Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Riddle Me This, Teddy Roosevelt!


This is a REAL question for all you little gunnies out there!

Above is a classic Mauser C96 "Bolo" version, your basic Broomhandle Mauser. It is, IMO, one of the coolest handguns ever made. The Broomhandles are sort of like gun puzzles, they disassemble like a puzzle, without screws and I think only one pin. Hey, if it was good enough for T.R., Winston Churchill and the Texas Rangers, it's good enough for me!

So here's my question...what if a gun company was willing to build a stainless steel Broomhandle, available in .30 Mauser, the original cartridge, 9mm or...get this....357 SIG?

Would you buy it?

For between $1200-1500? That's the cost of a mid-range Kimber, by way of comparison...

Say yes, because I want one in the worst possible way! Just seeing a picture of a Broomhandle gives me an overwhelming urge to slay Dervishes and avenge "Chinese" Gordon...if this makes no sense to you, I can't help it if you slept through your Colonial History of Africa classes in college!

Come on...after all those plastic pistols, a stainless Broomhandle would be a breath of fresh air, and in .357 SIG the ne plus ultra of car guns! Fit a suppressor and a holster/shoulder stock and you will be the absolute hit of your next Cowboy Action Match — hey, it's 19th Century technology...just like the Maxim!

Cool is cool...vote now and vote often, as they say in Chicago!

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, like they'd let one of those in at a Cowboy match!

Still, it would be an interesting gun, and I would be interested - assuming they could keep the price in line.

Guy

Jason said...

Oh Hell Yeah! I would buy 2, one for each hand!!

Anonymous said...

That's the most original gun idea in a long time!

Would it load with stripper clips?

Overload in Colorado said...

Michael,
you could get one of the Chinese .45acp Broomhandle Mausers.

Anonymous said...

Please tell someone is going to make this! $1200 seems to be the going rate for a restored c96. This wouldn't have cringe factor that shooting a 70 plus year weapon would

Anonymous said...

I'd buy a .357 SIG version. I love those bottlenecked cartridges.

Erich

Anonymous said...

This would be a range toy.

But it would be a really, really cool range toy.

Does Bob Morrison have anything to do with this?

I think the price would need to be a bit lower, personally.

Lots of folks might say "Heck yeah" at first, but c'mon.

How many folks (us mere mortals, that is) would actually drop $1200 on a funky, cool range-toy pistol like this?

I mean for about the same cashola, I'm putting together a DPMS LR 308 with really good rings and an SWFA Super Sniper atop it.

As you, yourself said, for the same cashola, I could get a nice Kimber carry gun.

Interesting? Yes. Quirky? Yes. Cool and All Get Out? Yes.

But I think that $1200 is a bit pricey for what it would be.

I could get quirk, cool, range toy in a high-velocity bottleneck cartridge for a lot cheaper in a CZ-52.

Oh wait.....I've already done that.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it would cry out to me from the display. Then it would cry for me to adopt it's Germanic cousins...

First a Broomhandle, then a Luger, then a Walther and a Nazi HP... Might as well fill out the whole list of firearms that used to try kill Grandpa and Dad and keep me from me from being conceived. Practically an irresitable chain of events once started...

dw

? said...

i would definitely buy one if it was blued and not stainless and came with wood grips in 9mm but not for more than $1k

Not Available said...

Nope. No thanks. By the way, is that the gun Patrick Wayne used in Big Jack?

Jay.Mac said...

Sounds like a sterling idea- but they need to release it in 9mm x 21 too.

And I'll second the vote for blued rather than stainless.

Anonymous said...

Put me down for one. If you want it blued, there are lots of high-tech finishes.

iainmcphersn said...

Add the Hans Solo compensator and accessories kit?

Anonymous said...

The solution from JPFO
http://www.jpfo.org/boltaction.htm

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah.

I'd want it available bulued not stainless.

Remember on of the featured of hte Mauser is it's ability to use long pistol cartridges like the .30 Mauser and the 9mm Mauser. If you're gonna make it strong enough (modern steels) for modern pressures, then consider the 10mm at a minimum.
Maybe revive the 9mm magnum. a .357 super Sig made from 10mm brass instead of .40 S&W ?

Anonymous said...

I'd pass - unless the holster/shoulder stock option is a little cheaper and little more transportable - then I'd want one in 9X23 rather than .357 Sig - .357 Sig as loaded is too limited by bullet grip and setback in the short neck. One of the other hot long case 9mm would do as well in the C96 but I have a 1911 in 9X23. With the shoulder stock the C96 would be marvelous on ground squirrels and prairie dogs. And no this is not the pistol in Big Jake but the schnell fuerer version was the pistol in Midnight Plus One.

Anonymous said...

Nope! Count me out. I used to own one of these things for several years and I admit the 'neatness' factor is High, but the practicality factor is LOW. Shoot one sometime. The sights are regulated for use only with a shoulder stock which I did not want to purchase as an NFA item. Sooooo...it was hard to hit anything but barns with the silly thing.

And while few will talk about it, THERE IS a difference between Mauser ammo and that cheap Russian and Yugo 7.62x25mm ammo. Enough of a difference a lot of it won't work in a Broomhandle.

Got rid of my nicely rebuilt Bolo about a year ago. Don't miss it. Am still searching for a good Merwin & Hubert, however.

All The Best,
Frank W. James

Anonymous said...

hell yeah.
how about a drtv giveaway.

Anonymous said...

Oh, hell yeah.
Way too cool not to have.

Alogusz said...

Hey Mike, did you get the chromed Mauser pics I emailed to you? I'm not sure it was right address.

Anonymous said...

Hell yeah! Because my grandfather brought one back from WW I and WW II, both of which my father have.

Both of which I will never see until he is dead and buried, maybe not even then.

So yest I would buy one regardless of caliber.

Anonymous said...

Hell yeah!
Id buy one, even if it is in .357 sig. However, Id prefer getting one in .45 acp!

Soooo tell me something! Who is thinking of making these and just when can one expect to see any for purchase?

Anonymous said...

Please, don't post a comment saying "no", people that do are just ruining it for the others who have been begging for this :(
If you don't want it, DON'T BUY IT.
.....But I will =D
.....3 or 4....... 10 or 12.

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