THE Mauser C96 (Construktion 96) pistol, also commonly called the “Broomhandle pistol” after the shape of its grip, was designed in 1894 by the three Feederle brothers working at the Mauser factory and was patented in 1895 in the name of the famous Paul Mauser. It was Mauser’s first commercial attempt at an automatic pistol and was recoil operated. Production began around April of 1897 using the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge, and continued for 43 years. With a total of more than 950 000 produced, it was the world’s first commercially successful high-power semi-automatic locked-breech pistol and although they were large and heavy, and expensive to make with multiple intricate machining operations, these pistols were of very high quality and reliability. The C96 was the best pistol available at the time of the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902 when most countries were still arming their soldiers with revolvers.
Boer affinity to the Mauser brand is well known and is exemplified by General Ben Viljoen’s famous statement, Both the Transvaal Republic (ZAR) and the Orange Free State (OVS) ordered substantial quantities of Mauser rifles (the Transvaal also ordering some by Ron Bester, the only official order for Mauser C96 pistols was for 100 pistols and 10 000 rounds of ammunition placed in February 1898 by the Transvaal Republic, delivery of which reached Pretoria in June 1898 – most likely the Mauser factory’s first ever military order for the C96. These 100 pistols were probably in the 2000-4000 serial number range and of the cone-hammer type. The serial number 2964 of the pistol featured here fits into this range, so it was probably among those initial 100 pistols.
