Description
ORIGIN – FINLAND, SWEDEN
CALIBER – 9mm
WEIGHT – 44 OZ.
OVERALL LENGTH – 9.4″
LENGTH OF MAGAZINE – 5″
Designed by Aimo Johannes Lahti in Finland, the pistol was manufactured by Valtion Kivaarithedas, the Finnish state arms factory starting in 1935. Known as l-35, the Finnish models often have cartridge indicators and cuts for shoulder stocks. Very well made, marked “VKT” on the grips and the barrel. Finnish production was on and off until the late 1950’s. In 1939 Sweden ordered the German P-38 as a standard military sidearm, but received no delivery because of the war. They then selected the I-35, but for the same reason received no deliveries. Under license, first Svenska Automatvapen, AB, was to manufacture the pistol, but went out of business, then Husqvarna Vapenfabriks took over the contract and produced the pistols as M-40 from 1940 until 1944. This model has a longer barrel and lacks the loaded cartridge indicator of the I-35. Some of the swedish pistols became Danish police sidearms. Referred to as the “Swedish Luger,” there is no mechanical similarity to the German Luger.
