1911 and Radom 35 comparisons

Colt46 · November 25, 2002, 11:33 AM

New user (lurked for a month or so) and feel comfortable with the format here. I know that the 1911 is considered by many to be the ultimate in handgun design. I've heard that the Polish Radom is Browning's last design and a better one than his 1911. For a combat arm, the obvious difference is the caliber. Can anybody help me out with contrasting the two designs?
Thanks for any help

Jim Watson · November 25, 2002, 12:16 PM

Mr Browning did not design the Polish "Vis" Radom.
It was designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypinski who used a lot of Colt/Browning design features (And said so, that the Browning designs of 1903 and 1911 were well proven and the patents had expired, leaving them available for development. They may also have had input from FN on BHP design progress, too.) but with tweaks of their own. The Radom has the solid nose slide of the BHP and unlocks on a cam, but one different from the BHP. It has a grip safety like a 1911, but the lever that looks like a thumb safety is only a takedown latch. The lever on the slide decocks the hammer somewhat like a Walther. Mr Wilniewczyc did not trust mechanical safeties, saying: "I am glad that our pistol is one of the few which cannot be put on safety with a mechanical safety device." The story is that the famous Polish cavalry was supposed to cock the gun by rubbing the burr hammer against their saddle, boot top, or the cavalry stripe down their pants leg. The Radom also has a captive recoil spring rather like current Glocks.

I don't know anybody but Jim Thompson who says the Radom is a superior gun (1987 Gun Digest.)

It is often said that the BHP - P35 - GP was "designed by John M. Browning as an improvement over the 1911." The best I can tell, the early prototypes of what eventally became the BHP were intended to produce a working gun that did not use design features previously patented by Mr Browning and assigned exclusively to Colt. The gun you see in production since 1935 was considerably reworked by Dieudonne Saieve at FN after Mr Browning's death and includes some 1911 details worked back in after the patents expired, kind of like Wilniewczyc and Skrzypinski were doing at Radom.

November 25, 2002, 11:33 AM	#1
Colt46 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: Campbell Ca Posts: 152	1911 and Radom 35 comparisons New user (lurked for a month or so) and feel comfortable with the format here. I know that the 1911 is considered by many to be the ultimate in handgun design. I've heard that the Polish Radom is Browning's last design and a better one than his 1911. For a combat arm, the obvious difference is the caliber. Can anybody help me out with contrasting the two designs? Thanks for any help

November 25, 2002, 12:16 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 6,424	Mr Browning did not design the Polish "Vis" Radom. It was designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypinski who used a lot of Colt/Browning design features (And said so, that the Browning designs of 1903 and 1911 were well proven and the patents had expired, leaving them available for development. They may also have had input from FN on BHP design progress, too.) but with tweaks of their own. The Radom has the solid nose slide of the BHP and unlocks on a cam, but one different from the BHP. It has a grip safety like a 1911, but the lever that looks like a thumb safety is only a takedown latch. The lever on the slide decocks the hammer somewhat like a Walther. Mr Wilniewczyc did not trust mechanical safeties, saying: "I am glad that our pistol is one of the few which cannot be put on safety with a mechanical safety device." The story is that the famous Polish cavalry was supposed to cock the gun by rubbing the burr hammer against their saddle, boot top, or the cavalry stripe down their pants leg. The Radom also has a captive recoil spring rather like current Glocks. I don't know anybody but Jim Thompson who says the Radom is a superior gun (1987 Gun Digest.) It is often said that the BHP - P35 - GP was "designed by John M. Browning as an improvement over the 1911." The best I can tell, the early prototypes of what eventally became the BHP were intended to produce a working gun that did not use design features previously patented by Mr Browning and assigned exclusively to Colt. The gun you see in production since 1935 was considerably reworked by Dieudonne Saieve at FN after Mr Browning's death and includes some 1911 details worked back in after the patents expired, kind of like Wilniewczyc and Skrzypinski were doing at Radom.