Nazis took over production.0 -
quote:Originally posted by cornbean
It has WaA 623 on the upper slide.
cornbean...as I said before, your G block serial # puts your gun in the Grade (or Type) II, subvariation I. What nails it is what you lacked in your first post...the Waffen#....Grade II had three...I gave you one but the other two are E/77 and E/623...BINGO![:)] As mentioned, the really rare VIS models are the ones that have the Polish Eagle (they are the rarest and worth the most dough). Your model (which the Germans called P35(p)) was well thought of in the German military so much that they kept production up right up until the factory was overrun! The gun was one of the most most popular and many went to the vaunted SS. Again, photos would help!0 -
OK I've looked this over some more and on the right side is only the serial #. Left side has The #77 under a eagle on the upper slide and directly below it on the frame also. There is no letter in front of the #77. There is also W1A623 under a eagle, thought it was WaA at first cause its so hard to read. Also on left side F.B.Radom. VIS Model 35. Pat.Nr15567. Went and looked at the black holster this morning and under the flap it has bnz 1944. Under that it has P35 (b) just like that in parentheses. Also both mags are good originals.It has a take home certificate with it dated April 5 1946. The date in holster probably doesn't mean much as far as the year of the pistol. Will try to do pictures later. 0 -
Cornbean, go here, great people and great info...
http://luger.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?42-German-Foreign-Mfg-Pistols-and-Holsters0 -
OK I will. Thanks 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cornbean
OK I've looked this over some more and on the right side is only the serial #. Left side has The #77 under a eagle on the upper slide and directly below it on the frame also. There is no letter in front of the #77. There is also W1A623 under a eagle, thought it was WaA at first cause its so hard to read. Also on left side F.B.Radom. VIS Model 35. Pat.Nr15567. Went and looked at the black holster this morning and under the flap it has bnz 1944. Under that it has P35 (b) just like that in parentheses. Also both mags are good originals.It has a take home certificate with it dated April 5 1946. The date in holster probably doesn't mean much as far as the year of the pistol. Will try to do pictures later.
cornbean....sounds like your father has a nice set. Condition is everything, but the set with "papers" makes it valuable...and if you had your Dad's "testimony" as to how he got it and "brought it home" would make it even more valuable as a set. Several different holsters were made for the Radom and bnz (code for Werk Steyr in Austria) are rather common and you are right...it means nothing to the Radom. The most valuable (and rare)Radom holsters are the original Polish double mags....easily four figures if you can find one!! Having a Polish Eagle Radom in an original Polish double mag holster is the "holy grail" of Radom collectors! But what your father has is very good and very collectible. Again, as a set brought home by a vet makes it worth quite a bit (again, depending on condition).....would love to see pics!0 -
cornbean....one additional thing about your bnz holster...the P35(b) means that it was made for that pistol, not your Radom...the letter "b" is for Belgium or some think for the Browning P35. Since the two pistols are somewhat alike, the holsters are commonly switched out. Also, the letter E that I used is for the German Waffen Eagle, in other words, Eagle over 77. Again, hope this helps. As Babun suggests, visit the website he mentions as it too has a lot of good information. The Radom is one sweet pistol and I think you will like it if you shoot it. The Poles get criticized a lot (incorrectly in my view) but the design and development of this pistol was first class and one of the best of WWII....the use by the SS is testament to that[:)] 0
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