Long story short - a friend of the family's is getting on in years and decided he no longer wanted a gun in the house. He called a couple of museums and they didn't want it, no one in the family wanted it, he didn't want to turn it in and have it destroyed and he certainly didn't want it to turn up in some punks hands. So he calls me and says lets get it transfered to your name and you can sell it for me - the last registration certificate he had was from the early 60's. I go over to take a look and my eyes just about bug out of my head - he has a numbers matching Wartime Commercial C-96 with a matching stock. He says his uncle picked it up off a dead German sargeant at Vimy Ridge. A few weeks later I finally get the registration papers and ATT and go to pick it up to take photos and put it on the board. He says don't bother - keep it! 
I tell him it's fairly valuable but he says he'd rather see it have a good home with someone that can appreciate it than sell it to a stranger and he doesn't need the money - keep it!
So, here are a few pics of my Mauser Broomhandle! There were a number of rust freckles on the surface and a few pits, the firing pin is broken and his uncle has carved his initials on one of the grips. The bore is very good with just a hint of frosting around the forcing cone. All in all it is a nice example and I have to say I am absolutely thrilled to have this piece of history. I have a firing pin on order and am going to get some brass and dies for the 7.63x25 cartridge.
Anyone know if it is possible to get a service record of a soilder that is not family? Any pointers you could give me on tracking down some info on the fellow in question (my friends uncle) would be appreciated.
I tell him it's fairly valuable but he says he'd rather see it have a good home with someone that can appreciate it than sell it to a stranger and he doesn't need the money - keep it! So, here are a few pics of my Mauser Broomhandle! There were a number of rust freckles on the surface and a few pits, the firing pin is broken and his uncle has carved his initials on one of the grips. The bore is very good with just a hint of frosting around the forcing cone. All in all it is a nice example and I have to say I am absolutely thrilled to have this piece of history. I have a firing pin on order and am going to get some brass and dies for the 7.63x25 cartridge.
Anyone know if it is possible to get a service record of a soilder that is not family? Any pointers you could give me on tracking down some info on the fellow in question (my friends uncle) would be appreciated.
