Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer
Mauser · Pistol · Discontinued · 1932
Also known as: Model 712, Schnellfeuer, Reihenfeuer, M30 Schnellfeuer, Schnellfeuerpistole
Overview
The Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer is a select-fire machine-pistol derivative of the iconic C96 'Broomhandle,' developed in the early 1930s as Mauser's answer to Spanish-made full-auto C96 clones. Chambered in 7.63x25mm Mauser, it abandoned the C96's fixed stripper-clip magazine in favour of detachable 10- and 20-round box magazines and fired at a cyclic rate of roughly 950 rpm. Fitted with its detachable wooden shoulder-stock/holster, it became a surprisingly controllable compact submachine gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1266 g (44.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 288 mm (11.34") |
| Barrel Length | 132 mm (5.20") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 425 m/s (1394 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 510 J (376 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 950 rpm |
| 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 7.63 Mauser, .30 Mauser, 7.63x25, 7.63mm Mauser
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Lever, Fire Selector
- Features: Selective Fire, Detachable Shoulder Stock Holster, Detachable Box Magazine, Tangent Rear Sight, Broomhandle Grip
Variants
- Mauser C96 — Base Model
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Republic of China
- Nazi Germany · as Reihenfeuerpistole
Conflicts
- Chinese Civil War (1927-1949)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 100,000 · Production years: 1932-1938
Just over 100,000 produced; the majority were exported to China, where they competed with Spanish Astra select-fire copies
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Josef Nickl
Discontinued: 1938
Notes
'Model 712' is a GECO distributor catalogue ordering number, not an official Mauser factory designation; Mauser called it the Schnellfeuerpistole. The early Nickl pattern was superseded by the dominant 1932 Westinger pattern that made up nearly all production. The vast majority were exported to China; German service examples went mainly to couriers, military police, naval and Waffen-SS personnel.
Background
The Schnellfeuer is the source of the famous image of warlord-era Chinese soldiers firing a Broomhandle held sideways. It later achieved sci-fi immortality when a stockless, scope-rigged C96/M712 became Han Solo's DL-44 blaster in Star Wars.