WW1 Mauser C96 'Red 9' - Restricted or Prohib?
- Thread starter Brookwood
- Start date
Not a bolo, just a "standard" M1916 C96 'red' 9 mm.
So to clarify, it is restricted?
What does one feed it so you don't wind up with some unexpected creative dentistry? Are there any commercial rounds available in Canada or is it hand load only?
Brookwood
I have two,one is a Bolo,12(6),the other is a regular C96 with 5" barrel from WW1,both in 7.63 Mauser (restricted),I only shoot hand loads,don't want to beat them up.
Before shooting make sure that the springs are in good shape and check the bolt stop very carefully for cracks,I do a Dye check on mine once in awhile,could be
very nasty if it would fail.
VE5HFD
Before shooting make sure that the springs are in good shape and check the bolt stop very carefully for cracks,I do a Dye check on mine once in awhile,could be
very nasty if it would fail.
VE5HFD
Simple question, the standard WW1 issue is restricted only. After WW1 handguns located in Germany (only!) were subject to the Treaty of Versailles which, among other things, said that handguns had to have fixed sights only and couldn't have a barrel longer than 4" and had to have a bore diameter of less than 9mm. Many existing guns were kind'a butchered to meet this requirement. Lots had 1920 stamped on them by the myriad of small shops that did these compliance conversions - beginning in 1920 - applying the 1920 rules set-down by the Treaty of Versailles.
Note: Mauser Werke never made a gun called the 1920 model. The 1920 guns all reworks of real C96 variants, made before 1920 and supposedly modified to comply with the 1920 rules - set out by the conquering powers. Since the conversion process wasn't really overseen by anyone, there are guns which have been partly modified the the 1920 rules as far as the barrel length is concerned and the adjustable sights have been converted to fixed but it remains 9mm - like the one mentioned - thus not actually fully converted. Presumable occupying army grunts and/ or local German post war police were just told to look for the 1920 stamp. In fact, I have a standard, pre-war (i.e pre WW1) commercial which is completely unmodified with a 5.5 inch barrel - but wears this stamp.
Mauser did make various models with barrels of about 4" (from the factory) These guns also usually had shorter grips (unlike 1920 conversions, which do not).
Since a bunch of FACTORY short barreled and short griped C96 guns went to the Russian Bolsheviks, it is common (but incorrect) to call all factory shorter barrel/ short grip C96 variants "Bolos" - even though many such guns have zero to do with the Bolsheviks.
Today, any C96 which has a barrel of less than 4.1 inches is prohibited - regardless of whether they left the factory that ways (as "Bolos) or were converted (as 1920 models) and the ones with barrels longer than 4.1 inches (the vast majority of C96 variants around) are restricted only. All C96s were made before WW2 so the prohibs are transferable to family members etc. Prohib C96s can also be re-barreled or relined in Canada to a barrel length of over 4.1 inches and their status can be changed to restricted only. You could also swap out the upper of a prohib C96 to the original factory length and get it reclassified restricted only. However, good luck finding and importing an upper with a standard length barrel into Canada. HINT: do a keyword search on ITAR
BTW some people think that bolos and 1920 are restricted because of the caliber; as if the 32 ACP rule had something to do with it. This is nonsense. Most C96s are "30 cals" (7.63x25) and most are restricted only. Any that are prohibs are that way just because of barrel length, period.
BTW that huge 9 burned into the grips and often filled with red paint on the Red 9 C96 guns is there for a reason. On the WW1 battlefield there would have been German army issued red 9s and similar appearing 7.63x25 C96 guns - brought to the fray via private purchases by officers (on both sides). If you goof and try to shoot a 9mm round out of a C96 without that big red 9 on the grips (i.e., out of a standard caliber 7.63x25 gun) the 9mm round can chamber and fire - and you can have a really bad day.
Also you can't reline a C96 to 9mm only to 7.63x25. If you want to make a "shot-out" (actually corroded out) C96 into 9mm you have to pay the extra to rebarrel it.
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