Editing Mauser C96

{{gun
|name= Mauser C96
|image= Mauser C96 M1916 Red 9 7.JPG
|caption= "Red 9" Mauser C96 ([[9 mm Parabellum]]) with [[stock]]
|origin= [[German Empire]]
|type= [[Machine pistol]] (M712 Schnellfeuer)<br>[[Semi-automatic pistol]] (all others)
<!-- Specifications -->
|length= 312 mm (12.3 in) (pre-Bolo)<br>271 mm (10.7 in) (post-Bolo)
|barrel= 140 mm (5.5 in) (pre-Bolo)<br>99 mm (3.9 in) (post-Bolo)
|weight= 1.13 kg (39.9 oz)
|cartridge= [[7.63x25mm Mauser]]<br/> [[9x19mm Parabellum]]<br/> [[9x25mm Mauser|9 mm Mauser Export]] (rare)<br/> [[.45 ACP]] (China)<br> 8.15mm Mauser (experimental)<ref>Belford, James (1969). ''The Mauser Self Loading Pistol''. Borden Publishing Company.</ref>
|caliber=
|action= [[Recoil operated]]
|ROF= 
|muzzle_velocity= 425 m/s (1,394 ft/s)
|range= 
|max_range= 
|feed= 6, 10 or 20-round integral or detachable [[Magazine (firearm)|magazine]]; 40-round detachable magazines were also made
|sights=V-notch rear tangent sight adjustable up to 1000 meters, inverted V front sight
<!-- Service history -->
|service= 1899-1961; still active in some militia usage
|used_by=See [[#Users|Users]]
|wars= Second Boer War, World War I, [[World War II]], Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, Anglo-Irish War
<!-- Production history -->
|designer= Feederle brothers (Fidel, Friedrich, and Josef)
|design_date=1895
|manufacturer=[[Mauser]], Hanyang Arsenal
|unit_cost=
|production_date=1896–1937
|number= over 1,000,000 (plus variants)
|variants= "full sized" C96 (standard model);<br>"Bolo" (short barrel, small grip);<br>"Red 9" ([[9x19mm Parabellum|9 mm]] chambering);<br>M712 "Schnellfeuer" ([[Automatic firearm|full-automatic]])
|notes= 
}}The '''Mauser C96''' ''(Construktion 96)''<ref>Skennerton, Ian (2005). ''Mauser Model 1896 Pistol''. Labrador, Australia: Arms & Militaria Press. ISBN 0 949749 77X. , Page 5</ref>, also known as the '''Mauser Broomhandle''', is a [[semi-automatic pistol]] that was originally produced by [[Germany|German]] arms manufacturer [[Mauser]] from 1896 to 1937<ref>Wilson, R. "Mauser C96 Broomhandle" ''Australian and New Zealand Handgun'' January 2009</ref> Unlicenced copies of the gun were also manufactured in [[Spain]] and [[China]] in the first half of the 20th century.<ref>Wilson, R. "Mauser C96 Broomhandle" ''Australian and New Zealand Handgun'' January 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.1896mauser.com/spanish.htm Spanish Guns] - 1896mauser.com</ref>  

The main distinctive identifying characteristics of the C96 are the integral box magazine in front of the trigger, the long barrel, the wooden shoulder stock which can double as a holster or carrying case, and a grip shaped like the end of a broom's handle. The gun's distinctive appearance earned it the nickname "Broomhandle" in the English-speaking world (from the shape of its grip), and in China, the C96 was nicknamed the "box cannon" (Chinese: 盒子炮; pinyin: hézipào) because of both its square-shaped external magazine and the fact it could be holstered in its wooden box-like detachable stock.<ref>Wilson 2009, p.100</ref>

The Mauser C96 with its shoulder stock, long barrel and high-velocity cartridge had superior range and better penetration than most other standard pistols; the 7.63x25mm Mauser cartridge was the highest velocity commercially manufactured pistol cartridge in existence until the advent of the [[.357 Magnum]] cartridge in 1935.<ref>Bishop, Chris (Editor) (1998). ''Guns in Combat''. Kent, UK: Grange Books. ISBN 1-84013-083-0. , Page 93</ref>

Approximately 1 million C96 pistols were manufactured by Mauser alone,<ref> Skennerton (2005), p.8</ref> with the number produced in Spain and China being large but unknown due to the loss, non-existence, or poor upkeep of production records from those countries.<ref>Wilson (2009)</ref>

== Service ==

[[Image:NRA gas mask and Mauser.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A National Revolutionary Army soldier with a gas mask and a Mauser M1932.]][[File:Mauser C96 prototype 1895Mar15.jpg|thumb|right|An early C96 prototype.]]

Within a year of its introduction, the C96 had been sold not only to governments, but also commercially for resale to civilians and individual military officers. The first military contract was in 1896, with the Ottoman Turkish government ordering 1,000 of the new C96 pistols.<ref>[http://www.1896mauser.com/spanish.htm C-96 Serial Numbers] - 1896mauser.com</ref> This was followed in 1899 by the first major military contract; an order for 5,000 C96 pistols for the Italian navy.<ref>Skennerton (2005), p.8</ref> The Mauser C96 pistol was also extremely popular with British officers at the time and purchased privately by many of them; numbers were supplied to [[Westley Richards]] in the UK for this purpose, although its popularity with the British military had waned by the onset of World War I.<ref>Maze (2002), p.56,70</ref> 

As a military sidearm, the pistols saw service in various colonial wars, as well as World War I, the Spanish Civil War, the Chinese Civil War, and [[World War II]]. Winston Churchill was fond of the Mauser C96, and used one at the Battle of Omdurman and during the Second Boer War; similarly, Lawrence of Arabia carried a Mauser C96 for a period during his time in the Middle East.<ref>Skennerton 2005, pp33-34</ref><ref>Wilson (2009)</ref>    

Imported and domestic copies of the C96 were used extensively by the Chinese in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, as well as by the Spanish during the Spanish Civil War and the Germans in World War II.<ref>[http://www.1896mauser.com/spanish.htm Spanish Guns] - 1896mauser.com</ref><ref>Skennerton (2005), p.33</ref> 

Besides the standard 7.63x25mm chambering, C96 pistols were also commonly chambered for [[9mm Parabellum]], ammunition, with a small number also being produced in [[9x25mm Mauser|9 mm Mauser Export]] and there was also a Chinese-manufactured model chambered for [[.45ACP]].<ref>Wilson (2009)</ref> Despite the pistol's worldwide popularity and fame, the only nation to use the C96 as the primary [[service pistol]] of its military and police was China. The Broomhandle [[Mauser]] has become a popular collector's gun.<ref>Wilson (2009)</ref>

The C96 frequently appears as a "foreign" or "exotic" pistol in a number of films and TV shows, owing to its distinctive and instantly recognisable shape<ref>Wilson (2009)</ref>, and, for the same reasons and in the same tradition, a C96 was modified to form Han Solo's prop pistol for the ''Star Wars'' films.<ref>Wilson (2009)</ref>

== Contract variants ==
===1897 Turkish Army Mauser===
Mauser's first military contract was with the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Turkish government in 1897. They ordered 1,000 pistols; they had their own serial number range, running from 1 to 1000.<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> They differ in that they use a non-Arabic number system on the tangent sight and the weapon is designated in this number system in the Muslim year "1314" rather than the Christian Gregorian year "1896 / 1897". Markings include a six-pointed star on both sides of the chamber and the crest of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II and the Muslim year 1314 on the square left rear frame panel.

===1899 Italian Navy Mauser===
In 1899, the Italian government ordered Mauser's first major military contract; an order for 5,000 C96 pistols for the [[Regia Marina|Italian Royal Navy]].<ref name="skennerton8" /> They differ in that their receivers were "slab-sided" (i.e., lacked the milling on the sides found on commercial Mausers). They also have a "ring hammer" (spurless hammer with a hole through its head) instead of the early "cone hammer" (spurless hammer with ribbed cone-like projections on the sides of its head). These guns had their own serial number 
range, running from 1 to 5000.

=== 1910 Persian Contract Mauser ===
The Persian government ordered 1,000 pistols. They have the Persian government's "lion and sun" insignia on the rectangular milled panel on the left side of the receiver and the serial numbers range from 154000 to 154999. It is often confused with the Turkish Contract Mauser.

===M1916 Austrian Contract===
[[Austria-Hungary]] ordered 50,000 Mausers in the standard 7.63x25mm.<ref>http://www.hungariae.com/Maus96.htm</ref>

===M1916 Prussian "Red 9"===
During [[World War I]], the [[German Army (German Empire)|Imperial German Army]] contracted with Mauser for 150,000 C96 pistols chambered in [[9mm Parabellum]] to offset the slow production of the standard-issue [[Luger P08]] pistol. This variant of the C96 was named the "Red 9", after a large number "9" burned and painted in red into the grip panels,<ref>Skennerton 2005, p. 5</ref> to warn the pistols' users not to load them with 7.63&nbsp;mm ammunition by mistake. Of the 150,000 pistols commissioned, approximately 137,000 were delivered before the war ended.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />
[[File:Mauser C96 M1916 Red 4.JPG|thumb|left|Mauser "Red 9" C96 with [[Stripper clip]]]]

===M1920 French Police Contract===
The French government set up an order for 1,000 pistols with 3.9-inch [99mm] barrels for the [[Gendarmerie Nationale (France)|Gendarmerie Nationale]].

===WW2 Luftwaffe Contract===
The German government purchased 7,800 commercial '''M30''' pistols for use by the Luftwaffe. They have [[Wehrmacht]] proof marks. The year is said to have been 1940, but the serial numbers come from the early- to mid-1930s and the weapon ceased production in 1937.

== Major variants ==

There were many variants of the C96 besides the standard Commercial model; the most common are detailed below.

===M1896 ''Kavallerie Karabiner''===
One of the experimental ideas was the creation of a pistol-carbine for use by light cavalry. They had a "slab-sided" receiver, standard 10-round magazine, a permanently affixed wooden stock and forend, and a lengthened 11.75-inch [300&nbsp;mm] (early production) or 14.5-inch [370&nbsp;mm] (late production) barrel. They were dropped from production after 1899 due to poor sales and little military interest.  

There was limited sporting interest in the carbine version and due to small production numbers it is a highly prized collectible priced at about twice the value of the pistol version.<ref>R. L. Wilson, ''The Official Price Guide to Gun Collecting'', House of Collectibles, Crown Publishing Group, 2000, pages 292-294.</ref>  Recently, importers like Navy Arms imported late-model Mauser carbines with 16-inch or longer barrels for sale in the US.

===M1896 Compact Mauser===
A version of the Mauser pistol with a full-sized grip, 6-shot internal magazine, and a 4.75-inch [120&nbsp;mm] barrel. Production was phased out by 1899.

===M1896 Officer's Model===
This is the unofficial term for a variant Compact Mauser with a curved wooden or hard-rubber grip, like that of a [[Reichsrevolver|revolver]]. The name comes from the US Army designation of the Mauser pistol sent to participate in their self-loading pistol trials.

===M1898 Pistol Carbine===
This is the first model to come cut for a combination wooden stock / holster. The stock doubled as a case or holster and attached to a slot cut in the grip frame.

===M1912 Mauser Export Model===
This model was the first to chamber the 9x25mm Mauser Export cartridge. It was designed to capitalize on the arms market in South America and China.

===M1920 Mauser Rework===
The [[Treaty of Versailles]] (signed in 1919) imposed a number of restrictions on pistol barrel lengths and calibres on German arms manufacturers,.<ref>Bishop 1998, p.94</ref> Pistols for German government issue or domestic market sales could not have a barrel longer than 4&nbsp;inches and could not be chambered for 9mm cartridges.

The [[Weimar Republic]] banned the private ownership of military-issue or military-style weapons in an attempt to recover valuable arms from the mobs of returning soldiers. The confiscated weapons were then used to arm government forces, leaving them with a hodge-podge of military and civilian arms. To meet the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, a major reworking project was begun that set about converting these weapons. 

To be compliant, "pre-war" C.96 models belonging to the Weimar government had to have their barrels cut down to 3.9-inches [99mm]. This meant that their tangent sights had to be replaced with fixed sights. They also had to be converted to the standard 7.63x25mm Mauser round, though a few hybrid Mausers were made with salvaged Luger barrels that were chambered for [[7.65x21mm Parabellum]]. Compliant confiscated government-issue guns were marked '''M1920'''. This practice was continued on German service pistols even after the ban was ignored and the conversions had stopped.

===M1921 "Bolo" Mauser===
Mauser began manufacturing a compliant version of the C.96 for commercial sale from 1920-1921. It featured smaller grips, a shorter 3.9-inch [99mm] barrel,<ref name="Wilson 2009, p.100"/> and was chambered for the standard 7.63x25mm Mauser. An experimental 8.15x25.2mm Mauser cartridge was used to replace the banned 9x19mm Parabellum  and 9x25mm Mauser Export cartridges for domestic sales, but it never caught on.    

Large-scale production of the weapon was from 1921-1930. It was sold in quantity to armies in the contested Baltic region and was carried by the Poles, Lithuanians, German ''[[Freikorps]]'', and [[White movement|White Russians]]. The [[Bolshevik]] government (and later the new [[Red Army]]) of the embryonic [[Soviet Union]] purchased large numbers of this model in the 1920s or appropriated them from their defeated enemies.<ref name="Bishop 1998, p.96">Bishop 1998, p.96</ref> The distinctive pistol became associated with the Bolsheviks and was thus nicknamed the "Bolo".<ref name="Bishop 1998, p.96"/> The "Bolo" model was also popular elsewhere, as the shorter barrel and smaller overall size made the gun easier to conceal.<ref>Wilson 2009, p.99</ref>

===M1930 Mauser===
Also known as the '''M30''' by collectors, it was a simplification and improvement of the M1921 Mauser. It simplified production by removing several fine-machining details and reverted to the [[World War I|"pre-war"]] large grip and long barrel. The early model M30s had a 5.18-inch [132&nbsp;mm] barrel, but later models had the traditional 5.5-inch [140mm] barrel. It was made from 1930 until 1937. 

Joseph Nickl designed a selective-fire conversion in 1930. It tended to "cook off" (fire by spontaneous ignition of the propellant when overheated) when fired in long bursts. 

Since the M1932 / M712 variant was full auto, the semi-auto M1930 it was derived from was sometimes called the '''M711''' by war surplus dealers and collectors.

===M1932 / M712 ''Schnellfeuer''===
The Spanish gunmaking firms of [[Beistegui Hermanos]] and [[Astra-Unceta y Cia SA|Astra]] began producing detachable magazine-fed, [[select-fire]] versions of the C96 in 1927 and 1928 respectively, intended for export to the Far East.<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> 

Mauser began production of the ''Schnellfeuer'' ("Rapid Fire"), their own select-fire, detachable magazine version of the M30 designed by Karl Westinger. Production started in 1932 and ended in 1936,<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> This has led to its unofficial designation of "M1932" by collectors. Again, it was  largely intended for export to China or to the opposing sides in the later [[Spanish Civil War]]. Small numbers of M1932s were also supplied to the German [[Wehrmacht]] during [[World War II]], who designated it the M712.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />

The US [[National Firearms Act]] of 1934 placed a $200 tax on machine guns making exports of the ''Schnellfeuer'' guns to the US impractical. After World War II, importers sold a semi-automatic conversion of the detachable magazine ''Schnellfeuer'' that was made for the US surplus market.

===9 OBI===
Oyster Bay Industries was an American company that made a detachable magazine conversion kit for the Mauser. It removed the floor plate, spring and follower and added a small magazine catch mechanism that allowed it to feed its own brand of proprietary 10- or 20-round 9mm magazines. The conversion could either be performed on a "Red 9" pistol or a new 9mm upper receiver could be sold that would convert a standard C.96 7.63mm pistol.

===PASAM machine pistol===
The Brazilian government bought 500 7.63mm '''M1932''' '''''Schnellfeuer''''' machine pistols during the 1930s. The '''PASAM''' (''Pistola Automática Semi-Automática Militar'', or "Semi-Automatic / Automatic Military Pistol") used the M1932 as its base but made a few alterations. The pistol grip frame used thicker rectangular wooden grips and had a 1.5-foot (460 mm) "t-bar" metal shoulder stock welded to it. A metal frame attached to the receiver supported a rectangular wooden foregrip, taking pressure off the barrel. It took standard detachable 10-round box magazines.<ref name="hogg1987">Jane's Infantry Weapons 1987-1988 Ian V. Hogg, (Jane's Publishing Group, 1987).</ref>

It was still in use with [[Military Police (Brazil)|Brazilian State Military Police]] (''Polícia Militar'') forces in the 1980s. They preferred to use it as a semi-automatic carbine and reserved its full auto setting for emergencies due to its recoil and muzzle-climb.<ref name="hogg1987"/> 

The controls were the same as the standard model, except the markings were in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].The selector switch (found on the left side, above the trigger guard) was marked '''N''' for ''Normal'' ("Normal" for semi-automatic) and '''R''' for ''Rápido'' ("Rapid" for fully automatic). The safety control lever (found to the left of the hammer) was marked '''S''' for ''Seguro'' ("Safe") and '''F''' for ''Fogo'' ("Fire").<ref name="hogg1987"/>

==Famous copies==
===Shanxi Type 17 (.45 ACP)===

During the [[Warlord era]] of Chinese History in the early 20th century, the province of [[Shanxi|Shansi]] was ruled by the warlord [[Yen Hsi-shan]], who had established a modern arms factory in his capital city of [[Taiyuan]]. Yen was equipping his troops with a locally produced copy of the [[Thompson sub machine gun]], chambered for the [[.45 ACP]] cartridge, but was experiencing supply difficulties as his troops' sidearms were 7.63mm calibre C96 handguns.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China">[http://web.archive.org/web/20050326102307/http://www.iar-arms.com/mausereview1.htm "Giant .45 Broomhandle from China"] Gun World (February 2001) (not the original article but a copy from the Wayback Machine.</ref>

His solution was to produce a .45 ACP caliber version of the C96, thus standardizing ammunition and making supply easier.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China"/> Designated ''Type 17'', production on the .45 caliber handgun began in 1929 at the [[Taiyuan Arsenal]]. They are inscribed (in Chinese) "Type 17" on the left hand side of the gun, and "Republic Year Eighteen, Made in [[Shanxi|Shansi]]" on the right hand side.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China"/> They were issued (along with Thompson SMGs) to railway guards in the province as defense against bandits and other warlords.

Besides being chambered for a larger cartridge, the Shansi .45 pistols are noticeably bigger than their 7.63mm counterparts, with the 10-round magazine extending below the trigger guard. It was loaded using two 5-round stripper clips rather than the single 10-round stripper clips of the standard 7.63mm Mauser.    

Most of the Shanxi .45 pistols were melted down after the Communist victory in the [[Chinese Civil War]], largely due to their odd caliber for Communist Regulations, but a few examples were exported overseas for sale on the commercial market.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China"/> Approximately 8,500 Shanxi .45 caliber Broomhandle pistols are believed to have been produced by the Taiyuan Arsenal, but there is some debate as to how many of the Shanxi .45 calibre Broomhandle pistols currently on the commercial market were actually produced for Yen's troops, and how many are more recent productions for the US collectors' market.

===Type 80 (7.62mm Type 51)===
Machine pistol intended for officers and developed by the [[People's Liberation Army]] of the [[People's Republic of China|Communist China]].  The design drew heavy inspirations from M712 Schnellfeuer, but the pistol grip is the same as that of the [[Type 64 pistol|Type 64]], and the gun itself chambers [[7.62x25mm Tokarev|7.62x25mm]] round.<ref>[http://www.chinabaike.com/article/96/jszs/2007/20071012575668.html 国产80式7.62毫米自动手枪] - 中国百科网 [[5 January]] [[2011]]</ref>

===Hanyang C.96 (7.63mm Mauser)===
In 1923 the Hanyang Munitions Works began making a copy of the Mauser C.96, the result was the Hanyang C96, about 13,000 copies were produced, it is sometimes described as the "fancier" of the two Chinese copies. Like the Shansi Type 17, it is unknown of how many originals are currently left on the market.<ref>[http://gunsworld.com/mauser/c96/c96_china2_us.html "Shansei Chinese C96 Pistol"] Gunsworld.com, [[26 February]] [[2009]]</ref>

===Astra Model 900===
[[File:Pistol Astra Model 900.jpg|thumb|Astra Model 900]]
{{Main|Astra Model 900}}

The Spanish gunmaking firm of [[Astra-Unceta y Cia SA|Astra-Unceta y Cia]] began producing a copy of the Mauser C.96 in 1927. Externally similar (including the presence of a detachable shoulder stock/holster) to the C96 but with non-interlocking internal parts it was produced until 1941, with a production hiatus in 1937 and 1938 and a final batch being assembled from spare parts in 1951.<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> The Spanish copies of the C96 were generally intended for export to China,<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> but after the commencement of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Sino-Japanese war]] (which blocked supply of guns to Chinese forces) the remaining Astra 900s were used in the [[Spanish Civil War]], and numbers were also sold to Germany in the period 1940&ndash;1943.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />

==="Royal" MM34 machine pistol===
A rare copy of the Astra Model 900 was also manufactured in [[Eibar]], Spain by [[Zulaica y Cia]] as the Royal MM34. These are recognized by its finned barrel and capped muzzle. Very few examples of the Royal MM34 are in existence today.

==Users==

*[[German Empire]]
*Republic of China
*[[Spain]]
*[[Great Britain]]
*Ottoman Empire
*[[Russian Empire]]
*[[Soviet Union]]
*[[Italy]]
*[[Finland]]
*Persia

==Resources==
{{missing manuals}}
Parts:
<gallery>
Image:mauser96.jpg|Parts illustration of the C96.
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/PISTOLS2.htm

==Bibliography==
* Skennerton, Ian (2005). ''Mauser Model 1896 Pistol''. Gold Coast, QLD (Australia). ISBN 0 949749 77X. 
* Wilson, Royce (January 2009). ''Mauser C96 Broomhandle. Australian and New Zealand Handgun'' magazine. 
* Bishop, Chris (Editor) (1998). ''Guns in Combat''. Kent (UK). ISBN 1-84013-083-0. 
* Maze, Robert J. (2002). ''Howdah to High Power: A Century of Breechloading Service Pistols (1867-1967)''. Tucson, AZ (USA). ISBN 1-880677-17-2.
* ''System Mauser - A Pictorial History of the Model 1896 Self-Loading Pistol'', John W. Breathed, Jr. and Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr., (Handgun Press, 1967) 
* ''The Mauser Self-Loading Pistol'', James N. Belford and Jack Dunlap, (Borden Publishing Cie 1969)

==External links==
*[http://1896mauser.com 1896mauser.com]
*[http://www.gunsworld.com/spain/astra900_us.html Astra 900 (Spanish Copy) Information]
*[http://www.iar-arms.com/mausereview1.htm Detailed article on Chinese .45 calibre C96s]
*[http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg90-e.htm Mauser C-96] at guns.ru

[[Category:Mauser machine pistols]]
[[Category:Mauser semi-automatic pistols]]
[[Category:German semi-automatic pistols]]
[[Category:German machine pistols]]
[[Category:Early semi-automatic pistols]]