Chinese Shansei Type 17 Broomhandle Reproduction - .45 ACP

Description

10/21/26 - This is a Chinese-made reproduction of the Shansei (Shanxi) Arsenal Type 17 "broomhandle" pistol chambered in .45 ACP, made in China in the 1980s for the collector market. The original Type 17 was built at the Taiyuan Arsenal for the forces of Shanxi warlord Yen Hsi-shan, whose troops already carried locally made Thompson submachine gun copies in .45 ACP, so the arsenal scaled up the Mauser C96 to fire the same cartridge. Only about 8,000 originals were made between 1929 and 1931, and with so few surviving, collectors in the 1980s had a small run of these reproductions made in China and imported to the U.S. Only a few hundred are believed to have been brought in, and today they are a scarce and affordable way to own one of the most unusual broomhandle designs ever made, with the big enlarged frame and the Chinese "Type 17" and Shanxi markings of the original. It is all matching and import marked on the front strap. The finish rates about 80%, with general high edge wear, muzzle wear, areas of noticeable finish loss on both sides of the frame, and some thinning along the barrel and around the chamber. There is light pin-pricking covering much of the gun, and areas of spotty oxidation and discoloration, mostly toward the back of both sides of the frame, on the grip straps and along the barrel. Fitted with excellent wood grips. Excellent shiny bore with strong rifling, 9/10. Please note that these Type 17 pistols are known for having issues with operation due to the way they were constructed, so we recommend having it checked out by a qualified gunsmith before firing.