The barrel and barrel extension in this weapon are in one piece. The bolt, in which is housed the firing pin and its spring, travels inside the barrel extension. The extractor is a short spring claw mounted in the top of the bolt. At the instant of discharge, the bolt lock positioned in the receiver has its two upper locking teeth securely in the underside of the bolt. The barrel, barrel extension and the bolt are therefore securely locked.

The author and his Standard wartime Commercial C96 [S/N 39xxxx],
at the Stone Lodge Range
[before the pistol was banned and the Range was closed down]

As the bullet starts down the barrel, the rearward action of the gas pressure forces the locked barrel, barrel extension, bolt and lock, to travel straight backwards over some two-tenths of an inch. Grooves in the barrel extension permit it to travel a short distance in its mount in the receiver. The energy transmitted through the head of the bolt to the hammer, throws the hammer back on its axis until it is caught in the full-cock notch and is then held in place by the sear.

After this short travel, the lower rear projection (or tongue), of the locking block enters a rear recess machined out of the receiver, and under pressure of the coiled mainspring below, which has been compressed by the cocking motion, the claw of the coupling directly above the trigger in the receiver, pulls the locking block down, out of its two niches in the underside of the bolt. At this point the barrel is stopped in its rearward action when the block comes in contact with the receiver.

The bolt continues its rearward travel in its guide in the barrel extension. The spring extractor in the bolt head pulls the empty case out of the chamber and carries it back until it strikes against a projection on the receiver which extends up into the bolts way. This ejects the empty case up through the top of the weapon.

As the bolt moves back it compresses the recoil spring which is situated between the closed head of the bolt and the abutment which locks into the barrel extension. This stores up energy to return the bolt to the closed position on the forward movement of the action.

As the empty case is ejected, the spring inside the magazine pushing against the magazine follower forces the next cartridge up into line with the bolt. At the same time as the bolt moves back, the disconnector mounted directly above and behind the trigger in the receiver is forced back; and it in turn forces the sear lever around the trigger to prevent full automatic fire. The short powerful recoil spring drives the bolt forward and the bolt picks up the cartridge in line and chambers it. The extractor slips over the extracting groove in the cartridge case.

Exploded view of a C96
gunsite.com

When the head of the bolt reaches the face of the chamber, pressure from the coil mainspring is transmitted through the plunger at its forward end up to force the claw of the coupling to turn forward and force the barrel assembly forward to complete the firing position. While this is happening, the tongue of the locking block is forced up the ramp on top of the receiver and swings the locking block upwards until its teeth engage with their recesses in the underside of the bolt to complete the locking.

The trigger cannot disengage the disconnector until this locking motion is completed. The point of the firing pin is withdrawn behind the face of the bolt by a coil spring around its length. When the trigger is pressed, it engages the disconnector above and behind it which lifts the sear from its notch in the hammer. This permits the compressed mainspring to rotate the hammer on its axis and send it forward to drive the flying firing pin forward against the primer of the cartridge seated into position in the firing chamber.

When the last cartridge has been fired, a projection on the magazine follower (the platform on which the cartridges rest inside the magazine housing), is forced up by the magazine spring in line with the bolt, holding the bolt open.

The action of the breech bolt is extremely rapid, due to its relatively light weight, when compared to other self-loading pistols. The firing action seems rather violent to the firer as a consequence ^{6 7}.

The Broomhandle Mauser is usually 'speed loaded' from a stripper clip, which contains 10 cartridges. I strongly recommend that you trim your thumbnail before attempting the loading sequence detailed below...

7.63mm stripper clips
Rich Travalini

   Load the stripper clip with ammunition.
   Cock the hammer
   Grip the bolt wings on either side of the bolt and pull the bolt back as far as it will go. It will lock in to position.
   Insert either end of the loaded stripper clip in to the feed grooves on the barrel extension.
   Place a thumb over the top cartridge case and push all ten cartridges straight down into the box magazine below. They will feed in a double staggered row.
   Pull the stripper clip out. The bolt will automatically go forward and load the first round into the firing chamber.
   With the hammer already cocked, the C96 is now 'in battery' and ready to fire! ^{6 7}.

   Keeping the trigger finger well outside the trigger guard, grip the bolt wings securely and pull the bolt to the rear sharply. This will eject the cartridge in the firing chamber.
   Repeat this motion until the magazine is empty and the bolt is held open by the magazine follower.
   To close the action when the pistol is empty, grip firmly with thumb and finger of one hand and with a finger of the other hand, depress the magazine follower.
   While holding the magazine follower down, ease the bolt forward over the follower, remove the finger and then let the bolt slide forward until resting against the chamber face ⁶.

All models of the Broomhandle are equipped with a manual thumb safety at the left rear of the receiver. This safety may be applied when the hammer is in either the cocked or de-cocked.

On Broomhandle's manufactured prior to 1930, the safety is set by pressing the hammer down with the thumb of the pistol hand, and raising the safety lever with the thumb of the other hand. On those manufactured after 1930, including the 1930 model, there is a improved universal safety lock. This may be operated by the thumb of the pistol hand alone. The lever must be pushed until it clicks into the correct notch. When it is at safe (in the vertical position), the letter 'S' can be seen on the lever. When the lever is down and the weapon is ready to fire, the letter 'F' can be seen on the lever.

This improved universal safety lock safes the hammer by completely locking it with a lug to stop it from striking the firing pin. This allows the hammer to be lowered in absolute safety under all conditions ⁶.

   A plunger protrudes below the magazine just ahead of the trigger guard. Push in with the point of a cartridge or screw driver.
   Slide the magazine floor plate off towards the muzzle.
   The magazine spring and the magazine follower may then be withdrawn from the pistol.
   With the hammer cocked, hold the pistol in the left hand with the muzzle resting on a table, and with a screwdriver or with the point of a cartridge, lift up the latch with protrudes above the grip and is directly below the hammer.
   Push down on the receiver with the left hand and the barrel, barrel extension and lockwork may be slid off the receiver.
   To dismount the lock assembly, hold the barrel extension in the left hand with the lockwork upwards and with the right hand pull the lock assembly up and off the barrel group.
   The locking block can then be lifted out. The units of the lockwork can now be separated.
   To dismount the barrel assembly, insert the blade of a small screwdriver or similar instrument, into the slot of the firing pin.
   Push the pin forward and twist one-quarter turn to the right. This will release the recoil spring which will protrude from the block and can be removed.
   Push the recoil spring abutment towards the muzzle and draw it out to the right from its seating. The bolt and recoil spring can then be withdrawn.
   To strip the lock assembly on this weapon, put the safety lever midway between safe and fire, where it may then be lifted out.
   Ease the hammer down by pressing on the disconnector.
   Raise and lift out the retaining latch.
   Holding the lockwork on a table, with the hammer downwards, place a screwdriver or cleaning rod crosswise on the plunger and press firmly. The coupling can now be stripped out.
   Remove the mainspring with its plunger.
   Push the longer limb of the hammer pin spring toward the sear with the screwdriver. This relieves the disconnector from the pressure of the spring permitting to to be removed.
   Turn the sear upward and lift it out.
   The hammer pin may be pressed out from left to right with the safety lever and the hammer removed ⁶.

   To reassemble the lockwork, first replace the hammer and insert the hammer pin from the right.
   Then replace the mainspring with its plunger on each end.
   Holding the lock firm with the hammer downward against a solid surface while a screwdriver is held across the plunger, press the plunger in firmly and with the other hand insert the coupling hook downward, concave side outward, and press lightly on the trunnions to seat it into place.
   Replace the sear.
   Insert the disconnector.
   Place the lockwork on a table with the hammer to the right and pointing toward you, press the longer limb of the hammer pin spring toward the sear and the disconnector may be slipped into its seat.
   Cock the hammer and insert the safety lever until its lower limb is about mid-way between each end position.
   Replace the retaining latch ⁶.

   To assemble the barrel group, replace the recoil spring in the bolt and insert the bolt in the barrel extension with the extractor uppermost.
   Compress the recoil spring with the screwdriver or cleaning rod so that the abutment can be inserted with its sleeve to the front from the right into its place in the barrel extension where it will lock.
   Insert the firing pit and its spring, press in with the screwdriver and twist one-quarter turn to the left.
   To replace the locking block, pull the block with its claw towards the muzzle and its locking piece toward the bolt and hook over the lug on the barrel extension.
   To reassemble the coupling and barrel assemblies, place the lock assembly on the locking block so the claw of the block is forward of the coupling and the tongue lies in the unlocking recess of the lock spring.
   Press the lock frame and the barrel extension firmly together with both thumbs and they will snap into engagement.
   To replace the moving parts in the receiver, hold the receiver in the left hand, press the barrel and locked groups lightly together with the right hand and slide them into the receiver until the retaining latch snaps into place.
   To reassemble the magazine, insert the follower, being sure that the hold-open stud is to the rear.
   Insert the spring, press the locking pin inward and slide the floor plate backward until the pin locks it in its place ⁶.

A CGI supplied by Vlad.