View source for Mauser C96

{{Short description|German semi-automatic pistol series}}
{{Redirect|Broomhandle Mauser|the book by Jonathan Ferguson|The 'Broomhandle' Mauser{{!}}''The 'Broomhandle' Mauser''}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Mauser C96
| image              = Mauser C96 7,63 (6971794467).jpg
| image_size         =
| caption            = A [[7.63×25mm Mauser|7.63mm]] Mauser C96
| origin             = Germany
| type               = * [[Semi-automatic pistol]]
* [[Machine pistol]]/[[submachine gun]] (M712 Schnellfeuer)
| is_ranged          = yes
| service            = 1896–1961
| used_by            = See ''[[#Users|Users]]''
| wars               = {{collapsible list|title=List of wars|[[Mahdist War]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Johnathan |title=The 'Broomhandle' Mauser |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2017}}  p. 28.</ref>|[[Spanish–American War]]|[[Philippine Revolution]]|[[Second Boer War]]|[[Philippine American War]]|[[Boxer Rebellion]]|[[Russo-Japanese War]]{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}|[[Italo-Turkish War]]|[[Xinhai Revolution]]|[[Mexican Revolution]]|[[Balkan Wars]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jowett |first=Philip |title=Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912-13 : the priming charge for the Great War. |date=2012 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-299-58155-5 |oclc=842879929}}</ref>|[[World War I]]|[[Jungle Movement of Gilan]]|[[German Revolution]]|[[Irish War of Independence]]|[[Irish Civil War]]|[[Finnish Civil War]]|[[Russian Civil War]]|[[Easter Rising]]<ref>{{cite AV media |title=Tales of the Gun: Automatic Pistols |medium=Television Documentary |publisher=The History Channel |year=1998}}</ref>|[[Polish-Soviet War]]|[[Rif War]]|[[Constitutionalist Revolution]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglas de Souza Aguiar Junior|url=https://armasonline.org/armas-on-line/o-museu-da-pm-de-sao-paulo/|title=O Museu de Polícia Militar de São Paulo|website=Armas On-Line|date=25 June 2017|language=pt-BR}}</ref>|[[Chaco War]]|[[Spanish Civil War]]|[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]|[[World War II]]|[[Indonesian National Revolution]]|[[Chinese Civil War]]|[[First Indochina War]]|[[1948 Palestine War]]|[[Malayan Emergency]]<ref name=malay>{{cite web|url=http://17thdivision.tripod.com/thepeacethatwasnt/id7.html|title=Weapons of the Malay CTs 1948–1960|website=17thdivision.tripod.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005050346/http://17thdivision.tripod.com/thepeacethatwasnt/id7.html|archive-date=October 5, 2022}}</ref>|[[Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency]]|[[1958 Lebanon crisis]]|[[Korean War]]|[[Vietnam War]]|[[Lebanese Civil War]]|[[Araguaia Guerrilla War]]|[[Soviet-Afghan War]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/a-look-back-at-the-mauser-c96/|title=A Look Back At The Mauser C96}}</ref>}}
| designer           = * [[Feederle brothers]] (Fidel, Friedrich, and Josef)
* [[Paul Mauser]]
| design_date        = 1895
| manufacturer       = * [[Mauser]] (Germany)
* [[Taiyuan Arsenal]], Taku Naval Arsenal<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2013/3/21/chinese-broomhandles/ |title = Chinese Broomhandles}}</ref> and [[Hanyang Arsenal]] (China)
* [[Beistegui Hermanos]] and [[Astra-Unceta y Cia SA]] (Spain)
| production_date    = 1896–1937
| number             = 1,100,000+
| variants           = See ''[[#Major variants|Major variants]]''
| weight             = {{convert|1.13|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}
| length             = {{plainlist|
* {{convert|312|mm|in|abbr=on}} (pre-Bolo)
* {{convert|271|mm|in|abbr=on}} (post-Bolo)}}
| part_length        = {{plainlist|
* {{convert|140|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} (pre-Bolo)
* {{convert|99|mm|in|abbr=on}} (post-Bolo)}}
| cartridge          = {{plainlist|
* [[7.63×25mm Mauser]]
* [[7.65×21 Parabellum]]
* [[9×19mm Parabellum]]
* [[.45 ACP]]
* [[9×25mm Mauser|9mm Mauser export]]
* 8.15mm Mauser <ref>{{cite book |last=Belford |first=James |title=The Mauser Self Loading Pistol |publisher=Borden Publishing Company |year=1969}}</ref>
* [[8mm Gasser]]}}
| action             = [[Recoil operated#Short recoil operation|Short recoil]]
| rate               = 120 rounds per minute (semi-automatic) <br> 900-1000 rounds per minute (M712 Schnellfeuer)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/mauser-schnellfeuer-or-model-712-machine-pistol/|title=Mauser "Schnellfeuer", or Model 712 Machine Pistol|date=19 May 2016}}</ref>
| velocity           = * {{convert|425|m/s|ft/s|0|abbr=on}} 7.63×25mm
* {{convert|350|m/s|ft/s|0|abbr=on}}<br>9×19mm
| range              = {{convert|150–200|m|yd|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://modernfirearms.net/en/handguns/handguns-en/germany-semi-automatic-pistols/mauser-c-96-eng/ |title=Mauser C-96 |website=Modern Firearms.net|date=22 October 2010 }}</ref>
| feed               = * 10-round internal [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]] fed by [[stripper clip]]
* 6-round internal magazine<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historypistols.ru/blog/pistolety-pod-unitarnyj-patron-avtomaticheskie/istoriya-poyavleniya-pistoleta-mauzer-k-96-mauser-c96/|title=История появления пистолета Маузер К-96 (Mauser C96)}}</ref>
* 10- or 20-round detachable box magazine (M712 Schnellfeuer and detachable magazine variants)
* 20- or 40-round magazine (prototype M1917 trench carbine)
| sights             = V-notch rear tangent sight adjustable up to {{convert|1000|m|yd|abbr=on}}, inverted V front sight
}}
The '''Mauser C96''' (''Construktion 96'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Skennerton |first=Ian |title=Mauser Model 1896 Pistol |year=2005 |publisher=Arms & Militaria Press |location=Labrador, Australia |isbn=0-949749-77-X |page=5}}</ref> is a [[semi-automatic pistol]] that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer [[Mauser]] from 1896 to 1937.<ref name="wilsonr">{{cite journal |last=Wilson |first=R.|title=Mauser C96 Broomhandle |journal=Australian & New Zealand Handgun |date=January 2009}}</ref> Unlicensed copies of the gun were also manufactured in Spain and China in the first half of the 20th century.<ref name="wilsonr" /><ref name="1896mauser.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.1896mauser.com/spanish.htm |title=Spanish Guns |website=1896mauser.com |access-date=28 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209012559/http://www.1896mauser.com/spanish.htm |archive-date=9 February 2009  }}</ref>

The distinctive characteristics of the C96 are the integral [[Magazine (firearms)#Function and types|box magazine]] in front of the trigger, the long [[Gun barrel|barrel]], the wooden [[shoulder stock]], which gives it the stability of a short-barreled rifle and doubles as a [[holster]] or carrying case, and a grip shaped like the handle of a broom. The grip earned the gun the nickname "'''broomhandle'''" in the English-speaking world, and in China the C96 was nicknamed the "'''box cannon'''" ({{lang-zh|c=盒子炮|p=hézipào}}) because of its rectangular internal magazine and because it could be holstered in its wooden box-like detachable stock.<ref name="Wilson 2009, p.100">Wilson (2009), p. 100.</ref>

With its long barrel and high-velocity cartridge, the Mauser C96 had superior range and better penetration than most other pistols of its era; the [[7.63×25mm Mauser]] cartridge was the highest-velocity commercially manufactured pistol cartridge until the advent of the [[.357 Magnum]] cartridge in 1935.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Bishop |editor-first=Chris |title=Guns in Combat |year=1998 |publisher=Grange Books |location=Kent, UK |isbn=1-84013-083-0 |page=93}}</ref>

Mauser manufactured approximately one million C96 pistols,<ref name="skennerton8">Skennerton (2005), p. 8.</ref> while the number produced in Spain and China is large but unknown due to poor production records.<ref name="wilsonr" />

==History==
[[File:Mauser C96 prototype 1895Mar15.jpg|thumb|An early C96 prototype]]
[[File:Mauser C96 M1916 Red 9 7.JPG|thumb|"Red 9" Mauser C96 with stock]]

Within a year of its introduction in 1896, the C96 had been sold to governments and commercially to civilians and individual military officers. The Mauser C96 pistol was popular with British officers (who had to purchase their own [[Sidearm (weapon)|sidearms]]) around the turn of the 20th century. Mauser supplied the C96 to [[Westley Richards]] in the UK for resale. By the onset of World War I, however, the C96's popularity with the British military had waned.<ref name="Maze 2002, p.56,70">Maze (2002), pp. 56, 70.</ref>

As a military sidearm, the pistols saw service in various wars including the [[Easter Rising]] and [[Irish War of Independence]], as well as [[World War I]] and the [[Irish Civil War]], when the gun was nicknamed "Peter the Painter", after the contemporary Latvian anarchist [[Peter the Painter|of the same name]] (so nicknamed by the [[Metropolitan Police]]) who was believed to use this gun, and because the pistol grip looked like a brush handle, the [[Estonian War of Independence]], the [[Spanish Civil War]], the [[Chinese Civil War]], and [[World War II]]. During the [[Warlord Era]] in China, European embargoes on exporting rifles to Chinese warlords meant that the C96 became a mainstay of the period's armies, and the basic form of the pistol was extensively copied.<ref>{{cite book|last=McCollum|first=Ian|author-link=Forgotten Weapons|title=Pistols of the Warlords: Chinese Domestic Handguns, 1911 - 1949|chapter=Domestic Chinese Designs|pages=112–159|isbn=9781733424639|date=2021|publisher=Headstamp Publishing}}</ref> The C96 also became a staple of Bolshevik commissars from one side and various warlords and gang leaders from another in the [[Russian Civil War]], known simply as "the Mauser". [[Communist revolution]]aries [[Yakov Yurovsky]] and [[Peter Ermakov]] used Mausers to [[Execution of the Romanov family|execute]] the Russian imperial family in July 1918.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg |first=Helen |last=Rappaport |year=2009 |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/lastdaysofromano00rapp/page/181 181] |isbn=978-0-31237-976-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lastdaysofromano00rapp/page/181 }}</ref>

[[Winston Churchill]] was fond of the Mauser C96 and used one at the 1898 [[Battle of Omdurman]] and during the [[Second Boer War]]; [[Lawrence of Arabia]] carried a Mauser C96 for a period, during his time in the Middle East.<ref name="wilsonr" /><ref>Skennerton (2005), pp. 33–34.</ref> Indian revolutionary [[Ram Prasad Bismil]] and his partymen used these Mauser pistols in the historic [[Kakori train robbery]] in August 1925. Chinese communist general, [[Zhu De]], carried a Mauser C96 during his [[Nanchang Uprising]] and later conflicts; his gun (with his name printed on it) is in the [[Beijing]] war museum.

Three Mauser C96s were used in the killing of Spanish prime minister [[Eduardo Dato]] in 1921, and a Mauser C96 was used in the assassination of the King of Yugoslavia, [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia]], in 1934.

Imported and domestic copies of the C96 were used extensively by the Chinese in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and the Chinese Civil War, as well as by the Spanish during the Spanish Civil War and the Germans in World War II.<ref name="1896mauser.com" /><ref>Skennerton (2005), p. 33.</ref>

Besides the standard 7.63×25mm chambering, C96 pistols were also commonly chambered for [[9×19mm Parabellum]], with a small number also being produced in [[9mm Mauser Export]]. In 1940, Mauser officials proposed using the C-96 as the vehicle for an upgrade to the 9×25mm Mauser Export cartridge to match the ballistics of the [[.357 Magnum]].<ref>Mauser Pistolen: Development and Production, 1877–1946, Weaver, Speed, Schmid, Collector Grade Publications, Canada, PP. 193.</ref> Lastly, there was a Chinese-manufactured model chambered for [[.45 ACP]].<ref name="wilsonr" /> Despite the pistol's worldwide popularity and fame, China was the only nation to use the C96 as the primary [[service pistol]] of its military and police.

==Contract variants==
===1897 Turkish Army Mauser===
Mauser's first military contract was with the Ottoman government in 1897. They ordered 1,000 pistols for the royal palace guards. They had their own range of serial numbers, running from 1 to 1000. They differ in that they use a [[Farsi]] number system on the tangent sight and [[serial number]], and the weapon is designated in the [[Muslim calendar]] year number system "1314" in place of the year of the [[Gregorian calendar]] "1896/1897". Markings include a six-pointed star on both sides of the chamber and the crest of [[Sultan Abdul Hamid II]] (a trophy of crossed Turkish flags, various polearms, and a collection of his royal awards and honours) and the Muslim year "1314" on the square left rear frame panel. Under the sultan's rule, there was great concern about potential military coups, and most weapons were locked away in armories, including many of the C96 pistols. After the [[Young Turk Revolution|Young Turk Revolution of 1908-1909]], these pistols were issued to the army and police for service use. Some were used in combat in World War I, and after the war they were considered obsolete, being put up for sale cheaply to army or police officers. All of this meant that they saw a lot of use, much of in quite harsh conditions, and as a result few specimens survive today.

===1899 Italian Navy Mauser===
In 1899, the Italian government ordered Mauser's first major military contract; an order for 5,000 C96 pistols for the [[Italian Royal Navy]].<ref name="skennerton8" /> They differ in that their receivers are "slab-sided" (i.e., lacked the milling on the sides found on commercial Mausers). They also have a "ring hammer" (spurless hammer with a hole through its head) instead of the early "cone hammer" (spurless hammer with ribbed cone-like projections on the sides of its head). These guns had their own serial number range, running from 1 to 5000.

===1910 Persian contract Mauser===
The Persian government ordered 1,000 pistols. They have the Persian government's "[[Lion and Sun]]" insignia on the rectangular milled panel on the left side of the receiver and the serial numbers range from 154000 to 154999. It is often confused with the Turkish contract Mauser.

===M1916 Austrian contract===
[[Austria-Hungary]] ordered 50,000 Mausers in the standard 7.63×25mm. A small number were rebarreled to [[8mm Gasser]] (8.11×27mm) for an unknown reason.<ref name="hungariae.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.hungariae.com/Maus96.htm |title=Mauser Model 1896 (C96) Pistol |website=Manowar's Hungarian Weapons & History |access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref>

===M1916 Prussian "Red 9"===
[[File:Mauser C96 M1916 Red 4.JPG|thumb|right|Mauser "Red 9" C96 with [[stripper clip]]]]

During World War I, the [[Imperial German Army]] contracted with Mauser for 150,000 C96 pistols chambered in [[9mm Parabellum]] to offset the slow production of the standard-issue [[Luger P08|DWM P.08]] pistol. They use the same clip-loaded internal box magazines as the 7.63mm Mauser and also hold ten rounds. This variant of the C96 was named the "Red 9" after a large number ''9'' burned into the grip panels and painted in red.<ref>Skennerton (2005), p. 5.</ref> (This was done to warn the pistols' users not to incorrectly load them with 7.63mm ammunition.) Because the army delegated the branding to unit armourers, not all 9mm pistols carry the nine. Of the 150,000 pistols commissioned, approximately 137,000 were delivered before the war ended.<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> Original 9mm pistols can be told from 7.63mm-to-9mm conversions because they have 9mm-rated sights (marked "50 m-500 m") rather than 7.63mm-rated sights (marked "50 m-800 m").

===M1920 French police contract===
The French government set up an order for 2,000 pistols with {{convert|99|mm|adj=on}} barrels for the [[Gendarmerie Nationale (France)|Gendarmerie Nationale]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/french-gendarmerie-c96-a-german-pistol-for-the-occupation/|title = French Gendarmerie C96: A German Pistol for the Occupation|date = 20 April 2020}}</ref> The pistol has black [[ebonite]] grips rather than wooden ones.

===WW2 Luftwaffe contract===
The German government purchased 7,800 commercial M1930 pistols in 1940 for use by the [[Luftwaffe]]. They have [[Wehrmacht]] proof marks and the Mauser serial numbers come from the early- to mid-1930s. The weapon had ceased production in 1937 but the order was filled from remaining stocks. According to Kersten, Moll and Schmid, these were likely purchased by the high command of the armed forces and issued to motorcycle and flak crews of the Luftwaffe.

==Major variants==
There were many variants of the C96 besides the standard commercial model; the most common are detailed below.

===M1896 ''Kavallerie Karabiner''===
One of the experimental ideas was the creation of a pistol-carbine for use by light cavalry. They had "slab-sided" receivers, standard 10-round magazines, permanently affixed wooden stocks and forends, and lengthened {{convert|300|mm}} (early production) or {{convert|370|mm}} (late production) barrels. They were dropped from production after 1899 due to poor sales and little military interest.

There was limited sporting interest in the carbine version and, due to small production numbers, it is a highly prized collectable priced at about twice the value of the pistol version.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Official Price Guide to Gun Collecting |first=R. L. |last=Wilson  |edition=3rd |year=2000 |location=New York |publisher=House of Collectibles |pages=292–294 |isbn=978-0-67660-153-4}}</ref> Recently, importers like Navy Arms imported replica Mauser carbines with 16-inch or longer barrels for sale in the US.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://askmisterscience.com/1896mauserbackup/carbines.htm|title=Mauser C-96 Carbines|website=askmisterscience.com|access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref>

===M1896 compact Mauser===
A version of the Mauser pistol with a full-sized grip, six-shot internal magazine, and a {{convert|120|mm|adj=on}} barrel. Production was phased out by 1899.

===M1896 officer's model===
This is the unofficial term for a variant compact Mauser with a curved wooden or hard-rubber grip, like that of the ''[[Reichsrevolver]]''. The name comes from the US Army designation of the Mauser pistol sent to participate in their self-loading pistol trials.

===M1898 pistol carbine===
This was the first model to come cut for a combination wooden stock-holster. The stock doubles as a case or holster and attaches to a slot cut in the grip frame.

===M1912 Mauser Export model===
This model was the first to chamber the 9×25mm Mauser Export cartridge. It was designed to appeal to the arms markets in South America and China. Mauser C96 pistols in this caliber usually have an indentation milled into the upper surface of the magazine's follower to facilitate feeding of the straight-cased 9×25mm cartridge cases. The rifling in the barrel has a unique 13:8 twist. In addition, the flat surfaces extending around the chamber are longer, to accommodate the higher pressures of the 9×25mm cartridge. Examples of Mauser C96s in this caliber are rare, but are still occasionally found on the private collector's market. The 9×25mm Mauser Export calibre receded from the market as the armaments industry reoriented itself towards military manufacture during World War I, but the round enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as a submachine gun calibre in the 1930s.

===M1917 Mauser trench carbine===
[[File:Mauser C96 carbine noBG.jpg|220x220px|thumb|Mauser C96 Trench Carbine]]
This model features an extended stock and barrel similar to the M1896 ''Kavallerie Karabiner''. It also possesses a 40-round magazine and is chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. The M1917 Mauser trench carbine was introduced during World War I and was intended to be a cheaper replacement for the expensive [[Luger pistol#Lange Pistole 08 (Artillery Luger)|Lange ''Pistole'' 08]] in close-quarters combat. However, the Imperial German Army did not believe it was a cost-effective substitute, and the project was shortly abandoned with only a few ever made.<ref name="americanrifleman.org">{{cite web |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2018/2/19/magnificent-mausers-an-exploration-of-unusual-pistols-and-carbines/ |title=Magnificent Mausers: An Exploration of Unusual Pistols And Carbines |website=American Rifleman |access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref>

===M1920 Mauser rework===
The [[Treaty of Versailles]] (signed in 1919) imposed a number of restrictions on pistol barrel lengths and calibres on German arms manufacturers.<ref>Bishop (1998), p. 94.</ref> Pistols for German government issue or domestic market sales could not have a barrel longer than 4&nbsp;inches and could not be chambered for 9&nbsp;mm cartridges.

The [[Weimar Republic]] banned the private ownership of military-issue or military-style weapons in an attempt to recover valuable arms from returning soldiers. The confiscated weapons were then used to arm government forces, leaving them with a hodge-podge of military and civilian arms. To meet the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, a major reworking project was begun that set about converting these weapons.

To be compliant, pre-war C.96 models belonging to the Weimar government had to have their barrels cut down to {{convert|99|mm}}. This meant that their tangent sights had to be replaced with fixed sights. They also had to be converted to the standard 7.63×25mm Mauser round, though a few hybrid Mausers were made with salvaged Navy Luger barrels that were chambered for [[7.65mm Parabellum]]. Compliant confiscated government-issue guns were marked ''M1920''. This practice was continued on German service pistols even after the ban was ignored and the conversions had stopped.
[[File:Mauser C96 M.1920 Bolo in Tula State Arms Museum - 2016 01.jpg|thumb|Mauser C96 M1920 Bolo in Tula State Arms Museum in 2016]]

===M1921 "Bolo" Mauser===
Mauser began manufacturing a compliant version of the C96 for commercial sale from 1920 to 1921. It featured smaller grips, a shorter {{convert|99|mm|adj=on}} barrel,<ref name="Wilson 2009, p.100" /> and was chambered for the standard 7.63×25mm Mauser. An experimental 8.15×25.2mm Mauser cartridge (DWM 580) was used to replace the banned 9×19mm Parabellum and 9×25mm Mauser Export cartridges for domestic sales but it never supplanted the 9&nbsp;mm calibre.

Mass-production of the weapon was from 1921 to 1930. It was sold in quantity to armies in the contested Baltic region and was carried by the Poles, Lithuanians, German ''[[Freikorps]]'' and [[White movement|White Russians]]. The [[Bolshevik]] government (and later the new [[Red Army]]) of the embryonic Soviet Union purchased large numbers of this model in the 1920s and also appropriated them from defeated enemies.<ref name="Bishop 1998, p.96">Bishop (1998), p. 96.</ref> The distinctive pistol became associated with the Bolsheviks and was thus nicknamed the "Bolo".<ref name="Bishop 1998, p.96" /> The "Bolo" model was also popular elsewhere, as the shorter barrel and smaller overall size made the gun easier to conceal.<ref>Wilson (2009), p. 99.</ref>

There was also a transitional version in 1930 that used the "Bolo" frame but with a longer {{convert|132|mm|adj=on}} barrel.

===M1930 Mauser===
Also known as the ''M30'' by collectors, it was a simplification and improvement of the M1921 Mauser. It simplified production by removing several fine-machining details and reverted to the "pre-war" large grip and long barrel. The early model M30s had a {{convert|132|mm|adj=on}} barrel, but later models had the traditional {{convert|140|mm|adj=on}} barrel. It was made from 1930 until 1937.

Joseph Nickl designed a selective-fire conversion in 1930. It tended to "cook off" (fire by spontaneous ignition of the propellant when overheated) when fired in long bursts. 4,000 of this model were made between 1930 and 1931.<ref name="PASAM"/>

Since the M1932 / M712 variant was full-auto, the semi-auto M1930 it was derived from was sometimes called the ''M711'' by war surplus dealers and collectors.

===M1932/M712 ''Schnellfeuer''===
[[File:Mauser Schnellfeuer.jpg|thumb|M712 Schnellfeuer at the National Firearms Museum]]
The Spanish gunmaking firms of [[Beistegui Hermanos]] and [[Astra-Unceta y Cia SA|Astra]] began producing detachable magazine-fed, [[select-fire]] versions of the C96 in 1927 and 1928 respectively, intended for export to the Far East.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />

Mauser began production of the ''Schnellfeuer'' (rapid fire), their own select-fire, detachable magazine version of the M30 designed by Karl Westinger. Production started in 1932 and ended in 1936,<ref name="1896mauser.com" /> which has led to its unofficial designation of "M1932" by collectors. An extremely successful design, around 98,000 guns were made overall and they had their own series of serial numbers.<ref name="PASAM" />

It was largely intended for export to South America and China or to the opposing sides in the later Spanish Civil War. From 1932 to 1935, the Yugoslavian military tested batches of the Schnellfeuer in both 7.63mm and 9mm Parabellum for the purpose of arming mountain troops and special operations units. Improvements requested by the Yugoslavs included a detachable barrel, improved front and rear sights, more durable parts to prevent breakage under sustained fire and lowered position of the shoulder stock to avoid "hammer bite".<ref>{{cite web |title=Yugoslav Mauser-Schnellfeuer Automatic Pistols |url=http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1300 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624054832/http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1300 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |access-date=11 February 2018 |website=smallarmsreview.com}}</ref>

Small numbers of M1932s were supplied to the German Wehrmacht during World War II, who designated it the M712.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />

===PASAM machine pistol===
The Brazilian government bought five-hundred 7.63mm M1932 ''Schnellfeuer'' machine pistols for the ''[[Military Police (Brazil)|Policia Militar do Distrito Federal]]'' (Portuguese: "Federal District Military Police") during the mid-1930s. The PASAM (''pistola automática semi-automática Mauser'',<ref name="PASAM">{{cite web |url=http://www.forgottenweapons.com/brazilian-pasam-machine-pistol/ |title=Brazilian PASAM Machine Pistol |first=Ronaldo |last=Olive|date=15 August 2012|website=Forgotten Weapons}}</ref> or "semi-automatic / automatic Mauser pistol") used the M1932 as its base but made a few alterations. The controls were the same as the standard model, except the markings were in Portuguese. The selector switch (found on the left side, above the trigger guard) was marked ''N'' for ''normal'' ("average", or semi-automatic) and ''R'' for ''rápido'' ("rapid", or fully automatic). The safety control lever (found to the left of the hammer) was marked ''S'' for ''seguro'' ("safe") and ''F'' for ''fogo'' ("fire').<ref name="hogg1987" /> It was used with Brazilian State Military Police (Polícia Militar) forces in the 1980s. They preferred to use it as a semi-automatic carbine and reserved its full-auto setting for emergencies due to its recoil and muzzle-climb.<ref name="hogg1987" />

In 1970, the [[State police#Brazil|''Policia Militar do Rio de Janeiro'' (PMRJ)]] asked the services of Jener Damau Arroyo, a Spanish-born gunsmith, to make modifications on their PASAMs in order to improve their handling. The first modification (PASAM MOD-1), of which 101 were modified, received a metal frame extension welded to the magazine housing. It was fitted with a metal forward grip well ahead of the gun under the muzzle.<ref name="PASAM" /> The original grip was left alone, making it compatible with the wooden holster/stock.<ref name="PASAM" /> The second modification (PASAM MOD-2), involving 89 pistols, featured a similar frame extension, but the forward grip had wooden panels and was of a different shape. The pistol grip frame used thicker rectangular wooden grips and had a {{convert|1.5|ft|mm|adj=on}} "t-bar" metal shoulder stock welded to it. A metal frame attached to the receiver supported a rectangular wooden foregrip, taking pressure off the barrel. In both models the barrel was left free to enable its short recoil during firing. (Two hundred and ninety five PASAMs were left in the original condition).<ref name="PASAM" /> The weapon took standard detachable 10-round box magazines,<ref name="hogg1987">{{page needed|date=November 2022}}{{cite book |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 1987–1988 |editor-first=Ian V. |editor-last=Hogg |year=1987 |publisher=[[Janes Information Services|Jane's Publishing Group]]}}</ref> although they can also take the extended 20- and 40-round magazines.<ref name="PASAM" />

==Notable copies==
===Chinese C.96 (7.63mm Mauser)===
The most common and popular pistol in China since the beginning of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic]] in 1912, was the Mauser C96, called the "Box Cannon" (盒子炮) in Chinese. It was imported from [[German Empire|Germany]] and [[Restoration (Spain)|Spain]] ([[#Astra Model 900 / 901 / 902 / 903|Astra 900]] and [[#Royal MM31 (Model 2)|MM31]]), but mostly produced locally in various arsenals, the larger being in [[Hanyang Arsenal|Hanyang]], [[Jiangnan Shipyard|Shanghai]], [[Gongxian Arsenal|Gongxian]], [[Taiyuan Arsenal|Shanxi]]. They were often used with a detachable shoulder stock.<ref name=Shih>{{cite book|last=Shih|first=Bin|title=China's Small Arms of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)|year=2018|page=63}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Pistols: an illustrated history of their impact|last=Kinard|first=Jeff|year=2003|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=1-85109-470-9|page=183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVnuHX_6bG0C&pg=PA183|access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref> Hanyang alone produced around 13,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gunsworld.com/mauser/c96/c96_china2_us.html |title=Shansei Chinese C96 Pistol |website=Gunsworld.com |access-date=11 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311053952/http://www.gunsworld.com/mauser/c96/c96_china2_us.html |archive-date=11 March 2009}}</ref>

===Shanxi Type 17 (.45 ACP)===
[[File:Chinese soldiers aiming Shansi Type 17.jpg|thumb|left|A Chinese soldier seen aiming the Shanxi Type 17]]
During the [[Warlord era]] of Chinese history in the early 20th century, the province of Shanxi was ruled by warlord [[Yan Xishan]], who had established a modern arms factory in his capital city of [[Taiyuan]]. Yan was equipping his troops with a locally produced copy of the [[Thompson submachine gun]], chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge, but was experiencing supply difficulties as his troops' sidearms were 7.63mm calibre C96 handguns.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China">{{cite web |url=http://www.iar-arms.com/mausereview1.htm |title=Giant .45 'Broomhandle' from China |access-date=6 September 2012 |website=International Antique Reproductions, Inc |date=February 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622100910/http://www.iar-arms.com/mausereview1.htm |archive-date=22 June 2007}}</ref>

Yan's solution was to produce a .45 ACP caliber version of the C96, thus standardizing ammunition and making supply logistics easier.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China" /> Designated ''Type 17'', production of the .45 caliber handgun began in 1928 at the Taiyuan Arsenal and ended in 1931.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/chinese-warlord-pistols-the-huge-shanxi-45-acp-broomhandle/|title = Chinese Warlord Pistols: The Huge Shanxi .45 ACP Broomhandle|date = 17 June 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201083937/https://www.forgottenweapons.com/chinese-warlord-pistols-the-huge-shanxi-45-acp-broomhandle/|archive-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref> They are inscribed (in Chinese) "Type 17" on the left-hand side of the gun, and "Republic Year Eighteen, Made in Shansi" on the right-hand side.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China" /> They were issued (along with Thompson SMGs) to railway guards in the province as a defense against bandits and other warlords.<ref>Ian McCollum (2021) ''Pistols of the Warlords: Chinese Domestic Handguns, 1911 - 1949'', Chapter 2: C96 Mauser Copies, pp. 224-233</ref>

Besides being chambered for a larger cartridge, the Shanxi .45 pistols use a noticeably larger frame than their 7.63mm counterparts, with the 10-round magazine extending below the trigger guard and a 140&nbsp;mm (5.5&nbsp;in) barrel.<ref>Ian McCollum (2021) ''Pistols of the Warlords: Chinese Domestic Handguns, 1911 - 1949'', Chapter 2: C96 Mauser Copies, pp. 228-229</ref> It was loaded using two five-round stripper clips rather than the single 10-round stripper clips of the standard 7.63mm Mauser. Because of the overall increase in size, Type 17 pistols share no interchangeable parts with any other C96 variant.

Most of the Shanxi .45 pistols were melted down after the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, largely due to their odd caliber for Chinese communist standards, but a few examples were exported overseas for sale on the commercial market.<ref name="Giant .45 Broomhandle from China" /> Approximately 8,500 Shanxi .45 caliber broomhandle pistols are believed to have been produced by the Taiyuan Arsenal, but there is some debate as to how many of the Shanxi .45 calibre broomhandle pistols currently on the commercial market were actually produced for Yan's troops, and how many are more recent productions for the US collectors' market.

===Type 80 (7.62mm Tokarev)===
{{main|Type 80 (pistol)}}

===Astra Model 900 / 901 / 902 / 903===
{{Main|Astra Model 900}}

===ETAI / Royal Model H===
Produced by Beistegui Hermanos in [[Eibar]], Spain, this was the first pseudo-Mauser on the market, a relatively crude semi-auto appearing in 1926 and full-auto variants appearing in 1927. Mechanically, it was laid out approximately like the Mauser original, but without the removable lock frame. Internal parts (trigger, hammer, safety lever, etc.) pivoted on pins and screws extending through the frame. The screws also held the frame together. The bolt was of round cross-section, unlike the square Mauser bolt. The weapon was stamped with either "Royal" or "ETAI".<ref name="StandardCatalog">{{Cite book |title=Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide |last=Peterson |first=Phillip |publisher=Gun Digest |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4402-4676-0 |pages=328–329 }}</ref><ref name="BeisteguiHermanos">{{Cite web |url=http://home.kpn.nl/vlimmere/beistegui.htm |title=Beistegui Hermanos |date=12 May 2006 |website=kpn.nl }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30035915 |title=Etai selective-fire pistol |website=[[Imperial War Museum]] |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref>

Clones were made in China.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/copy-of-a-knockoff-chinese-warlord-version-of-a-bestigui-model-h/ | title=Copy of a Knockoff: Chinese Warlord Version of a Bestigui Model H - Forgotten Weapons | date=13 January 2023 }}</ref>

===Royal MM31 (Model 1)===
Beistigui introduced an improved version of the Model H as the MM31 – the Modelo Military 1931. It included a number of improvements. A 20-round fixed magazine version was quickly introduced, followed by a detachable magazine version, to address the issues inherent to a gun with a 10-round magazine and a 900 rounds per minute rate of fire.

===Royal MM31 (Model 2)===
This was a much closer copy of the Mauser original than the ETAI/Royal model and variants, with the full separate lock frame. It is of much better quality than the earlier gun, though still not at Mauser level. The MM31 was manufactured until 1934. A total of about 10,000 were made, in perhaps four successive variants. These models came in semi-auto and semi-auto/full auto selective fire variants.<ref name="StandardCatalog" /><ref name="BeisteguiHermanos" />

===Royal MM34===
This model is much like the MM31, but adds a mechanical [[rate reducer]] inside the grip area and a three-position lever to select the firing rate. It also has a ribbed barrel to help prevent overheating during sustained full auto fire. Only a few hundred of these weapons were made and are very rare today.<ref name="StandardCatalog" /><ref name="BeisteguiHermanos" />

===Azul and Super Azul===
The Azul and Super Azul pistols were also manufactured by Beistegui Hermanos in Eibar, Spain, but sold by Eulogio Arostegui. The Azul was a copy of the standard C96 while the Super Azul is a semi auto/full auto select fire variant. Each accept detachable box magazines instead of having an internal box magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.catalogacionarmas.com/public/parte3cap11.pdf |title=Spanish Short Weapons, 1875-1950s Part 3 Chapter 11 |last=Calvó |first=Juan L. |website=Catalogacion Armas.com |access-date=3 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | title=Pistols of the World |edition=4th | last=Hogg | first=Ivan V. | publisher=Krause Publications | year=2004 | isbn=0-87349-460-1 | page=20}}</ref>

===Federal Ordnance M713 and M714===
In the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the Federal Ordnance firearms company in South El Monte, California, made reproductions of the Mauser 1917 trench carbine and C96 pistol, named the M713 and M714 respectively.

The M713 came in a standard variant with a fixed stock and magazine, as well as a "deluxe" variant which has a detachable stock and detachable box magazines. The M714 supports detachable box magazines, unlike the original C96, and a "Bolo" variant, with the "Bolo" model having a shorter barrel and grip. All variants of the M713 and M714 were available in 7.63×25mm and 9×19mm ammunition.<ref>{{Cite book |title=2014 Standard Catalog of Firearms: The Collector's Price & Reference Guide |edition=24th |last=Lee |first=Jerry |publisher=Gun Digest Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4402-3716-4  |page=438}}</ref>

==Users==
<!--READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you. -->
* {{Flag|Argentina}}: Issued to police<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Johnathan |title=The 'Broomhandle' Mauser |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2017}}  p. 58.</ref>
* {{Flag|Austria-Hungary}}: 50,000 commercial model pistols were imported from Germany during WW1, most of them in 1916<ref name="hungariae.com" /><ref name=":5">{{cite web |title=Database |url=http://www.g6csy.net/c96/database.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801155457/http://www.g6csy.net/c96/database.html |archive-date=1 August 2012 |access-date=30 November 2013 |website=C96 Broomhandle Mauser}}</ref>
* {{flag|Austria}}: Used in the [[First Austrian Republic]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urrisk |first=Rolf M. |title=Die Bewaffnung des österreichischen Bundesheeres, 1918-1990 |date=1990 |publisher=H. Weishaupt Verlag |isbn=978-3-900310-53-0 |edition=1. Aufl |location=Graz}}</ref>
* {{flag|Bolivia}}: Carried by officers in the Chaco War<ref name="Chaco">{{cite magazine|first=Jean|last=Huon|title=The Chaco War|magazine=Small Arms Review|volume=17|issue=3|date=September 2013|url=http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1976|access-date=17 November 2018|archive-date=19 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819120502/http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1976|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=La guerra del Chaco: the bloodiest Latin American war of the 20th century: Part I. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/La+guerra+del+Chaco:+the+bloodiest+Latin+American+war+of+the+20th...-a0371284356 |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Brazil}}:<ref name="hogg1987" /> The [[Federal District of Brazil (1891–1960)|Federal District]] police acquired some C96 pistols at the beginning of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Military and police handgun cartridges of Brazil. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Military+and+police+handgun+cartridges+of+Brazil.-a0248661694 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref> in 1930 the Federal District police ordered 500 M1932 pistols a number of which were also bought by the São Paulo Public Force.<ref name=":3" /> Some police forces acquired Royal MM34 pistols.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-15 |title=Astra, Royal e Azul; as "Rápidas" Espanholas |url=https://armasonline.org/armas-on-line/as-rapidas-mauser-c96-espanholas/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Armas On-Line |language=pt-BR}}</ref> Two Royal machine-pistols with 15 round magazines were used by the Alagoas police in the raid that killed [[Lampião]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mello |first=Frederico Pernambucano de |title=Guerreiros do sol : violência e banditismo no Nordeste do Brasil |date=2011 |isbn=978-85-63610-05-8 |edition=5a edição revista e atualizada |publisher=A Girafa|location=São Paulo |oclc=879852051}}</ref> By 1971 the Sergipe State Military Police had 5 7.63 Royal machine pistols in their inventory.<ref>A Evolução Tecnológica do Armamento e Equipamento Bélico da Polícia Militar do Estado de Sergipe (1835-2005) Ferraz Souza, Dilson</ref> The Brazilian President Washington Luiz owned a gold copy, which is now part of the collection of the Museu da República, in Rio de Janeiro.
* {{Flag|Czechoslovakia|1918}}: The C96 was among the assortment of handguns in use after the declaration of independence in 1919<ref>{{Cite web |title=Czechoslovak Weapons of World War II: part 1: Czechoslovakia was well-armed and fortified before World War II, but appeasers in Britain and France pulled the rug out, making "Munich" a synonym for betrayal. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Czechoslovak+Weapons+of+World+War+II:+part+1:+Czechoslovakia+was...-a0501831675 |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Ethiopia}}: A number of pistols were purchased for the bodyguard of Emperor [[Haile Selassie]]<ref>Shant Christopheer. Infantry weapons: an encyclopedia of small arms. — M.: Omega, 2004. {{ISBN|5-465-00279-4}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Empire of Japan|name=Empire of Japan}}: Used by police in Korea and the [[Kwantung Army]]; in 1941 it was introduced to home guard units. Mauser and Astra pistols were captured from the Chinese.<ref name=":4">{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Japanese+handguns+of+World+War+II%3A+were+they+as+bad+as+they+looked%3F...-a0198849498 |title=Japanese handguns of World War II: were they as bad as they looked? Pretty much, says Kokalis, who argues that the greatly increased recent interest in collecting them doesn't mean they still weren't ineffective guns.}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Finland}}: 1000 delivered by Germany to the [[Jaeger Movement]] and later the Finnish White army. In 1919 multiple C96 pistols were ordered, including some in 7.65.<ref name=":5" /> By the time of the [[Second World War]] there were 614 pistols remaining ( 343 in 9mm and 271 pistols in 7.63) those were used mostly by the civil guard and rear echelon troops.<ref name=":6">{{cite web |url=https://www.jaegerplatoon.net/PISTOLS2.htm |title=Finnish Army 1918–1945: Revolvers & Pistols (Part 2) |website=jaegerplatoon.net |access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> The C96 was also used by policemen and some members of [[Lotta Svärd]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Small Arms of the Russo-Finnish Winter War: Part II: "Kollaa kestaa!". - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/SMALL+ARMS+OF+THE+RUSSO-FINNISH+WINTER+WAR:+PART+II:+%22Kollaa+kestaa!%22.-a0655942119 |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|France}}: 2,000 were bought and issued to Gendarmerie in occupied German territory after World War I<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2020-04-20 |title=French Gendarmerie C96: A German Pistol for the Occupation |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/french-gendarmerie-c96-a-german-pistol-for-the-occupation/ |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=Forgotten Weapons |language=en-US}}</ref>
* {{Flag|German Empire}}: Privately purchased by officers serving in the military and in colonial police forces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pistols of the Schutztruppe and Overseas Forces |url=http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/militaria/pistols.htm |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mauser C96 used by the Landespolizei of South West Africa |url=http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/militaria/pistol%20mauser%20dswa.htm |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk}}</ref> The Army issued 137,000 of the "Red 9" variant during World War I.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />
* {{Flag|Indonesia}}: Were used during [[Indonesian National Revolution]]<ref name="thefreelibrary.com">{{Cite web |title=Small arms of the Koninlijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger: Part 2-from Bali to Papua: the KNIL enjoyed relative peace during the first half of the last century. Then the Japanese came. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Small+arms+of+the+Koninlijk+Nederlands-Indisch+Leger:+Part+2-from...-a0198849501 |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{flag|Iran|1907}}: A thousand were bought around 1911<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2011-07-14 |title=Pistola Mauser C96 (Rev. 2) |url=https://armasonline.org/armas-on-line/a-pistola-mauser-c96/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Armas On-Line |language=pt-BR}}</ref>
* {{flag|Irish Free State}}: 295 reported in service in late 1940<ref>{{cite web |author=Michael Kennedy, Victor Laing |year=2011 |title=The Irish Defence Forces 1940–1949 – The Chief of Staff's Reports |url=https://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/product/the-irish-defence-forces-1940-1949-the-chief-of-staffs-reports/?attachment_id=6185&download_file=q17mc9vbcohc5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314161526/https://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/product/the-irish-defence-forces-1940-1949-the-chief-of-staffs-reports/?attachment_id=6185&download_file=q17mc9vbcohc55 |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |publisher=Irish Manuscripts Commission |page=21}}</ref>
* {{flag|Israel}}: A number of C96 pistols were at the disposal of the Jewish militias in Palestine before the formation of the state of Israel, they were also used by the Haganah during the war for independence remaining in service at least until the spring of 1950. The ''Schnellfeuer'' variant was also in use.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reznikov |first=Alex |title=IDF Small Arms - Pistols and Revolvers |url=http://www.waronline.org/IDF/Articles/pistols.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428040116/http://www.waronline.org/IDF/Articles/pistols.htm |archive-date=28 April 2015 |website=waronline.org}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Italy}}: 5,000 slabside C96 pistols bought from Germany in 1899 for the navy<ref name="skennerton8" /> During WW1 those were also issued to the air force. 700 commercial model pistols were captured from an Austrian Ship<ref>{{Citation |title=Small Arms of WWI Primer 09A*: Mauser C96: Italian Modello 1899 | date=9 August 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKnCvvo0Nn4 |access-date=2022-12-16 |language=}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Latvia}}: Some used by [[Latvian police]] until the 1930s, gradually replaced by the [[Walther PP]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2018-03-06|title="Walther" policijas pistole {{!}} Valsts policija - Facebook|url=https://www.facebook.com/Valsts.policija/photos/a.159258540836726/1610208749075024/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.facebook.com|language=lv}}</ref> A small number were also used by the Latvian Army (around 65 by April 1936).<ref>{{Cite thesis|last=Dambītis|first=Kārlis|date=2016|title=Latvijas armijas artilērija 1919.-1940.g.: Vieta bruņotajos spēkos, struktūra un uzdevumi|trans-title=Artillery of the Latvian Army (1918–1940): structure, tasks and place in the Armed forces|url=https://dspace.lu.lv/dspace/handle/7/31857?locale-attribute=en|publisher=University of Latvia|type=PhD thesis|page=225}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Manchukuo}}<ref name=":4" />
* {{Flag|Mexico}}: A small number of pistols was supplied to the Mexican Government between 1898 and 1900<ref>{{Cite web |last=Firearms |first=Pony Express |title=Mauser C96 Broomhandle Pistols Used in the Mexican Revolution, circa 1897-1900 {{!}} Parker Gun Store |date=21 August 2017 |url=http://parkergunstore.com/mauser-c96-broomhandle-pistols-used-in-the-mexican-revolution-circa-1897-1900/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |language=en-US}}</ref> Also privately purchased by officers<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guns of the Mexican revolution: revolutions devour their own, and nowhere was that more true than in Mexico. Being a leader tended to be very bad for your health. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Guns+of+the+Mexican+revolution:+revolutions+devour+their+own,+and...-a0240623175 |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jowett |first=Philip S. |title=The Mexican Revolution, 1910-20. |date=2006 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |others=A. M. De Quesada, Stephen Walsh |isbn=978-1-4728-0718-2 |location=Oxford |oclc=881164009}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Nazi Germany}}: 19,000 were issue to the [[German Army (1935–1945)|regular army]] in 1942, the ''Schnellfeuer'' variant was issued to reconnaissance units of the [[Totenkopf Division]] and the [[Wehrmacht]], 8,000 were also issued to the [[Luftwaffe]] during World War II. Also bought thousands of the Spanish-made [[Astra Model 900]], 902 and 904 variants.<ref name="1896mauser.com" />
* {{Flag|Netherlands}}: Purchased by KNIL in the late 1930s <ref name="thefreelibrary.com"/>
* {{Flag|Norway}}: M1930 model<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Broomhandle: whether carried by Chinese warlords, Waffen-SS men or comic book villains, this distinctive pistol is always immediately recognizable. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Broomhandle:+whether+carried+by+Chinese+warlords,+Waffen-SS+men...-a0337529835 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Ottoman Empire}}: 1,000 ordered from Germany in 1896<ref name="1896mauser.com" />
* {{Flag|Qing Empire|1889|name=Qing Empire}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chinese Military & Police Handgun Cartridges From Confusion to QSZ-92 |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/CHINESE+MILITARY+&+POLICE+HANDGUN+CARTRIDGES+FROM+CONFUSION+TO+QSZ-92-a0521459941 |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Republic of China (1912–1949)}}: Hundreds of thousands were used by [[Kuomintang]], [[Communist Party of China|communist]], and [[Warlord era|warlord]] forces.<ref>{{cite book |title=Pistols: an illustrated history of their impact |last=Kinard |first=Jeff |year=2003 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |location=Santa Barbara, California |isbn=1-85109-470-9 |page=183 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVnuHX_6bG0C&pg=PA183 |access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Russian Empire|name=Russian Empire}}: In 1908 officers were authorized to purchase the pistol and it became a popular sidearm. It was issued to aviators since 1909,<ref>Semyon Fedoseev. The same Mauser // Master Rifle magazine, No. 5-6, 1996. pp. 12-18</ref> and in 1915 to vehicle drivers and military personnel in some other specialized roles.<ref name=":0">K-96: the legend continues // Master Rifle magazine, No. 12 (153), December 2009</ref> The C96 was also used by police agencies. A small number of guns were captured from German shipments in Finland and issued to Gendarmes.<ref name=":6" /> During the Russian Civil War large amounts of <nowiki>''Bolo''</nowiki> pistols were ordered by White Guards.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Russiam/Soviet military handguns--part 2 form Schwarzlose to Yarygin: Russia stuck with the revolver longer than most, but the list of its autoloaders is an interesting one. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Russiam/Soviet+military+handguns--part+2+form+Schwarzlose+to+Yarygin:...-a0327588530 |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>[[File:Mauser C96 Used in Nanchang Uprising 2012-07.JPG|thumb|A replica of the Mauser C96 used by Chinese forces during the [[Nanchang uprising]]]]
* {{Flag|Spain|name=Kingdom of Spain}}: Carried by some officers in Cuba during the [[Spanish American War]]. C96 pistols and local copies were issued to officers in the [[Rif War]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Small arms of the Spanish-American War part 2: the "splendid little war" set the USA on the path to world power, and Spain on the way to decline and authoritarian rule. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Small+arms+of+the+Spanish-American+War+part+2:+the+%22splendid+little...-a0313519970 |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Johnathan |title=The 'Broomhandle' Mauser |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2017}}  p. 64.</ref>
* {{Flag|Spanish Republic|name=Second Spanish Republic}}<ref name="1896mauser.com" />
* {{Flag|Serbia}}: Received a number of pistols as reparations from Germany and Austria after World War I<ref>{{Cite web |title=Serbian/Yugoslav military handgun cartridges. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Serbian/Yugoslav+military+handgun+cartridges.-a0421625116 |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Shanghai International Settlement}}: M1930 model bought by police<ref name=":2" />
* {{Flag|South African Republic}}: 100 were bought after a Portuguese firm in Mozambique provided [[Piet Joubert]] with samples. Additionally, a number were privately purchased by burghers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Military & police handgun cartridges of South Africa. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Military+&+police+handgun+cartridges+of+South+Africa.-a0221093742 |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Soviet Union}}: Used during the Russian Civil War (Mostly 7.63-mm model 1912).<ref>{{Citation |last=Hsieh |first=Wayne Wei-siang |title=Military Strategy in the Civil War |date=2019-09-30 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.486 |encyclopedia=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.486 |isbn=978-0-19-932917-5 |access-date=2022-12-16|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 'Bolo' Mausers were captured from White Guards and after the end of the war, about 30 thousand more such pistols chambered for 7.63 × 25&nbsp;mm Mauser were ordered in Germany.<ref name="Bishop 1998, p.96" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> These remained in service with the command staff of the Red Army at least until the end of 1939.<ref>Soviet-Finnish war 1939-1940 Reader / A. E. Taras. - Minsk: Harvest, 1999.</ref> During the Winter war, those pistols were issued to ski reconnaissance groups of the Red Army.<ref>P. Alexandrov. Return // Change magazine, No. 7-8, July 1941. pp. 14-15</ref> After Nazi Germany declared war on the Soviet Union, a number of pistols were transferred to the armament of the Soviet partisans, and issued to the commanders of a number of partisan detachments.<ref>Memory of a feat. Through the halls of the Central Order of the Red Star of the Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR. - M .: Moskovsky worker, 1985.</ref>
* {{Flag|Rattanakosin Kingdom}}: Small number of 7.63 pistols purchased in 1908<ref name="hogg1987" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Johnathan |title=The 'Broomhandle' Mauser |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2017}}  p. 22.</ref>
* {{Flag|Turkey}}: Model 1930<ref name=":2" />
* {{Flag|Ukraine}}: As of 2011, 150 7.63 pistols were stored in Ministry of Defense warehouses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-27 |title=Перелік військового майна Збройних Сил, яке може бути... {{!}} від 15.08.2011 No. 1022-р (Сторінка 9 з 14) |url=http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/22%D0%B0-2011-%D1%80/page9 |access-date=2023-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927213927/http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/22%D0%B0-2011-%D1%80/page9 |archive-date=27 September 2016 }}</ref>
* {{Flag|United Kingdom}}: Many were privately bought by British officers before World War I<ref name="Maze 2002, p.56,70" />
* {{Flag|United States}}: Privately purchased guns in use with Texas Rangers, Bounty Hunters and some Sheriff departments.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-13 |title=Texas Ranger Wonder Gun: Broomhandle Mauser C96 |url=https://www.historynet.com/broomhandle-mauser-c96/ |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=HistoryNet |language=en-US}}</ref> Many were also war trophies from veterans of the First and Second World Wars.
* {{Flag|North Vietnam}}: [[Soviet Union]] lent or captured by [[French Forces]] in Indochina.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/wwii-german-weapons-during-the-vietnam-war/ |title=WWII German weapons during the Vietnam War |date=10 July 2015 |website=wordpress.com |access-date=8 December 2017}}</ref> Vietcong copy Mauser C96 during Vietnam war.<ref>{{Cite web |last=No_Train8054 |date=2023-06-03 |title=Cao Dai 763.A Mauser C96 copy made by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.Chambered in 7.63x25mm |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/ForgottenWeapons/comments/13zp1zy/cao_dai_763a_mauser_c96_copy_made_by_the_viet/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=r/ForgottenWeapons}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Weimar Republic|name=Weimar Republic}}: Used by police forces and Reichswehr officers<ref>Kashevsky V.A. Infantry weapons of the Second World War. - Minsk: Harvest, 2004.</ref>
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Yugoslavia|1929}}: M1932 adopted by police<ref name=":2" />

===Non-state actors===
* {{flagdeco|Ireland}} [[Irish Republican Army]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Firearms+of+the+Irish+Civil+Wars%3A+Part+2+the+Republicans%3A+their...-a0207048671 |title=Firearms of the Irish Civil Wars: Part 2 the Republicans |last=Scarlata |first=Paul |magazine=Shotgun News |date=20 August 2009 |via=The Free Library |access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Italian Committee of National Liberation.svg}} [[Italian Partisans]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gianluigi|first1=Usai|title=Italian partisan weapons in WWII|last2=Riccio|first2=Ralph|date=January 28, 2017|publisher=Schiffer Military History|isbn=978-0764352102|page=195}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Communist_Party_of_Malaya.svg}} [[Malayan Communist Party]]: Small numbers were donated by the Soviet Union.<ref name="malay" />
* {{flagicon image|PCdoB flag.svg}} [[Communist Party of Brazil]]: Royal machine pistol used in the Araguaia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Relatório Sobre a Luta no Araguaia |url=https://www.marxists.org/portugues/tematica/1974/mes/araguaia.htm |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=www.marxists.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Glênio Fernandes de Sá Mililtante Político PCdoB Partido Comunista do Brasil RN Rio Grande do Norte Potiguar Natal Caraúbas Araguaia Guerrilha Guerrilheiro Livro Textos Vídeos Osvaldão DVD Multimídia DHnet - Direitos Humanos na Internet |url=http://www.dhnet.org.br/verdade/rn/combatentes/glenio/relatorio_arroyo_luta_araguaia.htm |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=www.dhnet.org.br}}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|Finland}} [[Finnish nationalism|Finnish Independence Movement:]] Small numbers were smuggled in before WW1, including some 300 pistols on the SS John Grafton.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-20 |title=FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: RIFLES PART 6 |url=https://www.jaegerplatoon.net/RIFLES6.htm |access-date=2023-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320155959/https://www.jaegerplatoon.net/RIFLES6.htm |archive-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name=":6" />
* {{flagicon image|Socialist_red_flag.svg}} [[Finnish Red Guards]]: Small numbers were obtained from intercepted German shipments during the civil war.<ref name=":6" />

==Cultural significance==
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The broomhandle Mauser is a popular collector's gun.<ref name="wilsonr" /> It was popularized in Soviet films as the iconic weapon of the Russian revolution and civil war. The C96 frequently appears as a "foreign" or "exotic" pistol in a number of films (such as ''[[The Great Silence]]'', where [[Jean-Louis Trintignant]]'s use of the C96 intentionally contrasts with the [[Colt Single Action Army]] revolvers used by the other characters in the film)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://offscreen.com/view/great_silence |title=Turning the Western on its head: Simple subversion in Sergio Corbucci's The Great Silence (1968) |website=Offscreen |access-date=26 October 2015}}</ref> and TV shows, owing to its distinctive and instantly recognizable shape.

The gun is depicted as a standard sidearm for Turkish officers in the film, ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'', and a wounded, disoriented Turkish officer fires one at Lawrence after he de-rails the Turkish train. Author [[Ian Fleming]] outfitted agents of [[SMERSH]] in the ''[[James Bond]]'' series with Mausers on the advice of firearms expert [[Geoffrey Boothroyd]].<ref name="Macintyre2012">{{cite book |last=Macintyre |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Macintyre |title=For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=48C1MDVL_RcC&pg=PA114 |date=2 February 2012 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4088-3064-2 |page=114}}</ref> The C96 was the inspiration for the Buck Rogers Atomic Pistol in the movie serial and the comic,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Collected Works of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century |editor-first=Robert C. |editor-last=Dille |year=1969 |location=New York |publisher=Chelsea Hous Publishers}}</ref> and a popular toy version was produced in 1934 by the Daisy Manufacturing Company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daisymuseum.com/history.htm |title=History |website=Daisy Museum.com |date=5 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923050754/http://www.daisymuseum.com/history.htm |archive-date=23 September 2017}}</ref> A C96 was modified to form [[Han Solo]]'s prop [[blaster (Star Wars)|blaster]] pistol for the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films (under the name BlasTech DL-44 heavy blaster pistol).<ref name="wilsonr" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/aug/12/harrison-fords-original-han-solo-blaster-to-fetch-500000-at-auction|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=Harrison Ford's original Han Solo blaster 'to fetch $500,000 at auction'|date=12 August 2022|access-date=12 August 2022}}</ref> Han Solo's Star Wars blaster was created from a Mauser C96 pistol with a shortened barrel fitted with a MG81 flash hider and a Hensoldt-Wetzlar scope.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sadowski |first=Robert |title=Gun Trader's Guide |date=2023 |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-5107-7731-6 |edition=45th |location=New York, NY |publication-date=2023 |language=en}}</ref> Reproductions of the blaster became so popular in the [[cosplay]] community that gun collectors became aware that fans were buying and altering increasingly rare original Mausers to make blaster replicas.<ref>{{cite web [|url=http://www.tested.com/art/makers/452186-how-obsessive-fans-built-better-han-solo-blaster/ |title=How Obsessive Fans Built a Better Han Solo Blaster |website=Jamie & Adam Tested |date=12 December 2012 |access-date=23 January 2015 |last=Chan |first=Norman}}</ref> The gun also figures prominently in the films ''[[Sitting Target]]'', ''[[Brannigan (film)|Brannigan]]'', and ''[[Joe Kidd]]''. The Japanese toy maker ''[[Epoch Co.]]'' created a dedicated [[video game console]] in 1977, the TV Game System 10, which includes as a [[light gun]] a plastic replica of a Mauser C96;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/63203/Epoch-TV-Game-System-10/ |title=Epoch TV Game System 10 |website=Centre for Computing History UK |access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thegamescholar.com/2020/06/10/the-forgotten-epic/ |title=The Forgotten Epic: Epoch TV Game System 10 |website=TheGameScholar.com |date=10 June 2020 |access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref> the C96 replica was also usable with its next console, the [[Epoch Cassette Vision]], created in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://shmuplations.com/epoch/ |title=Epoch and the Cassette Vision – 1997 Developer Interview with hardware engineer/designer Masayuki Horie |website=ShmupLations.com |access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref> The C96 was used by [[Vlado Chernozemski]] to assassinate the Yugoslav king, Alexander I, in [[Marseille]] in 1934.<ref name="delaunay">{{cite book|last1=de Launay|first1=Jacques|title=Les grandes controverses de l'histoire contemporaine 1914–1945|date=1974|publisher=Edito-Service Histoire Secrete de Notre Temps|page=568}}</ref>[[Doctor Doom]] is often depicted in [[Marvel Comics]] as carrying a C96 Mauser to kill enemies he believes are unworthy of his armour or magic.<ref>         https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/GunsOfFiction/HandgunsMToZ</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bergmann–Bayard pistol]] – a similar German designed semi-automatic pistol produced under license in Belgium.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Commons}}
* {{cite book |last=Skennerton |first=Ian |year=2005 |title=Mauser Model 1896 Pistol |location=Gold Coast, QLD (Australia) |isbn=0-949749-77-X |publisher=Arms & Militaria Press}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Wilson |first=Royce |title=Mauser C96 Broomhandle |magazine=Australian and New Zealand Handgun |date=January 2009}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Bishop |editor-first=Chris |year=1998 |title=Guns in Combat |location= Kent (UK) |isbn=1-84013-083-0 |publisher=Grange Books}}
* {{cite book |last=Maze |first=Robert J. |year=2002 |title=Howdah to High Power: A Century of Breechloading Service Pistols (1867–1967) |location=Tucson, Ariz. (USA) |isbn=1-880677-17-2 |publisher=Excalibur Publications}}
* {{cite book |title=System Mauser – A Pictorial History of the Model 1896 Self-Loading Pistol |first1=John W. |last1= Breathed Jr. |first2=Joseph J. |last2=Schroeder Jr. |year=1967 |publisher=Handgun Press}}
* {{cite book |title=The Mauser Self-Loading Pistol |first1=James N. |last1=Belford |first2=Jack |last2=Dunlap |year=1969 |publisher=Borden Publishing Cie}}
* {{cite book |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 1987–1988 |editor-first=Ian V. |editor-last=Hogg |year=1987 |publisher=Jane's Publishing Group}}
* {{cite book | title=Know Your Broomhandle Mausers | publisher=Blacksmith Corp | author=Berger, Robert J. | year=1985 | isbn=978-0941540094}}

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