Douglas Jr.
03-22-2009, 05:58 AM
Hello forum mates,
Allow me to show you one of my dearest items: a Commercial Wartime Mauser C96, issued to the Austrian Army during the World War I, where it made its way through a military aviation unit.
The Wartime Commercial Mauser Broom(termed 1896/12) was manufactured by Waffenfabrik Mauser at Oberndorf from 1915-1918 for the German Army. These bear a NS (Neue Sichrung, New Safety) on the back of the hammer, a 1000 meter tangent rear sight. These are found in the 280000 to 430000 serial range. A NS safety was added in November 1915, at serial number 280000, which marks the start of the Wartime Commercial serial range. Interspersed in this serial range are pistols that bear a C/scriptic letter German Army acceptance stamp.
Almost all these pistols (with or without the Army acceptance stamp) were intended for Army service or for officer self purchase. In August 1917 the Prussian Army Arsenal offered the Wartime Commercial Mauser Broom for sale to officers.
A few of these Wartime Commercial pistols, mostly in the 360000 to 430000 serial range, bear Austrian military acceptance stamps in the form of a W-n Austrian Eagle and a date.
This one bears the serial number 405026 (with matching stock), and was issued to the Austrian Army during the WWI (1917), bearing the inspector mark on the right side of the chamber (W-n Eagle/17).
But the most interesting feature is unit’s mark in its grip: LFA527. As far as I could research this stands for Luftfahrt Abteilung (Air Corp Batalion), gun #527. So this gun was directly connected with the dawn of the military aviation. This gun is listed in the new edition of Jan Still’s book “Central Powers Pistols” (on pages 362 and 391). Very interesting piece with a lot of history to tell.
Hope you enjoy it.
Douglas.
Allow me to show you one of my dearest items: a Commercial Wartime Mauser C96, issued to the Austrian Army during the World War I, where it made its way through a military aviation unit.
The Wartime Commercial Mauser Broom(termed 1896/12) was manufactured by Waffenfabrik Mauser at Oberndorf from 1915-1918 for the German Army. These bear a NS (Neue Sichrung, New Safety) on the back of the hammer, a 1000 meter tangent rear sight. These are found in the 280000 to 430000 serial range. A NS safety was added in November 1915, at serial number 280000, which marks the start of the Wartime Commercial serial range. Interspersed in this serial range are pistols that bear a C/scriptic letter German Army acceptance stamp.
Almost all these pistols (with or without the Army acceptance stamp) were intended for Army service or for officer self purchase. In August 1917 the Prussian Army Arsenal offered the Wartime Commercial Mauser Broom for sale to officers.
A few of these Wartime Commercial pistols, mostly in the 360000 to 430000 serial range, bear Austrian military acceptance stamps in the form of a W-n Austrian Eagle and a date.
This one bears the serial number 405026 (with matching stock), and was issued to the Austrian Army during the WWI (1917), bearing the inspector mark on the right side of the chamber (W-n Eagle/17).
But the most interesting feature is unit’s mark in its grip: LFA527. As far as I could research this stands for Luftfahrt Abteilung (Air Corp Batalion), gun #527. So this gun was directly connected with the dawn of the military aviation. This gun is listed in the new edition of Jan Still’s book “Central Powers Pistols” (on pages 362 and 391). Very interesting piece with a lot of history to tell.
Hope you enjoy it.
Douglas.