broom handle
 

Hi guys
I know this is not a Luger, but figured someone in the General discussion area may point me in the right direction.
I just picked up a nice Mauser Boom Handle
On the right side it has the ser. no. 650xxx,
9mm parabellum on the barrel, and the Mauser symbol.
on the left it says Waffenfabrik Mauser
Oberndorf Necker
on the top Waffenfabrik Mauser OberndorfFN
1st can anyone tell me anything about this gun and 2nd is there any online referance tables to explain Mausers?
Thanks

merc, load Google as your browser, enter in the search block 'broomhandle mauser' and you'll find more info than you would believe.

Hi Merc,

I was a "broomie" for 30 plus years. They are fascinating and much, much research remains to be done. I only have one now (down from a collection that was once 43, but the one I retained has some historical significance.

Enjoy brooms; they are a great way to fritter-away time in the collecting world and some really nice pieces are available relatively cheap compared to toggle-tops.

Tom A

Hello Merc!

Based on the serial number only, it sounds like what you have started out as a Late Post War Bolo C96, chambered for the 7.63x25 Mauser cartridge. The â??9 mm Parabellumâ?? on the barrel strongly suggests it was rehabbed (and converted to 9 mm Parabellum) by FedOrd. Thatâ??s about all I can tell you based on the information available.

Warm regards,

Kyrie

Tom,

Tell me more about how I can get these "relatively cheap" broomhandles.

Unspellable,

Keep your eyes open, and check everywhere. In my neck of the woods, in the past year or so, I have seen several in the $600-$800 range, certainly not collection quality, but about half of them shooting quality (be aware that there are 'Brooms out there which should not even be in the same room with ammunition!). I've seen two or three others in the $1,200 range, closer to collection quality or at least with ambitions in that direction.

These have all been at gun shows, gun shops, and pawn shops. Actually, I see them at shops more often than I see Lugers!

Happy hunting.

--Dwight

Kyrie,

Greetings! Good to hear from you.

--Dwight

Thanks Guys
I have checked several sites that google lead me to.
From those I think the gun was originally made between 1912 and 1930 (not much narrowing it down since they were all made between 1896 and 1936).
And that it must be a rework because it is a 9mm.
Now I know it is not some rare variable or anything that collector's would drool over but having it in MY collection is still better than not having it.
BTW--I only paid 325 for it.
Here is a pic
http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/Broomhandleleft.jpg

I recently aquired a broomhandle and did a some research on the net. This is a really good site I came up with:

C96 Broomhandle Info Site

According to this site, your pistol was produced between 1921 - 1930 (maybe your post of 1912 -1930 was a typo?). Anyway, it should have a Mauser banner on top of the barrel flat. The simplest guesstimation of the year your pistol was produced would be to assume a linear production rate between 1921 and 1930. Since your serial number falls directly in the middle of the given serial number range (500000-799999), the midpoint of the date range would be a general idea of when it was made (late 1925 - early 1926). Without more specific production data, this is about as close as you can come. I may be restating the obvious with this formula, but hanging around all these Luger guys makes you feel like an expert. In reality, I consider myself an advanced novice.

Here is a link to a thread with pics and info on my broomhandle (you have to register on this forum to use it):

Jack Lawman's C96 Broomhandle

Good Luck with your collecting,
Jack

That does not appear to be the original finish and I seem to see some pitting under the bluing, which indicates a rework. The grips are obviously not original and the only 9mm P's that Mauser made were the "Red 9" guns of WWI, which were full length.

The gun appears to be one of those imported from China, buffed down and reblued plus rebored and rechambered to 9mm by the importer. It is a fair example, and a shooter, but has little collector value. They are OK at a reasonable price, but sometimes folks pay a bit too much (something I am sure never happens with Lugers). ;>)

BTW, be very careful of "Red 9" pistols; almost all I have seen on the market recently were fakes.

Jim