Mauser C96

The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic Pistolet German Simple action developed starting from the end of the 19th century whose production will continue until 1938. It is called Broomhandle by the American collectors because of the particular profile of its stick (resembling a handle brush has).

History

Design

As opposed to what its name seems to indicate, Mauser C96 does not owe its design with the creative genius of Paul Mauser. They are the Feederle brothers, working for Paul Mauser, who will work the first on this semi gun automatic original. Fidel Feederle was at the time (1894) one of the closest collaborators of the “owner”. Scalded by his failures passed in the field of the handguns in spite of the design of the models C77 and C78 (this last is known under the name of Mauser “zigzag”) with the profit of the Reichsrevolver Mr. 79, Mr. Mauser did not discover work already advanced on this weapon with joy. Its anger on this occasion remained legendary. He will finally agree to take part in the finalization of the project whose prototype will be presented on March 15th, 1895. Sponsored by a personality enjoying a certain scale, Kaiser Guillaume II of Germany in person, the future of the Mauser gun seems radiant. Particularly satisfied with its meeting of shooting in Potsdam, Kaiser made of Mauser C96 its personal weapon.

Difficult beginnings

Limited civil sales

In spite of that, the sales have much evil to take off. To make accept a business success, sections of whole classification are jumped. The first significant sales meet quite precise needs. Before leaving to shift to Sudan, the young lieutenant Winston Churchill acquires of C96 in London. Having difficulties in use its wounded arm, and thus of its saber, it will make use of it with the Sudan against the dervishes during the battle of Omdurman in 1898 (see Crise of Fachoda). It should be said that the officers, in this disturbed time, generally carry their personal weapon. Thus, at the time of the War of Boers (1899-1902) in South Africa, of many specimens will be sold. It on this occasion that we find Churchill, became correspondent meanwhile war and its from now on faithful Mauser. In spite of these some sales and these successes of regard, the civil market is sulky this weapon.

The failure of the military markets

The businesses do not go better on the market of the weapons of ordinances. One of the rare significant contracts is signed with the Italian Navy in 1899 and relates to a quantity of 5000 parts (this model is known by the collectors under the name of Mauser Marina or sprayed automatica modello 1899. Other orders will be made with the profit of Turkey (1898) or of Persia (Iran, 1910) but do not exceed the 1000 parts each one. In fact, the failures follow one another. The tests of evaluation organized by the commission of evaluation of the Swiss army into 1900 devote the Luger Parabellum (gauges 7,65 mm Parabellum). In 1908, it is the Prussian army which chooses in its turn Luger Parabellum (lately confined in 9 mm Parabellum) which takes the name of P.08 then (relating to the year of adoption of the model by the army). The tests organized in the USA will not be more conclusive. If qualities of the weapon are recognized, the choice is made nevertheless on a model of the vintage, a Colt.

Weaknesses of C96

Mauser C96 suffers mainly from its weight, of its lack of balance and a relative lack of reliability during the tests organized then. Another major objection, the cost price. The weapon is entirely machined and finished with the hand. The least error shows the reject of the block. It is also undoubtedly victim of its brutal aspect contrasting with the harmonious lines of Luger Parabellum. It will be precisely this malicious aspect which the adventurers and the colonial ones of the time seek.

Business success

The revolution in Russia

Among the Russian, many revolutionists are the users of C96. Thus, certain Iosif Vissarionovitch Djougashvili, known under the name of Koba, is an enthusiastic user of C96. Steerings of banks in various knacks, the purpose of it is to join together the required funds with the purchase of additional weapons for the revolution. It evaluates the money thus collected out of weapons, so much of a model, so much of another. Koba is surely more known under another name, Joseph Stalin, character impossible to circumvent, for multiple reasons, XXéme century. Mauser C96 will remain thus a long time very popular in Russia, then in Soviet Union. It will be the same for its ammunition purely and simply copied and known under the name of 7,62 Tokarev. The Bolsheviks will remain faithful to one of their weapons of predilection after the revolution. Great quantities of Bolo, model with the gun short equipped with a reduced handle of angular form, will take the direction of the future USSR. The origin of the denomination “Bolo” remains rather mysterious. According to the most popular explanation, the name is a reduction of the term “Bolshevik”. This interpretation remains prone to guarantee bus of the “Bolo” were manufactured about 1900, whereas the party Bolchevik did not exist yet.

The Great War

Dark moments are announced, the First World War will not delay any more lontemps. Forsaken by the Prussian army with the profit of Luger, Mauser C96 becomes quasi-lawful when this one orders with the manufacturer 150.000 parts in 1916. However, in order to rationalize the supply of ammunition, C96 of this specific series are confined in 9 mm Parabellum. It is the model known by the collectors are the name of Mauser C96 model 1916. In order to avoid the use of an unsuited ammunition, these weapons raise large “nine” at the same time engraved and painted in red on the plates of stick. This precaution is essential because the cartridge of 9 mm Parabellum room without any difficulty in a confined standard model, him, in 7' 63 Mauser. The gun also easily does not accept a projectile whose diameter is more important than it his. What would have caused an explosion in very other arms is balanced here by an enormous overpressure which does not destroy the weapon (this fact, although not very probable, was checked many times). On the initial order of 150.000 parts, approximately 137.000 will be finally delivered before the end of the hostilities. It is at that time (1915) which is adopted new safety because of the unreliability of the preceding system. The letters “NS” (neue sicherung) appear, interlaced, on the dog of the weapon. Many guns are thus recalled to the factory so that the modification is carried out. These weapons produced during the war do not have any more perfectly polished surface qualities of the prewar models. The traces of tools are numerous but do not block the good performance of the weapon at all. If Mauser C96 is used by the Prussian army in a semi-official way with the model 1916, the officers can for a long time get models confined in the traditional gauge, the 7.63 Mauser. Extremely popular among the British officers , it is not rare to see this weapon, whatever the model, to be used on the two sides of the frontline.

The years 1920

At the end of the hostilities, the Traité of Versailles imposes the shortening of the guns of the German handguns. The traditional length of gun of C96 is brought back from 140 to 100mm. Under the Weimar Republic, many are the models 1916 which will equip the military forces with the Reichswehr whose manpower are limited to 100.000 men. This model with the shortened gun is called model 1920 by the collectors. The year (1920) is struck the left part of the room of the weapon. Others weapons, transforms in the same way, equip the police force. For Mauser, times are difficult. The Treaty of Versailles is matched very constraining clauses on exports of weaponry which are simply prohibited. This situation is all the more detrimental for Mauser that a new market is particularly active, the Chinese market.

The years 1930

The easing of the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles makes it possible Mauser to consider the resumption of exports. The China is a priority market but the competition of the Spanish copies is hard. This is all the more true as Spanish puts on the functioning market of the weapons in automatic mode. Mauser C96 must be deeply modified. Two models are born thus: the model 1930 and Schnellfeuer. The principal innovation relates to safety. A new mechanism of safety, named “universal safety”, returns the handling of the surer charged weapon. Once put in safety, it is possible to bring back the dog to shot down without being likely to see the weapon making fire in the event of bad handling. Another innovation at Mauser, the gun is screwed (as in a Spanish manufacturer of gun derived from Mauser C96, Beistegui Hermanos). This makes it possible to reduce a cost price which remains extremely high. Lastly, the new models are finished outside perfectly. This is quite necessary for a growing old weapon from now on confronted with a new generation of more modern weapons. First models 1930 preserve the fixed store of 10 blows whereas the customers ask since good a long time for a weapon equipped with removable cases chargers. The widening of the carcass allows finally the use of the chargers. It is at that time that mythical Schnellfeuer appears, first truly functional automatic pistol (see the complete article: Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer). Two versions follow one another: the very rare version equipped with the selector Nickl (1930) and the second model equipped with the selector with shooting Westinger (1932). Approximately 100000 specimens of Schnellfeuer will be produced and, in the majority of the cases, will be exported towards China. It should be noted that on the million Mauser C96 produced (all confused models), half will be finally exported towards China. The disorders appeared in China into 1937 put a final term at the sales of the Mauser guns. The final loss, this time, of the more significant market of Waffenfabrik signs the end of the sales of Mauser C96, irremediably overcome by the contemporary weapons. A last batch of Schnellfeuer, stock of unsold goods, will be used by the German army during the Second world war.

Technique

Mauser C96 is before a a whole wonder of machining. Starting from a block of high-strength steel, selected among the best of the time, the carcass of the weapon is machined of only one part. What can appear relatively easy at our time, where the machine tools with numerical control reach tops of precision, was of a difficulty very other at the end of the XIXéme century. The slide unit and gun are manufactured of a part him too. It is only with the creation of model 1930 that the gun will be finally screwed, thus reducing the production costs. The design of the mechanism is quite as astonishing. Not axis in this unit adjusted perfectly with the hand, if these are not a screw which is used with fixing of the plates as stick… To finish, it is necessary to specify that the weapon is dismounted without tools.

Food

Mauser C96 standard is conceived with a fixed store of 10 cartridges (whatever the gauge). Models will be also developed with capacities of 6 blows in order to make the weapon more handy. This choice, in conformity with the mode of power supply of rifles of the mark, weighs down the weapon unnecessarily and unbalances the weapon. Other versions will be equipped with stores of 20 blows. That it is into 6 or 20 blows, they are generally weapons resulting from the first productions (before 1910). The loading is done by clips whose capacity is equal to that of the store which is positioned above the store once the behind brought back cylinder head. After having pushed the cartridges in the store and having withdrawn the clip, the cylinder head is closed again automatically, confining with the passage the first cartridge. As of the beginning, the removable absence of charger as on the Borchardt, the Luger Parabellum or the Browning M1900, one of the principal reproaches is made in C96. It is only about years 1930 that the food by cases chargers (10 or 20 blows) will be adopted on certain versions of the model 1930 (but not systematically) then on the majority of Schnellfeuer (Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer).

The case stick

This clever system makes it possible to transform this semi-automatic gun into small rifle. This choice is not inevitably judicious for an handgun, except if this one has a cartridge really adapted to the shooting to long distance (for an handgun), the 7.63 Mauser. This ammunition is one of the principal assets of this weapon. Let us recall that the rise is generally graduated up to 1000 meters (500 meters for the models confined in 9 mm Parabellum). It is a particularly optimistic estimate, even whimsical, real capacities of the ammunition, really effective for distances lower than 200 meters.

In addition, the case is accompanied by a complete Brêlage including cleaning kit of the weapon. Made out of wood, the cases are rather fragile. It is one of the reproaches made by the military commissions of evaluation at the conclusion of the tests in which C96 took part, without success.

Alternatives

For Mauser, the classification of the models is very simple, there are three of them: C96, the model 1930 (Model 711 as name it the American collectors) and Schnellfeuer (Modèle 712, always according to the collectors of in addition to the Atlantic). For the amateur or the collector, to update an exhaustive list of the alternatives of Mauser C96 is an almost impossible task. The absence of follow-up and logic in classification, the sections jumped, specific classifications make this study difficult. Moreover, stocks of parts of former productions were sometimes used to assemble more recent weapons. To finish, the files of the Mauser company were destroyed or plundered. Today, the history of this weapon is the fruit of the searchs for many collectors of any origines. Among the most required parts those appear having made the object of contracts (Italy, Persia, Siam) and the prototypes constructed throughout the career of Mauser C96. Lastly, the absence of file calls into question the existence even of certain contracts. The American collectors identified a model “French gendarme” without no element coming to validate the reality of this alternative.

The identification of the weapons of this type is done by various elements: tail of relaxation, extractor, rise, dog, plates of stick, marking, serial number, milling external of the carcass, gauges, length of the gun, type of safety.

The principal alternatives met, classified in the chronological order are:

the Cone hammer (which owes its name with the form characteristic of its dog)
the model 1908 (model which did not exceed the stage of the preproduction. Appearance of the 9 mm mauser, gauges intended for the American southern markets)
the model 1912 (modification of the number of stripes in the gun, adoption of the dog in small eye)
the model 1916 (9 mm Parabellum gauge some)
the model 1920 (weapons whose guns are shortened under the Weimar Republic)
the model 1930 (new safety known as “universal”)
Schnellfeuer (Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer)
Bolo (before and after the First World War)

Gauges

7.63 Mauser (or 30 Mauser)
9 mm Parabellum
9 mm Mauser (or 9 mm Mauser Export), rare
8,15mm, some prototypes
7,65 mm extremely rare Parabellum

Copies of Mauser C96

Spanish copies of Mauser C96

The consequences of the Traité of Versailles make that Mauser legally any more does not have the right to export of weapons towards the Chinese market. The Spanish manufacturers will be able to sell to with it their own copies of Mauser C96 since 1927. If the appearance of these copies corresponds rather accurately the forms of the original, the mechanisms are radically different. For this reason, the Spanish copies must rather be regarded as evolutions of the original model rather than of simple copies. The quality of execution of these weapons varies according to the manufacturers. Thus, if the models carried out by Beistegui Hermanos (MM 31 and Super Azul) are of great quality, they will be exceeded by another manufacturer, “Unceta there Compañia”. More known under its trade name, Astra, this company put on the market the last evolutions of C96. Initiated by Astra 900 and continued by the model Astra 901/902/903/904/E/F drawing in gust. The supplies of Spanish weapons at the Chinese market will decline quickly with the beginning of the year 1930 because of the political disturbances in Spain, prelude to the civil war. To finish, it is necessary to announce that the Spanish copies are generally barrack rooms in 7.63 Mauser or 9 mm Largo, gauges lawful in Spain.

Because of its important requirement out of weapons for all kinds, the German army will place order at Astra of several thousands of parts during the Second world war. Approximately 3000 units, all confused models, exclusively barrack rooms into 7,63 Mauser will be delivered by the German army.

Chinese copies of Mauser C96

Escaping the international restrictions relating to exports from long weapons in China, Mauser C96 becomes very popular there. The commercial links and policies which link Germany and China, combined with the reputation of Mauser rifles, are the main reasons. The use of the case stick which makes it possible to transform it into a very handy small rifle makes of it a weapon appreciated by the war leaders of any hair who pullulate through this vast country. In fact, the copies make their appearance rather quickly. Very variable qualities spreading out the very good one with frankly bad, the production sites are numerous. If the produced weapons are mainly barrack rooms to draw the 7,63 Mauser from the original weapon (and sometimes in 9 mm Parabellum), the most interesting model was it in .45 ACP STATES. This weapon is produced by the arsenal of the province of Shansei about 1930. Equipped with a carcass widened to be able to accept this ammunition whose case is particularly broad, this copy functions very suitably. This is confirmed by certain contemporary American collectors which could test this at the very least exotic weapon.

C96 and the Media

A weapon whose esthetics is also original could not remain been unaware of by 7th Article the appearances of C96 are very numerous; an American site, C96 Broomhandle Mauser in the media, tries to make an exhaustive inventory of it. Jean-Pierre Mocky used one of the many nicknames of Mauser C96 to entitle one of its films, the Machine with découdre (1986). It is also found

with the hands of Clint Eastwood in Joe Kidd (1972),
in those of Pascal, interpreted by Venantino Venantini during his forwarding with Lino Ventura at “Tomato” in the incomparable film the Uncles flingueurs of Georges Lautner (1963),
in a form made up in the Space operated, the Star Wars
in a western of Corbucci, Great Silence , the dumb hero carries his Mauser in small a holster in wood which, unfolded, can prolong the stick for better adjusting its shootings.
in " Durango (cartoon) " , where the hero uses C96 of the left hand after having lost the use of his right hand.
In excellent Japanese cartoon film " Jin-Roh - the brigade of the loups" , where C96 is the handgun of the police officers of the Panzer special unit. It on several occasions is seen, including one with the case stick assembled.
finally, in the video game " Metal GEAR Solid 3: Snake Eater" , the protagonist " Eva" use a Chinese copy of C96: type 80.

In the trilogy Star Wars, the gun blaster of Han Solo, the DL-44, is inspired by the mauser.

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