Mauser C96 Pre-War Commercial (Pre-Neue Sicherung), Small-Ring Hammer, 7.63mm, 5.5 in Barrel, 10-Round, 1914 — With Wood Stock/Holster
This Pre-War Commercial Mauser C96 is a 1914-dated, pre-Neue Sicherung example with the small-ring hammer in 7.63mm Mauser. It carries hallmark features collectors look for, including the chamber-top "WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER OBERNDORF A/N." address, a tangent ladder rear sight graduated to 1000 meters, and a slotted backstrap for the detachable stock/holster included with the pistol. Matching-numbered small parts have been observed (last three digits "783"), and the rear sight cursor retains a notable fire-blue hue.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: The action cycles smoothly with a tight lockup. The metal shows widespread finish loss with scattered scratching and frequent blemishes. Rifling is deep and well defined, with some blemishing present. The wooden stock/holster has a crack near the latch area.
What’s Included
- Mauser C96 wooden combination shoulder stock/holster with iron hinge and latch
Built in Germany before World War I, this full-size C96 represents the Pre-War Commercial, pre-Neue Sicherung pattern with the small-ring hammer and the earlier style manual safety. It is chambered in 7.63mm Mauser and fitted with a 5.5 in barrel, pairing the classic cartridge with the configuration associated with early commercial production.
The sighting setup is the period-correct tangent ladder rear with V-notch, graduated to 1000 meters, matched to an inverted-V front blade. The rear sight cursor retains a desirable fire-blue hue. The chamber-top bears the "WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER OBERNDORF A/N." address, and proof marks are present on the barrel extension with inspection marks on rear components.
Its operating system is short-recoil, locked-breech. Feeding is via a fixed internal 10-round magazine loaded by stripper clip, true to the commercial C96 layout. The frame and receiver are steel, and the grips are grooved walnut with a lanyard ring.
The backstrap is slotted for the detachable stock/holster, and this example includes the wood combination shoulder stock/holster with iron hardware. Matching-numbered small parts have been observed (last three digits "783"), and the included stock/holster shows no visible serial number.