Need help with finishes on C96

[alvin]

Originally Posted by alanint

Doesn't the "stepped barrel" indicate a redone gun? I forget.

Above GB one?

No. German also has this type of stepped barrel on late variations, both M1930 and Schnellfeuer have stepped barrel.

But this one is not German. Buyer is correct, it's a Chinese copy. Most obvious sign is the "narrowing curb" on the magazine well, also, the trigger's shape & position is not German, the marking does not look being German, the grip size is smaller than German, etc. The barrel was better copied, but still does not look like a German, the area behind bolt stop is too narrow.

A Chinese copy is not necessarily being a bad one, but he wanted a German, so he felt he was cheated.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by alvin

A Chinese copy is not necessarily being a bad one, but he wanted a German, so he felt he was cheated.

I assume that Mauser parts won't necessarily fit either? That would render the gun useless as a shooter if something happens to break, or at least make for some long hours fitting new parts.

Really, with all those Chinese clones floating around, it would be helpful to have some kind of "buyer's guide" showing the typical differences. I have been very close to buying clones, but was saved from getting burned simply by finding anomalies like misspelled words or funky characters. For example, I have seen a few with fairly convincing stamps, but with a backwards "S" in "MAUSER". Those things are very easy to spot, but there may be more subtle differences that the novice won't notice until it's too late.

It doesn't have to be very complicated, just a side-by-side picture with arrows pointing out the typical differences. Anybody willing to do that?