SOLD - Very Rare 1921 Mauser Broomhandle - French Gendarmerie

Description

9/23/24 - This is a very rare Mauser Bolo M1921 that was issued to the French military. In the immediate aftermath of World War One, it appears that the French government purchased 2,000 Mauser C96 pistols for use by occupation forces who were to be stationed in Germany. While the direct link to the French military is missing, a sale of 2,000 C96 pistols through German dealer Albrecht Kind is documented, and we know that French Gendarmerie did use the C96 in the occupation. The guns that are identified as making up this purchase are in the 430,000-434,000 serial number range, produced right at the end of the war or just after. This example has matching numbers throughout, including the grips which are hand numbered. The bluing is original throughout, and shows high edge wear on the rails and muzzle. There is also some patina and oxidation on the rear of the pistol. The bore has strong rifling with a little frost throughout. The grips have no cracks but do have notable smoothing.