MAUSER C96 LARGE RING last variation
 

Recently with a reputable gunshop I saw this C96 late flatside large ring, it's not too bad, my bigger doubts are among the grips, according to "System Mauser" page 72 should have 23 groove walnut grips, while this gun has got hard rubber ones...

:confused::confused:


Sergio

I would treasure the 'hard rubber' grips on a late Large Ring. You didn't say if you bought it...

It looks very nice... :)

That looks to be a very nice condition C96.

That looks a beautiful gun nevertheless. I am waiting to see alvin's learned postings and that of our other forum members.

Yes. There is such a variation of flatside with this type of grip panels. I have never owned one, but I saw it before. From these two pictures, although hard to tell it's correct down to everything, the general feeling is very good, the finish is correct with minor erosion and the color tone is correct.

No stock? LRH stock does not come easy. And the stock is fully number with the gun, 5-digit, so it's impossible to find a matching number stock separately.

Would those be 'guttaperca' grips???

Hello!
This is my first posting on lugerforum!
I collector in my area of western Australia has a flat side, large ring same as above fitted with mauser hard rubber grips. I don't have a photo but looked at the pistol about 6 months ago and it looks to be in about the same condition but fitted with a matching stock.
Cheers, Philip

Welcome Philip! :D

I wish I was there...It was -4ºF here when I woke up this morning...(That's minus four degrees)... :grr:

Can you snag any pics of that Mauser??? Why not open a new thread and post/attach pics of whatever you have in the way of interesting firearms... :cheers:

Yes those are the so called "guttaperca" grips.

Sergio

There is a small booklet on Broomhandle, "Know Your Broomhandle Mauser", it's very well written. On page 90, it has a Flatside with circled WM panels. WM in shield is more commonly seen than WM in circle.

There are more.

This type of panel is in "The Mauser Self Loading Pistol", page 33. The print quality of the book was poor, but I am sure panel "G" is the one. I heard one of the author, Jack Dunlap, had more than 300 C96s in his collection, that's a lot because the volume of this type of gun was relatively small in 1960s (majority of listings on gunbroker.com today are Chinese import of 1980s). Finding 300 collectible C96s took considerable effort, even when the price was only $30, $50, or $80 at that time. Price was their advantage. But they did not have internet at that time, had to run here or there joining numerous gun shows. Lots of effort, both financially and physically. Nowadays, the number of guns we have viewed are much bigger, thousands at minimum, and sitting in home :) Thanks the internet. That's our advantage. Of course, more fakes too.

Sergio,
I also consider both books as the best sources available even today. However, I still think that the Broomhandle bibliography lacks an effort like Sturgess/Götz and Still books on Lugers.

Regarding the pistol itself, I think it an outstanding example of a Large Ring Hammer. And the grips are a bonus, in my opinion.

Saluti,
Douglas

Thanks. I am hooked on this type of pistol.

Regarding the small booklet mentioned earlier, it's unlike any other collector gun books. The author probably graduated from English language major, who could present a gun in very romantic manner (most collector books could not). Definitely worth reading.

I have a flat side, 22k serial range with Gutta Percha "angel" grips. The example above is a nice one any collector would welcome.

Jerry

"... I am hooked on this type of pistol."

Dear Alvin

Unfortunately I'm hooked on several types of pistols: Lugers (in the first place), 1911, Pythons, ... but also C96, SIG P210... even GLOCKs and CZ SP01 these two not as collection items of course.
Too many beautiful guns and never enough money... :-)

Of course I'll let you know about that large ring, probably beautiful and surely expensive (the equivalent of USD 4890.00)

Flatside without stock in excellent shape probably goes $4k nowadays. Book value is also $4k. Considering the rare grip panels, a little bit higher is normal.

Here is a statistical picture of flatside for sale, and sold recently. Representative ones.