Shansei Mausers new/ old ?

conehammer · 06-19-2010, 05:32 PM

This is a general question regarding the Shansei .45 Broomhandles /C96 / Type 17 - whatever you want to call them,
pistols. Every so often I look around for info on these, specifically if anyone has ever fully established ( not just assumed ) that the
small herd of them that came on the market some years back were in fact new production from China or originals. I myself always assumed they were new made but never really cared either way, I was just happy to have one. I read an interesting passage from this site: http://www.pmulcahy.com/pistols/german_pistols_l-m.htm -

Quote:

it is suspected that the Shansei Mauser is again being manufactured; I say "suspected" because though the Chinese say these are unfired examples pulled from storage, they appear to have several new parts as well as types of steel not available in the late 1920s and 1930s (though it is carefully given an aged appearance). The Chinese will not confirm that they are making Shansei Mausers again, however.

I had not heard before that new metallurgy was detected in these pistols. The site I quoted from didn't seem to quote any sources for their statement. So I'm really left with the same questions.

Any insights? Also, whatever happened to IAR, Inc who brought a bunch of these Chinese pistols to market??

Jerry

alvin · 06-19-2010, 08:23 PM

Given the volume of those .45ACP on the market, it does not look like a gun with only 8000 samples made in 1920s. And given the general shape of many IARs, it's safe to say they were newly assembled.

The question is : were they assembled from old parts?

Hard to tell. But there are some side hints. Chinese official told Brenner (a U.S. wholesale importer) that most of those guns were used to contribute raw material to Chairman Mao's backyard steel smelters during the Great Leap Forward Movement. Assume that's not a lie, then a natural question is: if complete guns were not kept, why did they keep parts.

Lugerdoc · 06-22-2010, 09:27 AM

As I recall, all of the .45 Shansis have a date on the right side in Chinese characters and the newer ones are dated in the 1980s. TH

06-22-2010, 09:27 AM	#3
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 737 Times in 484 Posts	As I recall, all of the .45 Shansis have a date on the right side in Chinese characters and the newer ones are dated in the 1980s. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

06-19-2010, 08:23 PM	#2
alvin User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: US Posts: 3,843 Thanks: 132 Thanked 729 Times in 438 Posts	Given the volume of those .45ACP on the market, it does not look like a gun with only 8000 samples made in 1920s. And given the general shape of many IARs, it's safe to say they were newly assembled. The question is : were they assembled from old parts? Hard to tell. But there are some side hints. Chinese official told Brenner (a U.S. wholesale importer) that most of those guns were used to contribute raw material to Chairman Mao's backyard steel smelters during the Great Leap Forward Movement. Assume that's not a lie, then a natural question is: if complete guns were not kept, why did they keep parts.