Welcome, in case you are a newcomer to this enjoyable bi-weekly section of AllOutdoor.com! With all of the ShotPresent 2023 hubbub out of the way in which, it’s again to your recurrently scheduled Curious Relics content material. In the final article, I coated the historical past (abridged) of the enduring Mauser C96 “Broomhandle” pistol. This time I plan to element a number of the extra distinguished and vital variations. I’ve a lot admiration for the Mauser Construktion 96 in any other case largely often called the Mauser C96. Let’s dive proper into the legendary Broomhandle!
Recent Curious Relics Coverage:
Note: Much of this text was enormously aided by a e-book by Mauro Baudino and Gerben van Vlimmeren. This e-book is a wonderful supply of particular info on the Mauser firm, its merchandise, and its individuals. The e-book is named Paul Mauser His Life, Company, and Handgun Development 1838-1914. In the long run, I’ll do a full evaluate. Go verify it out!
Welcome to our recurring collection of “Curious Relics.” Here, we wish to share all of our experiences, data, misadventures, and keenness for older firearms that one would possibly categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that’s at the least 50 years outdated in line with the ATF. Hopefully alongside the way in which you possibly can garner a higher appreciation for older firearms like we do, and concurrently you possibly can educate us issues as effectively by way of sharing your personal experience and ideas within the Comments. Understanding the firearms of outdated, their significance, and their growth which result in lots of the arms we now cherish at present is extremely fascinating and we hope you take pleasure in what we’ve to share, too!
Variations: The Mauser C96
Kicking issues off with a little disclaimer. There had been dozens of variations of the C96 in its lifetime and even after. There had been army contracts, clones, modifications, and so on. This record of variations can be composed of what I’d think about a mixture of Major notable variations and likewise some cooler and rarer ones. Some will embody and exclude sure milling operations, security sorts, and hammer types. Please perceive there may be a lot extra on the market. Also, I’ll start with three primary designs. This is to tell you that these three iterations will be utilized to any after the very fact. Example: Just as a result of one thing is a “cone hammer” Mauser C96 doesn’t imply that it was solely made within the 10-shot mannequin.
The Major Three:
- 6-Shot: Among a number of the extra uncommon Mauser C96 pistols, the six-shot C96 was made in varied iterations and extra importantly a number of the earliest. Remember, this was a time when of us had been extra aware of their rapidity and waste of firing. More than something it was produced to minimize the general weight since this was sometimes a vital deciding issue for army trials. Many preliminary 6-shot pistols had fastened rear sights.
Lot 3457: Mauser 1896 Pistol 7.63 mm Mauser auto. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. {photograph}. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/66/3457/mauser-1896-pistol-763-mm-mauser-auto.
- 10-Shot: Considered to be the usual variation because of its regularity on the used gun circuit at present. Ten photographs are to be paired with all the ten-shot stripper clips and holster shares. This is sort of actually as a result of the ten-shot mannequin was alone that truly bought army contracts.
- 20-Shot: A really unusual one to seek out given its (even then) absurdity and excessiveness. This was an early instance of Mauser feeling issues out and seeing each what they themselves may do and likewise what the market might want. The 20-shot variations had a bent to be a bit cumbersome (apart from the plain causes) to load because the second stripper clip full could be noticeably stiffer and tougher. Production of the 20-shot mannequin was resulted in 1911.
Fantastic Mauser C96, 20-Shot Conehammer, Milled Panel, With Correct Stock. (n.d.). Morphy Auctions. {photograph}. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.jamesdjulia.com/item/2203-373/.
The “Actual” Variations:
- 1895 “Spur Hammer” Prototype: This/these had been the primary functioning prototypes of what would turn out to be the Mauser C96. They are considerably totally different from later ones of their apparent “spur hammer” design together with the rear sight being fastened (a typical function within the earliest iterations). Even although the barrel is at 5.5″ like a number of the extra frequent variations afterward, it has the distinctiveness of being screwed right into a non-reinforced barrel extension. Most later pistols had a strengthened extension or a taper that acted as one. It ought to be talked about that the primary manufacturing run of C96 pistols shared lots of the options of this pistol (now with that barrel strengthened) however towards the tip of that run of fifty there have been notable modifications popping up (cone hammer, totally different markings, and so on).
- System Mauser “Cone Hammer”: After the primary 50 or so pistols the C96 was modified to have adjustable rear sights, its single locking lug shortened 9later ones could be modified to 2 locking lugs, and its namesake on high of the barrel merely mentioned “System Mauser”. The “Cone Hammer” continued on with the prototype in having a distinctly lengthy extractor. Most notably, particularly for its namesake, the hammer was modified to its legendary cone form. These “Cone Hammer” C96 pistols are a number of the most sought-after and raved-about pistols within the assortment circles. Early cone hammer fashions had the barrel reinforcement extension however rapidly transitioned to the tapered fashion. All three of these beforehand talked about “major” variations had been made within the “cone hammer” association.
Lot 3448: Antique Cone Hammer Mauser Broomhandle Pistol – Antique Mauser Model 1896 Cone Hammer Broomhandle Semi-Automatic Pistol. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. {photograph}. Retrieved January 3, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/74/3448.
- Cavallerie Karabiner: This is considered the primary iteration of a Mauser C96 Carbine. It was of the “Cone Hammer” period. It was supposed to get the eye of cavalry officers within the German army (even perhaps others). A ten-shot takedown handgun was actually interesting, proper? Famously the serial no 1 Cavallerie Karabiner was hand examined by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Despite optimistic evaluations by army officers and the Kaiser himself, it met little or no buy and utilization. Later variations (Large and Small Ring) of the Mauser C96 Carbine would pop up however in small numbers and on the very least with a extra useable inventory/pistol grip setup.
Lot 3557: Early System Mauser Model 1896 Stocked Carbine Serial Number “5” – Extremely Rare Documented Early Production Antique System Mauser Model 1896 Stocked Semi-Automatic Carbine Single Digit Serial Number “5”. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. {photograph}. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/79/3557/early-system-mauser-model-1896-stocked-carbine-serial-number-5.
- Large Ring C96: Talked of as a “transitional” mannequin, it’s the subsequent notable development on the Mauser handgun lineup of C96 pistols. It is definitely discernable by its “Large Ring” hammer as a substitute of the well-known cone one. By my very own analysis, these began popping up by 1900 and ceased by roughly 1905. These fashions (in various configurations) nonetheless had the lengthy extractor.
Lot 3364: Mauser 1896 Large Ring Transitional Broomhandle – Mauser Model 1896 Large Ring Transitional Broomhandle Semi-Automatic Pistol. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. {photograph}. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/69/3364/mauser-1896-large-ring-transitional-broomhandle.
- Small Ring C96: This, in a way, is what was settled on…at the least so far as the hammers go. The hammer is noticeably smaller and fewer bulbous than that of the Large ring C96. These started popping up round 1903 and would proceed on till their manufacturing ceased fully within the Nineteen Thirties. The shorter extractors additionally started showing round 1904.
End of Part Two: The Mauser C96
This one ran quite a bit longer than supposed (extra variations to observe in Part Three!) however that’s solely a small chunk of what’s the large world of the Mauser C96. There had been a number of army contracts and orders of the C96 (Italy, Norway, Germany, and even Mexico) all of which have small variations that basically mirror positively on the Mauser firm as an entire. They always innovated, modified, and utilized needs and must their orders of small arms. Paul Mauser put it finest when he mentioned “When something can no longer be improved, it is obsolete”. An enormous thanks to Mauro Baudino for getting in contact with me and serving to me safe a evaluate copy of his e-book which can be featured in its personal article afterward. See you of us subsequent time!
Note: This article on variations will proceed on into Part Three. I’ll come again to hyperlink to that article right here.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics section knowledgeable in addition to entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We didn’t simply notice how weapons had been alleged to look and performance. It was a protracted and tedious course of that has formed the world we stay in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm on the market that you simply really feel doesn’t get a lot notoriety? What ought to our subsequent Curious Relics subject cowl? As at all times, tell us your entire ideas within the Comments under! We at all times admire your suggestions.
