Vis (weapon)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pistolet ViS wz. 35 | |
|---|---|
 Pistolet ViS wz.35 |
|
| Type | semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin |  Poland |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Poland, Nazi Germany |
| Wars | Polish Defensive War, World War II |
| Production history | |
| Number built | more than 400 000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1.123 kg (loaded) 0.950 kg (unloaded) |
| Length | 176 mm |
| Barrel length | 120 mm |
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|
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| Cartridge | 9 mm Luger Parabellum |
| Action | Recoil-operated, closed bolt |
| Muzzle velocity | 345 m/s |
| Feed system | 8 round box magazine |
Vis (Polish designation pistolet wz. 35 Vis, German designation 9 mm Pistole 35(p), often simply called the Radom in English sources) is a 9 mm caliber, single-action, semi-automatic pistol. Originally designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypiński in 1930, it was adopted in 1935 as the standard handgun of the Polish Army. Considered by many to be one of the finest handguns ever produced, it is highly prized among collectors of firearms.
[edit] History
The design was generally based on American firearms inventor John Browning's Colt M1911A1, operating on the short-recoil principle, with the barrel being cammed down and away from the locking lugs in the slide. Unlike M1911, the barrel was not cammed by a link, but by a ledge of sorts, which contacts a portion of the barrel and forces it down as it is moved rearward with the slide by the recoil force, in a similar way, as in Browning's new FN HP pistol.
The handgun was prepared in late 1930, and at the beginning of 1931 the first pistols were ready for testing. Initially it was named WiS (an acronym of the Polish designers' names), later the name was changed to Vis, meaning "power" in Latin, with the wz designation standing for wzór (model)[1].
The tests proved that the handgun was very accurate and stable (due to its size and mass, most stresses are absorbed and not passed on the shooter), while at the same time remaining reliable after firing more than 6000 rounds. The Vis was generally regarded as one of the best military pistols of that period. Production started in the State Armory in Radom in late 1935, and the following year it was introduced as the standard weapon of Polish infantry and cavalry officers. Successively, other units were to be equipped, and by 1942 all other handguns were scheduled to be withdrawn from service. By mid-1938, it was introduced to the armored and air forces. Before the Invasion of Poland, approximately 49,400 (out of 90,000 ordered) were delivered to the army.
After the Polish defeat in 1939, the Germans took over the Radom Armory and continued production of the Vis under the new name of 9 mm Pistole 645(p) which was for some reason often rendered as P 35(p)[1]. Up to 1945, between 312,000 and 380,000 were produced and used by the German paratroopers and police.
Fearing that Polish technicians working in the Armory might supply the Home Army with the weapons, the Germans moved production of barrels to the Steyr works in Austria. However, underground production of Vis barrels was started in Warsaw, and several hundred Vis pistols were delivered to the Home Army and used extensively during the Warsaw Uprising, among others. In 1944, all production was moved to the Steyr works in Austria. The Vis remained in production until April 1945. Vis pistols made after 1939 were issued in four different series, each with small modifications to simplify production. Generally, the wartime Vis were of much lower quality than the original, and further degrading towards the end of the war.
After the war, the production of the pistol was not continued, as the army of the People's Republic of Poland used the Soviet TT-33 pistol, considered by many to be inferior to the Vis.
In August 1992, the Łucznik Arms Factory in Radom reintroduced the Vis pistol and produced a small series on the basis of the original plans and specifications, mainly for the collectors' market.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Bishop, Chris (2006). The Encyclopedia of Small Arms and Artillery. Grange Books, pp. 13-14. ISBN 978-1-84013-910-5.
- Terence W. Lapin (2004). Vis: The Model 35 Radom Pistol. Arlington, Hyrax Publishers, LLC. ISBN 0-9676896-4-3.
- Andrzej Ciepliński, Ryszard Woźniak (1996). 9 mm pistolet samopowtarzalny VIS wz. 1935. Warszawa, Bellona. ISBN 83-11-08604-4.
[edit] External links
| Polish infantry & cavalry weapons of Polish Defensive War |
|---|
| Side arms and Rifles |
| rifle wz.98a | rifle wz.29 | pistol Vis |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| HMG wz.30 | LMG Browning wz.1928 | AT rifle wz.35 | grenade launcher wz.36 |
| Prototypes & test run weapons |
| SMG Mors | Semi-automatic rifle wz.38M |
| Grenades |
| fragmentation grenade wz.1933 | concussion grenade wz.1933 |
