Mauser C96

The Mauser C96 (commonly called the "Broomhandle" or "Broomhandle Mauser" due to its distinctive grip) was a German semi-automatic pistol manufactured from 1896 to circa 1937. It was one of the first semi-automatic pistols to see widespread use and was copied in Spain and China. There are several major variants, though continual product improvement at the Mauser factory led to dozens or hundreds of individual variations arising over four decades of manufacture.

• The original C.96 Military Model had full-sized long grips, a fixed ten-shot magazine, a 5.5-inch [140mm] barrel, adjustable tangent iron sights calibrated to 1000 meters, and was chambered in 7.63x25mm Mauser. It was made from 1896-1921. Collectors call this model a "Pre-War Commercial".
• The small-framed M1896 Compact Model (made from 1896-1899) had full-sized long grips, a short 4.75-inch [120mm] barrel, and a 6-shot fixed magazine. Collectors call them "Pre-War Bolos".
• The rare M1912 Export Model was designed for the South American market and was chambered in 9x25mm Mauser Export.
• The M1916 "Red 9" was a 9x19mm model produced to fill a contract for the Prussian army during the First World War. As it was externally identical to the concurrently produced 7.63mm version, its caliber was carved on each side of the grip and prominently marked in red or black paint.
• The M1920 "Rework" Models were Weimar Republic government and military issue Pre-War Mausers modified to meet the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles (1919). They had cut-down 3.9-inch [99mm] barrels and reworked and simplified fixed sights. Pistols chambered in non-standard chamberings like 9x19mm Parabellum were converted to chamber standard 7.63x25mm Mauser rounds. Converted models were stamped "M1920" to show they were compliant; this practice continued on government-issue weapons even after the ban was no longer in effect.
• The M1921 "Bolo" model had small grips, a 10-round magazine, and a short 3.9-inch [99mm] barrel. It was first produced as a variant model for domestic sales from 1920 to 1921, going into full production from 1921 to 1930.
• The simplified M1930 Model had a 5.2-inch [132mm] (1930) or 5.5-inch [140mm] (later) long barrel, a solid one-piece grip frame and large wooden grips, and a lack of decorative milling on the frame and hammer. Collectors call this model the "M30". It was also erroneously called the "M711" by military surplus dealers to distinguish it from the similar selective-fire and magazine-fed M712.
• The "Schnellfeuer" was introduced in the early 1930s in response to the select-fire C96 copies produced in Spain in the late 1920s. It used ten- or twenty-round detachable magazines and a select-fire mechanism designed by Joseph Nickl (1930-1932), later improved by Karl Westinger (1932-1936), the most commonly seen. The Schnellfeuer is popularly known as the "M712", its Wehrmacht designation during World War 2.

Foreign Copies

• The Astra 900 was a Spanish copy of the C96 produced by Unceta & Cia. It retained the overall shape and locking system of the C96, but used a trigger mechanism of original design.
• The Astra 903 was Unceta's equivalent of the M1932 Schnellfeuer, though unlike Beistegui's later versions the 903 was not compatible with Schnellfeuer magazines.
• Beistegui Hermanos made copies of the Astra 900 line.
• The Type 17 was a .45 ACP version produced in Shanxi, China under the orders of ruling warlord Yan Xishan in order to maintain ammunition compatibility with the Thompson M1921 clones his Taiyuan factory already produced. C96 copies of varying quality were also produced by Chinese arsenals at Hanyang, Taku, and several other locations.

The Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" pistol and variants has been seen in the following films and television shows used by the following actors:

Specifications

(1896-1937)

Type: Pistol, Machine Pistol

Caliber: 7.63x25mm Mauser, 9x19mm Parabellum, 9x25mm Mauser Export (1912), .45 ACP (Type 17)

Capacity: 10-round fixed box magazine was standard. Variant 6-round fixed box magazine (1896-1899) or 20-round fixed box magazine (1896) were used on experimental models.

Fire Modes: Semiautomatic (C96), Semi/Full-auto (Schnellfeuer "M712", Astra 903)

Mauser C96 "Broomhandle"

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Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser. Note the rear tangent sight; in something of a display of wishful thinking, the C96's sight is adjustable for ranges up to 1000 meters.

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Mauser C96 in silver finish.

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ASTRA 900 chambered in the same 7.63x25mm

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ASTRA 903 machine pistol

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C96 "Broomhandle" Mauser fitted with holster/stock combo - 7.63x25mm.

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Reproduction of the very rare full stocked C96 carbine - 7.63x25mm.

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An early Mauser prototype

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
State Department: File 649	.	.	.	1949
Queen of Outer Space	.	.	The astronauts' weapons were short magazine C96 Mausers painted gold	1958
Lawrence of Arabia	.	Turkish Army officers	.	1962
From Russia With Love	Robert Shaw	Red Grant	.	1963
Behold A Pale Horse	Gregory Peck	Manuel Artiguez	.	1964
The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World	Tom Adams	Agent Charles Vine	.	1965
The Naked Runner	Frank Sinatra	Sam Laker	Modified to convert into a sniper rifle. Used in "The Protectors", and in "Star Wars"	1967
Salt and Pepper	John Le Mesurier		had shoulder stock attached	1968
The Great Silence (Il Grande Silenzio)	Jean-Louis Trintignant	Silence (Silenzio)	.	1968
Young Winston	Simon Ward	Winston Churchill	.	1972
Joe Kidd	Don Stroud	Lamarr Simms	.	1972
Joe Kidd	Clint Eastwood	Joe Kidd	.	1972
Black Caesar	Fred Williamson	Tommy Gibbs	.	1973
Hell Up in Harlem	Fred Williamson	Tommy Gibbs	.	1973
The Wind and the Lion	Antoine Saint-John	Colonel Von Roerkel	.	1975
Three Days of the Condor	Max von Sydow	Joubert	.	1975
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)	.	Several "Street Thunder" gangmembers	Equipped with silencers	1976
The Spy Who Loved Me	Richard Kiel	Jaws	.	1977
Star Wars series	Harrison Ford	Han Solo	as the "DL-44 Blaster"	1977 - 1983 (Original release)
Mad Max	Geoff Parry	Bubba Zanetti	.	1979
Breaker Morant	.	Boer Commando	.	1980
Raiders of the Lost Ark	.	German soldiers	.	1981
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome	Mel Gibson	Max	.	1985
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade	.	Kazim	.	1989
Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops	Yoshikatsu Fujiki	Inui	.	1991
Teen Agent	Roger Rees	Augustus Steranko	.	1991
Michael Collins	Liam Neeson	IRA forces	.	1996
All the King's Men	.	Turkish Officer	.	1999
The Mummy	.	The Medjai	.	1999
Hey Ram	Kamal Hassan	Saket Ram	.	2000
The Mummy Returns	Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje	Lock-Nah	.	2001
Kung Fu Hustle	.	Axe gang members	.	2004
Down in the Valley	.	.	Seen in the gun cabinet	2005
Hannibal Rising	Gaspar Ulliel	Hannibal Lecter	.	2007
Speed Racer	Matthew Fox	Racer X	.	2008
Beneath Hill 60	Extra	German Soldier	.	2010

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Fallout	9mm Mauser	.	Gizmo the casino boss	1997
Fallout 2	.	.	Found in a locker in the back of New Reno Arms	1998
Fallout 3	Chinese Pistol		Commonly used by Raiders and Civilians	2009
Medal of Honor: Underground	.	.	unusable	2000
Silent Storm	Mauser K96 1912	.	.	2003
Hitman: Blood Money	as the "WW1 Pistol"	.	.	2006
Medal of Honor: Airborne	.	.	available during the "Der Flakturm" level	2007
Mafia II	.	.	.	2010

Television

Show Title / Episode	Actor	Character	Notation	Air Date
Reilly: Ace of Spies	David Suchet	Inspector Tsientsin	.	1983
The Professionals	.	.	Carbine Variant	1977-1983
Rough Riders	.	Spanish and German officers	.	1997
Rough Riders	Brad Johnson	Henry Nash	.	1997
Band of Brothers	.	Used by French soldier to execute German soldiers	.	2001
Kung Fu Killer	.	.	.	2008
The Unit	.	Used by an attempted assassin	.	2006-2009

Anime

Film Title	Character	Notation	Date
Gunsmith Cats	.	it is seen the shop and at Rally's house	1995-1996
Kochikame	.	.	1996-2005
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade	.	at the shooting range and in the end scene	1998
Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2nd GIG	Dejima refugee	C96 Carbine	2004-2005
Hellsing Ultimate	"The Captain"	C96 pistols with Carbine-length barrels	2006-ongoing
Black Lagoon	Rotton the Wizard	.	2006–ongoing
Baccano!	Daily Days Reporter	C96 Carbine	2007
Dogs: Bullets and Carnage	Heine Rammsteiner	.	2009
Eden of the East	.	Seen with stock in Takizawa's closet	2009

Animation

Film Title	Character	Notation	Date
Atlantis, The Lost Empire	Helga Sinclair	.	2001
The Brak Show	.	.	2000-2003

Mauser C96 "Red 9"

Specifications

Type: Semiautomatic, short-recoil operated, single-action trigger

Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum

Capacity: 10-round fixed box magazine

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Mauser C96 "Red 9" Version for the German Army - 9mm. This model is World War One dated.

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Mauser C96 "Red 9" Version with 3 7/8" barrel and fixed sight for the German Police - 9mm.

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Silent Storm	Mauser K96 1926	.	.	2003
Resident Evil 4	Red 9		with an optional stock and fitted with an underbarrel laser pointer	2005

Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer

Specifications

Type: Select-fire pistol, short-recoil operated, single-action trigger

Caliber: 7.63x25mm Mauser Capacity: 10 or 20 round detachable box magazine

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Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Sitting Target	Oliver Reed	.	.	1972
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot	.	assassin	.	1974
Brannigan	Daniel Pilon	Gorman	.	1975
The Red Spectacles	.	Kerberos squad members	.	1987
The Fifth Element	Luke Perry	Billy	.	1997
Wanted	Morgan Freeman	Sloan	.	2008

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
The Skull Man	The Skull Man	6 round magazine	2009

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Timesplitters	"Mauser Pistol"	fully automatic secondary fire	.	2000
Silent Storm	Mauser M.712	.	.	2003
Day of Defeat: Source	.	.	version with a stock	2005
Team Fortress 2	SMG	.	Loose basis	2007
Red Dead Redemption	"Mauser Pistol"	.	Appears as a standard Mauser C96	2010

Shansi Type 17

Specifications

Type: fully/semiautomatic, short-recoil operated, single-action trigger

Caliber: .45 ACP Note: in games they are often mistaken to use 7.65 mausers or 9mm paras.

Capacity: 10-round fixed box magazine.

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Shansi Type 17 chambered in .45 mauser with unfired rounds and stripper clips

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater	.	.	.	2004
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	.	.	.	2008
Fallout 3	The "Chinese Pistol"		10mm	2008

Mauser C96 "Bolo" model

Specifications

Type: semiautomatic, short-recoil operated, single-action trigger

Caliber: 7.63x25mm Mauser, 9x25mm Mauser Export (rare)

Capacity: 6 (early), 10 or 20 (very early) round fixed box magazine

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Mauser C96 7.63x25mm Mauser - Short Barreled "Bolo" Model

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A Mauser C96 'Bolo' with rifle stock attached - 7.63x25mm.

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Highly engraved Mauser C96 'Bolo' - 7.63x25mm.

Film

Actor	Character	Title	Note	Date
Lethal Weapon 2	Joss Ackland	Arjen Rudd	.	1989

Television

Show Title / Episode	Actor	Character	Notation	Air Date
Reilly: Ace of Spies	.	.	.	1983