Vis pistol Vis ( Polish designation " pistolet wz . 35 Vis " , German designation " 9 mm Pistole 35 ( p ) " , often referred to as 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 at the Fabryka Broni ( Arms Factory ) in Radom under Director Kazimierz Ołdakowski , 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 . 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 , similarly as in Browning ' s FN Hi - Power pistol and Spanish Ruby 0 . 45 ACP . It differs from M1911A1 also in other details . Its characteristic feature was a triangular grip shape , wider at the bottom , offering good ergonomics and firm grip . On the right side grip cover , the pistol had letters VIS in a triangle , on the left side — FB ( for " Fabryka Broni " — " Arms Factory " ) . 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 " force " in Latin , with the " wz . " abbreviation for " wzór " ( " model " ) . 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 6 , 000 rounds . The Vis was generally regarded as one of the best military pistols of that period . Production started in the state armory Fabryka Broni 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 Successively , other units were to be equipped , and by 1942 all other handguns were scheduled to be withdrawn from service .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 . There was also a small information series of . 45 ACP version , with 7 round magazine , but they were not produced in greater series . A . 22 LR variant also existed , but no details are known , and its series was not produced in great numbers . 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 ) " ( the suffix " p " means " polnische " ) ( the German pistols of the first series had inscriptions VIS Mod . 35 and P . 35 ( p ) on the left side ) . 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 and final assemble to the Steyr works in Austria . However , underground production of Vis barrels was started in Warsaw and Kielce - based Huta Ludwików , and several hundred Vis pistols were assembled of parts smuggled from the factory , delivered to the Home Army and used extensively during the Warsaw Uprising , among others . Vis pistols made after 1939 were issued in four different series , each with small modifications to simplify production . In late 1944 , all production was moved to the Steyr works in Austria , where the last simplified model of the fourth series was produced ( with no inscriptions at all , apart from " bnz " signature ) . The Vis remained in production until April 1945 . Generally , the wartime Vis were of much lower quality than the original , and further degrading towards the end of the war . After the war , production of the pistol was not continued , as the Army of the People ' s Republic of Poland used the Soviet TT - 33 pistol , produced in the former " Fabryka Broni " in Radom due to Warsaw Pact regulations . It was considered much inferior to the Vis , especially in ergonomics and reliability , but political considerations and Soviet influence were decisive . In August 1992 , the Łucznik Arms Factory in Radom reintroduced the Vis pistol and produced a small series of some 27 pistols on the basis of the original plans and specifications , mainly for the collectors ' market .