

Hope you found this as interesting as I did.

Although this is a Polish-made firearm, if the Germans used it, it was marked per their protocols. Probably dimension checks and a proof load.Īnd finally, the 'Eagle over swastika' ownership stamp of Nazi Germany.Īgain, the history of a German firearm can be read if you know their marking customs and codes. Next are two 'Eagle over 623' acceptance stamps by the Steyr plant in Austria. At the top are the last three digits of the serial number, insuring that the proper barrel is mated with the proper slide and frame. The markings on the barrel camming lug are fairly straightforward. From there it was likely shipped to the German armed forces, likely paratroopers, police or SS. The 'Eagle over 623' stamp indicates that the pistol was given its final acceptance at the Steyr plant in Austria. The Eagle over Swastika indicates ownership by Nazi Germany. The (p) stands for polnische, the German word for 'polish'. The next mark (somewhat indistinct) 'P.35(p)' is the official German designation for the Radom P.35. This waffenamt codes the pistol as being made at the Polish weapons factory in Radom. In this picture you will see the 'Eagle over WaA77' mark on both the slide and the frame. Here are the marks on a Polish P.35 Radom pistol made in 1942. It's fun to 'read the marks' that can tell you a lot about firearms made in or accepted by Germany. Luckily for collectors, Germans have always been meticulous about marking their firearms, both military and commercial.

A pistol lanyard is installed in the heel position for pistol retention. The magazine catch is to the rear of the trigger guard and not at the heel of the grip in the typical European fashion of the time.
