Captured Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Pistol

[30Mauser]

My grandfather told the story of how he "liberated" this sidearm without bloodshed.

 

As XO of the 45th Tank Battalion, 13AD, he was commanding a column of tanks advancing across eastern France and into Germany as they began to take incoming howitzer fire. The column assumed a defensive posture but soon realized that all of the incoming fire was landing in the same crater.

 

They continued their advance, avoiding the incoming rounds, and surrounded the small detachment of Germans, who quickly surrendered.

 

Turns out they were young teenagers and an old man who had been taught how to load and fire the howitzer, but not how to aim it! The "officer" in charge of this group surrendered his Broomhandle to my grandfather.

 

He last fired it on V-J day, 1945. He was home on leave at our family place on a New Hampshire lake following the victory in Europe, awaiting his orders for the mainland invasion of Japan. Upon hearing the good news, he loaded a full clip into the fixed magazine and fired them into the air over the lake (LOL, just try that today!!). He cleaned and put away the gun, and I inherited it on his passing in 1997.

 

Proof-marked as having been received into the arsenal of Kaiser Wilhelm and then into the Austro-Hungarian arsenal in Vienna in 1917, all numbers match, including the wooden holster/shoulder stock. Immaculate condition, perfect bore, and a great shooter! I take it out for shooting at family events.

 

(leather harness is a repro)

 

[ReverendJake]

This pistol was probably issued to the "officer" during WW1. Beautiful blueing, great patina On the wood and leather. Even better story. Thanks for sharing.

[capa]

Great story and great that you still use it for family events.

[30Mauser]

Great story and great that you still use it for family events.

 

Thanks, capa... I'm an enthusiast, not an investor, so IMHO unless there's something unsafe about doing so, guns were meant to be fired.

 

BTW, just got back a few weeks ago from our first ever visit to Charleston for a wedding... LOVED IT!!

 

This pistol was probably issued to the "officer" during WW1. Beautiful blueing, great patina On the wood and leather. Even better story. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks, ReverendJake, that's the "story" I like to think of, too! Thanks for your kind words.

[ReverendJake]

I just read that the harness is a repro. Did you buy it as is, or did you age it yourself? Either way, at first glance it had me fooled!

[30Mauser]

I just read that the harness is a repro. Did you buy it as is, or did you age it yourself? Either way, at first glance it had me fooled!

 

LOL, I know, it's good, isn't it? Bought it just like that... VERY heavy leather and quality stitching... even has stamps that indicate it was made in Germany during the war (not certain of accuracy, but given the overall quality, I'd bet they're correct.)

[Sabrejet]

A beautiful and iconic weapon.

[doyler]

Beautiful piece.

 

We had a local 11th Armored officer who was a dentist in the division.He brought home the full-auto version.He stated he took it from a German Ranger.The vet called it a full auto Luger.When asking further I figured out it was a Forestry person and upon seeing the weapon it was a Broom Handle with stock.He said yes,the german was a "Forest Ranger".Many of these type weapons were issued to older or secondary troops or others for a side arm.Some day I hope to aquire a nice unmessed one like like.

[30Mauser]

Beautiful piece.

 

We had a local 11th Armored officer who was a dentist in the division.He brought home the full-auto version.He stated he took it from a German Ranger.The vet called it a full auto Luger.When asking further I figured out it was a Forestry person and upon seeing the weapon it was a Broom Handle with stock.He said yes,the german was a "Forest Ranger".Many of these type weapons were issued to older or secondary troops or others for a side arm.Some day I hope to aquire a nice unmessed one like like.

 

Great story! I'd love to have a Schnellfeuer, but given the politics of full-auto, probably for the best that I don't.

 

11th Armored, eh? My great-grandfather formed and trained the 11th in Camp Polk until March 1944, when they sent him to England as Cmdr of the 2AD for the Normandy invasion. (LTG Edward H. Brooks, you can read more on Wikipedia)

[Jack's Son]

I can only agree with the others.....ABSOLUTLY beautiful.

[Trooper B.A.R]

Since there was not an abundance of Broomhandles issued to troop, they still were a part of small weapon firearms inventory. 7.63 ammo was still being produce, Berdan primed and corrosive. To save money, they issued the ammo in used "Fuel Fuse" used boxes, and just stuck a stamped label over the old content label. I have several of these, they came with a Broomhandle that was also captured, but it was from a German Police officer.

Here's pics. of one of them.

 

%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/marshaltroop/bucs/SDC13245_zpse448d0bd.jpg

 

%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/marshaltroop/bucs/SDC13248_zpsc5df3462.jpg

 

%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/marshaltroop/bucs/SDC13249_zpsa2a28a3b.jpg

[Jack's Son]

I'm afraid to make a post!

[30Mauser]

Interesting, Trooper!

 

I guess it's a good thing that my grandfather was always meticulous with his firearms and gave the Broomhandle thorough cleaning after firing it in celebration on V-J Day 1945.

 

I also cleaned it carefully after firing the remaining eight rounds of World War II era ammunition in 2011. Since then, I typically shoot the Serbian made PPU ammo, which I'm sure is noncorrosive. Still, I never take a chance and always make sure that my guns are cleaned and oiled before I put them up.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Trooper B.A.R]

Have you ever completely disassembled it? Its a lot easier then many think. The one piece that breaks easily, is the firing pin, SARCO sells a replacement, and easy to replace. I bought a spare just in case, and fire my often. Have the original stock for it, but the leather is a repro.

By the way, it looks to be in excellent condition, very nice. Broomhandles are one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing.

[Garandomatic]

Yeah, nice piece for sure. I have a similar one, in terms of condition, that was a local man's bringback. Beautiful piece, though mine lacks the stock. It's a "red 9", chambered in 9mm, with WWI Prussian acceptance marks on it. Fired about 18 rounds out of it. I'm kind of afraid of losing a spring, firing pin, or extractor.

[30Mauser]

Have you ever completely disassembled it? Its a lot easier then many think. The one piece that breaks easily, is the firing pin, SARCO sells a replacement, and easy to replace. I bought a spare just in case, and fire my often. Have the original stock for it, but the leather is a repro.

By the way, it looks to be in excellent condition, very nice. Broomhandles are one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing.

 

Yes indeed, YouTube is my friend! :-) After every use I do a strip down, clean, and light lube. I take care of the Mauser too. Hehe...

 

Thanks, too, for the kind words. It's not quite 100%, but I think it greatly benefited from being apparently little used between the two wars, and largely forgotten for over 60 years since the second world war.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Trooper B.A.R]

PM me your address, and I'll send you one of the boxes so you can display it alongside. Only thing, the box won't have the inside cardboard. But filling it with 7.63 will allow top to fit to bottom. Best

[Patriot12]

Great weapon.

[thetrenchman1918]

What New Hampshire lake did this celebration happen on?

[30Mauser]

What New Hampshire lake did this celebration happen on?

Merrymount Landing, Melvin Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee. Still a stop on the mail boat route!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Maverickson]

Interesting enought, I have a same Mauser pistol. My gun probably came from similar circumstances as a battle field pick up. That gun's serial number is 162137. Interesting enough, I see that both of these guns a have similar patina and same holster wear to the upper part of the barrel.

 

 

 

My Mauser was recieved by me from my late father. Just as my late father had recieved it from his. Upon my grand father's passing my father told me an interesting story of how his father had gained possesion of the pistol. It is my understanding that my grand father brought back the Mauser from England in 1934. During that time he was on loan from Holywood and under the employ of Alexander Korda in the U.K to make the movie "THINGS TO COME" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028358/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

 

During the course of the filming my grand father purchased this Mauser pistol from an individual that had recieved it during the Great War. The reason my grand father procured the Mauser, as I was told, because he intended to use it wild boar hunting that were found on some of the Islands off shore of the California Coast.

 

Cheers, Dave

[30Mauser]

Interesting enought, I have a same Mauser pistol. My gun probably came from similar circumstances as a battle field pick up. That gun's serial number is 162137. Interesting enough, I see that both of these guns a have similar patina and same holster wear to the upper part of the barrel.

 

 

 

My Mauser was recieved by me from my late father. Just as my late father had recieved it from his. Upon my grand father's passing my father told me an interesting story of how his father had gained possesion of the pistol. It is my understanding that my grand father brought back the Mauser from England in 1934. During that time he was on loan from Holywood and under the employ of Alexander Korda in the U.K to make the movie "THINGS TO COME" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028358/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

 

During the course of the filming my grand father purchased this Mauser pistol from an individual that had recieved it during the Great War. The reason my grand father procured the Mauser, as I was told, because he intended to use it wild boar hunting that were found on some of the Islands off shore of the California Coast.

 

Cheers, Dave

 

Absolutely gorgeous, and seriously a twin of mine!! I love the story of how your grandfather came into it, too.

 

Interestingly, my serial number is 422xxx (not sure why I feel compelled to obscure the exact number on public forums, but it seems to be a standard among most gun owners I know. )

 

I do understand that Fabrik Mauser had different number series' for different production contracts. Might explain why our numbers are so far off, even if the production years may not be.

[30Mauser]

Thanks to Trooper B.A.R, here's a shot of the pistol with a correct-era box for the ammo. The box was originally created in 1940 for delay tube "pull fuzes" (Brennzünder 24) for German stick grenades, and was repurposed for ammo by sticking a stamped label over the old content label. There's still a label inside the lid regarding the fuzes!

 

Thanks, Trooper B.A.R!!

 

[John Cooper]

Beautiful - I have always wanted one since seeing it used in the film Young Winston.

 

[Sabrejet]

A friend of mine once had a fine example of just such a Schnellfeuer Mauser. Then...after the tragic Dunblane shootings here in the UK...the government called in all "live" handguns (hitherto it was legally exempt being considered a vintage firearm) so, he had no option but to surrender it to the authorities like 1000s of others, never to be seen again! Probably crushed in a press and melted down as scrap! Another friend lost his war trophy Luger in a similar manner.