Mauser Broomhandle (C96)

[2152hq]

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.

 

[.357magger]

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.

 

[Walter Rego]

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.

 

[turnerriver]

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,

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

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

 

[diyj98]

Would you call them combat accurate?

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.

 

[Breakaway500]

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.

 

[GypsmJim]

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.

 

[digi-shots]

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.

 

[PALADIN85020]

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

 

[CptCurl]

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

 

[boykinlp]

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

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

 

[Dave_n]

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

 

[Walter Rego]

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.

 

[2152hq]

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.

 

[BARgunner]

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.

 

[Breakaway500]

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.

 

[CptCurl]

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

My research indicated 1920.

Curly