Production of the Vis began in 1935 at the Fabryka Broni factory in Radom, and was adopted as the standard handgun of the Polish Army the following year.

[5][4][3] The Vis was designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc, and Jan Skrzypiński [pl] in 1930 at the Fabryka Broni (Arms Factory) in Radom under Director Kazimierz Ołdakowski.

[1] On the right side grip cover, the Polish pistols had the letters "VIS" in a triangle, on the left side—FB (for Fabryka Broni—"Arms Factory").

[8] 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.

[2][3][4][5] Mass production started in the state armoury Fabryka Broni in Radom in late 1935, and the following year it was introduced as the standard firearm of Polish infantry and cavalry officers.

Vis pistols made by the Germans 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).

Generally, the wartime Vis were of much lower quality than the original Polish versions, and further declined towards the end of the war.

[2] In December 2017, FB Radom's chairman, Adam Suliga, confirmed to the Polish magazine MILMAG that the Vis would be returning to production, and is planned to be available for retail in the second half of 2018.

This will not be a single commemorative series, but rather, according to MILMAG, FB Radom reportedly hope to continually offer the wz.35 for the export market.

The magazine catch is to the rear of the trigger guard and not at the heel of the grip in the typical European fashion of the time.