Make: Mauser

Model: 1896 9mm Military Contract

Serial Number: 88078 (The serial number range for this model was from 1 to about 141000.)

Year of Manufacture:1916-1917

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum

Action Type: Single Action Semi –Auto with Internal Magazine

Barrel Length: 5 1/2”

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed by the muzzle. The rear sight is a tangent leaf marked 50-500 in increments of 50m.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are walnut with 24 grooves and a large “9” burnt into both grips and filled with red paint. The grips have a lacquered finish. The “9s” are well formed and appear to be done at the factory. (References show that the grip grooves changed from 32 fine to 23 coarse through production, “field” nines appear to be below SN 50,000 while “factory” nines appear in the 70,000+ range). There are some scattered light nicks and small scratches. There is wear on the bottom of each panel from the lanyard ring. The grooves are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-plus condition.

Type of Finish: The pistol is blued. The safety and extractor have a fire blued finish and the bolt, lock frame and hammer are “In The White”.

Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is scattered light erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 93% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. Most of the balance is in scattered spots of minor oxidation. There are a few light nicks and small scratches. There is light wear at the stock-slot. There is some stubborn grease, most visible on the parts left in the white. The action shows operational wear. The grip screw is lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol rates in Very Good-plus 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 & Accessories: This pistol comes with a a wooden shoulder stock/holster, the upper tang of the lug is marked “078”. The stock has scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches, some light oxidation on the metal fixtures, but does not have any chips or cracks.

Our Assessment: The Broomhandle Model 1896 Mauser is certainly an interesting looking firearm, and the “Red Nine” variants are the most distinctive. During WWI Mauser had two contracts with the military, the first for 7.63mm pistols and the second for 9mm pistols. It soon became apparent that two nearly identical guns with dissimilar ammunition was not a good idea. In December 1917, a decision was made to burn a large “9” into the grips and fill them in red paint, with those already issued to be similarly marked in the field, thus creating three variants of the 9mm pistols: those with no marks on the grips, those with factory “nines” and those with “nines” added in the field.

This pistol is a 9mm Military Contract with factory burned “nines” in the grips. The serial numbers are all matching, including those stamped into the grips, and the pistol has the correct “New Safety” and an Army acceptance mark on the right side of the barrel extension. The pistol still has its lanyard ring attached to the butt, and to complete the package for the discerning collector, it comes with a wooden shoulder stock/holster serialized to the pistol. The pistol is Very Good-plus condition with 93% of its original remaining. The bore is gray with sharp rifling and scattered light erosion. There were only about 141,000 of this model made, with a little less than two thirds having factory marked grips, and one can only guess as to what number survived the trench warfare of WWI. This is a rare pistol that is sure to be of interest to the serious collectors. Please see our photos and good luck!