Customer Inherits WWII Era Guns

Customer Inherits WWII Era Guns

One of our more notable buyer/seller experiences came from Robert who’s grandfather died and left him a trunk suit-case of old handguns. The guns were mostly WWII era handguns, some very valuable and he was searching for a way to safely sell them.

Since we’re interested in stories and history of older firearms and it was our first exposure to the venerable Radom VIS 35, we learned quite a lot about this firearm and we were able to share this information with Robert who learned a little more about his grandfather that day. The VIS 35 was manufactured in the Polish city of Radom (from which it bears the name). When Poland became its own country after WWI, the country made it a goal to equip the Polish military with a reliable sidearm. After testing multiple designs and contract applicants, officials decided on Piotr Wilniewczvy and Jan Skrzpinski’s handgun design. The duo’s handgun was designed with the Browning Hi-Power in mind, featuring a similar style action and 9mm capacity. Like most products during the era, the gun featured a sturdy construction that was meant to last.

Pictured: One of the FB Radom VIS 35 handguns in our collection

Shortly after the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, they seized the Radom Armory and took over the production of the Radom VIS 35. One can see the quick evolution these guns went through by looking at the markings on the gun. Those produced pre-WWII have strictly Polish markings and models made after the German invasion have both Polish and German Waffenampt inspection markings.

When we inquired more about these WWII era handguns, we learned that Robert’s grandparents lived in the Netherlands when the Germans occupied the country in the early 1940’s and had smuggled them for trading. His account is as follows:

“I would hear stories from my grandfather how he and other local town people would take items from the Nazi camps to help buy food and clothes for their families. Among the items taken were a cache of German weapons which were either sold for money or held for safety. Apparently my grandfather was quite prolific at collecting their side arms. They took several trips back to The Netherlands shortly after they arrived here [USA] and the weapons were brought back with him. That was in the good ol’ days of our country where bringing firearms wasn’t an issue. As I’m sure you know, several soldiers of that time would bring back firearms from the enemy. As far as I know the guns I received were never used or fired that much after they were brought back here.”

It is not uncommon for Cash My Guns to receive historically significant firearms. However, to find the history behind these firearms is something we’ll remember for quite some time to come.

Are you someone who has a story of how you obtained your gun(s)? We’d love to hear it. As always, if you’re looking to sell, you’ve come to the right place. Visit our How it Works page to see what we’re about, and if you run into any roadblocks you can give us a call. We’d love to look at your firearms and hear what stories they have to tell.

Story courtesy of our client Robert