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76

Model 1910 Pistol / A well used Sidelatch 1910

« on: April 21, 2013, 08:47:38 AM »

After working on some Mauser documentation related to the M1910 production, including some Mauser calculation sheets and notes on the pocket pistol in the Mauser fiscal year accounts, I thought it was time to locate an example of a side latch, so I could take a good lock at the internals and the differences between the side latch and the later variations.

A fellow collector had one for sale, and I picked it up a while ago. The pistol had an interesting life, the magazine is a well made handcrafted replacement, and the barrel latch is also an old replacement, which was numbered to the pistol.

It is interesting to see the differences in engineering, and I was suprised to find that even the magazines did not exchange. Some of our findings will be published in a series of articles on the early days of the Mauser pocket pistols soon.

77

Model 80SA / 90DA Pistol / Model 80.SA and 90.DA side by side

« on: April 21, 2013, 08:41:12 AM »

Just some examples of the Model 80.SA and the Model 90.DA side by side.

78

Mauser Revolvers / Mauser revolvers 1980 - 1998

« on: April 21, 2013, 08:38:55 AM »

As we discussed in other threads, Mauser was struggling to come up with a game plan for the last decades of the 20th century. Investing in major production lines was not feasible due to the limited markets available, so Mauser started shopping around. They used subcontractors to produce pistols and revolvers bearing the Mauser brand name throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1980, German revolver maker Willy Korth had contacted Mauser with the suggestion to sell his company's production facilities to Mauser. Mauser investigated this idea, but decided against it.

Other projects did go through, however and two of those products were also revolvers. The first was the Mauser .38 Special revolver, produced by Renato Gamba (their 'Trident' revolver) with either a 2 inch, 2.5 inch or 4 inch barrel. Variations included one with an additional safety just behind the hammer. The pistols were finished at Mauser, so they could be proofed in Ulm and marketed as 'Made in Germany'.

The second revolver came a good deal later. The "Hunter" model, also a .38 Special revolver, was produced in 1997 for Mauser by the relatively new company of Kora in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1990, Kora set up a line of revolvers in gas and signal calibres as well as popular small calibres like .22lr and also their .38 Special version. The last pistol, the .38 Special Kora BRNO model, was produced in a limited series for Mauser, who marketed it as their "Hunter" pistol. The foreseen buying public being hunters, who needed a pistol or revolver beside their rifles for the 'mercy kills'.

The Mauser Hunter:
The Mauser Hunter is marked on the left side of the barrel with :

Mauser-Werke Oberndorf
"Hunter" Cal. 38 Special

On the right side of the frame, on the detachable sideplate, the Mauser banner is cast in.

The frame of the Hunter is made of a light alloy, in which the steel barrel and cilinder are placed. Grips are of a contoured walnut type, sometimes with a lanyard loop added.

The proof marking is that of the Prague proof house, a Lion/N marking. It is present on the barrel, the frame and the cilinder. The proof year (97) is stamped unter the Lion/N on the left side of the frame.

The Mauser .38 Special (Renato Gamba 'Trident')
This revolver was part of a deal with Renato Gamba in Italy. Renato Gamba got the right to produce and market the HSc pistol in Italy, and Mauser was allowed to market the Renato Gamba Trident revolver on their Markets.

The first Mauser .38 revolvers were sold in 1980. A purchase receipt for a .38 special revolver dated the 6th of November, 1979 mentioned that the delivery time would be around 100 days, so well into 1980. The few revolvers encountered all seem to date from the same era, around 1980. The revolvers were available in 4", 2.5" and 2" barrel lengths, wit an additional hammer safety at request. The revolvers had highly polished walnut grips, a deep dark Mauser blue similar to that used on the Mauser Parabellum and HSc, so it was most likely also provided by Brünofix.

The 2 inch and 2.5 Inch version has the following text on the left side of the (short) barrel:
MAUSER WERKE
OBERNDORF

On the right side there is the caliber:
CAL. 38 SP.

The grips have a small round brass plate inserted, the plate on the right side is blank, the plate on the left side has the Mauser banner stamped on it.

The pistols show Ulm proof markings, the Eagle/N, a 2-letter date code IA for 1980 and the Ulm antler on the bottom left of the frame. Cilinder and barrel also have the Eagle/N proof marking. The cilinder is marked with the pistol's serial number. The serial number is struck on the right side of the frame.

79

M2 Modern Pistol / Just when you think they ran out of Mauser pistols...

« on: April 21, 2013, 08:36:37 AM »

A new one pops up...

In 2000, German based gun company Sig Sauer decided to put their right to use the Mauser brand name to good use. They marketed a pistol called the Mauser M2 in the calibers .45 ACP, .357 SIG and .40 S&W. It is most likely that the pistols were made in Germany, but they bare the name of SIGARMS USA, alongside the Mauser banner on the slide. The pistol was intended for the US market and you rarely see them for sale in Europe. Which in turn seems to indicate they were manufactured in the US.

Test firing sheets, however, show that at least a number of them were test fired and signed off at the Sig Sauer factory in Germany. So judging from this it is safe to assume that they were indeed manufactured in Germany at Sig Sauer. The fact that these pistols also have 'MADE IN GERMANY' on the frame is another indication of the gun's German heritage.

The pistol is equipped with grips that also show the Mauser brand name, complete with a (R)egistered marking. The Mauser banner is also imprinted on the base of the, MecGar made, magazines.

It uses a rotating barrel, is striker firing (no hammer) and has numerous safety features.

Sig Sauer had purchased the right to the Mauser brand name for small arms around 2000, allowing a related company, Blaser, to set up a division under the 'Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH' name. This division focused on hunting rifles, based on the M98 action.

A recently obtained example was delivered from the factory in Germany in a Sig Sauer marked case (the US versions were shipped in green plastic cases with a gold Mauser logo). Barrel proof date is 2003. Production ran between 2000 - 2006 and it seems that Sig Sauer had a number of pistols still in storage. The test firing sheet indicates it was tested at the factory AFTER 2008.