Broomhandle (opinions needed)

[cruizer]

Hi Everyone as I don't know alot about lugers but have learned alot here on this forum with the help of the members I would like to get opinions on this gun...it is a refinish and wants $800.00 for it...non import mark and includes 10 stripper clips...Thanks for any help on it...... Ron

[Neil Young]

Looks like a nice refinish job. I'm not a broomhandle expert by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn't sound like an outlandish price. Hopefully some C96 experts will chime and give you good advice.

[alvin]

For reblued guns, bore is more important than blue. But $800 is good if it's matching. I don't know why people care a gun being matching or not when it's refurbished. But many people care, probably from shooting point view (matching guns are supposed shooting better). One advantage of 1930 -- no key small parts are numbered, only barrel, frame, floor and lock frame are numbered, so even mismatching should not affect shooting much. Bore condition does affect shooting, so good bore is important. If any above mentioned parts carry different numbers, you can use that as a reason to suppress price a little bit, but probably not much. At this price, it's sellable on gunbroker.com or auctionarms.com without any problem.

[Sergio Natali]

From the pictures it seems a nice M30
Congratulations n your C96!

Sergio

[DavidJayUden]

Is it .30 cal. or 9mm?
dju

[alvin]

Yeah.. caliber could be important on this one as well. PPU 7.63mm ammo was everywhere a few years ago, but harder to find nowadays, so price is rising. Luckily, I bought 50 boxes in the past

====

If you're a buyer, and could persuade the seller to sell the following one at $1200, or $1300, then it's a good deal. Although being original and matching, M1930 in this shape is semi-shooter, semi-collector in US gun market. For shooting, it will shoot well. For looking, it's original. One stone will hit two birds. Even $1500 is OK (but people with base collection probably won't buy it at $1500, due to its shape is too average).

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=464613732

If you're a seller to sell the reblued one in the topic, $800 should be no problem regardless whatever.

[cruizer]

Thanks for your help on this he sent more pic's of the gun. It's 9mm and he thinks the grips have been replaced at sometime the barrel is in good shape not sure about matching or not. Pic's are attached. Thanks again. Ron

[cruizer]

Sorry me or the computer are not working in tune this am!!!

[DavidJayUden]

So long as the seller says it is a good functional shooter the price is right. I have one very similar from the Broom Closet and since I have no desire to collect Brooms, I'm good to take it to the range about 1-2 times each year. A fun novelty to shoot and look at, nothing more.
I guess it all comes down to what you want it for.
dju

[cruizer]

couple more pic's

[cruizer]

Thats what I am looking for dju he said it's been thru approx 100 rounds or so and functions great...I really don't want to collect them but hit the range once in a while and have some fun and I think it looks to be in ok shape to play around with....Ron

[alanint]

This looks like one of the refurbished Brooms brought in from China in the Late 80s, early 90s.

They were all refurbished, rebarreled to 9mm and new grips added. The ones I owned looked pretty much like the gun in question. Most of them will show buffing and some pitting, due to their condition prior to import.

If you look very carefully, you will undoubtedly find a small import mark somewhere. Possibly on the inner rails.

[cruizer]

Thanks for bringing up all these responses on this gun...he is going to tear it down tonight and check for matching #'s and any signs of import marks on it....he also said it is 9mm for sure...Thanks again everyone for your help it's nice to be able to ask questions and learn from them......Ron

[Diver6106]

I've been looking for years, and it looks like a great buy - if it is not one of the Chinese imports as mentioned above. You can still buy it, but the value is less than a German Mauser. Look for any misspelling on the pistol and import marks. The big Chinese imports went thru a North Caroline dealer.

[alvin]

It's a little bit misunderstanding. "Chinese imports" does not necessarily mean "Made in China". Historically, Chinese bought,,, my estimate was 300,000 - 400,000 German made Broomhandles. Those pistols went through tough environment, gradually exited from service from 1950s-1980s. There are some Chinese made Broomhandle copies in US imports, but most of them were German made. Chinese made Broomhandles have collector value too, but this particular one in the topic was German made, no question on that. Unfortunately, it's not original anymore.

Today, we still in M1930 in excellent original condition, or even like-new condition. That's due to German cut weapon supply to China in 1937. Tens of thousands M1930s were not shipped. Otherwise, M1930 above 90% would be very rare today. A gun, regardless of being a rifle or pistol, if went through Chinese militia-men's hands, then, it's almost game over.

[cruizer]

Correct me if I am wrong. The guns were German made and then sent to China and when thru the wringer then the chinese reworked them and the USA imported them. So in the end if it has a import stamp on it somewhere I should look elsewhere. I really want to shoot it and not just look at it. Thanks lots of information......Ron

[alvin]

Correct. It's made in Germany and German sold it to Chinese in 1930s. Half a century later, it's exported to US in 1980s. But I bet it's rebored and reblued in the US. Chinese would not rebore it to 9mm because standard Chinese caliber was 7.62x25 Tokarev. Unlike Soviet Union or East Germany, Chinese did not have routine gun reblue program either. After import, a US owner hired a gunsmith rebored it and reblued it, due to original 7.63mm bore was in poor shape and it's rusted. It was a popular practice among US gun owners.

I just noticed there was a gun in worse condition sold $1500 just a week ago.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=462352794