Mauser C96 Conehammer
Mauser · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1896
Also known as: Broomhandle, C96 Cone Hammer, Mauser Model 1896
Overview
The Mauser C96 'Conehammer' is the earliest production form of the iconic broomhandle pistol, made from 1896 to roughly 1899. It is identified by its distinctive cone-shaped (truncated-cone) hammer, milled flat-side frame panels, long extractor and early-pattern safety. Chambered in the bottlenecked 7.63x25mm Mauser cartridge and fed from a fixed ten-round internal magazine loaded via stripper clip, it pairs with a wooden combination holster-stock that doubles as a detachable shoulder stock. These first-pattern pistols predate the later large-ring and small-ring hammer styles that defined mass production.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1130 g (39.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 312 mm (12.28") |
| Barrel Length | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 425 m/s (1394 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 497 J (367 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.63x25mm Mauser · primary — also known as .30 Mauser, 7.63mm Mauser, 7.65mm Mauser
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip, Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Cone Hammer, Milled Frame Panels, Integral Charger Fed Magazine, Tangent Rear Sight, Detachable Shoulder Stock Holster
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Ottoman Empire · adopted 1897
Conflicts
- Second Boer War (1899-1902)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1896-1899
Cone Hammer was the first production pattern of the C96; total C96 production across all patterns exceeded one million units from 1896 to 1937
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Fidel, Friedrich and Josef Feederle
Discontinued: 1899
Notes
Cone Hammer examples represent the first Mauser broomhandles and are among the most collectible C96 variants. Early Turkish-contract cone-hammer guns carry tangent sights graduated 1-10 (100-1000 metres) and a holeless short-travel safety where the down position is safe.
Background
Designed largely by the three Feederle brothers in Mauser's experimental workshop and championed by Paul Mauser, the broomhandle's cone-hammer first pattern became an early adopter favorite of officers and adventurers, including a young Winston Churchill who carried a C96 at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898.