Paul Mauser Private Archive

[sheepherder]

Well, the bottom close-up is C96 grip frames, upside down...Can't quite make out the other close-up...Despite owning two broomhandles...

[Vlim]

Educated guess: Barrel assemblies with lockwork attached, upside down.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Vlim

Educated guess: Barrel assemblies with lockwork attached, upside down.

..."Duh!" to me!!!...If grip frames are on one line, that pretty much leaves lockwork + barrels on the other!!!

I guess that's why I wasn't chosen to assemble atomic weapons...

(But I did machine parts for Boeing airliners...Think about that the next time you fly...)

[mauro]

Some more close up...

[mauro]

Hello Fellows,
As announced in a previous post, the shooting of the documentary “The Paul Mauser Legacy” will start in July, 2012.

This documentary is based on the Paul Mauser private archive and the Mauser company archive.

Interviews will be performed to Mauser experts like Prof. Dr. Rolf Gminder and Jon Speed.

The shooting will be performed in Belgium and Germany in July and the final product should be ready by the end of this year.

The result should be really great and interesting, providing new information for the Mauser weapons enthusiast.

Here you can see a promotional video:

http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/p...al%20video.htm

Enjoy it,

Mauro

[mrerick]

I'm the videographer that is working with Mauro and Gerben to produce the documentary on Paul Mauser.

When I first saw the materials that they were curating about Paul Mauser, I realized that they help illuminate Paul Mauser's significant contributions to the development of our modern society.

By working with Mauro and Gerben, the Oberndorf Waffenmuseum and several noted firearms researchers it's my hope to help support further research and share Paul Mauser's story more widely.

I'm producing the program in High Definition with the intent of offering the program for both broadcast / cable / satellite television and DVD or Blu-Ray distribution for personal sales.

As is often the case early in a project, it's hard to predict exactly how the program will be packaged and sold. It's helpful to have the program available for evaluation when it's being marketed.

I am interested in hearing from those that can be helpful with distribution of the program.

We will film in Europe during July, and I'll spend several months in the editing and post production processes.

Marc

[MFC]

Marc,
You must be excited to be a part of this historical documentary. I can't wait to see the final result.

[mauro]

Hello Gents,
As already described by Marc in the following topic:

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=28882

The documentary "The Legacy of Paul Mauser" has been shooted in concomitance with the annual (2012) Kü Club.

Shooting the documentary has been an interesting and informative activity.

Here you can find a nice gallery of pics taken during the activity in Belgium and in Germany:

http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/p...ocumentary.htm

Cheers,
Mauro

[mauro]

Dear All,
I think that the collectors interested in the 6.35mm Mauser Self-Loading pistol model 1910 and his genesis from the 9mm blowback Model 1909 will be happy to know that most of the documents related to the initial production in 1910 and 1911 are available in the Paul Mauser archive.

Additionally glass plate negatives from the V-abt show the early prototype as well as the model 1909.

The analysis of these documents, one of them visible in the picture others available here:

http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/m1910%20side%20latch%20gallery.htm

is mainly finished and articles should be expected next year.

Cheers,

Mauro

[mauro]

Dear Fellows,
I have noticed an increased interest in the study of the personalities involved in the design and production of our favorite firearms.

This makes me happy because, as most probably you know, I am spending most of my time, with Gerben, studying the Paul Mauser archive documents.

As you most probably know, Paul Mauser, Georg Luger and Hugo Borchardt were in touch; Georg Luger worked for a few years for Mauser until when decided to copy and patent some of his technical solution…
Same thing happens with Hugo Borchardt.

The study of the biography is for sure interesting but what it is really fascinating is the relationship between these personalities.

Hugo and Paul kept a friend relationship and both hate Georg Luger that, as we described in our book The Parabellum is back! 1945 – 2000, for sure had some morality issues.

In any case, a few days ago I have taken this picture that I guess you appreciate because it is a bunch of rare documents.

You can notice several letters from Paul Mauser to, for example the Kaiser, Hugo Borchardt and Georg Luger. On the right, you can see letters of Georg Luger to Paul Mauser when he was working for Paul about the “Mannlicher business”.

These letters are rare documents but as you most probably know, letter from and to Hugo Borchardt, are absolutely rare and, as far as I know, this is the only example I was able to see till now.

High quality pictures can be found in the Paul Mauser archive web site:
http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/


I am sure you enjoy these documents.

Mauro

[mauro]

Dear All,
The picture shows some interesting 1910 Models with some early documents from the Paul Mauser Private Archive (www.paul-mauser-archive.com).

The documents are a sample of the files available in the Paul Mauser archive. The letter on the front, sent to Mauser from the Deutsche Versuchs – Anstalt fur Handfeuerwaffen (German Test facility for hand guns) on 14th September 1908 and received in Mauser on 16th September 1908, is the earliest evidence found so far about the interest and the status of development of the pocket pistols.
The letter states:

"Following the request of a royal provincial government about the recommendation of an automatic pocket pistol, that is not larger in weight and size than the well known Browning 7,65 pistol, we ask for notification whether, as Mr. Geheimrat Mauser promised a while ago, a pocket pistol can be sent by you quickly."

In the back, the internal copy of the answer from Mauser to the Deutsche Versuchs – Anstalt fur Handfeuerwaffen.

In the back, the 1910/11 internal Mauser Calculation and Production book.

Additionally in the Glass Plates Negative archive, some interesting dated pictures provide information about the combined tests of the 9mm and 6.35 mm models.

A detailed article has been written with Gerben and it has been already sent to the USA publisher and will be available in the next months.

On the right some interesting pistols, from the top:

1) Early sidelatch sn 291 found in Oberndorf with some early feature like the trigger and magazine numbered;
2) Standard sidelatch sn 20866 acquired in Germany;
3) Mod. 1910-14 sn 275465 found in Oberndorf;
4) Rare factory Nickeled 1910-34 found in Oberndorf sn 428159 with special magazine with finger rest, one of the last specimen produced.


The study performed by Gerben and I on the Paul Mauser Private archive continues and the unpublished finds are published on regular basis in USA, Germany and Italy.
The next article available in USA is related to the C96 Mexican contract.

Cheers,

Mauro

[mauro]

Dear Fellows,
In the next issue, available in 1 week, of the magazine Man at Arms for the Gun and Sword Collector a new article related to the C96 history will be available.

The article deals with the C96 for Mexico. The subject is unpublished so far and it covers an unfulfilled big contract foreseen for Mexico.

The history is fully explained based on original documents from the Paul Mauser Archive and you can see several different historical documents: letters, glass plates, sales figures and so on.

Interesting is the history of the produced pistols that never went to Mexico and also the great effort from Paul Mauser and his management to fulfill the request from Mexico...


Gerben and I we believe that this article will give new insight in the C96 production and the collectors and historians will appreciate the new finds.

Cheers,

Mauro

[jagervw]

Thank your for your efforts! Many North Americans do not know the achievements of Mauser - overshadowed in USA one might say by Browning, Colt, Smith & Wesson.

[alvin]

Originally Posted by jagervw

Thank your for your efforts! Many North Americans do not know the achievements of Mauser - overshadowed in USA one might say by Browning, Colt, Smith & Wesson.

Probably not in pre-1945 era. According to Robert Berger, in pre-1945 American gun market, when the name 'Mauser' was mentioned, names like Colt and Winchester must stand aside. Not sure how much truth in that statement. But he mentioned one thing, even non-gun people roughly knew Mauser being a firearm related noun -- that must be true, my spouse is an example, she heard of AK47 and Mauser. I did not tell her that. In the contrast, many people did not know DWM being a gun or ammo related term. Very very few non-gun people heard of Krieghoff, Simson, or Erfurt. Some heard of Walther due to 007 movie.

In post war years, Mauser actually becomes a historical term.

[mauro]

Hello Marc,
Happy that you appreciate the effort myself and Gerben we are doing...

We are working also in a new book project that should combine the Paul Mauser pistol design and production as well as his biography and life based upon his personal documents...

We think this is a great effort and will give to the collectors a new perspective on Mauser himself and his job.

For now enjoy the web site and the articles :-)

Cheers,
Mauro

[mauro]

Hello All,
I am just updating this topic that was silent since a while.
I would like to tell you that the Paul Mauser Archive web site is now updated.

Please have a look at: www.paul-mauser-archive.com

Good read.

Cheers,
Mauro

[mauro]

Dear All,
One of the most intriguing aspects of studying the Paul Mauser Archive and early Mauser Company Archive, is the tracking of presentation rifles and pistols that Paul Mauser offered to important people.

Specific documentation and evidence is available in Paul Mauser’s diaries and in letters exchanged with the recipients of these special rifles or pistols. In most of the cases, the sale books also track presentation events.

As an example of this interesting study, I have enclosed a set of documents related to presentation rifles offered by Paul Mauser to the German Emperor Wilhelm II.

Paul Mauser met Kaiser Wilhelm II, on several occasions. These meetings lead to a relationship that went well beyond just demonstrating Mauser firearms.

For pistol historians, probably the most important presentations were of a C96 pistol and C96 carbine in Potsdam on the 20th of August 1896. This event is noted in Paul Mauser’s diary of that year and also the glass plates of the C96 carbine and pistol showing them before and after testing. These are available in the Paul Mauser Archive.

In this example, you see one of the 4-page letters written by Paul Mauser for communication to Kaiser Wilhelm II. To be more precise here, Paul was not writing directly to the Emperor but rather to his Imperial correspondent the Emperor’s Wing Adjutant Graf von Moltke.

This letter is quite interesting because tells us that Paul prepared a special hunting rifle for the Kaiser that was ordered as a gift by his wife the Empress and Queen of Prussia Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. As a consequence of the rifle’s satisfactory hunting results, Paul Mauser subsequently received another request to offer to the Kaiser a special Target Rifle in 6mm caliber.

In the attached photo, you see the first page of the 4-page letter. The next photo shows Kaiser Wilhelm II proudly standing by one of the deer he took with the rifle. Finally, the record of the Special 6mm rifle in the Original Mauser sale book for the year is shown.

It is interesting to highlight the importance of this small caliber rifle. From 1895 until the finalization of the 98 action, in cooperation with the German GPK acceptance committee, Paul Mauser experimented with several small caliber rifles including versions in 4mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm and 6.5mm.

The full letter translation as well as additional samples of presentations pistols and rifles are available in the Paul Mauser book. More information here:

www.paul-mauser-archive.com

Mauro Baudino
Mauser Company and Firearms Historian
www.paul-mauser-archive.com
www.theparabellumisback.com www.lugerlp08.com

[Vlim]

A fresh discovery.

We acquired a short overview on Ludwig Loewe's company, published in Berlin, 1911. To date it is the earliest corporate history book we know of for the Loewe group.

It mentions that Paul Mauser became a member of DWM's supervisory board. No mentioning of him resigning until 1911 so it is probable that Paul Mauser retained his seat on the board until his death in 1914.

That must have annoyed Luger