[ "System Mauser" C96 ]
Hi guys, thanks for tuning in to another video on ForgottenWeapons.com.
I'm Ian McCollum, and today we are going to take
a look at the early C96 Mauser.
Now, ... some people are going to say,
"Early? Ah, that would be the Conehammer version of the C96."
Well, Conehammers account for 12,000 or 13,000 of the first C96 pistols produced.
Their serial numbers actually go up to about 15,000,
but there's some Large Rings mixed in there.
We don't need to get into all the details of that,
because what we are actually looking at today are the first 200 guns.
What are called the "System Mauser" pistols, because they are so inscribed.
And these have a number of both aesthetic and also mechanical features
that are substantially different from all the Conehammers that would follow.
So, let's take a closer look at that.
Alright, so this is serial number 93,
one of the very, very first Mauser Broomhandle pistols manufactured.
And there are a couple of distinctive visual features that identify it as one of these early guns.
So, first off, checkered grips.
Really quite fine checkering here, and on both sides.
As opposed to what would come later. They would make about 200 with checkered grips,
and then they would transition to these serrated grips.
Secondly, the stepped barrel. You can see the clear ... step right there between
the barrel extension assembly and the barrel itself.
After about 200 guns this would transition to the tapered barrel,
like we have here on this much later (serial number 4,200 and change) gun.
And these solid guide rails, or ribs, between the upper and the lower.
Again, after about 200 guns had been manufactured,
they would switch to relieved, or lightened, side rails like this one has.
Now these first 200 guns are also marked "System Mauser".
This is hand engraving that was done individually on each gun.
And this would actually last for about 400 guns.
So ... the first 200 have the stepped barrel and the "System Mauser".
They would then transition to the tapered barrel,
but retained this marking for about another 200 guns.
After about 400, they would transition to what is the standard marking on all of the guns,
which is Waffenfabrik Mauser, Oberndorf, [A/N].
All of these System Mauser pistols also have rather large serial numbers here on the grip.
Once they realised that they were going to be making a substantial number of these guns
it occurred to someone that they weren't going to be able to fit those serial numbers on.
And so they transitioned to a much smaller font to stamp them.
Eventually they would have to move that stamping up a little bit
just in order to have room for 5 and 6 digit serial numbers.
There are a couple of other early features that would last a little bit longer.
You'll notice that the milled out island here on the left side is completely flat,
where later on ... they would leave a slight raised square in the centre.
We also have a safety lever that is solid, where later it would be hollowed out.
So those are the external visible features of the early System Mauser guns.
I should also point out that among the 200 guns made with all of these early features,
are included both 10 shot standard models like this, as well as 6 shot and 20 shot guns.
As for stocks, there are a few differences here as well,
in fact differences that are about as significant as those among the pistols.
The sharp-eyed among you will already have noticed that these two stocks are reversed.
So the early guns ... have hinges that open to the right, where the later guns open to the left.
All of the System Mauser stocks are this sort of reversed opening.
After they changed over to this style
they would stay with this for all the standard production guns.
However, there are a few oddballs out there that would come later
that would have these reversed holster stocks.
Guns like some of the special Hammer Safety models.
There are some fairly significant differences in the stock lugs,
you'll notice that the System Mauser one here has a top bar that is both longer and narrower.
And it does not have a serial number on it there.
Instead that number is actually located on the hinge.
This is 104, so this is a System Mauser stock, but it does not actually match the pistol, number 93.
In addition, the bottom lugs are also different in profile.
Again, the System Mauser one in this case is both longer and thicker.
And the profile of the actual attachment lugs here has changed.
The latch for actually opening the stock ... both moved and changed actually.
On the early System Mauser stocks this is just a little rounded, nubby sort of thing.
And it's located right in the centre of the stock.
By the time they were done with the first 200 guns,
they transitioned over to a checkered button, and moved it up.
Opening these up, we can see a number of changes in the profiling on the inside.
Obviously the latch plate is in a different location to match the latch.
But then the cutouts on the inside of the stocks are slightly different.
And the body of the early stock over here is actually slightly deeper
than the later standard Conehammer ones.
There are also a couple of internal changes, including one particularly significant one.
So, this is our later gun, this is our earlier gun.
And if we take off the locking blocks, we'll notice an interesting change.
The very first System Mauser guns actually have a single lug locking block on them.
Where the later Conehammers, as well as all of the C96s that would follow,
have a two lug locking block.
There is of course then a corresponding difference in the bolt itself,
where you can see space for two lugs here, and just a single lug up here.
And then there are also a couple of other less significant changes, like
this recess on the later version, compared to this on the earlier gun.
And, of course, a slightly different profile to the front of the barrel.
So this is the early stepped barrel, this is the later tapered barrel.
Notice also ... the hollowing out done on the later gun that wasn't on the early one.
And following on that theme of lightening, the early System Mauser pistols are solid in here,
where there are a couple of places on the subframe on the later Conehammers, like right here and,
(if we flip it over),
here and here, where they've made a couple of relief cuts to simply lighten the whole assembly.
Each one of these individual pieces is fairly insignificant, but once you put them all together
you do actually get a reasonable amount of weight removed from the pistol
between these cuts, the hollowed out sections here, the hollowed out safety, the lightened rails.
All of those things do actually add up.
Well, I don't know how many people are out there who are actually going to be able to
put this to practical use, because they only made 200 of these things in the first place.
And the survival rate on them is 10 or 12, something like that.
There are very, very few of these surviving.
But all the more reason when we have access to take a look at one, especially the internals,
that we should do it and put it out for you guys to see.
Because it's pretty unusual to get your hands on
one of these early System Mauser pistols to look at.
And now you know how they are different
from what would become the more standard form of the early Conehammer.
Hope you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching.