Mauser C96 "Red Nine"

There aren't too many pistols that are more instantly recognizable than Mauser's C96 pistol. Often called the "Broomhandle" by collectors, the pistol's fairly unique magazine position, being forward of the trigger, gives the pistol it's distinct shape. The fixed magazine requires being loaded by a 10-round stripper clip, however, the pistol can be loaded singly but it is tricky and works best for people blessed with more than 2 hands.

This example is chambered in 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm) by request from the German government for WW1. It is a much more convenient cartridge for today's collectors and shooters than the 7.63x25mm that most C96 pistols were chambered in. For the German government, it was more than just convenience as being chambered in the same cartridge as their standard P08 Luger helped with their strained supply and logistical situation.

The pistol, especially fully loaded, has a forward-heavy balance in the hand. It's more comfortable than you might guess just from looking at it, but the handling is off compared to most other handguns.

The famous and often counterfeited grips that give the pistol the nickname of "Red Nine". Most fakes are obvious but other take some know-how to spot.

The rear sight on the "Red Nine" goes out to an optimistic 500 meters, which is actually less than the rear sight of 7.63 chambered C96s. When fitted with a stock, it is not inconceivable that accurate fire out to 100 meters would be achievable with the 9mm cartridge.

Most parts on C96 pistols are numbered to match and are highly. The NS letters on the back of the hammer stand for New Safety (in German of course) and the change means the hammer must be pulled back to disengage it from the sear before the safety can be applied. This is a two-handed affair and feels a bit awkward at first. You can simply disengage the safety with the thumb on your shooting hand, if you are shooting right handed.

Check out my YouTube video if you would like to know more.