From both sides of the Atlantic, 1897 production.

[Ardent]

American & German ideas of good pistols from 1897, an antique SAA .41 Colt and a mint antique factory custom Westley Richards retailed C-96 .30 Mauser. Couldn't tell which I like more, will write an article on the C-96 on morrisonarms soon.

 

[Bittermansbro]

Ardent, maybe its just the grips on the C-96 which are throwing me off, but isn't the angle of the grip a little more than the Mauser made one?

 

[mrclean89]

Yeah the military ones are more straight up and down. Those are a beautiful pair of pistols, i would do pretty muc anything to own an antique colt

Cheers, McLean

 

[BSA Jack]

I would do pretty much anything to own either of them. Or at least anything an old guy can do. Very nice, treasure those guns. cheers

 

[Ardent]

Ardent, maybe its just the grips on the C-96 which are throwing me off, but isn't the angle of the grip a little more than the Mauser made one?

It was a custom by Mauser for a client through Westley Richards, all others military or civilian have the conventional broomhandle.

 

[Bittermansbro]

It was a custom by Mauser for a client through Westley Richards, all others military or civilian have the conventional broomhandle.

ahh, gotcha. Thanks.

 

[loki_81]

.41 colt and .30 mauser. That's some respectable antique firepower sitting right there.

Looking forward to the morrison arms article.

 

[Ardent]

The .30 Mauser came courtesy of loki folks, and yes a good potent combination in the antique world.

 

[scianna54]

I guess they are for sale?

 

[Ardent]

Nope. Would have to be funding a lion hunt or something very special to let these go, shed a lot of guns & toys to get the Mauser in the stable.

 

[41 Colt]

Love the Colt.

 

[Ardent]

Thanks, me too, it has travelled extensively in a good few of northern Canada's far corners. The Mauser has me especially excited being a nitro proofed all original semi in a fantastic chambering, 1,400-1,500fps was the fastest chambering prior to the .357 Mag. I'd been hunting for a good one for a long time and this old gal is as new.

 

[41 Colt]

I just noticed the Colt looks gappy at the rear of the trigger guard frame, where the two screws are. The set screw that retains the loading gate spring and plunger may have backed out preventing it from being properly tightened down.

 

[dingus]

Thanks, me too, it has travelled extensively in a good few of northern Canada's far corners. The Mauser has me especially excited being a nitro proofed all original semi in a fantastic chambering, 1,400-1,500fps was the fastest chambering prior to the .357 Mag. I'd been hunting for a good one for a long time and this old gal is as new.

Im Surprised by your comments in the other thread about "buying a frist antique" about the 45 acp converted guns sold on CGN and how you would "never touch them" that you would buy that mauser C96
Mauser dont do work like that its not orignal at all which is what me and some other CGNer suspected when it was frist posted on CGN . Its caliber is orignal but the guns refinished and buffed and the grips cut and welded to get that angle.
Pull off your grips and have a good look at the welds or did they clean it up some!
I can give you a link the the thread where the USA guys into mauser C 96s put the value at $4500 maby abit more if they could find the "Right" buyer.
I will post some pics if you like?
I have seen this gun in pictures on a USA fourm and it is just a gunsmith altered regular C 96 mauser.
Im not sure i can post links to the Luger web site on the open forum but id give it to you via PM

im guessing you didnt know as your not posting it to resell.

I sent you a PM with a picture.

 

[hickstick_10]

Im Surprised by your comments on the 45 acp converted guns sold on CGN and how you would "never touch them" that you would buy that mauser C96

Were has he posted the 45 acp comment on this thread?

 

[dingus]

Were has he posted the 45 acp comment on this thread?

Its in the other thread about a new guy wanting advise on a frist antique.
While i agree some 45 acp guns are shot loose by hard ball 45 acp ammo you cant lump all 45 acp converted antiques into the same basket.
Alot are recently converted and buyers are told to use reloads or at least lead bullet loaded down factory in there antiques depending on the gun there buying.
So if you buy a tight gun thats 45 acp converted and shoot the correct ammo in it, not to hot, its no diffrent than any other antique gun.
Lots have been sold and used in Canada with no issiues.

 

[scianna54]

American & German ideas of good pistols from 1897, an antique SAA .41 Colt and a mint antique factory custom Westley Richards retailed C-96 .30 Mauser. Couldn't tell which I like more, will write an article on the C-96 on morrisonarms soon.

Both guns are refinished at the minimum, making them worthless for real collectors. I can't see those 2 guns appreciating in value or even call them collector guns just like Webley's converted to 45 ACP. they look nice, are practical and do look sleek but are not collector material. Man, is that Colt shiny and polished - it's hurting my eyes.

 

[hickstick_10]

Refinished or original I dont know, but I like em both.

 

[loki_81]

Im Surprised by your comments in the other thread about "buying a frist antique" about the 45 acp converted guns sold on CGN and how you would "never touch them" that you would buy that mauser C96
Mauser dont do work like that its not orignal at all which is what me and some other CGNer suspected when it was frist posted on CGN . Its caliber is orignal but the guns refinished and buffed and the grips cut and welded to get that angle.
Pull off your grips and have a good look at the welds or did they clean it up some!
I can give you a link the the thread where the USA guys into mauser C 96s put the value at $4500 maby abit more if they could find the "Right" buyer.
I will post some pics if you like?
I have seen this gun in pictures on a USA fourm and it is just a gunsmith altered regular C 96 mauser.
Im not sure i can post links to the Luger web site on the open forum but id give it to you via PM

im guessing you didnt know as your not posting it to resell.

I sent you a PM with a picture.

I'd appreciate that link as well please.

 

[loki_81]

Im Surprised by your comments in the other thread about "buying a frist antique" about the 45 acp converted guns sold on CGN and how you would "never touch them" that you would buy that mauser C96
Mauser dont do work like that its not orignal at all which is what me and some other CGNer suspected when it was frist posted on CGN . Its caliber is orignal but the guns refinished and buffed and the grips cut and welded to get that angle.
Pull off your grips and have a good look at the welds or did they clean it up some!
I can give you a link the the thread where the USA guys into mauser C 96s put the value at $4500 maby abit more if they could find the "Right" buyer.
I will post some pics if you like?
I have seen this gun in pictures on a USA fourm and it is just a gunsmith altered regular C 96 mauser.
Im not sure i can post links to the Luger web site on the open forum but id give it to you via PM

im guessing you didnt know as your not posting it to resell.

I sent you a PM with a picture.

Both guns are refinished at the minimum, making them worthless for real collectors.

While I have been attempting to sit back and allow Ardent to talk about his C-96 I thought that this would be worth pointing out. This was posted to that thread that you're talking about Dingus with 'which is what me and some other CGNer suspected when it was frist posted on CGN'.

Well I've got an update for those who were wondering about this; this is 100% factory done .

It took a bit of work to get into as I fashioned some tools to get into it without putting a scratch on her. Once into it I can happily report that this is 100% matching .

Now for the good stuff.... the swept grip is mated to the frame with a retaining pin. There is a inspection proofmark on the retaining pin holding the custom gripstrap, which by European proofmark law would have only been added by the factory. To add to the fact that the pin is proofmarked it has been permanently placed (I assume brazed but I can't really tell, it's incredibly well done) into the pistol in that everything is blue around it while the retaining pin for the grip is still "in the white" and bears the inspectors proofmark that can also be found on various pieces of the gun. There are no tell tale signs of a refinish at all, this is 100% factory done, fully matching, and near mint.

Lots of work put into this one, but I'm very pleased with the result .

I've got to also add that this is a Westley Richards C-96, in case you weren't aware Westley Richards was the foreign importer of the C-96 in 1897. If they had a custom order they would be listened to by Mauser at the factory, back then factories were willing to do custom guns, for a price of course. The C-96 went through multiple variations in that time period to help find a version that would increase sales, so of course for a custom order which arguably would cost more they would jump through hoops to impress the customer and perhaps sell more if someone liked what they saw. This is not the only factory swept grip I've seen, albeit they are rare and custom ordered guns.

This is hardly a 'just a gunsmith altered regular C 96 mauser', it's a factory custom order with Westley Richards markings that is 100% serial # matching. Far from 'worthless for real collectors' as even the inside of it is immaculate. I've been inside of it and actually seen the proof instead of making a snap judgement call on the internet based off of profile shots.

Would still love to see that link and photos you're holding up as proof Dingus, send it over in a PM please.

Now could we possibly keep the Webley alteration debate in the thread it was brought up in and allow Ardent to have some fun showing off his antiques in this thread?