![]() The Broomhandle moniker quickly became a catch-all term for the entire series of pistol models manufactured by Mauser and its eventual foreign copycats. The Mauser C96’s “Broomhandle” nickname caught on in the English-speaking world, a reference to the gun’s round wooden grip. Though the Mauser C96 saw limited military purchases from countries like Italy, Turkey, and Persia, the pistol found overwhelming success on the commercial market instead. ![]() Originally dubbed the “Mauser Military Pistol” as a marketing strategy, the C96 was never officially adopted by any major power. Though company co-founder Paul Mauser initially dismissed the Freederle design, the concept slowly grew on him, especially as he realized Mauser was falling behind in the race to bring a self-loading pistol to market that could compete with new inventions like the 1893 Borchardt.įrom its factory in the picturesque German town of Oberndorf, Mauser began testing the Mauser C96 (Construktion 1896) in March of 1895. The C96 was the brainchild of three brothers employed with Mauser – Fidel, Freidrich, and Josef Feederle. It’s most common moniker today, the Mauser C96, refers to its first year of production in 1896.Īntique Mauser Model 1896 Broomhandle cone hammer semi-automatic pistol with stock. The Mauser self-loading pistol is known by many names, slangs, and designations. Today, the C96 can be found on screen in period dramas like Peaky Blinders, and most modern audiences will recognize the Mauser pistol as being the basis for Han Solo’s DL-44 Heavy Blaster, perhaps the most iconic of all Star Wars guns. Han Solo's DL-44 blaster, pop culture's most iconic C96 Mauser. The exotic look of the Mauser C96 made it a favorite in the entertainment industry, with author Ian Fleming depicting Mauser pistols as the preferred sidearm of the sinister SMERSH agents in the James Bond series, and the Mauser played a prominent role in Clint Eastwood’s 1972 Western, ‘Joe Kidd.' The Mauser C96’s unique silhouette makes it one of the most standout pistols in gun collecting.Ī Mauser “red Nine” C96 Broomhandle with matching stock and leather harness. Furthermore, they lamented the absence of a section on the collector's market for the pistol, but nonetheless concluded their review by saying "if you are a student of the First World War or early 20th Century small arms, want to get a gift for someone who is, or are simply more curious about this German steampunk handgun, then I would absolutely recommend this Osprey Weapons Series book for you.A broomhandle-shaped grip. The Firearm Blog noted an error – the book mentions that Turkish C96s used Persian markings, when they were actually in Arabic. Reception Ĭybermodeler Online called the book a "riveting little read", and said the part on foreign copies was "among the book's most fascinating sections." Gun Mart also praised the book, stating that "the text and photographs are excellent and the diagrams will really please the firearm collector and historian." The book is heavily illustrated, as Ferguson, who works at the Royal Armouries Museum, was able to photograph C96s from the museum. The 'Broomhandle' Mauser details the development, usage, and impact of the Mauser C96, in Germany, its country of origin, and later via unlicensed foreign copies. Written by Jonathan Ferguson, it is the 58th book in the 'Weapon' series by Osprey Publishing. The 'Broomhandle' Mauser is a 2017 non-fiction book about the history and design of the Mauser C96 semi-automatic pistol. 2017 non-fiction book by Jonathan Ferguson The 'Broomhandle' Mauser
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