Author Topic: Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?  (Read 2872 times)

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Craig9409

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Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?
« on: November 06, 2021, 05:51:11 PM »
I may need to have an extractor made for my C-96. Unless anyone knows where I can find one. So does anyone know that guy?

henry bucki

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Re: Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2021, 12:16:11 AM »

Craig9409

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Re: Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2021, 01:25:42 PM »
Hey, thanks Henry! Well as it turns out I was able to locate 4 C-96 extractors out there in cyberspace. 3 of them (originals) were on eBay. Two were bundled into a parts lot along with several C-96 internal parts. a few bolts, some springs, firing groups, triggers etc. Maybe 25 parts and subassemblies. The starting bid (get this) $900.00!!!!!! Whoa! So no, those were out of the question. This as far as I know will be my sole C-96 so unlike my small collection of 6 different .25 and .32 Mauser 1910/1914 pocket pistols, I'm not planning to buy any more C-96's unless.... well you know how it goes. This same vendor had a lone used OEM extractor up for purchase. His "Buy It Now" price was $80.00 so not too bad given the scarcity of them. This vendor is located in Russia, so who knows how long that would have taken. And I couldn't really tell from his poor photos, how much wear was on the claw.


But, and praise the gun god... there is a company named KB International located in Buckeye, Arizona that I found and they produce a lot of new reproduction parts for older guns like the C-96. They have new extractors for $49 plus shipping totaling out ~$60. So I have a new repro extractor which on inspection looks very nice and properly made. That said, I haven't installed it yet. But the reviews on the KBI web page are all 5 star and the buyers say the fit is perfect. It seems like it is finished in black oxide maybe. I think the original is flame blued? Not sure. I could easily do that if I want. I just don't know a lot about these C-96 guns yet but I will be learning as I did on the pocket pistols. You can look at their web site here https://www.kbtacticalstar.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=105 I also obtained new repro recoil and firing pin springs from Numrich, which had no extractors in stock.


I do know this much. Mine is in the 500,000 serial range so I estimate on my limited knowledge that it is a 1930ish or a little earlier (1927?) 9mm commercial gun that has been reworked and refinished. It has some fire bluing and what appears to be a straw finished hammer and a few other parts. The bolt is in the raw. It also has perhaps a hot blued frame and barrel, trigger... etc There was some pitting on the side of the magazine well prior to refinishing so it's been blued over. There is a small "Mauser" banner stamping in the square on one side. Overall, it's a pretty nice refinish. Serials look the same except for 2 parts. The slide catch? and one other internal I can't recall. Sorry... I'm no authority on these as yet. I just bought the gun and I'm reading and learning. It has repro Red-9 grips. It came with the repro butt stock with it's leather frog, cleaning rod, and a couple 10 round stripper clips. So it's a not very collectable slightly hodge-podged refinished non matching Broom Handle made up to look like a Red-9...um...shooter. The internal wear looks minimal and I doubt it has seen much firing since the rework. I bought it as a curio-relic, not a collectable investment and I plan to use it to augment my historic military firearms display at gun shows now and then. I like it for it's strange design and I wanted to dissect it's design and machining. I wasn't really interested in paying thousands for an Honest to God matching, all original example. Let's face it, you only realize the monetary value of a collectable when you sell it off and I never sell a gun anyway.


I remember when I was a "coffee table" FFL dealer in the mid 80's until the Clinton Crime Family took power and began hardassing the FFL holders like myself by weaponizing the ATF against us,( Just like they are still doing with the IRS, FBI and the Intel networks. But don't get me started...)
every wholesaler like SOG, Century Arms Intl. etc back then were hawking Red-9's by the drove, which I now suspect were guns like this one I have dolled up and with re-pro Red 9 grips. I never bought one but they were obviously not the real Red-9s given the fact that what, maybe 135,000 sequentially numbered real Red-9's actually were delivered out of the 150,000 ordered. Ya so... I'm happy with this gun, I know what it is. I intend to play with and shoot it a few times. I'm looking for some original grips without the 9 on them. There are some on eBay at ~$150.00.

henry bucki

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Re: Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2021, 02:14:01 PM »
that the guy from russia. i bought a trigger spring for my schnellfeur from him a couple months ago i have 13 red nines a one 7.63 that is shown in a book about broomhandles it was given to a British airforce pilot for his first shoot down in ww1 by his men.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2021, 02:21:53 PM by henry bucki »

Craig9409

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Re: Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2021, 03:05:56 PM »
Heck, well at least he had one for sale. I would have popped on it if I hadn't found the repro. I met a guy on the forums here from Montana who is an ardent pocket pistol guy. I've bought several parts from him. He's a great guy. Your collection sounds very impressive. I'm sure now that I have this one and what I will learn about them, I'll be attracted like a moth to a flame every time I see one at a gun show. I attend shows in several states and since I have the Curio Relic FFL, I can legally buy them out of state. I just bought two books on them.

System Mauser by Belford and Dunlap

Mauser Self-Loading Pistol C96 Broomhandle Mauser by Breathed and Schroder
« Last Edit: November 14, 2021, 03:07:43 PM by Craig9409 »

henry bucki

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Re: Can you recommend an experienced C-96 gunsmith?
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2021, 04:08:52 PM »
when i was a kid i saw a broomhandle in a gun store .$50   was the price i got my mom to drive me back to the store in downtown atl and i bought a po8 luger instead i think it was 1918 .always regretted not buying the broomhandle .now every broom  ive bought was at least 2k each min .i think the snell was 16k and broken but not told by dealer. had to fix myself no body knew anything about snells.