BACKGROUND: In 1896 the Mauser firm, whose reputation was founded on their military rifles, introduced their military automatic pistol. Although rarely purchased in quantity by any army, it was often used as a preferred side arm by officers, and 150 000 of them were re-chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge and adopted as "substitute standard" pistols by the German army and navy during the first world war. There was enough demand to keep it in production until 1937.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A blued metal pistol with dark wood grips, 11 3/4" in overall length, with the barrel comprising approximately 5 1/2" of that. Its grip plates are held by a single screw-bolt, and each have twelve horizontal grooves to them. Their widening, conical shape gave the weapon its "broom handle" moniker. A lanyard ring is to the base of the grip, and a vertical groove runs along its reverse, which facilitates the attachment of a wooden stock. Above the grip, stamped to the left side of the pistol within a stylized surround, is "Mauser." Stamped in a similar position to the right side of the pistol is "D.R.P.," for "Deutsche Reichs Patent" (German National Patent), followed by an obscured letter, or letters, the most discernible being what appears to be an "a" (possibly for "angemessen," or, appropriate/adapted-to). A safety toggle is to the rear of the weapon along its left side, with "F," for "Feuer" (Fire), visibly stamped to its left side. As it is presently unmovable, one may assume that "S," for "Sicher" (Safe), is stamped to an unexposed area of the toggle. Alongside this is a movable hammer, forward of which is the deliberately seized cocking mechanism, to the top of which may be seen an inspection stamp comprised of a "U" with two crowns over it. "909880," or "088606," is stamped to the top of the rear of the receiver, just forward of the cocking mechanism and just behind the rear sight. The rear, notched leaf sight is to the end of a hinged bar with gradations from 50 to 1000 meters along it. A sliding and locking mechanism runs along this bar, which, as it is moved forward along the ascending profile of the sight housing, raises the rear leaf sight correspondingly. Immediately beneath the rear leaf sight, to the right side of the of the pistol, is a horizontally sliding button, which still appears to operate. Forward of it, as well as to several places beneath it, are solder spots from the pistol’s deactivation. The trigger, which still operates, and trigger guard are to the rear of its internal, ten-round box magazine. It would have been loaded from the top, where the deliberately seized breech block may be seen. Forward of the breech opening, where the barrel meets the body, is stamped "Waffenfabrik Mauser Oberndorf a/N." To the left side of this is the same inspection stamp seen to the top of the cocking mechanism. To the underside of the barrel is stamped a "5" above an "N," with an inverted "4" beneath it. A forward sight is to the top and end of the tapering barrel. Light surface scratches are evident throughout, with more noticeable wear to the bluing along the weapon’s highlights and edges. Although over 90% of its original bluing has been retained, it has almost completely worn from the surface of the rear sight bar, and the cocking mechanism. Its breech block and rear hammer do not appear to have been blued. Some pitting may be seen to the metal above the groove to the reverse of the grip, where the shoulder stock would have been attached.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,815.00