Langenhan
Notes:
The Langenhan Automatic Pistol was built by a company that had never
before designed any sort of automatic weapons – their stock in trade was single
shot derringers and bolt-action sporting rifles.
The Langenhan was never sold commercially, the entire production run of
50,000 pistols being taken into service by the German Army during World War 1 as
emergency war issue, and later for issue to German police and special units.
Production of the Langenhan pistol began in 1915, but stopped in the late
1920s.
The fact that
Langnhan had never made any automatic weapons showed in the design; it is a
pistol that can be dangerous to the firer.
The breech block is held in place by a stirrup lock that also forms the
rear sight, and is held in place by one screw.
The fitting of this screw tended to be a bit loose, and the breechblock
exploding out of the rear of the pistol and into the face of the shooter was not
an uncommon failure. Wear just
makes this problem worse.
Several versions
of the Langenhan Automatic Pistol were built.
The FL Selbstlader was
chambered, as most of the Langenhan pistols, in .32 ACP, and it started the
screwy and dangerous design described above.
After 4000 FL pistols were made to the basic design, the right side of
the frame was modified so that the ejection port (which was enlarged) was
protected by a cut-away portion of the slide except during case ejection.
The breechblock also ran straight along the rails of the slide instead of
jumping up at each shot. (It was
still held in by place by only one screw, and the screw got a bit looser with
each shot. When it became undone,
the entire slide, breechblock and yoke would then detach in one piece and be
launched at the shooter.) The
wooden grip plates were replaced by checkered hard rubber plates.
The barrel length was 4.1 inches.
Other variants
include the Model I, which was a compact version with a shortened grip and a
barrel only 2.9 inches long. The
Langenhan Model II, chambered for .25 ACP, was introduced after World War 1.
It was a great deal safer than the earlier versions, with the yoke
replaced by a cross-bolt passing through the slide and breechblock.
“New production” Model IIs were assembled until 1936, but none had
actually been manufactured since the late 1920s.
The Model II used a 3.1-inch barrel.
The Model III was essentially an smaller version of the Model II, with a
2.6-inch barrel, but with a shorter butt and a much lighter weight.
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
|
Model FL |
.32 ACP |
0.65 kg |
8 |
$126 |
Model I |
.32 ACP |
0.61 kg |
6 |
$114 |
Model II |
.25 ACP |
0.51 kg |
7 |
$92 |
Model III |
.25 ACP |
0.44 kg |
6 |
$87 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Model FL |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
9 |
Model I |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
6 |
Model II |
SA |
-1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
6 |
Model III |
SA |
-1 |
Nil |
0 |
4 |
Nil |
5 |
Lignose Einhand
Notes:
Originally designed by Bergmann, the Einhand’s rights were sold to the Lignose
company in 1917. A problem with the
pistols of the period (a time before double-action automatic pistols) was that
it was dangerous to carry an automatic pistol with a round in the chamber, but
readying a pistol without a round in the chamber for action was a slow,
two-handed action. Lignose used a
modification of the trigger guard to lock and unlock the slide, allowing a round
to be carried in the chamber safely, and the trigger finger to be moved back to
the trigger quickly. The name
Einhand (one-hand) suggests this
method.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Einhand 2A |
.25 ACP |
0.46 kg |
6 |
$82 |
Enhand 3A |
.25 ACP |
0.51 kg |
9 |
$82 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Einhand 2A |
SA |
-1 |
Nil |
0 |
3 |
Nil |
3 |
Einhand 3A |
SA |
-1 |
Nil |
0 |
3 |
Nil |
3 |
Luger
This is another
World War 2-era German pistol with a history that long preceded the Second World
War and kept going long after.
Lugers can still be found in use today; most are not in service use, but are
still regularly fired by weapons collectors or simply kept to admire.
Many a World War 2 vet has a souvenir Luger in his closet or under his
bed, and many of these still work.
The Luger (actually Parabellum Pistol, System Borchardt-Luger) can be traced to
the P-00 pistol adopted by the Swiss and firing the then-new 7.65mm Parabellum
(.30 Luger) cartridge. It used an
unusual toggle-lock firing system.
The P-02 was the first to use the 9mm Parabellum cartridge (which was simply a
necked-up 7.65mm), but few were produced.
The P-04 also used the 9mm Parabellum cartridge, and was made for the
German Navy. It used a long 6”
barrel and less violent operation.
The P-04/06, 04/08, and P-06 “neuer Art” completely discarded the toggle lock
mechanism. The P-08 is undoubtedly
the most famous of the Lugers, being one of Nazi Germany’s standard issue
pistols, as well have having wide issue under the Kaiser.
Over 2.6 million were built before production stopped in favor of the
Walther P-38 in 1942; Mauser also started producing small amounts of new ones in
1970. It has a simplified safety
mechanism. The “Artillery Model”,
is a P-08 with a 7.5” barrel, slots on the grip for a stock, and the ability to
use a 32-round snail drum (the use of the drum is not recommended, since it
produces a large amount of jams).
The Artillery Model also has a graduated leaf sight.
Twilight 2000
Notes: It is astounding how many Lugers turned up in the hands of civilians on
both sides of Europe, as well as Russia, the US, and Canada.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
P-00/P-06 Luger |
7.65mm Parabellum |
0.84 kg |
8 |
$202 |
P-02, 04/08, 06 Luger |
9mm Parabellum |
0.84 kg |
8 |
$246 |
P-04 Luger |
9mm Parabellum |
0.96 kg |
8 |
$258 |
P-08 Luger |
9mm Parabellum |
0.87 kg |
8 |
$238 |
P-08 Artillery Model Luger |
9mm Parabellum |
1.05 kg |
8, 32 Drum |
$273 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
P-00/P-06 Luger |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
10 |
P-02, 04/08, 06 Luger |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
12 |
P-04 Luger |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
15 |
P-08 Luger |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
10 |
P-08 Artillery Model Luger |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
19 |
Mauser C/96
Notes:
The C/96, better known as the Broomhandle due to the shape of the pistol
grip, was invented sometime around 1894 by three brothers who worked for Peter
Mauser. Another common nickname was
the “Box Cannon” due to the shape of its forward magazine. The prototype was
chambered for the elderly 7.65mm Borchardt cartridge, but Mauser quickly
invented a new cartridge for the weapon called the 7.63mm Mauser (which later
evolved into the 7.62mm Tokarev).
The C/96 didn’t interest the German military, but was bought in large numbers by
the Italian Navy and the armies of Turkey, Russia, and Persia.
There were a
large number of variants: the “C/96 mit Sicherung C/02” was designed for
horsemen and used a hammer safety; the “C/96 mit kurzer Auszieher” uses a
shorter extractor and a smaller hammer that doesn’t obscure the rear sight; the
“C/96 mit Sicherung neuer Art C/12” is an improved C/02; the “C/16” is a version
of the C/96 in 9mm Parabellum that sold over 150,000 copies; the “Bolo” was made
for the Russian military after World War I (the “Bolo” appellation coming from
the Russian word bolshevik), and
differs in barrel length, having a 3.9-inch barrel, and smaller grips; the
“Model 1930 with Universal Safety” was a stronger version of the C/02 made for
Norway and China (and was the
version being built when production of the C/96 series ended in 1937); and the
M712 (M32) was a magazine-fed selective fire machine pistol
that is dealt with below.
All versions of the C/96 are slotted on the lower pistol grip for a shoulder
stock; the stock is made of wood and doubles as a holster.
(This idea was later copied in the Russian Stechkin machine pistol.)
Standard barrel
length for nearly all versions is 5.5 inches, though some late production
versions (based on the C/16) used the Bolo barrel length and are treated as the
Bolo for game purposes. These
“Bolo”-length Mausers were chambered primarily for 7.63mm Mauser and had their
barrels shortened to comply with the post-World War 1 Treaty of Versailles.
These Mausers also had their tangent rear sights replaced with simple,
non-adjustable fixed sights. Most
were converted back to back to standard Mausers after Hitler took over.
It should be
noted that at first the C/96 was chambered for 7.65mm Borchardt, but after only
a few production examples, this was changed to 7.63mm Mauser.
The Models M-712
and M-713 are rare full-auto machine pistol versions of the C/96.
The M-712 is also known as the M-1932, as production began in 1932. Most
M-712s and M-713s were sold to China in before 1937 and the Japanese invasion of
China. The M-712 and even less M-713s were used by the Germans, in very limited
numbers, by special units and some other troops when pistol production began to
fall short. Also known as the
Schnellfeuer, the M-712 and M-713 were designed primarily for the foreign
arms market and not for domestic use, and few actually entered German service
(one German unit well known for the use of the M-712 and M-713 were Otto
Skorzeny’s special unit). The M-713
was produced in relatively small numbers (about 4000), while nearly 100,000
M-712s were built (and mostly sold to the Chinese). Instead of the stripper clip
feed, it used detachable 20-round box magazines.
Like the standard C/96, the M-712 and M-713 are slotted for a stock;
recoil without the stock on automatic fire is virtually uncontrollable instead
of being very uncontrollable. The M-712 and M-713 have a sort of strange case
ejection pattern; it is up and slightly to the rear and right of the weapon.
This can lead to hot ejected brass falling on the shooter’s head, as the
cases are ejected rather high into the air. The Chinese made a copy of the M-713
after World War 2, called the Type 51; their example was virtually identical to
the M-713, but was chambered for the 7.62mm Tokarev round.
Some
limited-production and/or experimental versions were put into low-rate
production in small numbers for field or combat tests.
The C/96 Kavallerie Karabiner was a C/96 with an extended barrel – early
production versions had an 11.75” barrel, and late production examples used a
14.5” barrel. They were designed
primarily for use with the stock attached. They were designed for use by light
cavalry, but encountered poor sales and little military interest.
They were dropped from production in 1899.
A compact version of the C/96 was also made with a 4.25” barrel, called
the C/96 Compact. The C/96 Compact
had a full-sized grip, but the magazine held only 6 rounds and was smaller than
that of the standard C/96. It has only a 4.75-inch barrel. Again, this version
attracted little interest and production stopped in 1899 after a slow run of
production. The C/98 Mauser Export
Model was designed specifically for the South American and Chinese markets, but
did not do well in either. It was chambered for a cartridge specially made for
the version – the 9mm Mauser Automatic round.
The M-30 (also
called the M-1930) was both a simplification and an improvement over previous
Mausers. The primarily
simplifications were in the area of manufacture.
Early M-30s used a 5.18-inch barrel, though the barrel length later grew
to 5.5 the standard 5.5 inches. For
game purposes, the version with the 5.5-inch barrel is treated as a standard
Mauser C/96 in 7.63mm Mauser; the version with the 5.18-inch barrel is dealt
with in the stats below.
Perhaps the most
unusual variant was designed for China, with production beginning as the Shansi
Arsenal in 1929. (It is therefore
most commonly known as the “Shansi Mauser” or Shansi Model.”)
At the time (the late 1920s), the Shansi Arsenal was producing almost
exclusively a copy of the M-1921 Thompson submachinegun.
Shansi wanted his railway guards to have handguns in the same caliber as
their Thompsons. Some 8000 were built, chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge.
Naturally, the Shansi Mauser is a rather huge pistol compared to the
standard c/96; however, the great weight does lend itself well to the increased
recoil of the .45 ACP round. This
version uses a 5.5-inch barrel, but is otherwise identical to a standard C/96
other than the changes necessary for the .45 ACP round.
Astra of Spain also made a copy of this version in the early 1930s, but
in relatively small numbers; however, Astra versions are superior in quality to
Shansi versions. In addition, in
recent years, it is suspected that the Shansi Mauser is again being
manufactured; I say “suspected” because though the Chinese say these are unfired
examples pulled from storage, they appear to have several new parts as well as
types of steel not available in the late 1920s and 1930s (though it is carefully
given an aged appearance). The
Chinese will not confirm that they are making Shansi Mausers again, however.
Some Chinese
M-713s were rechambered to fire the 7.62 Tokarev round after the takeover by the
Communists. These are rather rare
today, as most were scrapped when other weapons became available.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Mauser C/96 |
7.65mm Borchardt |
1.14 kg |
10 Clip |
$249 |
Mauser C/96 |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.25 kg |
10 Clip |
$315 |
Mauser C/96 Kavallerie Karabiner (11.75” Barrel) |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.37 kg |
10 Clip |
$378 |
Mauser C/96 Kavallerie Karabiner (14.5” Barrel) |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.42 kg |
10 Clip |
$406 |
Mauser C/96 Compact |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.21 kg |
6 Clip |
$302 |
Mauser C/98 Mauser Export Model |
9mm Mauser Auto |
1.19 kg |
10 Clip |
$308 |
Mauser C/16 |
9mm Parabellum |
1.29 kg |
10 Clip |
$237 |
Mauser C/96 Bolo |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.17 kg |
10 Clip |
$288 |
Mauser M-30 (5.18” Barrel) |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.24 kg |
10 Clip |
$311 |
Mauser M-712 |
9mm Parabellum |
1.19 kg |
20 |
$253 |
Mauser M-713 |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.25 kg |
20 |
$315 |
Chinese M-713 |
7.62mm Tokarev |
1.25 kg |
20 |
$246 |
Shansi Mauser |
.45 ACP |
1.72 kg |
10 Clip |
$414 |
Shoulder Stock |
NA |
0.4 kg |
NA |
$25 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Mauser C/96 (7.65mm) |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
2 |
2 |
Nil |
10 |
With Stock |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
Nil |
13 |
Mauser C/96 (7.63mm) |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
2 |
Nil |
9 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
3 |
2 |
Nil |
12 |
Mauser C/96 Kavallerie Karabiner (11.75”) |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
2 |
3 |
Nil |
19 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
4 |
2 |
Nil |
24 |
Mauser C/96 Kavallerie Karabiner (14.5”) |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
3 |
3 |
Nil |
25 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
31 |
Mauser C/96 Compact |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
2 |
Nil |
6 |
With Stock |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
Nil |
8 |
Mauser C/98 Mauser Export Model |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
3 |
Nil |
12 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
3 |
2 |
Nil |
15 |
Mauser C/16 |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
2 |
Nil |
13 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
3 |
2 |
Nil |
16 |
Mauser C/96 Bolo |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
2 |
Nil |
5 |
With Stock |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
3 |
2 |
Nil |
6 |
Mauser M-30 (5.18”) |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
1 |
2 |
Nil |
9 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
Nil |
11 |
Mauser M-712 |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
2 |
5 |
14 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
3 |
2 |
4 |
17 |
Mauser M-713 |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
Chinese M-713 |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
2 |
2 |
5 |
10 |
With Stock |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
4 |
13 |
Shansi Mauser |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
1 |
2 |
Nil |
16 |
With Stock |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
3 |
2 |
Nil |
19 |
Mauser HSc
Notes:
The HSc (Hammerless, Self-loading, Model C) was introduced in 1940,
intended for the civilian market.
Of course, the Nazis decided to put it and as many weapons as possible into
production, and the HSc ended up being issued in large numbers to German
aircrews and (to a lesser extent) senior officers of the German Navy.
It is a double-action pistol of a design years ahead of its time.
The hammer is almost entirely concealed within the slide, and the surface
is very smooth, making it an excellent concealed weapon.
The HSc remained in production until the mid-1970s; the design was then
licensed to an Italian company, who did nothing with it.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
HSc |
.32 ACP |
0.6 kg |
8 |
$118 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
HSc |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
8 |
Mauser M2
Notes: The
history of this pistol is confusing; it is a Mauser design, but appears to be
made partially by Mauser and partially by SiGArms in Switzerland, and it is sold
only in the US. It appears to be
the design of a US armorer, and is often called “the American Mauser.”
It is easy to use and maintain, and presents a small, lightweight
package. It is also very safe for
its operators, using the half-cocked principle with a manual safety catch to
ensure that it will not fire when dropped or bumped.
The M2 is ergonomically designed and easy to hold.
Twilight 2000
Notes: Due to the ease of maintenance and resistance to dirt, the M2 was quickly
acquired by civilian and paramilitary groups in the US, Canada, Mexico, Germany,
Switzerland, and Austria, and some examples made it to France, Luxembourg, and
Italy.
Merc 2000
Notes: As Notes, but this weapon was quite popular with the Mob in the US.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Mauser M2 |
.357 SiG |
0.82 kg |
10 |
$261 |
Mauser M2 |
.40 Smith & Wesson |
0.83 kg |
10 |
$308 |
Mauser M2 |
.45 ACP |
0.9 kg |
8 |
$391 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Mauser M2 (.357) |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
9 |
Mauser M2 (.40) |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
8 |
Mauser M2 (.45) |
SA |
2 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
9 |
Mauser M32 (M712)
Notes: The
Mauser M32 (AKA M712) is a fully automatic version of the Mauser M1896
Broomhandle, developed in the 1930s in Germany. Over the years some countries,
most notably China, have modified the Mauser for other calibers.
The .45ACP is the least common.
Except in China and Vietnam, these weapons are mostly in the hands of
museums or exotic weapons collectors.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Mauser M-32 |
7.63mm Mauser |
1.25 kg |
10, 20 |
$248 |
Mauser M-32 |
9mm Parabellum |
1.28 kg |
10, 20 |
$252 |
Mauser M-32 |
.45 ACP |
1.66 kg |
7, 12 |
$409 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
Mag |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Mauser M32 (7.62T) |
5 |
1 |
Nil |
2 |
10, 20 |
2 |
5 |
10 |
Mauser M32 (9mmP) |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
10, 20 |
2 |
5 |
13 |
Mauser M32 (.45ACP) |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
7, 12 |
2 |
5 |
15 |
Mauser M-80/90
Notes: After
being absent from the pistol market for several years, Mauser produced the M-80
and 90 series in the early 1990s.
They were not original designs, however; they were basically Hungarian FEG
pistols made with very high standards.
The M-80SA is a basic pistol design; the M-90DA is a double-action
version of that weapon; and the M-90 Compact DA is, as the name suggests, a
smaller version of the M-90DA.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
M-80SA |
9mm Parabellum |
0.99 kg |
13 |
$246 |
M-90DA |
9mm Parabellum |
1 kg |
14 |
$248 |
M-90 Compact DA |
9mm Parabellum |
0.9 kg |
14 |
$238 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
M-80SA |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
11 |
M-90DA |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
11 |
M-90 Compact DA |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
10 |
Mauser M-1914 and M-1934
Notes:
These two pistols are virtually identical; the difference is that the
M-1934 used a plain steel spring catch to retain the barrel locking pin and used
a more rounded wood or plastic butt.
The M-1914 is a larger caliber version of a previous Mauser design, the
M-1910. At the start of World War
2, the entire stock of M-1914 and M-1934s were taken into German military
service, and the M-1934 remained in production until the end of the war.
Though they are regarded by some as ugly, they are otherwise unremarkable
weapons.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
M-1914 & M-1934 |
.32 ACP |
0.6 kg |
8 |
$119 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
M-1914 & M-1934 |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
3 |
Nil |
8 |