Mauser C96

[Border Ruffian]

Interesting gun for Zoot shooting.  Could serve as a pistol, and a rifle with the shoulder stock attached.




Hard to believe the design is 115 years old!!

[JimBob]

If ya put the stock on don't wrap your thumb over the top like normal.When that bolt recoils back it'll take the hide off where they ain't much hide. Don't ask how I know.

[Border Ruffian]

Just as a note, apparently British Director/Actor Richard Attenbourorgh owns a C96 with "WLS Churchill" engraved on it.  He's apparently owned it since 1971 and it was used for some scenes in the movie "Young Winston".  I don't know if this is true, if anyone knows a scource please pass it on!  Mr Attenbourogh is 88 years old and in a wheelchair, but quite sharp mentally and lucid. 

[PJ Hardtack]

JimBob

I'm trying to make sense out of your comment re: using the shoulder stock .... whaddya mean?

Border Uffian

That's 'SIR' Richard Attenborugh, if you please. He was Knighted by HRH Queen Elizabeth II long ago.

[St. George]

If you wrap your thumb over the stock at the pistol grip - the hammer 'will' remove hide from the skin fold that's exposed.

It's like shooting an '03 Springfield and putting your thumb over the stock at the wrist - suddenly, you'll wonder why your nose is bleeding, because the recoil gets transmitted to the thumb and then contacts your nose.

Best to rest the thumb along the side of the piece, where it stays out of the way.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[JimBob]

If you wrap your thumb over the stock at the pistol grip - the hammer 'will' remove hide from the skin fold that's exposed.

It's like shooting an '03 Springfield and putting your thumb over the stock at the wrist - suddenly, you'll wonder why your nose is bleeding, because the recoil gets transmitted to the thumb and then contacts your nose.

Best to rest the thumb along the side of the piece, where it stays out of the way.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

What he says PJ. I wasn't very clear.Anybody out there know something about German WW1 unit markings?The one I have is unit marked.

[PJ Hardtack]

I've got a pristine 1903 Springfield, so I'm familiar with getting my thumb out of the way. A couple of smacks on the nose is a good teacher!

I'm looking at a photo of Simon Ward who played "Young Winston" in the movie. He is holding the C/96 Mauser left-handed, hammer cocked. He had suffered a sabre injury, hence the 'weak handed' mode. The safety has been applied and the bolt would appear to be well above the web of his hand.

Also in a back issue of Guns & Ammo 'Surplus Firearms' magazine, Dennis Adler is shown shooting his C/96 with and without shoulder stock. He appears to have large hands and yet with the hammer cocked, it does not look like he is in danger of the web of his hand being hit by it, much less the bolt.
He does, however, mention that recoil batters the web of the hand against the square edges of the frame, commenting "If any gun needed a better grip design, this was it!" I can't see how aligning one's thumb on the right side of the frame will alleviate this battering.

So, I'm wondering what you guys know about holding/shooting the C/96 Mauser that I don't know. I have a pal with a "Red Nine' C/96 c/w shoulder stock. I'll give him a call later this evening and get his opinion.

[St. George]

Simple - holding the piece 'with' the stock in place changes the hand's position.

In so doing, the hand comes into closer contact with the recoiling mechanism, because it rides up.

Give it a try yourself - Band-Aids are common.

Scouts Out!

As to Imperial German markings - send me a PM - I may be able to help.

[JimBob]

As to Imperial German markings - send me a PM - I may be able to help.

PM sent.

[St. George]

Answered.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[PJ Hardtack]

JimBob stated that the bolt of the Mauser C/96would come back and bitecha. St. George states that the hammer/"recoiling mechanism" (?) will getcha.

I say there's no way in hell that the bolt of this pistol will make contact with your shooting hand unless you're doing something incredibly stupid. As for 'hammer bite', maybe, but Adler (with large hands) did not report on it in his article.

I haven't handled my buddie's 'Red Nine' for a few years (I may swap it from him ...) but I don't recall the hammer being an issue.

[JimBob]

JimBob stated that the bolt of the Mauser C/96would come back and bitecha. St. George states that the hammer/"recoiling mechanism" (?) will getcha.

I say there's no way in hell that the bolt of this pistol will make contact with your shooting hand unless you're doing something incredibly stupid. As for 'hammer bite', maybe, but Adler (with large hands) did not report on it in his article.

I haven't handled my buddie's 'Red Nine' for a few years (I may swap it from him ...) but I don't recall the hammer being an issue.

Get yourself a C96,put the stock on the pistol,wrap your thumb over the top of the stock with other four fingers around grip.It might not get you but as we're not clones it did get me.That was 30 years ago and I still remember.Whether the bolt or hammer I disremember exactly but it sure hurt like h*ll at the time. 

[PJ Hardtack]

I just watched two 'YouTube' videos of Mauser C/96 Broomhandles being fired - one with and one without shoulder stock.

In the one 'with', the shooter takes the gun out of the wooden holster and assembles them, loads it with a clip and proceeds to fire it to 'lock back'. I'd say he has average size hands and used a 'normal' pistol grip, thumb on the on the left side of the gun. The view is full on side, an excellent view of the gun in operation with ball ammo.

There is no way the hammer, safety or bolt is going to make contact with the shooter's hand unless he is doing something incredibly stupid (like I said earlier). There is scads of clearance.

In the video 'without', the shooter is wearing black leather gloves and STILL has more than adequate clearance from the hammer and bolt.

I also read a few verbal shooting impressions of the C/96 and none reported the problem you had.

[JimBob]

My old man,god rest his soul,always said I was one of a kind. 

[Injun Ryder]

Regarding contact to the hand on the stock. It can happen!

For me, it was the first time I used my stock just a few months ago. The hammer came back and nailed me on the bone at the base of my thumb. It was bruised for weeks!

I guess it depends upon the size / placement of your thumb. You just need to make sure that nothing is under the arc of the hammer!

[Long Johns Wolf]

Much to my regret I am confirming the experience of St. George & Injun Ryder.
The hammer bites nicely when the shoulder stock is attached.
Long Johns Wolf

[PJ Hardtack]

Gentlemen

I'm not dismissing your experience. Check out the YouTube videos I mentioned and learn what you might be doing to cause the problem.

I'm trying to decide how many guns it's going to cost me to negotiate that 'Red Nine' away from my buddy ...... ;>)

[JimBob]

I'm not dismissing your experience. Check out the YouTube videos I mentioned and learn what you might be doing to cause the problem.

Might maybe be whether the pistol has the "large ring" hammer or the "small ring" hammer too.The C96 that bit me was an early cone hammer which has the large hammer.One of those videos shows a fellow shooting a 712 has his thumb laying alongside the stock.

[PJ Hardtack]

One of my buddies has a Chinese export Inglis-made Browning Hi-Power with the same wooden shoulder stock as the C/96 Mauser.
Next time I see him I'm going to ask if he ever experienced 'hammer bite" while shooting it with the stock attached.

[JimBob]

One of my buddies has a Chinese export Inglis-made Browning Hi-Power with the same wooden shoulder stock as the C/96 Mauser.
Next time I see him I'm going to ask if he ever experienced 'hammer bite" while shooting it with the stock attached.

I think you'll find even with the stock mounted on the HP your thumb position is still in the same place on the grip as without the stock,below the spur on the frame well out of the way of the slide and hammer.