Make: Mauser, imported by C.A.I.

Model: C96, Model 1930 (M30)

Serial#: 885653

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1932-1934

Caliber: 7.63x25mm

Action Type: Semi-Automatic Short-Recoil Pistol with an Internal Magazine fed by stripper clips.

Barrel Length: 5 1/2”

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade and the rear sight is a “V”-notch tangent leaf marked 50-1000 meters.

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two-piece serrated wood. The grips are not serial marked. There is moderate-heavy wear and discoloration. There are scattered nicks and scratches. The serrations are worn, but mostly visible. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good condition.

Type of Finish: No finish remains.

Finish Originality: There is no evidence of a new finish being applied. Numbered parts match.

Bore Condition: The bore is dark. The rifling is heavily worn, barely visible. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 2-3/10.

Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 0% of its metal finish. The surfaces have gone to a mottled patina with some areas worn to white. There is scattered light surface oxidation and some erosion. There is more notable erosion on the frame under the grips. There are some scattered nicks and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The markings range from clear to worn, but legible, the import mark has not been finished over. The screwhead is tooled but remains serviceable. Overall, the pistol is in Fair-Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box Paperwork and Accessories: A single stripper clip is included.

Our Assessment: At the end of the 19th century semi-automatic handguns were being adopted by most major powers. Germany was at the forefront of this firearms revolution, a number of prominent designs coming from the relatively young nation. Among the most iconic was the Mauser Model 1896, designed by the Feederle brothers who were close associates of Paul Mauser, the owner of the famous German arms manufacturer, and they all worked at Mauser’s experimental workshop. They developed a number of prototypes over the course of the early 1890s before finally perfecting what would become the C96 in 1896. A number of variations of the design were produced by Mauser over a production cycle that would last over four decades; most featured a 10 round fixed internal magazine that was loaded with stripper clips. Most C96s were chambered for the 7.63x25mm cartridge and a number were later also chambered for 9mm Luger rounds (several other chamberings exist as well, but these are the two most common by far). Mauser’s design was adopted by the German military and the company secured a number of contracts with various powers to sell the weapon to their armed forces; this included the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Persia and Austro-Hungary. The gun saw extensive use during WWI and was still in service during WWII with the Wehrmacht to a much more limited degree.

This particular specimen is a Model 1930 variant of the C96 chambered for 7.63mm Mauser rounds. The gun is distinguished by the patent mark added to the Model 1930 “D. R. P. u. A.P.” indicating the gun was patented in both Germany and abroad. These guns were produced between 1930 until 1937 with early specimens constructed with a 5.2” barrel and later production specimens given 5.5” barrels. This example has Chinese characters on the left of the magazine well (roughly "German made"), indicating that it was sold into China during the Warlord period. This would explain the gun's condition, appearing to have seen its share of use in the war-torn region. It still retains matching numbers and good mechanics, so it likely fared better than many of these pistols, having been imported to the US some time after 1968. This will make a neat addition to any collection. Good luck on your bid!