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LOT 448
Rare and Unusual Mauser Broomhandle Large Ring Flat Side Six-Shot Pistol with Contoured
Checkered Grip, Case and Accessories - Serial no. 14198, 7.63 mm cal., 3 3/4 inch round bbl.,
blue finish, checkered walnut grips. Manufactured in the early 20th century, the six-shot Mauser
Broomhandle was an attempt to reformat the Broomhandle from a hefty military/paramilitary sidearm
to a smaller, lighter item more suitable for plainclothes use. While mechanically successful, the item
did not take off with the public, and the experiment ended sometime in the 43,000 serial number range (c.1905), with the standard size ten-round magazine remaining the default. This particular Broomhandle also uses an
unconventional grip assembly, with a distinctive contour to the grip frame and fine checkering to the grip panels; a nearly identical pistol, serial number 22130, can be seen on page 174 of “The Broomhandle Pistol 1896-1936”
by Erickson and Pate, where it is described as “unique”, shows a lack of marking that would “indicate a military test piece”, and is identical in frame shape to a pistol seen in the private collection of the Aberdeen Proving Ground
(presumably the former U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, which would have been shut down by the BRAC closure of Aberdeen c. 2010, much of the inventory of which was slated for transfer to the non-public U.S. Army Ordnance
Training Support Facility at Fort Lee in Virginia). Blade front and notch rear sights, with the three-line Mauser address on the top chamber flat, matching numbers on the upper left chamber flat, floorplate, bolt, hammer and frame,
and no visible military or commercial proof marks. The trigger is finished in straw color, with a niter blue extractor, takedown block and safety, and a matte gray large ring hammer, and checkered grips. Included with the lot is a
leather-bound display case, cleaning rod (with slotted head for use with a later pattern firing pin), screwdriver, and five rounds of ammunition on a stripper clip.
CONDITION: Very good, with 95% plus professionally restored blue finish overall, showing some light wear on the high edges and a few spots on the barrel near the chamber. Strong straw and niter blue color are present on the
small parts, and the grips are also very good with a few minor dings. Mechanically excellent. The relined case is fine, showing a number of scuffs and cuts in the leather exterior, minor internal staining, and
light wear on the accessories.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
LOT 449
Scarce German Bergmann Model 1903
“Mars” Semi-Automatic Pistol - Serial no. 79,
7.8 mm cal., 4 inch solid rib bbl., blue/straw finish, walnut grips. Manufactured c. 1903-1905
as Bergmann’s first semi-automatic pistol design to successfully secure a military contract
(with the Spanish government placing an order in 1905, though they were evidently never issued
the pistols) and a precursor to the later successful Bergmann-Bayard Model 1910 pistol. Features
fixed oval blade front and notch rear sights, “MARS/PAT. BREV./S.G.D.G.” marked on top of the locking
block, commercial “crown/crown/U” proofs on the barrel, extension, frame, and bolt, along with niter
blue finished and straw colored small parts. Matching “79” serial numbers visible on the underside of
the frame and barrel. Fitted with a pair of checkered walnut grips with matching “79” serial numbers
stamped on the interiors and a replacement blued magazine with witness windows numbered to another pistol (“114”).
CONDITION: Very fine as professionally restored, retaining 97% plus blue finish, niter blue finish, and straw colors with some minor pitting
visible under the finish, softened proofs and markings, some minor thinning on the rear grip strap and front of the frame,
along with a few minor handling marks. The grips are also very fine with a repaired crack on the underside of the left panel and crisp checkering. The recoil spring is
under powered, otherwise mechanically fine.
Provenance: The Collection of Clive Cussler.
Estimate: 4,500 - 7,000