Mauser C96
Mauser C96 - "Red 9" with a stock
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1899 to present
Used by	Germany, China
Wars	Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War
Production history
Designer	Feederle brothers (Fidel, Friedrich, and Josef)
Designed	1895
Manufacturer	Mauser
Produced	1896 – 1936
Variants	"full sized" C96 (standard model); "Bolo" (short barrel, small grip); "Red 9" (9 mm chambering); M712 "Schnellfeuer" (full-automatic)
Specifications
Weight	1130g unloaded
Length	288 mm
Barrel length	140 mm
Cartridge	7.63 x 25 mm Mauser; 9 mm Luger Parabellum; 9 mm Mauser Export (rare)
Action	recoil operated semi-automatic
Muzzle velocity	425 m/s
Effective range	ca 200 m
Maximum range	2,000 m (according to manual)
Feed system	6, 10 or 20-round integral or detachable magazine; 40-round detachable magazines were also made
Sights	V-notch rear tangent sight adjustable up to 1,000 metres, inverted V front sight

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. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 253 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 506 pixel, file size: 152 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Not to be confused with the Spanish Civil War of 1820-1823. ... Combatants China Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro, Fumimaro Konoe Strength 58,600,000 4,100,000... Combatants Nationalist Party of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War... Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire ammunition as long as the trigger (or other activating device) is pressed or until it runs out of ammunition. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10-3 m and 10-2 m (1 mm and 1 cm). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... .303 in. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... In a recoil operated handgun, the barrel and slide are locked together during firing. ... A semi-automatic firearm requires a trigger pull for each round that is fired. ... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ... Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The main characteristics that distinguish 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 the handle shaped like the end of a broom's handle, hence the nickname "Broomhandle".

The Mauser C96 can be considered one of the first personal defense weapons (PDWs), as its long barrel and powerful cartridge gave it superior range and better penetration capabilities than most other standard pistols and revolvers. A PDW or personal defense weapon is a compact firearm, smaller than an assault rifle or a full size submachine gun, but more powerful and flexible than a normal pistol. ...

Variants

There were many variants, including the "Bolo" versions with shorter barrels and smaller grips (so named due to large orders being placed by Bolshevik government of the Soviet Union in 1920s, when German handgun manufacturers had to confirm to Versailles restriction of barrel length), versions with detachable magazines varying in size from 6 to 40 rounds instead of the integral magazine seen on most pre-1930s versions, and models such as the M712 Schnellfeuer ("rapid fire") machine pistol from 1932 that was capable of fully automatic fire. All versions were made to use detachable shoulder stocks that doubled as holsters. A small number of carbine models with wooden stocks, wooden foregrips and much longer barrels were also manufactured. For other uses, see Bolshevik (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Treaty of Versailles of June 28 1919, which ended World War I. For other uses, see Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation) . The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was the peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ... A machine pistol shares several properties of the semi-automatic handgun and the sub-machine gun. ... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire ammunition as long as the trigger (or other activating device) is pressed or until it runs out of ammunition. ... A holster is a specialized article of clothing worn to hold a handgun about the person, most commonly in a location where it can be easily drawn for immediate use. ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ...

During World War I the Imperial German Army contracted Mauser for 150,000 C96 pistols, chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum. This variant was named the "Red 9" after a large number "9" burned and painted in red into the grip panels, to prevent the pistols' users from loading them with 7.63 mm ammunition by mistake. Of the 150,000 commissioned, approximately 135,000 were delivered before the war ended. This was the only time in which the C96 was ever used officially by the German army. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The German Army (German: [1], [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ...

Cartridges

The C96 was originally designed for the 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridge, but many were also made in 9x19 mm Parabellum and 9 mm Mauser Export, a more powerful cartridge than the 9 mm Luger. Versions in .45 ACP caliber were produced by China. The C96 was also manufactured on a limited or experimental basis in 7.65 mm Borchardt, 9 mm Mauser, 7.65 mm Parabellum, 9 mm Largo (Bergmann), and 8.15 mm Mauser. Mauser C96 pistol being loaded with a stripper clip The 7. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... .45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ...

Service

A National Revolutionary Army soldier with a gas mask and a Mauser M1932.

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 various colonial wars, World War I, the Spanish Civil War, the Chaco War, and World War II, among other places. Image File history File links NRA_gas_mask_and_Mauser. ... Image File history File links NRA_gas_mask_and_Mauser. ... The National Revolutionary Army (NRA) (Chinese: 國民革命軍; pinyin: guo2 min2 ge2 ming4 jun1) was the national army of the Republic of China. ... “Churchill” redirects here. ... Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Mahdist Sudan Commanders Horatio Kitchener Abdullah al-Taashi Strength 8,200 British, 17,600 Sudanese and Egyptian soldiers 52,000 warriors Casualties 48 dead 434 wounded 9,700 killed 13,000 wounded 5,000 captured At the Battle of Omdurman (September 2, 1898) an army commanded... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Not to be confused with the Spanish Civil War of 1820-1823. ... Combatants Republic of Bolivia Republic of Paraguay Commanders Hans Kundt Mcal. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Many Mausers were sold to Russia before, during and after the October Revolution. Mauser produced significant quantities of the short-barreled variant on Soviet order in 1920s, giving that version the nickname "Bolo" (short for "Bolshevik") Mauser. The Bolo Mauser was chambered for the 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridge. For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ... Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ...

Imported and domestic copies of the C96 were used extensively by the Chinese in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. It was nicknamed the "box cannon" (Chinese: 盒子炮; pinyin: hézipào) because it was holstered in a wooden box as well as for its unique external magazine. Some domestic copies even displayed serial numbers of original Mauser-manufactured pistols. Combatants China Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro, Fumimaro Konoe Strength 58,600,000 4,100,000... Combatants Nationalist Party of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...

The C96 Mauser was the weapon of choice for the Indian revolutionaries during India's freedom struggle. Leaders like Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Asfhaqulah Khan, Sukhdev Thapar and others used Mausers smuggled from China. The Indian Independence Movement was a series of revolutions empowered by the people of India put forth to battle the British Empire for complete political independence, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857. ... Bhagat Singh (Punjabi,Gurmukhi: ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ) (Urdu-Shahmukhi: ) (September 28,[1] 1907–March 23, 1931) was an Indian freedom fighter, considered to be one of the most famous revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement. ... Chandrasekhar Azad चंद्रशेखर आजाद (July 23, 1906 – February 27, 1931) was an Indian revolutionary and the mentor of Bhagat Singh. ... Sukhdev Thapar (15th May 1907 - March 23, 1931) was an Indian revolutionary. ...

The C96 Mauser had been favoured by the Jewish armed guards in the Ottoman Palestine and the paramilitaries of Haganah in the British Mandate of Palestine. Most of the pistols had been bought by either private buyers or agents of the Jewish settlement movement in Europe and sent to Palestine. The Holy Land or Palestine Showing not only the Old Kingdoms of Judea and Israel but also the 12 Tribes Distinctly, and Confirming Even the Diversity of the Locations of their Ancient Positions and Doing So as the Holy Scriptures Indicate, a geographic map from the studio of Tobiae Conradi... The Haganah (Hebrew: Defense, ×”×’× ×”) was a Zionist terrorism organization in Palestine during the British mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948. ... Flag The approximate borders of the British Mandate circa 1922. ...

Despite the pistols' worldwide popularity and fame, the only nation to use the C96 as the primary service pistol of its military and police was China. A service pistol is any handgun (revolver, or semi-automatic) issued to military personnel, or in some contexts, law enforcement officers. ...

Today the Broomhandle Mauser is a popular collector's gun; many have come on to the US civilian market after being exported from China. Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ...

Bibliography

• 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)
• The Mauser C96 explained, Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com, 2002)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mauser C/96

• 闲话盒子炮
• Mauser C-96 Information Site
• Another Mauser C-96 Information Site
• Mauser C-96 at guns.ru
• Yet another Mauser C-96 Information Site
• A long detailed article about Chinese .45 caliber C96s
• Astra 900 (Spanish Copy) Information