Chinese Shansei C96 Type 17 .45 ACP 1929 Broom-handle Pistol (Original)
SKU: 79
Original/Reproduction: Original
Availability: In-stock
Manufacturer: Shansei Arsenal
Date Manufactured: 1929
Model: C96-Type 17
Caliber: 45 APC
Serial Number: 1648
Action Type: SEMI-AUTO
Capacity: 10 Rounds
Barrel Length: 5.5 Inch
Grips: Wood
Condition: Excellent
Bore Condition: 9/9.5
Price: $5000.00
Seller Type: Classification: C&R / FFL
Seller ID: KC
Return Policy: 3-day inspection and return policy on used guns and accessories.
Description
The Shansei Arsenal made approx. 9,000 broomhandles in .45 ACP, this being one of the earlier examples. It has a 5.5″ bbl., a fixed front sight & slip-in rear sight graded 100-1000. Short extractor, single lug firing pin. The left side of the frame is marked with Chinese characters that translate “Type Semiautomatic Pistol” (The earliest of these guns were marked w/a different set of characters that translated “Type 17”). Right side of frame references the manufacturer, year of production (in this case 1929) & location in the Shansei Province. Full S# is on the left chamber flat, top of bolt, back of hammer, subframe, frame & boltstop. Extensive disassembly shows all matching S#s in the usual locations. Each of the original grips is penciled w/ the matching “1601”. Lanyard ring present.
History
Since the formation of the Chinese Republic in 1911, China became plagued with internal conflict. Countless political factions vied for power, warlord generals controlled entire cities, and a fragile central government was struggling to exert control. To a gun manufacturer like Mauser, it was a perfect opportunity. Mauser shipped hundreds of thousands of C96 pistols to China, but even that wasn’t enough to satisfy demand. Unauthorized Chinese copies started to appear by the tens of thousands, and these knockoffs eventually outproduced the Mauser originals. Due to the frequency of .45 APC caliber ammunition in China, where a popular copy of the Thompson sub-machine gun had also emerged, both the Mauser-produced C96 pistols and their unauthorized Chinese counterparts were often chambered in a .45 ACP variation. Even with so many knockoffs, Mauser continued making exports to the Chinese market until Japan joined the Axis Powers in 1936.
