Here's a great example of a fairly rare gun. The C96 is considered by many to be the first commercially successful semi-automatic pistol. Adopted by the German military in 1896, the "Broomhandle Mauser" has gained a reputation for being reliable, powerful, and accurate thanks to a propriety 7.63 cartridge. The pistol served faithfully during the Great War, and found popularity as an "intermediate carbine" due to the wooden holster that was issued with the pistol; which doubled as a detachable butt stock that allowed for precision shooting at longer rangers. The C96 found fame on the civilian market as well - a number were shipped to the American West where they were purchased by forward-thinking cowboys eager to increase their firepower. English cavalry officer and future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was fond of the C96 and used one in 1898 at the Battle of Omdurman and again during the Second Boer War. as well as it was featured in a number of Hollywood movies; the most famous of these being STAR WARS in which an a real Mauser C96 was used as the basis for Han Solo's famous "blaster".
This particular C96 is known as a "Bolo" variant: following the Great War, Germany was stuck with most of the blame and severe limitations on military production by the Treaty of Versailles. Mauser managed some sales, including continuing the C96 line. The so-called Bolo model was sold to Bolshevik Russia in 1921 and this variant comprised over a third of the C96’s made. To be compliant with the Versailles Treaty, Mauser produced the C96 with shorter 3.9? barrels and smaller grips, which had the unintended consequence of making them easier to conceal. This variant’s popularity with the Bolsheviks is said to be the reason for the “Bolo” moniker. This Bolo C96 is in excellent condition and features a professional restoration by Lugerman LLC in Langhorne, PA. As such it features perfect bluing and has been restored to like-new condition. Eugene at Lugerman has done a beautiful job hand polishing ever surface of the gun to preserve all sharp corners and make sure all of the stamps remain crisp and legible.
All the serial numbers match and the grips are very good with no cracks, chips or other damage. This original 3.9" barrel is full length and both the front and rear sights are intact and unmodified. The bore is original and shows some wear, but the rifling is still present with no real rust or pitting. Like most of the Mauser-made guns, this C96 is chambered for the venerable 7.63 Mauser cartridge.
The action functions flawlessly - the bolt locks open on an empty chamber and the hammer and safety both function flawlessly. We're confident that this gun would make for an excellent shooter!
As an added bonus this Mauser C96 features a reproduction wooden holster stock which was nicely fit and finished by Lugerman. As such locks up nicely with minimal "wiggle" when used as a stock. This C96 also comes with a leather "Winston Churchill" rig which is identical to the holster that Churchill used to carry his personal C96 during the Second Boer War.
*This weapon was made after 1899 and MUST be shipped to Federal Firearms License holder for transfer. Never bought a gun through an FFL before? Give us a call at (262) 473-5444 and we'd be glad to walk you through this simple process
