Hello! I recently purchased a C96 chambered in 9mm Mauser. I have searched the web for two days and can find no ammo or brass. Can anyone refer me to anyone who might be able to help? Thanks, Howard
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Hello! I recently purchased a C96 chambered in 9mm Mauser. I have searched the web for two days and can find no ammo or brass. Can anyone refer me to anyone who might be able to help? Thanks, Howard
Is your C96 chambered in 9 x 25 Mauser or 9 x 19 Luger (Red Nine)?
This case was never made in the US and was last made in europe before the start of WW2. The closest round to it is the 9mm Bayard Long but it's not an exact match as it's a little bit shorter. The rim diameter is within a couple of thousands of the 9mm Mauser. You can find surplus 9mm Bayard and it's not loaded as hot as the 9mm Mauser was. Will it work for you I don't know but there is not much else you can do with it.
A tip from a German pistol shooter of my acquaintance: keep the load down, and use lead bullets (not jacketed). The 9mm Fiocchi ammo, for instance, is considered to be too hefty for the mechanism, and a "red 9" is a valuable antique. See also the Visier Special Edition No. 48 on the "Pistole 08" for ammo information.
Patrick
A club member use the 127grs. KSHS from H&N with 4.1 grs HP38 and an OAL 28,1mm CCI pistol primers in his "Red 9". He has good results.
Regards
Gunner
Patrick & Gunner .... he might not even have a "Red 9"!
Well, that's easy enough to tell - he just has to look at the grips. If they have a recessed red-painted 9 carved in - then it's a "red 9" -if it's original, of course, and not a later makeover!
Patrick
Never heard of a C96 in 9mm Mauser/ 9x25mm/9mm Mauser Export. Just the really cool and weird "flapper" locking blocks C'08(?) pistol of which they made about 100.
I wouldn't think a C'96 would be strong enough for that round!
jmoore, that is exactly why one has to be careful with the load!
The C96 chambered for the 9mm Parabellum ("Luger"), a.k.a."Red 9" is one of the most sought after pistols in Germany, second only to the long-barrelled Artillery Luger P08.
Patrick
Mmmm, well, I actually prefer the 7.62mm for accuracy. Red 9s just never seem to shoot as well, even if they're in excellent condition. I've no idea why! P'08s seem much more accurate, even when a bit rough.
[QUOTE=jmoore;99172]Mmmm, well, I actually prefer the 7.62mm for accuracy. Red 9s just never seem to shoot as well, even if they're in excellent condition. I've no idea why! P'08s seem much more accurate, even when a bit rough.[/QUOTE
:thup:True!
[QUOTE=villiers;99225]Quote:
Originally Posted by jmoore
You have to see shotgroups out of a good Red9! Good reason for an competition 08 vs.C96:)
Regards
Gunner
I wish I hade the luxury of being able to choose!
Patrick
Patrick,
i am only able to choose wich one i can lent from my comrades! :crying:
Regards
Gunner
Haven´t forgotten the challenge! Hope we can arrange something this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by gunner
Patrick
The 9 mm Mauser round was introduced in 1908 and discontinued in 1914. (DWM cat.# 487) It was loaded with a 123 gr or 128 gr bullet at 1362fps and 534 fpe. which is quite a bit stronger then the 9mm Luger round. It never caught on and was not used again till about 1933 when it was used by both the Swiss and Austria in some subguns but dropped by the beginning of WW2. I don't think a lot of C96's were made for it so I would hazard a guess that it might be on the rare side.Quote:
Originally Posted by jmoore
The Wikipedia thing is wrong about the pistol- its a whole new design created for the 9mm export round. It still had the magazine forward of the trigger, but otherwise it looks wildly different. Nothing on the internet about it that I can find.
It is desrcibed in detail in WHB Smith's Pistols of the World or his Mauser handgun book, don't remember which. Terribly rare, and HUGELY expensive, last I heard. To me, its one of the most awesome looking pistols of all time!
My Red 9 turned out to be a M30 that had been rebored to 9mm Lugar. I hadn't done my homework on the C96 and should have know better, but I always wanted one so I jumped on this one at the Reno show. As it happens, I like this arrangement, the pistol is accurate and dead on a 50yds, and 9mm is cheap(?) and easy to get. Maybe you are in the same situation?
Speaking of homework, I went and actually did some today. The pistol I was thinking of is the Mauser 1906/08. For some reason, the C96 in the export 9x25mm is a completely unknown variant, to me, at least. Finally found mention of it in the "Blue Book", none of my other ancient tomes speak of it at all...So, I'm a stupidhead, but a LITTLE less today than yesterday. :madsmile:
I will have to rethink my opinion on the action strength of the C96 a bit. Years ago I started a rebarrel project on a ratty one that was going to be chambered in .38 Auto/.38 Super, but it just sounded a bit scary. Might have to blow the dust off it...
ETA The 1906/08 was in WHB Smith's "Mauser Rifles and Pistols". And its still ultra-cool!
Ok, I've got a C96 ser. # 4003XX, I'm guessing it's around WWI production, (1912 variation) noones been able to tell me for sure when it was made. It's in .30 Mauser and the bore is less than perfect. I was out at the ranch a couple months ago and they had a 9 inch plate set up at 163 yards (we measured). I had some old loads for it that were the long dis-continued Hornady Half Jacket 100gr. spire points with 5gr. Unique and CCI primers. I set the rear sight on the 100 meter setting and hit that plate 7 out of 10 shots. I was quite surprised at the accuracy.......now, all of this for a question! Am I understanding from some of the above posts, that there is a noticeable accuracy advantage with the P08? Where can I get one?
Hi Randy,
that is good shooting! We have both pistols and 2 variants of the P08, the normal one and the Artillery Model P08L and the C96 as the Red Nine. By shooting all of them with the Buttstock and the right ammo, there is no difference in the accuracy. Shooting offhand is better with the P08 because the backsight of the C96 starts at 300 yards so you have to aim deep. The biggest difference is with the ammo. We use bullets from H&N For its advantage of beeing thin coppered lead bullets that will fit perfectly to the barrel. The P08 needs lighter ones with more speed than the C96. At the last competition it was a speed shot with 15 rounds at 25 yards on a ISSF pistol target the Long Luger P08 made 143 points and the C96 149 from 150. There was not a really advantage for the P08. I dont know where to buy a P08 at the States, over here we had the luck that a collector at Hamburg sell all the ones that are not looking good enough to him or such ones where have no all matching numbers. He has a bit more than 300 of it!!!
Regards
Gunner
Thanks, I wish I'd picked one up when I was stationed in Mannheim. $900.00 is the cheapest I've seen one around here, not alot of them around in Montana.