Thread: C96 Broomhandle Mauser questions...

I just acquired one and had some questions about it if there are any gurus out there.
If you know them, please send ne a PM.
Thanks!
-Adam

I've got one but I'm a moron and know very little about them other than they're a PITA to take apart or get cheap parts for.

Contact madcratebuilder if he doesn't chime in though, he has one, and knows his stuff.

The 2003 edition of the Shooter's Bible has an excellent article about the Broomhandles. I have always been 'kind of' interested in them since I passed up buying one about 20 years ago. If the 'net does not provide enough information to keep you busy let me know and I can make you a copy of the article and send it to you.

I own quite a few of these wonderful little works! Please do not take it all apart until you do a little research! You can put the rocker coupling in backwards and it will lock the entire gun up, and make it a solid hunk of steel! But there is a way to unlock it. I did it, twice.......

I have hi rez scans of how to do it, but I am on my phone so cant upload now.

Very cool. This is what I have:

Mauser Broomhandle
Cal. 7.63 Ger (7.63x25)
3.9 " barrel
12-groove wood grips
Adjustable 50-1000 meter rear sight

Upper slide assembly appears to be "Late Post-War Bolo"
Slide assembly ser # 637xxx

Lower frame appears to be a "6-Shot Bolo
Frame ser # 35xxx

Waffenfabrik Mauser
Oberndorf A Neckar







My questions are these:
1) being of two different models, is it ok to fire?
2) what is a fair value?

You need to take it apart and check the bolt stop and the metal on the upper where the bolt stop fits first before you fire it. If that fails, the bolt can come back and hit you in the face. Parts for the safety were changed a few times over the production run too IIRC, and if those are mismatched, that could make it fire when you put if on safe IIRC. There's several websites that tell what to check for on these guns and how to strip them. Internet Explorer won't let me copy and paste for some reason or I'd post a link.

Being mismatched, it might be one of the chinese imports, which should be checked out even better before you fire it. The chinese supposedly used homemade replacement parts at times that are of poor metallurgy, and also sometimes serial numbered them to the gun which makes it harder to tell if the gun is safe or not. I have one of the bolos that was imported from china in pretty rough shape with non-matching numbers. I paid $500 for it on gunbroker (not counting transfer, BGC, etc). Non-matching C96 bolos without the stock in shootable condition usually go $450-$650 from what I've seen.

If you just strip it down far enough to check the bolt stop, you don't have to worry about the coupling. If you replace the mainspring though, then you'll have to dissasemble it far enough to worry about that. I just marked mine with a sharpie and looked at the pic a LOT before I put it back together to make sure I had it in correctly.

Springs should be replaced if you plan on shooting it much. Wolff sells springs for it, but it doesn't include the mainspring. I ended up buying that from sarco. Numrich has some parts for these too, and that's were I got stripper clips for it, which you'll also need unless you plan on using it as a single shot or loading from the bottom and removing the magazine base plate every time.

Mine had feeding issues until I replaced the mag spring. I haven't shot it much since then, but it seems pretty reliable with light loads and is more accurate than I figured it'd be with it's shot out barrel.

This site well tell you all you need to know about the C96.

C96 Broomhandle Mauser

DO NOT use 7.62x25 Tokarev ammo. It well break parts. While there is 7.62X25 ammo that is suitable, do your research before use it.

Pre war commerical

The only screw is the one that holds the grips on. They are like a Chinese puzzle, actually once you have figured it out, very simple to strip down. One of the few pistols I miss. Was broke at the time and the person offered big $$ for it.

Originally Posted by HollisOR

The only screw is the one that holds the grips on. They are like a Chinese puzzle, actually once you have figured it out, very simple to strip down. One of the few pistols I miss. Was broke at the time and the person offered big $$ for it.

+1

The machine work is fantastic. If one was manufactured today I bet it would cost 4-5K

I took it to a local gunsmith. He looked it over and gave it a good bill of health. Now it looks like I may need to sell it though as work is very spotty. Anyone have an idea of a fair asking price?

Originally Posted by pirateer2007

I took it to a local gunsmith. He looked it over and gave it a good bill of health. Now it looks like I may need to sell it though as work is very spotty. Anyone have an idea of a fair asking price?

A shooter grade blister runs $400-500.

Oooo.... Bummer. I'm into it almost $600. I might just keep it then. Thanks MCB!!!

Second the comment about Tok ammo.. a VERY bad idea to shoot it thru a broomhandle

Originally Posted by madcratebuilder

Pre war commerical

That is off the charts cool.

Originally Posted by pirateer2007

Oooo.... Bummer. I'm into it almost $600. I might just keep it then. Thanks MCB!!!

Look at the 'completed" auctions on Gunbroker. A surprising number of C96's sell there. # matched, original finish guns can run high dollar. Reblued parts guns not so much.

Yours has a nice finish, barrels in these tend to be shot out so if the barrel is in really good shape you may get your money back.