Quote:
Originally Posted by DonVoigt
Likely because the Germans "kept" the 9mm in their inventory, and sold off the .30 mauser Broomhandles- simplified ammo logistics for the Weimar boys.
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Purely FYI, the Imperial German Army had an inventory of C96 pistols in 9 mm Parabellum via the Red Nine contract, but never purchased for issue the C96 in 7.63 Mauser and had no inventory of such C96s.
What was a common practice in some of the German States (and especially in Prussia) was to unofficially buy 7.63 C96s, offer these guns for commercial purchase to serving German soldiers who had duties that did not permit them to carry/use a rifle. Effectively it was an operation similar to the US Army PX system, and war time C96 variants with Imperial inspection acceptance stamps that were the private property of the serving soldier are fairly common (many with the Prussian eagle on the front of the magazine well or the bottom of the trigger guard, directly under the trigger).