Early German Mauser C96 Broomhandle Cone Hammer 7.63x25mm 5.5” Semi-Auto
SOLD FOR: $3,925.00
LSB# LSB260901SB001
Make: Waffenfabrik Mauser, Oberndorf A/N, Germany
Model: C96 Early Commercial Cone Hammer
Serial#: 5523
Year of Manufacture: 1897-1898 / Antique
Caliber: 7.63x25mm Mauser (.30 Mauser)
Action Type: Semi-Automatic Short-Recoil Pistol with an Internal Magazine fed by stripper clips.
Markings: The top of the chamber flat is marked, “WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER OBERNDORF A/N”. The underside of the upper at the locking block is marked with the serial, “5523”. All serialized parts are matched including the internals. The holster is non-matched to the pistol.
Barrel Length: 5 1/2”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a barleycorn blade fixed to the muzzle. The rear sight is a “V”-notch tangent leaf marked out to 10.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece 23-line serrated walnut panels screw-set to the frame. There are scratches, pressure dents, and a few tiny chips. There is light to moderate wear to the serrations. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good condition. The holster is in Fair condition with several repaired cracks throughout along with moderate wear.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is pronounced. There is light to moderate erosion throughout. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 7.5/10 as an Antique.
Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 97% of its metal finish. There is light leading edge wear throughout. The action has light wear. The screw head is sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Excellent condition as a refinished Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: Non-serial matched holster.
Our Assessment: The Mauser C96 was among the earliest commercially successful self-loading pistols, and the cone-hammer variation represents the beginning of production before Mauser settled on the later large-ring and small-ring hammer patterns. Early production was characterized by frequent changes in internal and external features as the design evolved, making surviving low-serial-number pistols particularly useful for tracing that development. Serial 5523 falls squarely within this early period and is especially compelling because the closely neighboring serial 5528 has been documented as a 1897-1898 production cone hammer with the same basic full-size configuration. This pistol retains the desirable 5 1/2″ barrel, 23-line walnut grips, early cone hammer, tangent sight, and matching serialized components, including the internal parts. This pistol remains in Excellent condition as refinished, retaining approximately 97% of its current blued finish. There is light wear along the leading edges and light operational wear to the action, while the screw head remains sharp and the markings are clear. The two-piece walnut grips show scratches, pressure dents, a few tiny chips, and light to moderate wear to the serrations but remain free of cracks, rating in Good condition. The bore is semi-bright with pronounced rifling and shows light to moderate erosion, rating approximately 7.5/10 for an Antique. Mechanically, the action functions correctly. The included wooden holster is not serial matched to the pistol.
For collectors of early automatic pistols and Mauser C96 variants, an early cone-hammer in the 5,000 serial range has substantial historical interest because it dates to the formative period of one of the most recognizable autoloading pistol designs ever produced. The matching numbered components, early configuration, low serial number, 1897-98 production evidence, and accompanying period-style holster all contribute strongly to its collector appeal. The later refinish prevents it from being an untouched high-originality example, but this remains a very attractive and unusually early C96 that preserves the distinctive features of Mauser’s first-generation commercial production. -R.E.