OP
The Italian pistols are not common today, and parts for them are scarce. I recommend Gun Parts Corporation in West Hurley, NY as a possible source. They would be worth a try.
John
The Mauser HSc pistol - gone but not forgotten
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
- Start date
The Italian pistols are not common today, and parts for them are scarce. I recommend Gun Parts Corporation in West Hurley, NY as a possible source. They would be worth a try.
John
The Mauser HSc was my very first "real" handgun.
They had one in the glass case at the corner hardware store in my hometown.
An Interarms model.
I can't now remember the price.
It took lots of pestering of my Dad to buy it.
I had a delivery job (and no expenses) at the time, so I had the cash for it, but not the years on my ID.
Yes, it did dish out "slide-bite" if you were at all careless about your grip.
Ammo was expensive enough that I rarely fired it.
I can't say the gun was inaccurate, but I can say I fired it inaccurately.
One day, me and dad were out just "riding around" some country roads in his '66 Thunderbird - a car that I was unable to properly appreciate at the time. We stopped at some dusty pull-off by the side of the road to take a leak. While I was in mid-leak, I spotted a cottontail rabbit ambling along. About the time I zipped up, the rabbit decided to stand still for me. I grabbed the HSc out of the T-Bird, with rabbit-icide on my mind.
I fired the first shot.
...and then the second shot.
...and then the rest of the magazine.
That confounded rabbit couldn't have been ten yards away!
Dumbest rabbit I ever saw.
Just sat there chewing on a weed while I landed .380 bullets in several different zip codes around him.
I had extra ammo with me, and I considered reloading the magazine for a second volley at Mr. Hasenpheffer.
But, by then my ears were ringing something awful, and Dad was giving that same look he had been giving me when I was begging him to buy the gun for me.
I just stuck the gun back in the car, and took it home and put it back in its factory Styrofoam box and paper sleeve.
I don't think I ever shot that gun again.
Not too long after that, I pestered Dad some more, and got him to help me give it in trade for a Security-Six. For some reason, I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around ear protection back then. If the HSc was loud, the Security-Six was positively ATOMIC. I didn't shoot that one much either. I ended up giving the Ruger in trade for a Remington 788 in 6mm Rem. That gun languished for years too. I eventually gave the 788 in trade for a stainless Browning A-Bolt, which I still have to this day.
So, in a way, I still have that old HSc.
They had one in the glass case at the corner hardware store in my hometown.
An Interarms model.
I can't now remember the price.
It took lots of pestering of my Dad to buy it.
I had a delivery job (and no expenses) at the time, so I had the cash for it, but not the years on my ID.
Yes, it did dish out "slide-bite" if you were at all careless about your grip.
Ammo was expensive enough that I rarely fired it.
I can't say the gun was inaccurate, but I can say I fired it inaccurately.
One day, me and dad were out just "riding around" some country roads in his '66 Thunderbird - a car that I was unable to properly appreciate at the time. We stopped at some dusty pull-off by the side of the road to take a leak. While I was in mid-leak, I spotted a cottontail rabbit ambling along. About the time I zipped up, the rabbit decided to stand still for me. I grabbed the HSc out of the T-Bird, with rabbit-icide on my mind.
I fired the first shot.
...and then the second shot.
...and then the rest of the magazine.
That confounded rabbit couldn't have been ten yards away!
Dumbest rabbit I ever saw.
Just sat there chewing on a weed while I landed .380 bullets in several different zip codes around him.
I had extra ammo with me, and I considered reloading the magazine for a second volley at Mr. Hasenpheffer.
But, by then my ears were ringing something awful, and Dad was giving that same look he had been giving me when I was begging him to buy the gun for me.
I just stuck the gun back in the car, and took it home and put it back in its factory Styrofoam box and paper sleeve.
I don't think I ever shot that gun again.
Not too long after that, I pestered Dad some more, and got him to help me give it in trade for a Security-Six. For some reason, I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around ear protection back then. If the HSc was loud, the Security-Six was positively ATOMIC. I didn't shoot that one much either. I ended up giving the Ruger in trade for a Remington 788 in 6mm Rem. That gun languished for years too. I eventually gave the 788 in trade for a stainless Browning A-Bolt, which I still have to this day.
So, in a way, I still have that old HSc.
I had a 7.65 back in the 60's. Swapped it for a "Herters" SA .22 revolver that was so far out of time it could "spit lead" in several directions. I was however happy. With a little imagination my "Herters horror" looked just like the Colts the movie hero's carried.
"Gosh Rocky...I never claimed to be thmart!"
"Gosh Rocky...I never claimed to be thmart!"
107driver
Member
Value?
All,
I inherited one in .32 from my dad, and I'm interested in selling it. Where ought I go to research a value?
Thanks,
_matt
All,
I inherited one in .32 from my dad, and I'm interested in selling it. Where ought I go to research a value?
Thanks,
_matt
Ray
Member
As a side note, one of such pistols can be seen in one scene of the movie picture " The Counterfeit Traitor" starring William Holden, when Eric Erickson( Holden) is being arrested by a Gestapo man.
Regards, Ray.
Regards, Ray.
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italiansport
Member
Unless you want an expensive paperweight avoid the Italian examples like the plague.
I had one that jammed constantly and I gave up after I worked on it as well as 2 gunsmiths and it still jammed.
Jim
I had one that jammed constantly and I gave up after I worked on it as well as 2 gunsmiths and it still jammed.
Jim
blackpowder
Member
you shouldn't expect too much from the HSc, even the german made ones. As pocket pistols they are in general not really reliable (although better than the average pocket pistols). If you absolutely must have one, then use it for what it was designed for - emergency use and back up.
Great article.
I have often wondered why European Countries were so caught up with 6.35mm and 7.65mm pistol calibers ??
I have often wondered why European Countries were so caught up with 6.35mm and 7.65mm pistol calibers ??
Hi:
Have you in the past or plan to in the future writing a article on the J.P. Sauer Model 38H ?
Somewhere (?) packed away I have one and do not know if it is a Military model or not ?
Have you in the past or plan to in the future writing a article on the J.P. Sauer Model 38H ?
Somewhere (?) packed away I have one and do not know if it is a Military model or not ?
OP
I've not done an article on it or as yet planned to. This was an interesting model, made in quantity from 1939 through the war years. It was apparently popular with the fallschirmjagers, the German paratroopers. It was a double action .32 ACP (7.65mm) somewhat similar to the Walther PP. Military guns should have an a waffenamt eagle stamp over a number, usually "37", and may also carry the standard commercial proof of an eagle over "N".
At such time as I can find or buy one to examine and photograph, I may very well consider writing it up. Good suggestion.
John
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HSc Left Trigger Guard Symbol
Hi, I bought one of these for $50 at a pawn shop. According to your info it was the 159,557th produced at serial #859558 making it one of the wartime pistols produced from 40'-45'? It has the Eagle over the N on the right trigger guard, but it also has an Eagle on the left trigger guard with an L below and to the right of that eagle. The barrel has a matching serial number. I'd love to know more about my gun, which branch of the military used it, etc.
Thank you for writing the article, and thanks for your feedback!
Hi, I bought one of these for $50 at a pawn shop. According to your info it was the 159,557th produced at serial #859558 making it one of the wartime pistols produced from 40'-45'? It has the Eagle over the N on the right trigger guard, but it also has an Eagle on the left trigger guard with an L below and to the right of that eagle. The barrel has a matching serial number. I'd love to know more about my gun, which branch of the military used it, etc.
Thank you for writing the article, and thanks for your feedback!
Attachments
The 32 acp is the most reliable and just as good as the 380 and you get one more round. Use ball for defense in both to insure penetration to vitals and reliability.The French made the HSC for a few years after WW2 for the Foreign Legion and police. The French used them even in Nam.
blackpowder
Member
The Mauser HSc is probably more reliable than the average pocket pistol but don't expect too much of it. They stopped making the HSc a few years after the war because it never could live up to it's main rival, the Walther PPK, in terms of reliability. In my opinion it was overly complicated at the expense of reliability with too many parts serving dual purposes. The one I have doesn't make it through a box of 50 rounds without a jam (usually a feeding problem). But then again, you may be lucky and yours may work much better. Try it and see. If you can put a couple of hundred rounds through it without a problem then it's a keeper. 
I have always liked the HSc, and will eventually get one when I find the right combo of price and condition on a 7.65 version. Nice write up on them.
Josefius
Member
I bought a Mauser HSc in the 800k serial range, it has the eagle over N on the right side, but nothing on the left and it has wood grips. I assume this is a commercial one that wasn't commissioned by the military but was carried by someone in the military that bought it commercially. It has no import markings. Paid about 700 bucks for it, is that about right?
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I just got two of them yesterday, from both ends of the production range. The first is one of the early ones that has a lanyard hole in the base of the grip, and has matting in the sighting groove. That didn't last long.
The other one is made by the French occupying forces from parts left at Oberndorf when they seized it. They also installed a lanyard loop for police use.
Josefius: The military acceptance stamp is a tiny mark on the left side, on the bottom rear web of the trigger guard. It's actually an eagle with a number under it; in the case of Mauser usually 655. There's another civilian proof, eagle over N, on the right hand web. I think all the Mauser HSc's had wooden grips.
The other one is made by the French occupying forces from parts left at Oberndorf when they seized it. They also installed a lanyard loop for police use.
Josefius: The military acceptance stamp is a tiny mark on the left side, on the bottom rear web of the trigger guard. It's actually an eagle with a number under it; in the case of Mauser usually 655. There's another civilian proof, eagle over N, on the right hand web. I think all the Mauser HSc's had wooden grips.
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Josefius
Member
@cyrano, I'll look again when I pick it up on the first. I believe mine has a lanyard hole too. I believe the late war ones had mostly black Bakelite grips. I'll post pictures when I get it. Would be cool if it had a Kriegsmarine proof. I also find it interesting that the designer of this pistol went on to co-found H&K and designed the H&K P4 around this weapon.
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Josefius. H&K was founded by Heckler and Koch, two former Mauser engineers. The designer of the HSc was Alex Seidel. I know very little about Seidel but quite possibly he worked at H&K after the war
Josefius
Member
Here are my first images, the serial number is in the 803xxx range, and from that I researched it was made in 1942. There is no Military stamp on the left side of the trigger, bit it has the eagle over N on the right side and the eagle over N on the front right of the slide and on the barrel breach. All serial numbers match. No import stamp of course.
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