The Broomhandle no-one wanted. The 6-shot C96 Mauser with firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson.

The world of early 20th-century firearms dawned a new era as revolvers began to be swept away by higher magazine capacity and faster reloading pistols.
The C96 exploded in popularity with shooters worldwide, sparking a frenzy of variants - some favoured, others... well, let's just say ‘less so’.
Join Jonathan as he examines one such rare example and explains his admiration for this often-overlooked smaller, shorter ‘officer’s model’ C96.
0:00 Intro
0:30 6-Shot C96 ‘Broomhandle’ Mauser
2:15 Officer’s Model
4:10 Not Another One
5:01 Bolo Lingo
6:20 Sights
7:25 Never Technically Called a C96…
8:06 Firearm Features
12:23 Markings
13:15 History & Context
17:35 Outro
Mauro Baudino's Mauser lecture: • Mauser Archives (RA Wi...
Books mentioned:
Jonathan Ferguson. 2017. 'The 'Broomhandle' Mauser' (Osprey Publishing).
Mauro Baudino; Gerben Van Vlimmeren. 2017. 'Paul Mauser, his life, company, and handgun development 1838-1914' (Brad Simpson Publishing)
Images used:
Image of 'Soviet commissars with C96 Mausers' from THE SAGA OF RUSSIAN BROOMHANDLES Article by laststandonzombieisland
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[@bl4cksp1d3r]

The C96 is just an overall beautiful pistol in every configuration, a marvelous showcase of engineering

[@Noise-Bomb]

The sheer optimism of a 1000m sight on a pistol boggles the mind.

[@jakekelsey8038]

Ok frodo 😂

[@Noise-Bomb]

@@jakekelsey8038 damn, I did the same mistake before. Thanks for pointing it out^^

[@quentintin1]

ideas about range were getting out of hand at the time between volley sights, standard sights adjustable to 2km and pistols up to 100m, people had some weird ideas about the firing ranges of the next big war tho for pistols like these, it made some sense as you could buy them with attachment for a stock, where hitting at 100 was a more realistic proposition, but still, why make it with that sight and no stock slot?

[@maximus9812]

I think it was just a carryover from rifles of the time. On rifles those long range settings were intended for mass indirect fire, so it made a bit more sense.

[@andyleighton6969]

@@quentintin1 When Gun Jesus McCollum tried that out - essentially trying to use a stock mounted pistol as a carbine he found it simply didn't work. What it DID do was make you significantly more accurate at pistol rage, out to 20yards type distances where a hand held hit would be possible but more luck than anything else.

[@paleoph6168]

Finally, a video on this version of the C96! Thank you Jonathan!

[@Chiller11]

Over 300K subscribers! Thats exciting. Always good to see C96 variants. For those who believe looking cool is more important than capacity, this is your pistol. That one in particular looks lovely.

[@robk113]

‘That my friend is a broom handled Mauser….’ - Max Bygraves, Bolton, circa 2001 😂

[@enlightenerofcryptozoology8761]

A recognizable early semiautomatic pistol that has appearances in popular culture as well as in war. Winston Churchill used one before back in his youth overseas in his military service. Has appeared in video games from WW2 shooters to the fallout 3 game to steam punk universes like Bioshock, to even in Star Wars. I remember seeing it in use on Deadliest Warrior in a test both in semiautomatic and in fully automatic with 20 rounds and holster shoulder stock. Showing it does have an incredible rate of fire of 1000 rounds per minute. And someone should inform Jonathan of interesting news of firearms that happened yesterday. The personal engraved M1911 pistol of one of America’s most infamous gangsters, Al Capone, is up for auction. Estimated to be in value of 2-3 million dollars. That would be an amazing piece for a museum or a collector.

[@cyan_oxy6734]

Always a pleasure to see Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds.

[@Kremit_the_Forg]

Do you mean Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history?

[@90lancaster]

@@Kremit_the_Forg Must make it difficult for someone speaking to his wife and unsure of their identity as they'd have to ask.. "Are you Mrs. Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history?" But he needs to have such an important sounding name to reflect his achievements, One can't just call him 'Jonny Skullsbane' say for example.

[@donovanchau3483]

6 rounds. For when you want a revolver’s ergonomics and capacity with a crisp semi-auto single action trigger pull. Definitely would be a cool detective pistol for the interwar noir era, though there’s tons of semi-autos at that point which are simply more practical.

[@Matt-md5yt]

it's adorable. thanks for taking about this model

[@PaulP999]

I'll be honest and say I've not seen that variant before, it puts me in mind of the Mannlicher 1903 somewhat. I see some people are mentioning where they first saw the C96 - well I always remember one being used by Don Stroud's henchman/mercenary character in the Eastwood film "Joe Kidd".

[@gorbalsboy]

Hi, visited the armouries last week a school class was going thru and I was surprised by how well they were enjoying it and thank goodnes😮s you haven't succumbed to "these are all bad things "type of displays,here in Glasgow at Kelvin grove museum they have a katana next to a spoon stating the obvious,well done all. the whole docks area is lovely ❤all the best from sunny Troon 😊

[@avp5964]

Wow I always thought Bolo was referencing the machete sword thing. Today I learned thank you

[@IKEACherryChair]

The c96 MopStick

[@FEEDMEKITTENS]

The C96 Swiffer

[@samholdsworth420]

C96 chopstick 🥢

[@JRGRAY-33]

Another informative and interesting video review. Thank you 👍🏾

[@matterhaz2980]

The c96 6 shot looks like some kind of fallout pistol.

[@MrSharpClaw]

Fallouts "chinese pistol" is basically a c96.

[@Marcel_Germann]

@@MrSharpClaw Yes, because the Chinese were always fond of the C96. They even manufactured them locally and even in other calibers like .45 ACP (Shanxi Type 17). The regular C96 was only available in 7.63mm Mauser and in 9mm Luger. Russians were also fond of "comrade Mauser". kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJWTomt7gs2kiLs

[@alanlawson4180]

Do we know - did Churchill have a 6 or 10 shot? I would presume 10-shot, otherwise history might have been different, after Omdurman!

[@howardmaryon]

“Did I shoot 10 shots or nine?”

[@jonathanferguson1211]

He owned three ten shot pistols.

[@howardmaryon]

A side by side size comparison with a Webley revolver would be interesting, also weight comparison.

[@alanmcmillan6969]

A lovey gun, a collector's wish, and rightfuly so.

[@KlickyMonster]

Broomhandle? Think “whisk broom.”

[@MatsJPB]

Looks nice!

[@ThePerks2010]

I never associate this gun with Han solo, first time I ever saw it on film was weirdly in a John Wayne western called "Big Jake" not a bad film heavy on the nepotism tho his son plays a character who uses one and installs a spring in the bottom of the holster to make it easier to draw which i always thought was amusing, just bouncing out every time he reholstered.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

How interesting! Thanks, I will have to check that out. I knew about Joe Kidd but not this.

[@matthewwyman1581]

There wasn’t a Mauser C96 in Big Jake but there was a Walther P38 modified to look like a Bergmann 1896, though it’s incorrectly referred to as a “Bergmann 1911”

[@williestyle35]

Last time I was this early, the Tower of London was getting "remodeled" with Caen stone. '(;

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

All shot with a rack of SMLE's in the background. That's a flex.

[@tomppeli.]

I definitely like the look of this one more compared to the typical one

[@stephenthacker-dh4rq]

Jonathon sir, you are a treasure.

[@ralach]

Honest curiosity; just exactly how many different guns do you have there?! 😅 Cheers for an interesting video :)

[@abnurtharn2927]

@ralach According to their website, "several thousands". Honestly, I don´t think they know how many they have 😅

[@jonathanferguson1211]

About 27,100 :)

[@Detaleader]

​@@jonathanferguson1211Does this include the ones in the tower with the staircase? 😮

[@jonathanferguson1211]

@@Detaleader Yes, and those on loan around the world.

[@Sgtklark]

I always thought the 'bolo' referred to a knife, typically seen in the Philippines. Didn't the US army have an experimental bayonet in the 1870s called a bolo bayonet?

[@lesjames5191]

I have a Spanish bolo bayonet.

[@mattwoodard2535]

Had not seen a 6 round version of this weapon and it really does look good to me. sm

[@cptlonesong3211]

perfectly balanced cut, as all things should be

[@samholdsworth420]

Less bullets equals less balanced 😂

[@oldesertguy9616]

Beautiful weapon.

[@RedHuntsman]

I like this channel, but I always finish watching with a bad taste in my mouth that individual collectors in UK can't enjoy weapons like these.

[@Getpojke]

The C96 pistols seem to be hard to place in time for non gun/history folk. I remember watching Penny Dreadful with a mate who's neither & he was amazed that "an automatic pistol" turned up in "Victorian times". While the C96 was about 5 years too early in the series; set in 1880/81, the proprietor of the gun shop did say it was a prototype. My mate is used to me being a bit of a pedant when watching historical stuff so wondered why I hadn't burst into expletives at its showing. Must've been an exciting time with the world & firearms changing at an alarming rate.

[@sike3000]

i think you mean 1890/91

[@Getpojke]

@@sike3000 😆Yes I very much did! Cheers for pointing out my mistype. Will go change that.

[@sike3000]

@@Getpojke yeah i read it twice before i noticed

[@cyan_oxy6734]

Maybe thinking in terms of the Anglo view to think of this time as the "Victorian era" is a bit limiting. From the German and point of view the mid 19th century was one of intense civil unrest and with many nationalist moments wanting to found nation states in many central European countries. After at first refusing to be German Kaiser the Prussians later led the German states in a coalition in the unification wars against Denmark, France and Austria and won all of those wars ins small part to a technological advantage over the opponents. The German empire was founded in 1871 and right when the industrialization and metallurgy was quite advanced so everyone in Europe would get busy improving their firearms as Germany steamrolling everyone was fresh in their memory. Britain was busy messing about with their navy and enslaving half the world so they kinda missed the boat on the whole "building good guns thing" and arguably haven't caught up to this day.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

I loved Penny Dreadful so I gave it a pass on the far-too-early C96.

[@MrBogThing]

when i saw two Mausers i had hoped to see the Akimbo reload from Hunt Showdown

[@liquidoxygenbar7671]

I know it's a naval weapon technically. But can you please cover the Mark 19. It's was so instrumental in Afghanistan. I may have first hand experience....

[@jonathanferguson1211]

Being naval definitely doesn't stop us covering a weapon :) What did you think of it in service?

[@liquidoxygenbar7671]

@jonathanferguson1211 haha imagine John actually replying to me! I appreciate the effort! 👌

[@liquidoxygenbar7671]

@jonathanferguson1211 man I really wish you were him, I have so much to say.

[@liquidoxygenbar7671]

@@jonathanferguson1211 why does the internet have to suck this way?

[@user-fk3pc2nb7e]

"Silence, orators! Your word now tovarish Mauser!" from poem Left March by Vladimir Mayakovsky

[@jonathanferguson1211]

Referring, as you may know, to ‘Deputy Regional Commisar of Justice’ Pyotr Yermakov.

[@F1ghteR41]

@@jonathanferguson1211 Never thought of you as a conossieur of Mayakovsky. 😊

[@jonathanferguson1211]

@@F1ghteR41 I'm not, admittedly, but I came across it while researching my C96 book :)

[@F1ghteR41]

@@jonathanferguson1211 I've tried to dig it a bit further, and it seems to be a much later association. The poem was first read in December 1918, but Yermakov's role in the fate of the Romanov's family (and really any notable exploits at all) weren't publicized until much later, and his sidearm during the Civil war was likely the Nagant revolver, per the limited sources available to us on the matter. There's a highly tendentious book ("Маузер Ермакова: цареубийца Пётр Ермаков: между словом и забвением" by Yu. A. Zhuk, it's even on Google Books) about Yermakov which discusses this matter in more detail.

[@1982rrose]

A play list of famous peoples guns, (Sir WC) would be interesting, or the Kings STEN.

[@TheSundayShooter]

Why- yes, having that magazine ahead of the trigger _does_ make every other pistol a bullpup including the 1911!

[@FindecanorNotGmail]

Wouldn't a "bullpup pistol" have the magazine _behind_ the grip?

[@samholdsworth420]

Isn't the action technically in line on a 1911? Not quite a bull pup

[@samholdsworth420]

@@FindecanorNotGmail your comment disappeared lol

[@biddinge8898]

The Uzi is now a bullpup smg along with the sten.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

Which is why my book definition involves more than 50% of the firing hand "grasping area" being behind the breech face. Otherwise you end up with a lot of bullpups that aren't.

[@lakrids-pibe]

Are you guys familiar with the newspaper cartoon *Broom-Hilda* ? I always think of the character when people talk about the broom-handle pistol. Hahaha! (The character name is obviously based on Brynhilda , the valkyrie from germanic mythology)

[@ianwinter514]

would have been nice to have the terms as described by mauser written out in the video

[@Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y]

C96 Box Cannon. This pistol is iconic in China. Apparently if you hold it sideways, you can better control the recoil if you try to rapid fire it.

[@sunil_de6856]

Is that a cutaway Lee Enfield in the background?

[@jonathanferguson1211]

It is. We have various different cutaway Lees.

[@misolgit69]

I'm surprised it wasn't nicknamed the Kurtz

[@indigohammer5732]

It's not too bad a size.

[@tomci121]

Dual dolches?

[@ashardalondragnipurake]

how broomhandly where the broomhandles did it just look like one or did they actually draft a broom making company for the woodwork

[@thecommissaruk]

It's nice, but it's no WAUSER BROWNINGS BREVETE BREVETE BREVETE.

[@DrUmbreon]

Just needs a snappy nickname now. The red 6? The dustpan handle?

[@RedHuntsman]

I guess they had jurisdictions that didn't like "high capacity magazines" back in the day.

[@F1ghteR41]

5:30 Well, a lot of things were, since before WW1 C96 was among the pistols recommended for purchase by the Russian officers, and that's not to mention both 7.63 and 9 mm versions captured from the Germans during the war. The variant that got the association with the Soviet Russia is claimed to have been a part of an early 1920s contract that ordered it like that. 10:59 With such prices I wonder if there are fakes on the market. 17:29 If not for technical issues, it would be great.

[@zoiders]

The "Bolo" variant dates back to the Russian revolution. Not the 1920s.

[@zoiders]

The "Bolo" Mauser dates back to the Russian Revolution. Not the 1920s.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

@@zoiders As a variant it actually pre-dates the 'Bolo' nickname - the short-frame, short-barrel pistols were on in 1902. However, as far as I know the variant wasn't available in quantity or necessarily associated with Bolsheviks until the 1940s when collectors (probably) coined the nickname reference the pistol variant. So it's not necessarily incorrect to reference the 1920s since this is when both variant and 'Bolo' nickname start to make sense. But we should be clear that no-one was calling compact C96s "Bolos" until the 1940s.

[@F1ghteR41]

@@zoiders Among the pistols with known Russian Civil War provenance there are ones with longer barrels & the characteristic 'broom' handles. More significantly, you must've missed the fact that during the 1917 Russian revolution Russia was at war with the Germany, and during most of the Civil war relations between the countries were rather strained.

[@samholdsworth420]

Quite a svelte c96

[@evillabrador1]

Broom handles allways reminds me of Riley Ace of Spies tv drama oh and Han Solo

[@mementomori771]

I played a character in Call of Cthulhu who used one of these lol

[@patrikhjorth3291]

So it's a SMBH, Short Magazine BroomHandle?

[@il6993]

How would you reload a 20 rnd C96? Would it have been with 2 x 10 rnd stripper clips or did Mauser offer a 20 rnd stripper clip?

[@jonathanferguson1211]

2x 10rd clips. There's no record of a 20 rd clip and of course you can easily strip two 10rd clips into a 20rd gun, whereas stripping 6 rounds into a 10rd gun from a 10rd clip would have been tricky, hence special 6d clips.

[@il6993]

@@jonathanferguson1211 Ah ok. It must’ve been a pain to load that 20 rnder As I would assume that the bolt would slam forward after the first clip is ejected. Then you have to bring the bolt back and hold it while you insert the next clip. Then you have to deal with the additional spring pressure when thumbing in the next 10 rounds…

[@jonathanferguson1211]

@@il6993 It would - you'd have to manually hold it open to accept the second clip

[@grahampalmer9337]

J. M. Browning's model of 1900, designed in 1896, with a removable 7 shot magazine, in .32" ACP/7.65x17SR. The first semi-auto pistol with a slide. Obviously the 7.63mm Mauser was a far more powerful round but the Browning was smaller & lighter - &, I suspect, a lot cheaper.

[@user-rd6ii6mp1t]

Mini broomhandle... so a feather duster handle?

[@WorldCupWillie]

Why didn't they use the mechanism to make a carbine? Extend the barrel, put a proper stock on it and with the 20 round magazine, it got a handy gun for manoeuvres through cramped trenches. A stop gap till submachine guns become more common. *Edit* A quick Google search informed me that a carbine does exist.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

Many carbines infact.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

They did!

[@DawidKov]

I guess the only real advantages compared to a revolver are the lighter trigger (potentially) and an easier reload, if you have the clips. But the fact that even the Nagant has more ammo capacity makes this pretty underwhelming.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

Not potentially - any self-loader has a better trigger than any 'double-action' revolver.

[@ZGryphon]

@@jonathanferguson1211 And _especially_ a Nagant. :)

[@madzen112]

The gloves are on

[@Percules789]

Mom can we have Mauser C96? No we have Mauser C96 at home Mauser C96 at home:

[@MrAmptech]

Bolo, the Philippine machete. Could it be they were referencing cutting people down like a sweeping blade through underbrush?

[@jonathanferguson1211]

I don't think so. The first use of it is 1940s from collectors, specifically referencing the short variant, which doesnt' "cut people down" any more effectively than the full-size version.

[@F1ghteR41]

@@jonathanferguson1211 For a brief moment I have considered asking whether the grip might have had the association with that of the Philippine bolo.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

@@F1ghteR41 The normal 'Bolo' grip is shaped like the traditional broom handle.

[@aidanfarnan4683]

How many C96's does he have under that table?

[@zulu1184]

All together now - “its a broomhandled Mauser, it’s not a gun…” kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKeap41vidWXaas

[@TheVirtuoso883]

So we have garand thumb, now we need a gun tuber called broom handle finger.

[@MrSharpClaw]

Youd think they wouldve been more of interest to the civilian market.

[@cyan_oxy6734]

With six shots you might as well carry a revolver.

[@ZGryphon]

Also, they were very expensive.

[@nickdavis5420]

I see firefly pistol

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

If i can get the 10 rounder, why would i want one that's missing 4 rounds? Mauser must've been a lil high when making this version of the C96.

[@zoiders]

Because pistols are carried a lot and fired very little. The 10 rounder being an utter ball ache to fit in a holster.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

@@zoiders It's a rhetorical question. Plus, yeah, sure, i get your point, but the 6 rounder was discontinued, while the 10 rounder continued production.

[@zoiders]

@@ukaszwalczak1154 They couldn't sell them as officers just bought Lugers. Stop gamerising everything.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

@@zoiders What even IS gamerising?

[@mateimarian1937]

Reminds me of Bergmann pistols

[@SausagecatChannel]

If you dont want it I'll take it 👍

[@90lancaster]

I wonder if the Germans think all these people who are not German gushing about German Firearms is a little 'odd'.

[@scottbruner9266]

2:04 talk about “attention to detail”. Even your “subscribe” avatar has little blue neoprene gloves on. 😂

[@spikemcnock8310]

I could spend a week oggling over the gun collection you have there, is it possible I could camp in between the racks, I promise not to steal any.

[@SarhcBannitoot]

These California Compliance laws are getting out of hand

[@salty4496]

:)

[@NekoColaQ]

I think this things is rather ugly; like bread that you took out of the oven before it had time to rise completly. But still facinating and deserving of the spotlight nonetheless

[@jankusthegreat9233]

Im the first to comment and second to like this Video

[@samholdsworth420]

🍪

[@spyczech]

Happy to see a scholarly channel about gun history that doesn't do a bunch of American gun politics claptrap. Talking to you youtube algorithm, because I like history doesn't meant I want to be convinced all civilians need to be paramilitary assholes

[@mms16]

500€ for a freaking stripper clip? 500€ for a bent piece of brass? Some people have too much money

[@mandowarrior123]

Historic relic to complete their display?

[@virginametz7409]

Bolo = Bolsheviks only live once

[@Willy_Tepes]

....once they have tasted blood.

[@topforce5298]

The correct translation for ü is ue. Prüfungskommission- Pruefungskommission. ä-ae, ö-oe, ü-ue

[@jonathanferguson1211]

My bad - I had very little time to review the edit and missing the accent - apologies.