Along with Lugers, the iconic 1911 and others some of us grew up seeing the Mauser Broomhandle (C96) in movies and WWII TV shows ("Combat"). I understand they were great for their time, but are (understandably) significantly less reliable in cycling than modern handguns. Or so I hear. For those who have experience with them, how reliable are they say compared to a Luger? Would you call them combat accurate? Not in the market, but want to know about them from this group. As always, pictures and stories welcome. Thank you in advance.

I have owned and fired all of the above to include the c-96 in caliber 7.63 and a red nine (9mm Luger), Lugers in 9mm and 30 Luger and Walthers in both 9mm (WWII p-38) and 32apc. To me the early 7.63 were difficult to shoot because of the military trigger, you had to guess when it would go bang. The 9mm Red 9 was better, but not by much. The gun is heavy and to me a bit difficult to control in rapid fire. The Luger was a beautifully machined and a wonder firearm, tolerances were very close, however it was picky about what ammo you gave it to eat, I got a lot of stovepipes. Someone once said feed it MP-40 SMG 9mm ammo and it will work ok??? Never had any to try. I currently shoot a byf 43 P-38 and she shoots like a dream. A combat arm that was liberated from a German major without firing a shot. My Walther PPK was sold to a GI chopper piolet who fell in love with it. It shot great. Hope this helps!

The average C96 that I have owned (and some I still have) is more reliable than the average 9mm Luger pistol that I have .

Ammo like in every pistol must be of good quality.
But the C96 feeds much smoother than the Luger in my experience and FT Eject is a rarity with correct ammo.
But you can have a great functioning Luger and a dog of a Mauser C96,,just like anything else.

The C96 is a bit harder to shoot accurately. The grip and pistol in general is not as natural feeling in the hand as the Luger.
The grip is very small in dia. 'Broom Handle' is an appropriate term being nearly round in shape and is smaller at the top than the bottom.

Magazine is integral (detachable on the F/A Models) and uses 10rd charger clips to load.
A good thing or a bad thing depending on your view of the world.
You can load the rds one at a time if you don't have the handy clips.
You have to hold the bolt back off of the mag follower which is the last round hold open.
I pull the bolt back further, all the way and then pinch the open bolt and the cocked hammer together with one hand (thumb & index finger).

You can hold the bolt open and the entire pistol easily this way.
Then use your other hand to push each rd into the magazine. When full, use your free hand to grip the gun and then release the bolt. The top rd will chamber and the pistol is ready to go.


The vernier tang rear sight on the C96 is a wishful prayer for accurate shooting to the extreme distances marked on the scale.
But at handgun ranges, it does fine along with most any other combat type pistol of it's day.
It's not Camp Perry ready as it came from Oberndorf.

The detachable wooden shoulder stocks of either one fascinate most people. But they don't really add much effective range to the pistol in converting it to a pistol/carbine as the caliber doesn't change.
Neat set up though.

If the C96 wasn't the first center-fire semi-auto I fired, it was second only to a P08 by a few minutes. I would suspect the Mauser on the inherently more reliable end of the scale with it's relatively straight feed angle and tapered cartridge.

As a little kid I saw a C96 in a museum that my mom took me to. I knew I had to have one. Then I saw a P08.

I’m lucky in that I have a modest representation of most of the Axis pistols from WWII, (and some WWI.) I have shot them all but some more than others.

@ 1992 I got a Bricklee Trading Co, (formally Fed Ord,) C96 for $585.00 delivered to me. Around the same time I got CZ, (VZ,) 52 for under $60.00 delivered to me. I had a FFL.. I found out I could load a round that would work wonderfully in both. I got a bunch of unprimed brass from Greyback Wildcats and went to work loading.

My three boys and I used to shoot the C96 almost every weekend with never a problem. The BYF43 P38 was/is flawless too. Occasionally the VOPO K Date would hang up for us but I wasn’t reloading for 9mm then and just shot what I could find. The P38 is always happy with whatever.

The C96 shows very well and is actually quite accurate with the stock. I’m not “ashamed” that it’s a rework and not “real” as it was cheap and like new inside and out. They did a great job but probably started with a high condition one to begin with. It was NOT a Chinese import.

Jim

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I owned a red 9 C96 with stock and tools, an unissued WWII P38 late production and still own a gorgeous 1941 Luger wartime issue. I would pretty much agree with the above comments except I’ve never had a feeding issue with my Luger. I may have had one or two misdeeds but over the past 27 years there have been virtually no problems. The P38 never choked but the C96 was touchy and awkward. All three are fun guns though and if I found a good deal on another I’d be tempted. They’re just cool guns.

My uncle, now deceased, had a full auto Spanish made C96. What an amazing gun!!! I would have loved to have owned that one.

I have owned a few examples of both guns over the years. Currently have one of each. My experience with the Lugers was good, only issues I can remember were caused by a bad magazine and a couple attempts to run lighter than standard loads ..... none of them liked lightweight bullets. Even the worst condition Luger I owned ran well so long as it was fed standard 115/125 grain loads.

The only C96 that ever gave me much trouble was one converted to 9mm. A Chinese import, it was in decent shape overall but must have been converted due to a rotted out barrel. Don't know who did the conversion, possibly the importer. It would occasionally misfeed or fail to eject. Never figured it out and moved it along to someone who wanted to tinker with it. Another 9mm conversion I had ran just fine. 30 Mauser caliber guns were largely trouble free so long as the springs were in good order and they weren't excessively worn inside. One example needed an internal rebuild before it worked reliably but then it was a very well used Bolo out of China (with only two matching serial # parts in the entire gun!). It was also the ugliest C96 I ever had which is probably why I still have (and shoot) it while the nicer looking ones were sold when I found myself needing to get some money together ............

Many decades ago, I owned a .30 Mauser Broomhandle, standard wartime (WW1) commercial. Although the barrel was pitted, it had useful rifling. The pistol was accurate, and certainly reliable. IIRC, the only ammo I had was Remington, some of it quite new, and some fairly old. I never had any feed or ejection problems at all.

At one point, I actually put a Tyler on it, probably a #3 (K square). It looked odd and the copper legs showed, but it actually worked quite well.

Nothing bad to say about it at all. Even the holster stock worked well.

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Formerly Model520Fan

I want one, but so far not bad enough to pay the high prices being asked for the ragged specimens I see on GB. Maybe one of these days the confluence of C96, price, condition, and funds available will occur. As usual, the history ensnares me more than the desire to shoot it much.

Many years ago I acquired one of the Broomhandle Mausers that came back from China. An industry sprung up to support the people who acquired these. One gadget I acquired was an external hold open device that allowed loading single rounds into the magazine. Basically it was a squared "U" shaped piece of metal that could be placed open side down on the retracted bolt to keep the breech of the gun open. I have no idea now who made it, I should have bought a couple of them.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachm...1&d=1661805958

The one C96 that I have shot has been jam free. Although I don't have a lot of rounds through it. I find the C96 an awkward pistol to hold. Not a natural pointer for me. The Luger always seems too rear heavy but a very comfortable grip.
Pictured with my new "Old West Reproduction" holster.
Ken

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Never owned one, but I’ve been intrigued by them ever since I saw the movie Mahogany. Anthony Perkins sure could send shivers down your spine!

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"I also cook."

I have a 1930 Commercial C96 in 7.63mm and a G Date (1935) P08 Luger. The P08 has been reliable with the ammo I tried so far, which I think was GECO 124 grain and I chose that assuming it was loaded to European specs.

The C96 was giving me a few pierced primers and failing to feed the last round in the magazine. That was until I replaced every single spring in it from Wolff. Now it functions as it should.

When standing and facing a target at the range and shooting bullseye style or Weaver style with the C96, yes it does feel a bit odd, the grip is weird and the trigger is abysmal. However it's a different story when plinking and snap shooting. Then it feels very competent. And with the shoulder stock attached I have no problem putting several rounds onto a man sized silhouette target at 100 yards. As far as the sights being regulated out to 1000 meters, well I think the idea was to be able to drop rounds into a group of enemy cavalry or massed soldiers and keep them at bay or at least inflict wounds. At closer ranges, that little 86 grain pill was moving over 1400 fps and had great penetrating power. It may not have had the smackdown that a 250 grain .45 Colt had but it certainly was lethal.

We have to view those guns in historical context and not with the eyes of today or even the last 80 years. There is a discussion on another gun board regarding the Browning High Power. Some criticized it for having "a long trigger reset". Probably the next thing will be complaints that the slide isn't milled for an RMR sight and doesn't have a rail to hang a laser or Surefire onto. Well, I guess the "long trigger reset" only matters if your idea of combat shooting is doing a 17 round magazine dump in 2 seconds like many cops do today and only put 3 rounds on target and the rest are a menace to innocent people and property. Sheesh !

In the mid 90's I bought a C-96 that was a Chinese import. It is reblued and has little refiling. It has a Chinese made holster/stock.

I have formed 200 brass from 5.56 NATO and loaded the with 84gr LRN bullets for plinking. FL Size trim to length & ream inside of neck to .308".

I also have several thousand rounds of Tokarev ammo. I have shot both of these rounds extensively. The Russian Tok ammo was POA/POI and to the 200 yard hash mark and grouped 4-6" from a rest.

For me, it has never failed to feed, fire, or eject with either ammo.

At a show and tell luncheon, with 11 other gun guys that way outclassed me, I showed the C-96. The flintlock guys were not that impressed, but all the cartridge era guys were dying to shoot it!

Actual C-96 clips (look like miniature SKS strippers) are not that easy to find but are infinitely reusable. However, I have successfully used M-16 strippers with a 2 or 3 use lifespan.

The Mauser beats Luger for function. Lugers are not most durable design.
No doubt Luger is much nicer to shoot and closer fitted. I would not fire hot 9mm SMG ammo in any 9mm pistol that I cared about. Take it from a guy who ruined a brand new m39 with SMG ammo. Luger toggle is their weal point.

Years ago a friend got a Chinese import. They were selling boxes of them at different price points at gun shows. This was a $50 gun.

The thing was heavily rusted, particularly the grip frame.

We took to the range to try it. My friend cut his hand on the rusty grip frame and handed it to me. I put on some goatskin gloves and shot it.

It functioned flawlessly! I couldn’t hit much with it, but it went bang when I pulled the trigger.

I think my friend sold it soon after.

The Mauser C-96 ‘Broomhandle’ is…IMNTBHO, the sexiest pistol EVER designed.

Sam

If you ever see the movie "Queen of Outer Space" you will see that the "ray guns" the astronauts carry are actually Broomhandle Mausers covered in gold paint.

The Mauser C96 Broomhandle is on my short list for guns that I would like to have. Either .30 Mauser or 9mm would be fine with me. It is difficult to find them in decent condition for a decent price. One night, the stars will align......hopefully.
Larry

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Miss Buddies crsides & fat tom

I've previously owned both a C96 and a Luger Artillery. Both were acquired from the outstanding shop of Eugene Golobsotov aka Lugerman. As such, both had been restored to like new condition. And I mean restored, not refinished. He is known not only for his excellent restorations, but is also the current manufacturer of 45 acp and 10mm Lugers.

The C96 was accurate and reliable and chambered in 7.63mm. No issues at all, except spotty ammo availability. It's awkward as a handgun compared to current models. But delightful with the shoulder stock attached.

The Artillery definitely had a preference for 124 grain ammo, loaded to hotter specs than WWB 115 grain. This one was fun to shoot.

Both were sold at considerable profit, but I will add that I miss the Artillery more.

A GunShow/FFL buddy of mine had a very nice one that he shot the surplus Tokarev ammo in. He used to buy the ammo by the case when it was very inexpensive and available. He had a couple of the Tokarev psitols as well that he shot all the time.

The C-96 ended up with a cracked locking lug. He had the lug welded and he did a nice job of refitting the thing back together. But he never trusted firing it after that.
The upper usnit show some heavy battering where the bolt stop fits as well.

Quite a few of the China imports showed that Bolt Stop battering. The metal is pretty thin there.

I had a Bolo Model that was a WW2 bring back with papers. Came back from the Pacific .
Little finish, poor bore but all matching.
Only shot it a couple times. Sold that more than a few yrs ago.

Still have one of the China imports from the 1990's. In a cigar box in parts. 'Needs Work'.
It's been relined back to 30Mauser from a nonexistant bore. That was a trade for checkering a Winchetser Model 12 forend at the time.

You really don't want to be shooting Tokarev ammo in a C96.

Yes, they're both 7.63mm and Tok will fit the C96, but it's loaded to significantly higher chamber pressure than the 7.63mm Mauser on which it was based.

Your friend is lucky he only had a cracked lug. On the C96 design, firing that ammo, he could have very well have had the bolt exploding back into his forehead.

Not joking.

Here is my Model 1930 Commercial C96. I stocked up on the PPU (Privi Partisan) 7.63 Mauser ammo back when it was something like $35/50 and it works well.

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I’ve showed these here before, you can roll your eyes at the repetition if you want.
My wife’s grandfather took the one on the left off of a German soldier during WW I. The other one was given to my father as he got back on a ship he was billeted on in occupied Japan during WW II, a soldier had found a crate of them and handed them out to anyone who wanted one.
I’ve shot them both. My dad’s gun was the first gun I got to hold and examine when I was a kid.

Regards,

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turnerriver

Here’s my Shensei and the holster I modded. It’s rough and needs work. Been neglected for easier builds.

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I had one and fired another one a friend had as well. The accuracy was terrible in both, but both had bores like old rusty water pipes. I'm sure with a decent bore accuracy would have been a different story.

Not as handsome as a big 3 (Colt,S&W,Remington) revolver of that time period but talk about a firepower advantage! I have one in 30 Mauser and it’s accurate and dependable for my shooting requirements. A person armed with a C96 and sufficient ammo could hold off a squad of lesser armed individuals if need be. Seeing as there are so many still shootable they do seem to stand the test of time. I know I won’t be selling mine.

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Remain Viable

I have a collection of nines, and I'll attempt to rate them in order of reliability. Please be aware that this is only an opinion, though I've been shooting nines since about 1974. For the record, my Broomhanle is not a C96, but a "Red 9", and all ammo is FMJ RN factory ball.

Glock Model 19 - 100%
S&W Shield - 99.9%
Ruger Max 9 - 99%
S&W 39-2 - 98%
P38 - 80%
P08 - 75%
Broomhandle - 60%

Lastly, give me a break since my numbers are purely guesses, not from actual collected data.

Here’s one of mine, a German made Mauser.. mid 1930’s used by the Chinese. It has some Chinese characters scribed on the side.

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

I bought this C96 commercial (1914) quite a few years ago when they were semi-affordable. I've found it reliable but awkward to handle and load.

For more lore on these guns, I've devoted a chapter to them in my book 101 Classic Firearms.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Back in 2017 I bought a superb early post-WWI Bolo C96. It cost more than I wanted to pay, but nobody is giving them away. Not long after, I bought a tranche of stripper clips. Along the way I also gathered up some Fiocchi ammo.













It's near mint, all matching, and with a perfect bore. One for the sock drawer for sure!

Curly

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Curly
SWCA #2599; SWHF #626

Wow Curly, that thing is beautiful! Do you know what year it is from? Thanks for sharing.
Larry

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Miss Buddies crsides & fat tom

One caveat: Never detail strip an M96 unless you note the exact position of what looks like a little hooked unit. It is the only part that can be put in backwards. If you do, you will have "major fun and games" trying to open the pistol. If incorrectly fitted, the hook locks under the fixed magazine. There is a trick with a bent screwdriver that will open up the "now current paperweight" but it is only shown as far as I know in a long out of print handbook on gunsmithing tricks. Yes I picked up a copy many years ago, but knew of the problem well before that. Dave_n

Correct and I was scared to death the first time I tore my C96 completely down to install all new springs and give it a good clean and lube. That part can be seen just to the left of the main fire control block in this photo. The action has been described as being like a "Chinese puzzle" and that is an apt description. But it is also a thing of beauty and fascinating engineering and worksmanship. The only screws are for the stock panels and you can tear it down completely with the tip of a cartridge to release the floorplate and the rim to turn the firing pin a quarter turn to release it from the bolt.

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That's the Rocker Coupler. Getting it in backwards.. I guess anything is possible.
It's shape kind of defines where it goes and which way it faces.
The recoiling bbl pushes on it and pulls the locking lug out of enagement with the bolt as the upper w/bolt move backwards.

Another issue with these is the use of some of the ammo made of late plus 9mmLuger ammo in the conversions.

Neither may have the necessary deep, long extractor groove ahead of the case rim that the original 30Mauser round has.
The orig extractor is designed for that long extractor cut.

The shallow and short extractor cut on 9mm Luger brass and some 30 Mauser case ammo doesn't allow the extractor to fully seat when it snaps over the case rim.
This leaves the long extractor, which is it's own flat spring, sitting slightly high of the top surface of the bolt instead of flush with the surface as designed.

When the gun is fired, the bolt recoils and the top surface of the bolt moves backwards and underneath the support feature of the upper that barely allows for passage of the flat top bolt.
With the extractor sitting slightly kinked in the middle , the extractor rubs on that frame support pushing it back down but actually with no place to go.
That caused extra wear to the extractor plus fatigues the spring that it is as it is being kinked. It can lead to the extractor breaking prematurely.
Short of that it can be the source of fail to extract and eject & fail to feed problems as it slows the bolt down depending on how bad the problem is.
Some are much worse than others.

The problem can usually be seen easily by a bright worn spot about mid way on the extractor itself where it is hitting the support.
The Bolo pistol pictured in CptCurl's post shows a little of that type of wear.

When making 30Mauser from .223 brass was a common way to get it, it was quite common to see.
Taking the time to recut the extractor groove solves the problem but few ever did that. Some would trim the claw on the extractor itself to avoid the damage.
Broken extractors were not unkn at that time, But most never shot the pistols to the extent that parts breakage was a concern.
More suffered from Tokarev ammo damage than anything else when that stuff hit the market.
The Tok ammo has the small extractor groove as a rule also, so it will do the same to the extractor.
But I've seen use of that ammo crack more locking lugs and upper units at the bolt stop on C96's than break extractors.
Some pretty hot stuff for a near 100 y/o pistol of radical design at the time.
Treat them kindly,,much like a Luger,,and they'll do just fine.

My Uncle gave me this one about 40 years ago and it had belonged to my Grandfather who brought it back from Europe after WWI. All matching numbers including the stock lug.
I take it out every three or four years and shoot a magazine load through it. I've never had any problems with functioning using Winchester and Fiocchi ammunition. It's more user friendly when you use the stock.

Just watched the movie Brannigan with John Wayne. The bad guy used a C96. Good movie if you are a Duke fan with lots of 70s cars etc.

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Remain Viable

My research indicated 1920.

Curly

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Curly
SWCA #2599; SWHF #626