Barrel length 14 cm, total length 29.8 cm, weight without / with shoulder stock 1.66 / 2.40 kg, valid Italian proof, condition 3
Extremely rare C96 clone from China, seven shot magazine, Chinese characters on left and right side of case, original finish, catch ring missing. With original shoulder stock. The Mauser C96 was the first self-loading pistol to be industrially produced in large numbers before the turn of the century in 1900. The basic model was manufactured by the Oberndorf armory in various versions until the mid-1930s and replicated in several countries, including China. The clones were mostly made in the original 7.63 Mauser caliber; the Chinese version is unique in .45 ACP caliber.
Mauser in Oberndorf am Neckar was one of the oldest and internationally best-known German gun manufacturers, especially of military and civilian handguns. Founded by brothers Wilhelm (1834-1882) and Peter-Paul Mauser (1838-1914), the great breakthrough came with the introduction of the breech-loading rifle they designed, the Mod. 1871 in 11 mm Mauser caliber, to the German Army. This rifle with a rotary breech was the model for many other breech-loaders. Exports soon began, for example to Serbia, Turkey and various Latin American countries. In 1896, the C96 self-loading pistol was introduced to the market, which was produced in various models until the 1930s. Mauser's next big hit was the bolt action rifle system 98, which was introduced as a military weapon not only in Germany, but in many other countries around the world. This century-old system is still used and re-manufactured today for hunting rifles. In the mid-1930s, Mauser took over production of the Parabellum pistol from DWM, mostly as the Model 08 for the German Wehrmacht. In 1999 the civilian weapons division was sold and in 2004 the military one, which is still located in Oberndorf as a branch of Rheinmetall.
Category: Pistols