Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

FN 1935 Grip Crest Identification

mltitlntd
I posted earlier about this piece, asking about value. Wondering what the crest on the grip might be.

Anyone seen it before? Other thoughts?

FN_1935_rt_full.JPG

Thanx!
0

Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • richarda
    Finland.
    0
  • mltitlntd
    quote:Originally posted by richarda
    Finland.
    Thanks Richard. Any thoughts on how an FN 1935 with Nazi markings might have ended up with a Finnish Crest?

    Anyone?
    0
  • gary wray
    mltitlntd.....the Finns highly respected the weapons of Belgium. In the first Winter War over 7000 FN1935's were supplied to the Finns and were highly prized, particularly by the Finnish officers as most Finn weapons were older and the P35's were darn near new and super well made. After Belgium surrendered to the Germans they also came to prize the pistol (used by the SS, for example) and when Finland joined the Germans in the fight against the Soviet Union thousands more P35's were shipped to them. This particular pistol is of the German occupation variation, fixed 50m sights, less polished and its serial number fits into that later generation of German procurement (145000-210000). Hope this helps[^]
    0
  • TRAP55
    Finland if the lion has a sword above it's head, Czech if it doesn't.
    0
  • mltitlntd
    Thanks Gary. Good info, but now I am uncertain, because Trap says:

    quote:Originally posted by TRAP55
    Finland if the lion has a sword above it's head, Czech if it doesn't.


    Here is a closer image of the crest

    FN_1935_CREST.JPG


    I did some googling (an image search for "finnish coat of arms" and another for "czech...") , and the crest looks more Czech than Finnish (no sword).


    The tail doesn't really look like either one.
    0
  • gary wray
    mltitlntd........ah, the mystery continues! Check the coat of arms of the 14th Waffen SS Division and tell me what you think. It was made up of several units from Bohemia (Czech today) and since this is a late war P35, and it was created in Nov '43, and we know that the SS loved the pistol, you might be looking at one of those...just guessing, but an educated guess[8D][?]
    0
  • mltitlntd
    quote:Originally posted by gary wray
    mltitlntd........ah, the mystery continues! Check the coat of arms of the 14th Waffen SS Division and tell me what you think. It was made up of several units from Bohemia (Czech today) and since this is a late war P35, and it was created in Nov '43, and we know that the SS loved the pistol, you might be looking at one of those...just guessing, but an educated guess[8D][?]


    Gary,

    do you have a link to this image?
    0
  • gary wray
    quote:Originally posted by mltitlntd
    quote:Originally posted by gary wray
    mltitlntd........ah, the mystery continues! Check the coat of arms of the 14th Waffen SS Division and tell me what you think. It was made up of several units from Bohemia (Czech today) and since this is a late war P35, and it was created in Nov '43, and we know that the SS loved the pistol, you might be looking at one of those...just guessing, but an educated guess[8D][?]


    Gary,

    do you have a link to this image?


    mltitlntd.......you can do a google real quick and see the rampart lion of the 14SS. The more I look at it, the less I think it might be that actual one as yours lacks the three crowns. We know that it didn't leave the factory like it is, and it is a later P35 so it could not be one of the Belgium pistols sold to Czech before the war, so it might be a personal addition by a soldier in the 14th SS of Czech nationality. It is not Finnish, that is for sure. The mystery continues[:)] and the thread is running out so I will give it up to someone else.
    0
  • 1KYDSTR
    http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.oocities.com/romaniancoins/alte/leu1639utrechtr.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.oocities.com/romaniancoins/1leu1870.html&usg=__MCnZJ9eiPebFeujfYd4CYerxgOU=&h=380&w=380&sz=33&hl=en&start=60&zoom=1&tbnid=02JJ4nShqapGiM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=119&ei=lplpTdSwKYbGlQeez4H_AQ&prev=/images?q=lion+coins&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1271&bih=576&tbs=isch:10,1632&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1020&vpy=83&dur=23946&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=141&ty=125&oei=a5lpTdX4N8P_lgeakdyBAg&page=4&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:20,s:60&biw=1271&bih=576

    Not sure if that link works or not, but it is of a 17th century coin from the United Netherlands provinces and looks really similar. There were lots of SS units floating around the Low Countries so...? Always hard to tell with "trench Art" stuff....could have a hundred different stories that all ring partially true. My guess would be some SS or Wehrmacht unit stationed in the Low Countries.
    0
  • mltitlntd
    Fascinating. Almost makes me reluctant to sell it, which is what I plan to do with the piece.

    Thanks again.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity