Mauser C96

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The C96, or Broomhandle Mauser, was the first semi-automatic pistol to see widespread use. It was manufactured from 1896 to 1936 in Germany, as well as being manufactured in direct or modified - and often unlicensed - form in other countries, such as Spain, and especially China.

The main characteristics that distinguish this pistol are the magazine forward of the trigger, the long and protruding barrel, and the handle shaped like the end of a broom handle, hence the nickname of "Broomhandle."

Contents

1 Variants
2 Service
3 Cultural reference
4 See also

Variants

There were many variants, including a short-barrelled version (called the "Bolo" Mauser), versions with detachable magazines instead of the permanently-mounted magazine seen on most versions, and models such as the M1932/M712 that could be used as machine pistols with a setting to fire full-automatic. All versions were made to use detachable shoulder-stocks that doubled as holsters. The C96 were usually made in 7.63 x 25 mm Mauser, but many were also made in 9 x 19 mm Parabellum (Luger), and versions in .45 ACP caliber were produced by China. The Mauser C/96 was also manufactured on a limited or experimental basis in 7.65 mm Borchart, 9 mm Mauser, 7.65 mm Parabellum, 9 mm Largo (Bergmann), and 8.15 mm Mauser. A small number of carbine models were also manufactured.

During the Great War the Imperial German Army contracted with Mauser for 150,000 C96 pistols, chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum. This variant was named the "Red 9" and had a large, red-painted number "9" debossed on the handle, to prevent the pistols' users from loading them with 7.63mm ammunition by mistake. Of this 150,000, approximately 135,000 were delivered before the War's end. This was the only time in which the C96 was ever used officially by the German military.

Service

The Mauser C96 was sold commercially worldwide; Winston Churchill favored it, and used one at the Battle of Omdurman and during the Second Boer War. The pistols saw service in colonial wars, World War One, the Spanish Civil War, the Chaco War, and World War II, among other places. Many were sold to Russia during the Revolution, mostly in the short-barrelled variant, giving that version the nickname "Bolo" (short for "Bolshevik") Mauser. The pistol, both imports and domestically-made, was used extensively by the Chinese in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. It was nicknamed the "box cannon" (}; }) for its box-shaped magazine.

Despite the pistols' worldwide popularity and fame, the Broomhandle Mauser never became the official & standard sidearm with any military or police of any nation, except China.

Today the Broomhandle Mauser is a popular collector's gun; many have come on to the US civilian market after being exported from China.

Cultural reference

See List of appearances of C96 in popular culture

Due to the fact that C96 was a German weapon and very popular on the international market, the gun featured in many movies that dealt with World War I or with world events from the 1900s to the 1930s (but rarely in World War II movies). It also became a favourite in spy movies and TV-shows as late as the 1970s. Since the shape of the gun is very distinctive, the gun wielder would be immediately identified as an "enemy" or a "villain". (But the C96 is very seldom associated with specifically German characters, even in movies of either World War; Germans in American movies are typically shown wielding the Luger pistol.)

Mauser C96

Variants

Service

Cultural reference

See also