Carl N. Brown
Member
A friend of mine had an unexpected discharge with his
C96 Mauser Broomhandle. As he explained it to me, he had
been firing his gun. The last time he pulled the trigger,
the gun did not fire. He noticed the safety was partially
up toward "ON" safe. He pulled the safety down to "OFF"
fire and the gun discharged: the bolt recoiled back into
his thumb and bloodied it. Not a fun day at the range.
I have been shooting my C96 Mauser in Black Powder
Cartridge and Vintage Military matches at the club for
years, so he asked me to check his gun out. I was a little
surprised that he considered me an expert, until I did a
breakdown of "expert"--an "ex" is a has-been and a "spurt"
is a big drip, so expert = has-been big drip. Ouch, that
shoe fits.
The lock frame of my gun is in the 107xxx serial number
range. My friend's gun's lock frame is in 129xxx range.
Both guns have the "Early Safety" of the 35xxx to 280xxx
serial number range pistols.
The early safety can be engaged COCKED or UNCOCKED: just
move the safety up and forward for "ON" safe. The hammer
CANNOT be actuated when the safety is applied: the hammer
is locked in position and moved away from the sear when
the safety is "ON" whether cocked or uncocked.
"ON" safe and cocked, the hammer is held back by the safety:
if the safety is moved from "ON" safe to "OFF" fire with
pressure on the trigger, the safety will release the hammer
and fire the gun if loaded. The finger should be off the
trigger when the safety is moved.
I examined and tested both our guns and found both worked
as I expected them to. I was able to get the hammer to
drop by pressing the trigger and moving the safety from
"ON" to "OFF" and felt that my friend may have been pressing
the trigger without realizing it.
He emailed me, no, he distinctly had his finger off the trigger.
So I went back to square 1, checked the chamber empty, cocked
the gun, and slowly moved the safety up til I felt a slight
catch. I pressed the trigger and felt the sear disengage the
hammer, with no apparent movement of the hammer. I then
moved the safety down to "OFF" and the hammer dropped.
I repeated this with my gun, and found a spot slightly up,
where the hammer was held by the safety, and the sear
could be disengaged by pulling the trigger without being
reset when moving the safety "OFF". I found that the sear
would re-engage the hammer if the hammer was pulled back
first, or if the safety was pushed up to completely "ON"
safe then pulled down to "OFF" fire.
This is something every C96 Broomhandle user should learn.
This safety "NOT" position is illustrated below.
C96 Mauser Broomhandle. As he explained it to me, he had
been firing his gun. The last time he pulled the trigger,
the gun did not fire. He noticed the safety was partially
up toward "ON" safe. He pulled the safety down to "OFF"
fire and the gun discharged: the bolt recoiled back into
his thumb and bloodied it. Not a fun day at the range.
I have been shooting my C96 Mauser in Black Powder
Cartridge and Vintage Military matches at the club for
years, so he asked me to check his gun out. I was a little
surprised that he considered me an expert, until I did a
breakdown of "expert"--an "ex" is a has-been and a "spurt"
is a big drip, so expert = has-been big drip. Ouch, that
shoe fits.
The lock frame of my gun is in the 107xxx serial number
range. My friend's gun's lock frame is in 129xxx range.
Both guns have the "Early Safety" of the 35xxx to 280xxx
serial number range pistols.
The early safety can be engaged COCKED or UNCOCKED: just
move the safety up and forward for "ON" safe. The hammer
CANNOT be actuated when the safety is applied: the hammer
is locked in position and moved away from the sear when
the safety is "ON" whether cocked or uncocked.
"ON" safe and cocked, the hammer is held back by the safety:
if the safety is moved from "ON" safe to "OFF" fire with
pressure on the trigger, the safety will release the hammer
and fire the gun if loaded. The finger should be off the
trigger when the safety is moved.
I examined and tested both our guns and found both worked
as I expected them to. I was able to get the hammer to
drop by pressing the trigger and moving the safety from
"ON" to "OFF" and felt that my friend may have been pressing
the trigger without realizing it.
He emailed me, no, he distinctly had his finger off the trigger.
So I went back to square 1, checked the chamber empty, cocked
the gun, and slowly moved the safety up til I felt a slight
catch. I pressed the trigger and felt the sear disengage the
hammer, with no apparent movement of the hammer. I then
moved the safety down to "OFF" and the hammer dropped.
I repeated this with my gun, and found a spot slightly up,
where the hammer was held by the safety, and the sear
could be disengaged by pulling the trigger without being
reset when moving the safety "OFF". I found that the sear
would re-engage the hammer if the hammer was pulled back
first, or if the safety was pushed up to completely "ON"
safe then pulled down to "OFF" fire.
This is something every C96 Broomhandle user should learn.
This safety "NOT" position is illustrated below.
