Make: Waffenfabrik Mauser, Oberndorf

Model: C96; Pre-War Commercial

Serial#: 127803

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1913

Caliber: 7.63x25mm Mauser (.30 Mauser)

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 beaded blade pinned to a base fixed by the muzzle; the sight is not original to the gun. The rear sight is a "V"-notch tangent leaf marked 50-1000 in increments of 50m up to 500m and then increments of 100m up to 1000m; the notch appears to have been opened up slightly to accommodate the bead.

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece serrated wood. The interior of each panel is marked "803". There is a lanyard ring fixed to the butt-strap. The grips have even light handling wear with some scattered light nicks and scratches. There is a more notable scratch toward the bottom of the right panel and the left panel has a bruise at the bottom-rear, inside the serrations. The serrations are generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original, serial-marked parts are matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is light gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered light erosion and minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 85% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas and wear around the stock-slot consistent with the use of a stock. There is some wear along the bottom of the barrel consistent with holster-use. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation, mostly under the grip panels. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear. Overall, the pistol is in Very 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: This pistol comes with a wood stock/holster with a non-matching mounting bracket and a cleaning rod.

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. Among the most iconic was the Mauser Model 1896 (remembered as the C96), designed by the Feederle brothers (Fidel, Friedrich and Josef) who were close associates of Paul Mauser. 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 via stripper clips. Most C96s were chambered for the 7.63x25mm cartridge and a number were later also chambered for 9mm Luger rounds (other chamberings exist, but these are the two most common). 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 including the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Persia and Austria-Hungary. The gun saw extensive use during WWI and was still in service during WWII with the Wehrmacht to a more limited degree.

This particular specimen falls into the range of the pre-war Commercial pistols, having a "Germany." export mark on the left of the frame. The gun's parts are all matching and the pistol retains about 85% of its original metal finish. The bore is better than most of the "Broomhandle" pistols we see and the mechanics are still strong. This is one handgun that historical firearms collectors will not want to miss out on. Please see our photos and good luck!