I picked up this WaA140 FN P35 "b" block from a friend over the weekend. Shows heavy use, but functions as it should, minus a mag safety, with a nice shiny bore. S/N dates to around June 1944. That's about the extent of my google-fu, I'm just wondering if anyone here can shed a little more history on this old war trophy. No import marks and stocks not likely original from what I've seen.
Any war time P35 HP knowledge out there?
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AJ
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Try the Gunboards Forum.
Whatever you do, do not refinish this gun.
Your serial is about 1131 behind my b. Yours looks good.
Cmdrcody, your pics made me very happy to see the black stocks on yours as well.
Gold dollar, worry not, I will never refinish any historical firearm, unless some idiot already did it and I feel that a restoration is the only recourse. These artifacts earned their scars and should wear them with pride. And a Nazi marked Hi Power, as much as the Nazi part turns my stomach, is a piece of history. Right or wrong, history must be remembered.
Gold dollar, worry not, I will never refinish any historical firearm, unless some idiot already did it and I feel that a restoration is the only recourse. These artifacts earned their scars and should wear them with pride. And a Nazi marked Hi Power, as much as the Nazi part turns my stomach, is a piece of history. Right or wrong, history must be remembered.
oberon
Member
LVSteve
Member
Would the Germans have removed the mag safety. Somehow, I think not.
Darkenfast
Member
Deleting the magazine disconnect was one of the first changes the Germans made after restarting production of the High Power.
A very desirable wartime collectible in any condition. The Nazi's took over production of the High Power when they occupied Belgium at the beginning of the war, similar to what they did with the Radom when they occupied Poland. Fine weapons, and revolutionary with the high capacity magazine. For some reason the Radom and Browning pistols never became primary sidearms for the Krauts, those roles were filled by the Luger P08 and the Walther P-38. Hope this helps.
Oberon, that is a beautiful example. I had one in like condition years ago, and like an idiot I let someone with a wad of cash talk me out of it.
I read on another forum that most of the "b" block pistols went to the Waffen SS, but the poster didn't cite his source of this information.
I read on another forum that most of the "b" block pistols went to the Waffen SS, but the poster didn't cite his source of this information.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
On Nazi proof marks, (based on my PPk research) the type of eagle defines who the guns were going to. That is not an SS proof mark.
Ivan
Ivan the Butcher
Member
A magazine safety is maybe a great feature for civilian and police guns. It won't go bang without the mag!
But in military weapons, it really needs to fire anytime. Even if only as a slow loading single shot!
In my home (and millions of others) we Gun Proofed the kids, rather than Kid Proofed the guns! My 39-2 ended up without the mag safety, just like the 1911's and Model 10's.
Ivan
LVSteve
Member
I looked into this some more. A thread on another board indicates that the mag safety is fitted to some b series Nazi pistols. That muddies the waters somewhat.
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Check out A Collectors Guild web site. They have 3 WWII holsters for sale, the two I looked at are $359. Good luck.
If I recall correctly, many b-block guns did have plastic grips. Below is attached a photo of a late a-block gun that has wooden grips.
It's worth mentioning that the Hi-Power was unique in being issued to soldiers on both sides, as John Inglis & Co. of Toronto manufactured them for use by British Commonwealth forces (as well as the Nationalist Chinese).
It's worth mentioning that the Hi-Power was unique in being issued to soldiers on both sides, as John Inglis & Co. of Toronto manufactured them for use by British Commonwealth forces (as well as the Nationalist Chinese).
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