New-to-Me Mauser C96 Broomhandle

[Dave Markowitz]

I have owned and shot the Mauser Brooms for over 50 years. As for me I trust old wives tales more than the communist ballistics. I will stay on the safe side with the old iron. Thanks so much for the corrections regarding high pressure 7.62X25 vs 7.63X25.

http://askmisterscience.com/1896mauserbackup/ammo.htm

^^^^ That website is the best one I've found about the C-96.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Dave I have struggled with the foggy world of the Mauser C 96 and variants for decades.. There is just something about these firearms that attract gun enthusiast like us. My other weakness is the Luger.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

It's funny, the Luger is one pistol I don't care for. I shot one once and the experience took away a lot of the romance for me. <shrug>

 

[Dog Soldier]

Dave I really enjoy shooting the Luger. They are more like a target or hunting weapon than military. The Germans used a maxim machine gun toggle as a breech. They are rugged and very fast firing even compared to modern semi auto pistols. My favorite is the Mitchell/Aim SS version made the 1990s. These are incredibly accurate.

http://www.guns.com/2013/01/03/mitchell-arms-p08/

 

[tark]

If anyone is interested, this is what a 99+% C-96 looks like. The entire inside of the pistol, is gooped in cosmoline, or whatever. It will never be fired.

I have been playing with Broomhandle Mausers since I got my first one, in 1971. I never looked back. I have two now, the one pictured and a shooter, which, as I have noted, has digested thousands of Tokarev rounds. I change springs every two thousand rounds, and it is critical to keep a close eye on the hammer spring. That is the most important spring in the gun, as the spring which initially retards movement. It has a pitted bore, but not a dark one. It can still hit an orange at 25, every time. I also keep a close eye on the barrel extension around the bolt stop, for peening or any deformation. There is none. I have magnafluxed it periodically to make sure.

I have gotten most of my information regarding the two calibers from the posts of Johnny C, who specializes in collecting those two calibers, belongs to an international cartridge collectors organization and has probably forgotten more about them than the rest of us will ever know.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I just slobbered on my keyboard. Wow!

 

[bikerdoc]

My grandpaw brought back a nice luger. As a kid I shot it a lot. He had big collection, inluding a broomhandle.
He died when I was in Viet Nam, my cousin grabbed a bunch of them and sold them for drugs. It took him a long time to recover from that beating.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I have had a number of "Brooms" relined and rechambered over the years. I have the 7.63 Mausers relined with .308 liners. This adds new life to these classics. There is a great deal of speculation regarding the various 7.62 X 25 Milsurp in these old handguns. I personally am very cautious about that ammo in the C 96.

 

[Pilot]

It's funny, the Luger is one pistol I don't care for. I shot one once and the experience took away a lot of the romance for me. <shrug>

I have a C-96, and a 1941 Mauser Luger. The Luger is a much better gun, all around. I prefer shooting it also.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I've shot both a C96 and a Luger and much preferred shooting the Broomhandle. It just goes to show how personal a weapon a pistol is.

FWIW, the things I disliked about the Luger were the sights and the trigger.

 

[H&R Glock]

Three pistols are legal with original shoulder stocks. The Broomhandle, Inglis High Powers, and any long barreled Luger. I have owned all three, and sadly sold all three too!

 

[Dog Soldier]

I want an Inglis/P 35 . Yes the stocks are legal if they have the Canadian Inglis proof stamped on them. If they do not they are an SBR.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I want an Inglis/P 35 . Yes the stocks are legal if they have the Canadian Inglis proof stamped on them. If they do not they are an SBR.

I believe they also need the adjustable tangent sight as well.

 

[Dog Soldier]

5to7, I did not know that. The NFA rules are so archaic. These were popular political points form the last Century. This was implemented during the Depression. The high taxes were used to prohibit the middle working class from owning the same weapons owned by criminals.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I love the concept of a stocked pistol and am tempted to get over my dislike of Glock and get a Glock 17L to SBR and get one a shoulder stock and have a pocket carbine. I'd bet if it wasn't for the NFA, we'd probably have a few companies making shoulder stocked handguns now.

I found in this link that it does in fact list the Tangent sight Inglis Hi Power as exempt from the NFA.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_51/403032_Ineed_help_finding_law_for_inglis_hi_power_stock.html

 

[Dave Markowitz]

So last night after dinner I field stripped this C-96 for the first time. G-d knows the last time it was apart. The grease that was inside the piece had congealed and glued the magazine floorplate and lockwork into the frame. I let a bit of FP-10 soak in and soften it, and I was able to get it apart.

It's hard to tell from this picture but the fire blue on the safety lever is almost intact.

Upon disassembly I found that the serial numbers on the floorplate and grips do not match the gun. (It was not represented by the seller as all matching so I'm not upset, just mildly disappointed. They are correct replacements, however.)

I gently scrubbed the hardened grease off the exposed parts with a copper Chore Boy and solvent and left it soaking overnight in FP-10. I will need to fully disassemble the lockwork later today to remove the rest of the gunk. I'd hoped to avoid doing this because reassembly is kind of a PITA. (I've done it before on my other Broomhandle, which doesn't look anywhere near as nice as this one.)

The inside of this C-96 is pristine. Now that I'm able to look through the bore from breech to muzzle, it looks almost new with zero pitting and sharp rifling.

 

[P5 Guy]

I love the concept of a stocked pistol and am tempted to get over my dislike of Glock and get a Glock 17L to SBR and get one a shoulder stock and have a pocket carbine. I'd bet if it wasn't for the NFA, we'd probably have a few companies making shoulder stocked handguns now.

I found in this link that it does in fact list the Tangent sight Inglis Hi Power as exempt from the NFA.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_51/403032_Ineed_help_finding_law_for_inglis_hi_power_stock.html

A G17 Longslide or G34 set like that would be fun.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I like the handguns with shoulder stocks. The German Artillery crews were issued the 8" Artillery Luger DWM 1917. They were as effective as the GI M1 .30 Carbine during WWII. It is too bad our ancestors did not fight the stupid NFA 1934 rules.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Tonight after dinner Dad and I went to his club and had the place to ourselves. We put 100 rounds of PPU 7.63 Mauser through the C96 with zero malfunctions.

I had Dad take a video of me shooting it with the stock. You should be able to view it here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uv4mfkc45mft0dy/122416_Dave_C96.mov?dl=0

It's a ~101MB QuickTime file.

Shooting impressions:

• Loading a pistol with a stripper clip definitely isn't as handy as a detachable box magazine. In the case of the this pistol and these clips, you need to wiggle the clips down into the charging slot. They are a tight fit.
• The recoil is pretty mild but after awhile the edges of the frame start to dig into the web of your hand.
• The trigger is similar to that of a Mauser rifle. I.e., it is a two-stage trigger. It's a bit heavy but not at all unmanageable. There's little to no creep and not much overtravel.
• The barleycorn front sight is hard to see with 48 year old eyes. It's worse when you shoot it as a carbine, because it's closer.
• Muzzle blast and flash is definitely more noticeable when shot as a carbine, but isn't too bad.
• Cases ejected straight up toward the front and then bounced all over the place with most landing in front of the firing line.
• When I did my part it shot into about a 2" group at 7 yards when shot with two hands. Mean POI was about 2" high.
• I love this gun!

 

[tark]

Sounds like you have a real shooter, Dave. And you're lucky, my shooter broomie throws the empties straight up......and straight back down.....where they sometimes hit you on the head. Or go down your shirt. But they are a lot of fun. I have found them a bit uncomfortable for long shooting sessions, for the reason you mentioned.

I have never owned a pistol that draws more attention at the range and I'm sure our old buddy Han Solo has something to do with that!

This is my shooter C-96 Not as pristine as my other one!!! It has a lot of good, honest wear, but is very clean inside and it has new springs every 2000 rounds. In the past ten years I have put a 1240 round tin of Polish surplus 7.62X25 ammo through it, along with twenty boxes of Norinco 7.62X25 non corrosive commercial @ 70 rounds a box, and various batches of Tokarev and 7.63 Mauser ammo. I am around the 4,000 round mark now. I have found the Norinco ammo to be a bit on the weak side compared to some of the Polish surplus. I have both Mauser and Tokarev ammo from PPU and I can see no difference between them at all. They have the same recoil, muzzle blast and ability to throw empties into the stratosphere . (OK, maybe ten or twelve feet ) At night they have the same muzzle Flash. (A BIG one) I am convinced they are the same round, with different headstamps.

I just put my third set of new springs into the old girl and I think it's time to have her re-lined. Or maybe not. The collector in me says "STOP SHOOTING IT AND LEAVE IT ALONE"

But it is so much fun to shoot.....

 

[Kaeto]

I like the handguns with shoulder stocks. The German Artillery crews were issued the 8" Artillery Luger DWM 1917. They were as effective as the GI M1 .30 Carbine during WWII. It is too bad our ancestors did not fight the stupid NFA 1934 rules.

View attachment 227204

I like the Naval Model Luger myself And I'd love to get a Walther P-38 or a clone. If it was an inexpensive clone I'd modify it into an U.N.C.L.E. Special and if need be go the NFA route to have a proper one.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Sounds like you have a real shooter, Dave. And you're lucky, my shooter broomie throws the empties straight up......and straight back down.....where they sometimes hit you on the head. Or go down your shirt.
...

I always wear a hat with brim when I shoot, mainly to prevent empties from getting betwixt my glasses and face, but it also helps when one lands right on your head.

Your shooter looks good.

 

[tark]

Thanks Dave. It was made in the late twenties or early thirties, as near as I can tell. Hard to tell exactly. Mauserwerke Records were pretty much lost after the war. I believe it was a fire. I've read that metallurgy in 1930 was a more exact science then than it was thirty years prior. Hence, it is a good candidate for a shooter. It shows no signs of wear, other than the bore. Most of THAT wear was there before I got the gun. Of course, I have no way of knowing how many rounds it has actually digested. Broomhandles are enormously complicated, but they are quite strong. The old 9X25 Mauser round featured a 128 gr bullet at 1360 FPS, which easily overshadows the 38 Super.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Not so. The new .38 Super Comp loads and the new 1911 Colt .38 Super chambering runs with the .357 Mag.
I own a number of WWII P 38 pistols. But my favorite shooter is the P-1 1980 Border Guard Milsurps. They are far more accurate than the WWII P 38 pistols.

 

[tark]

"Not so. The new .38 Super Comp loads and the new 1911 Colt .38 Super chambering runs with the .357 Mag."

Don't know much about those loads, dog soldier, but if you load the 9MM Mauser up to its potential with modern powders, in a 1911, it would exceed any Super load, or even the 9X23 Winchester, for that matter. It is simple physics, the 9X25 is a longer, larger case with more powder capacity.

The original Super load was 130 gr @ 1300. Or so they said. Ir actuality it got more like 1200. Todays standard factory loads are either a 124 @ 1240 or a 130 @ 1200. The old Mauser load certainly overshadows these.