Mauser HSc / Renato Gamba

[Waveski]

I have been sniffing around for a Mauser HSc for a while now. I am looking for something interesting in 380 acp , and I like the styling of the Mauser. The Interarms version is available and reasonably priced , so I may go that route. But then I see the occasional "Renato Gamba" HSc pop up in the listings...

My inquiry is twofold : I would be interested to hear input from anyone with experience with the Mauser HSc , furthermore I would really like to know the meaning and significance of the Renato Gamba designation. Is the Interarms piece made in Germany and imported , or made here under Mauser license? The Gamba - made in Italy under Mauser license maybe. Is there a quality difference?

Lets hear it from the HSc people! (if there are any...)

 

[snooperman]

I have shot the Renato Gamba made in Italy. It is my Brother-in-law's gun and I was very impressed with the quality of the fit and finish of this 380 pistol. I have handled and looked at several Mauser HSc pistols and they are quality thoughout. They are not exactly alike but the Gamba pistol is just as good in my opinion, although there is a higher price tag attached to the original Mauser guns. If you are nostalgic and want to collect it then the Mauser is the way to go. But, if you just want a good shooter and like the design, then buy the Gamba.

 

[bannockburn]

My brother had an Interarms HSc nearly 40 years. He bought it new and it was extremely well made with great overall fit and finish. But there was a major problem with getting it to reliably feed even FMJ. Different mags and ammo, along with polishing the feed ramp, did nothing to alleviate the problem and eventually he sold it.

 

[snooperman]

The Gamba was called the "super HSc because it was bigger than the Mauser and , I believe double stack magazine. Most of the original Mauser guns were in 32 ACP not 380. To me, the best of these guns was made by Heckler & Koch called the H&K4 in 380 . It is similar in design with a lower bore axis.

 

[rs7]

Pony up the dough for a Mauser. Most I've seen have seen very little use. Make sure it's original. A classic beauty. Can't go wrong with that.

 

[5-SHOTS]

I think snooperman is right. They are called HSc Super. The grip is bigger the trigger guard is different from the original HSc. They were produced in Italy under license. Here used ones are very low priced.

 

[9 fingers]

I have 3 of the German ones, one nickle plated and 2 blued. I too was attracted to them by their looks and German origin and I like them allot, which is why I have 3. My first one had trouble feeding reliably and a check with the Mauser forum led me to Wolf springs for the mags and recoil. I have not had an issue since. They are cool guns! Will attach a pic of my first one also showing a couple of other .380s.
9 fingers

 

[dfariswheel]

The original Mauser HSc was made in Germany until 1945, then resurrected in the 1960's with a minor change in the back strap.

There is some speculation as to whether the 1960's HSc was actually made in Germany by Mauser, or it was a situation similar to the Walther PP series that was actually built in France and proof tested in German and marked as German made.
The speculation centers around the 1960's HSc possibly being made by Gamba for Mauser.

In any case, Mauser either sold or leased the rights to Gamba in the later 1970's.
The first Gamba models were exact copies of the 1960's German made version.
Later, during the high capacity craze, Gamba altered the design to a 10 shot double stack version with a long, thick butt.
In most peoples opinion this totally ruined the original concept, which was as a small high-tech pocket automatic.

As to the quality of the HSc as made in the 1960's, one master pistolsmith claimed it was a "2000 round gun" after which the frame was highly prone to cracking.
To be fair, I did see several WWII and 1960's HSc pistols with cracked frames.

 

[mackg]

It is worth looking into the durability of these guns, as I have heard about problems too, from a usually reliable source.

Here's more feedback:
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-628519.html

 

[wlewisiii]

If you want one to shoot, get it in .32 ACP. It was designed for that and works best in that chambering. If you have to have .380 in that style, look for an HK4 with the .380 barrel instead.

I had a HSc in .32 & it was a very sweet shooting pistol.

 

[Waveski]

mackg , thanks for the link. The 2011 thread is consistent with the opinions offered here. I have arrived at the conclusion that the HSc 380 is a marginally successful conversion of the original 32acp design , and I am not inclined to roll the dice in terms of getting one that works. I already have a PPK which is a bit twitchy - it will jam if operated improperly. The hi cap Gamba is an interesting proposition , but I think that HSc is , at it's core , a 32 design.

Thanks to all. 'Ski

 

[CoalTrain49]

I've never had a HSc but I had a HK4. I gave it to my brother and ever since I wish I had kept it. Never had an issue with it and I shot it a lot, maybe 1K or more. The ejector would destroy the brass and launch it about 12 feet. Now they are collectable and very expensive for a 380. HSc not so much but prices are climbing.

Both very nice pistols IMO.

 

[Waveski]

The HK4 looks very classy to me.

 

[potmetal]

I had one of the Gamba HSc models and had nothing but trouble with it. Jammed, terrible trigger, unreliable. In all fairness, I think someone had messed with it and screwed it up. The gun shop's smith thought he was going to have to replace a couple parts, if he could get them.
For a .380 pistol in that size that is fun to shoot and reliable with all ammo, I own a Makarov. Never a jam, eats anything, and is very accurate.

 

[Jim K]

If you like the style and the looks and so on, the HSc is a good gun, and a good collectible. But if you want a using gun, I suggest looking elsewhere.

I never liked them as a practical gun, and that includes the HK4 (the four-caliber "wonder gun"). The whole Mauser concept, carried over from the 1910/1934 is (to me) just no good. Mauser built great rifles, but their handguns always had quirks that served no purpose and seemed to be used just to be different, at the cost of needless complexity.

Jim

 

[kellmark]

I had a post war Mauser Interarms HSC. It was a beautiful gun, but the double action trigger was awful. Single action not so bad.

I traded it, and later got a PPK.