Best ammo for Mauser 1914

[rbrown6061]

I inherited my dad's Mauser 1914 which he "acquired" in WW II - a great story as he used to tell it when he was alive!   The gun is in excellent shape.  I haven't fired it for 20 years. (As I recall, it fired fairly well back then...)  The serial number is 48671 and all the "numbers match" on the gun.

Several questions please, as a newbie to the forum:

a)  What would be the approximate year (or year range) that this gun was manufactured?

b)  Any advice on what kind of ammo to shoot through the gun?  I've seen some folks recommend (doing general Google web searches) Full Metal Jacket ACP32 "round nose", others seems to state the gun should shoot most anything that is ACP32.  I want to see if the gun still fires well.  I wouldn't expect to be putting a ton of rounds through the gun given it is probably approaching 80-100 years old...

c) Is this gun "rare" enough where I should just retire it in a show case on the wall due to its historical significance?  Or are there tons of parts out there should the gun shoot well and I decide to keep shooting it occasionally.

Thanks for the advice!     

[1914mauser]

R - Your 1914 Mauser pocket model was made in 1915. It is very likely it is an Imperial accepted example. Look for a small stamped mark in front of the rear sight. If it has the marking it was issued to the WWI Imperial German Army. When these were made all ammo was round nose FMJ as is most .32 caliber ammunition made today. These are well made and should be okay to shoot. Please make sure the bore is clean and in good condition. If you damage any parts while firing, parts are hard to find and if it is a numbered part you will loose all collector value. Your example appears to be in very good condition and if Imperial marked has a retail value in the $450-650 range. Without Imperial marking $350-$450. Of course as a family heirloom it is priceless.

Regards,

[rbrown6061]

Mr. Mason,

Thanks for the fast and comprehensive reply.  My initial reaction was "WOW"!  - a 100 year old gun.  I attached a picture of the rear sight - let me know if this is the right set of markings for "Imperial". I'm tempted to run just a few rounds through it (just so I'll "remember" the gun as one that still fires) and then retire it - as you say, as a family heirloom.   I'm still amazed at how good this gun feels in my hand, and how tight everything fits together/feels - very tight tolerances, at least from my layman point of view.  Classic German engineering!   Thanks again! 

[1914mauser]

R - The mark in front of the rear sight (a Crown over a Gothic letter) is an Imperial acceptance marking. The pistol was accepted by the German Imperial army and was used in WWI. The marking behind the rear sight (a Double Crown over a U) is a proof marking found on all Mauser firearms that used smokless powder prior to 1940 when it was changed to an Eagle over a N. You are welcome!

Regards,

[rbrown6061]

Thanks again! 

[rbrown6061]

@1914Mauser:

A brief update and a question.. Well... the 100 year old gun I have.... It did fire, at least a few rounds, but it jammed more rounds than not.. So time to retire the gun for good as a piece of history and a family heirloom.   

A question please:  I want to display the gun on the wall (in a "box" frame), but, I have young kids in the house and want to be extra safe.. So..after field stripping the gun, IF I were to remove the firing pin (and the spring that attaches to it) <i.e. storing the firing pin/spring in my safe so the gun is completely safe to be mounted on the wall>, would I be able to reassemble the gun, or would the missing firing pin and spring cause me to not be able to assemble it properly?  (At some point, IF I were to sell the gun, I would obviously want to be able to field strip the gun, reinsert the firing pin/spring, and reassemble...)

I suppose, if the answer to my question above is "no, you can't assemble it without the firing pin/spring", I could buy a trigger lock for it, but that somewhat ruins the "aesthetics" of showcasing it in the case on the wall .....

Thanks for the advice!     

[1914mauser]

Yes, you can assemble the pistol without the firing pin and spring. Instead of keeping the part in a separate location I would attach it to the frame so that it stays with/near the pistol. Just a suggestion. I have seen too many parts that once separated were lost.

Regards,

[rbrown6061]

Thanks Mr. Mason!  Deeply appreciated!