An unfired Broomhandle Mauser.

[Tallball]

Thank you everyone, for beautiful pics of one of my dream pistols!

 

[lmstncwby]

What a fantastic and historic pistol. With the stock/holster it reminded me of the movie "Joe Kidd" and the punk Lamar with his Broomhandle Mauser. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[highpower]

That is a beautiful Mauser you have there.

I wanted a decent Broomhandle for years and years. Finally I came across one a couple of months ago at what I considered to be a reasonable price.

Mine has been shot, but not very much. It is a commercial model made in 1916 and carries a military proof showing that it was accepted into military service after it was manufactured. I did get lucky as mine not only has the matching stock, but also the original 1916 dated harness and cleaning rod.

Not to hijack your thread OP, but here is a couple of pics:

 

[tark]

highpower, now THAT'S the rig I wish I had! I am missing the leather harness and accessories.

That's a fine looking Broomhandle! I'm guessing that it was carried a lot and fired very little. How is the bore? My shooter is a little on the rough side, but the rifling is still sharp. It has given many hours of fun, especially to the Kids, who like to fire "Han Solo's" gun. LOL.

 

[Clark]

When i was a kid in 1963, they would not show me the guns, but I could look through the glass cabinets at the gun store.
The cheapest of all the guns were the broom handles, at $35.

In 2003 I was trying to prove load books wrong that said the strength hierarchy was; 1) CZ52, 2) Tokarev, 3) Broomhandle.
I wanted to show that it was: 1) Tokarev, 2) Broomhandle, 3) CZ52.

So I bought a 1925 broomhandle for $180 off a gunshow table to overload it.
I was in a work up with the broom handle and was almost up to where I had blown up two CZ52s, when the primers started piercing.
I never made it. No conclusion.
I looked for other C96 samples with better firing pin to firing pin hole fit, but they were getting expensive.
I never bushed the firing pin hole in the one I have.

It is 12 years later and the broomhandle has appreciated. Not as much as Amazon stock, but some.

 

[highpower]

How is the bore?

The bore is perfect. I think that it was probably carried a lot and shot very little.

Clark, it doesn't surprise me that the Broomhandle proved to be so tough, once you take one apart you realize just how overbuilt they are.

 

[tark]

Quite right, Highpower. Clark, if I have found any pistol that does not stand up well to extensive firing, it is the TOKAREV! I have trashed two of them, neither one had more than three thousand rounds through them. The Russian peened itself to death because it was too soft, and my Norinco cracked the slide for the opposite reason.

The Tok is a copy of the best design out there, but the Russkies went too far in scaling down the parts. Put a Tok part next to the corresponding part from a 1911 and the Tok part will look small and delicate, almost weak. I'm thinking especially of the barrel link and the bushing.

CZ 52s have many known flaws and weaknesses. they are by far the weakest, most trouble prone of the three.

The Broomhandles are stronger than the other two. They are not the strongest pistol out there, by any means, but they were strong enough to handle the 9X25 Export Mauser round. Google THAT one for some real eye-opening ballistics.

 

[bannockburn]

highpower

Your Broomhandle and holster rig look to be in great shape for being nearly 100 years old! Thanks for sharing.