Origin: Germany
Year: 1896
Type: Semi-automatic Pistol
Caliber: 7.63x25mm (.30 Mauser)
Weight: 1,130 g (40 oz)
Length: 312 mm (12.3 in)
Barrel Length: 140 mm (5.5 in)
Capacity: 10 rds

An early example of the semi-automatic pistol, the Mauser C.96 "Broomhandle" proved to be a popular sidearm in the early 20th century. Its capacity of 10 rounds and its quicker method of reloading by the use of stripper clips provided the weapons user greater firepower compared to the revolvers which were popular at the time. Versions of the Mauser also came with a holster which doubled as a detachable stock. C.96 pistols saw service in many conflicts ranging from various colonial conflicts in Africa and Asia to World War I to the Russian Civil War (including a shorter barreled version which is still referred to as the "Bolo" due to its use by the Bolsheviks in the 1920s). Notable users of the pistol include the Imperial German Army, French Gendarmerie Nationale, Italian Navy, both Nationalist and Communist China, Spain, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire. Clones of the Mauser pistol have also been manufactured in Spain, China, and the United States. The C.96 has also left its mark in modern pop culture as the basis for Han Solo's blaster in the "Star Wars" film franchise.