- 1914 Mauser Serial Number Guide
- Mauser 1914 Serial Number Lookup Reverse
- Mauser 1914 Pistol For Sale
- Mauser 1914 Serial Number Lookup
Mine has an N80xx serial number, and what. I have an opportunity to purchase an early 1914 Mauser 7.65 with one mag and a holster. The seller says it has a German Imperial Army acceptance stamp and a serial number in the 32000 range. The finish looks pretty good for a 100 year old. I have questions to him regarding shootability and bore condition. MAUSER MODEL 1914 PISTOL - C45500. 7.65mm; 75% blue, very good bore, good grips, 3.5' barrel, The finish has muzzle and high edge wear. The left slide has the S/N 357683 and WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER A-G OBERNDORF / MAUSER'S PATENT. The frame the MAUSER The right side slide has MAUSER - 7.65.
The first Mauser patents on blowback type pistols date from 1907, and many patents were taken out from 1907 to 1915. Work on a fixed-barrel type of arms was first done on rifles in 1907, but in 1908 interest had shifted to experimental work on a hand gun of this type. Mauser's first attempt was to produce a military pistol in 9 mm. Parabellum caliber, and this resulted in a pistol designated as Modell 1909. Although an instruction book was issued, indicating that the pistol was expected to meet with approval, there was little demand for them and very few were made. This Modell 1909 is not to be confused with the later Modell 1912 and the Modell 1912/14, as it did not have the delaying or retarding devices which appeared on the Modell
How to Find the Manufacture Date of An SKS by Serial Number. Related How to Tell What Type of a Mauser I Have. By Brandon Getty. The Luger P08 pistol, also referred to as the Pistole Parabellum, was first produced in 1900. It was designed by Hugo Borchardt but patented by Georg J. Though the Luger was used mostly by German forces in. First Variation serial numbers 743 (KM guns mixed with commercial production) RARE - 701013. Second Variation serial numbers 751 (7,000 produced) - 708921. Third Varation serial numbers 747 (2,000 produced) - 783930. Fourth Variation serial numbers 752 (4,500 produced) - 855461. Fourth Variation - 904650.
1912. Successful functioning depended on the use of a special Parabellum cartridge with a lighter powder charge and lighter bullet, which was specially designed by Mauser for this weapon (Figs. 213, 214).
1910 and 1914 Types-In 1909-1910 Mauser developed and produced a 6.35 mm. pocket pistol which, except for size, minor machining, and assembly differences, was a copy of the 9 mm. Modell 1909, and this was put on the market later in 1910 or early in 1911. It is now referred to as the Mod. 1910, although at the time no model designation was assigned to it by the manufacturer. Model designations for the early smaller pistols were made only in the case of the 6.35 mm. vestpocket (W.T.P.) pistols and then only after the introduction of the second model.
Early issues of the 1910 Type are characterized by the presence of a lever on the left side of the receiver just above the trigger, the purpose of which is two-fold. The device combines a trigger pin and on this pin is a latch which unlocks the front end of the side plate over the limb work. The rear end of this plate is rabbeted into the receiver. In the later issues of the 1910 Type pistol a simpler and less expensive scheme was used. In these later pistols the trigger pin is staked to the opposite (right) side of the receiver. To expose the limb work the slide is first removed and the side plate, which is rabbeted at each end, is simply lifted up at the rear end and removed.
Late in 1913 a new version of the 1910 type was announced, differing in a few details. Early in 1914 it was announced that a 7.65 mm. pistol was forthcoming, in which all of the latest features of the 6.35 mm. pistol would be incorporated. This appeared late in that year or possibly early in 1915. Experimental models for a 7.65 mm. pistol had been made in 1912 and
1913, but the final form which was issued commercially was quite different in external characteristics from the experimental forms. The Model 1910 (but unofficial) designation seems to have remained as popular nomenclature for the early 6.35 mm. model (ca. 1910), the improved 6.35 mm. model (ca. 1913-14), and the first 7.65 mm. model (ca. 1914, commercially). Later the 7.65 mm. pistol became known as the Model 1914 in popular nomenclature. As time went on it appeared in several slightly differing forms, but essentially it remained the same.
The numbering of the 6.35 mm. pistols produced from 1910 to 1913 (inclusive) appears to have been from 1 to 61,000. The 7.65 mm. 1914 type seems to have been numbered first from 61,000 to 100,000, after which the numbers jumped to 200,000 and became intermingled with the numbers for the 6.35 mm. pistol. From the number 200,000 on, the 6.35 and 7.65 mm. pistols appear to have been numbered in the same series, which by 1939 had reached about 640,000. This statement does not include the W.T.P. models, however, which had their own series of numbering. Although the firm name had been changed from Waffenfabrik Mauser to Mauser-Werke in 1922, the new name was not used on the pocket pistols until 1929 or 1930, at about serial number 400,000.
1934-1939-From 1914 to 1934 there had been little change in the 7.65 mm. model, but in 1934 a change was made which altered its external appearance. This change consisted in the use of a more streamlined grip, which afforded a better hold. Instead of using two grip pieces the entire grip consisted of one piece, formed to fit the grip frame. A single screw on each side held it in place.
About this time Mauser began work on a design for a double action pistol and by 1937 they had developed one which they designated a Hahn Selbstspann (or self-cocking hammer). This system, generally referred to as the HS system, was much delayed in its development due to patent and legal difficulties engendered by Walther's natural desire to control the production of double action pistols. In 1937 Mauser produced a few of the new pistols, designated HSa, and circulated samples among firearms authorities, editors, etc. to get their reaction. As a result of recommendations and comments received, certain changes were made and a few of this revised form (known as HSb) were similarly circulated. Finally, a third form was arrived at and this was considered sufficiently perfected to warrant commercial production. This model was designated Modell HSc, and serial numbering started around 700,000. From the time that it was brought out, in 1938, until 1945 serial numbers had grown to about 955,000, indicating that more than 250,000 had been made in that period. This model was produced throughout World War II as a side arm for the Army and for the Luftwaffe, and very few were distributed commercially. Hence almost every specimen seen will have the German military acceptance mark (WaA ). Not only did the military forces take over all of the HSc pistols produced, but also the last 100,000 or so of the 1934 type, consequently many specimens of the latter will also have the German military acceptance mark. Both of these 7.65 mm. pistols, being small, compact, and reliable, were desirable as light side arms. The Model HSc is an exceptionally fine pocket pistol.
Immediately after the war another 20,000 pieces were made for the French Government. These are regularly marked and should be numbered above 955,000. Naturally they will not have the German acceptance mark. There were several minor mechanical variations in this run. The Mod. HSc was also produced, experimentally, in .22 caliber and in 9 mm. Short (.380 ACP) but only in very small quantities. Consequently they are collectors' items.
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Introduction: One Pistol to Rule Them All
You don't have to be involved in the shooting sports for long before you will hear the name 'Mauser', often in conjunction with discovering Paul Mauser's definitive bolt action rifle design, the Mauser '98. German firearms designer Paul Mauser's M98 was by no means his only design however, it just happens to have been his most successful.
Almost as well known as the M98, which formed the basis for the German Military Gewehr 98 of World War I fame and Karabiner 98k of World War II, was Mauser's C96 semi-automatic pistol which is most often referred to as the 'Broomhandle' Mauser because of the shape of its grip. This pistol's fame came to it in part because it was Winston Churchill's favorite (although legend has it that he changed his mind when he discovered the Colt M1911). The 'Broomhandle' was also used in China, where lots of Chinese copies were made, and during the Russian Revolution where it became known as the 'Bolo' Mauser: the 'Bolo' being short for Bolshevik.
A rare long barrel Mauser 'humpback' automatic pistol. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
1914 Mauser Serial Number Guide
But there was another Mauser pistol, one that was not Winston Churchill's favorite, one that was not associated with great political upheavals, but one that was a quiet achiever that sold around half a million copies across its model variants, and that pistol was a design that was originally conceived around 1908-1909 and which became best known as the production models of 1910 and 1914.
Paul Mauser's vision for his new semi-automatic pistol was to create a design that could be essentially scaled up or down to suit the cartridge it was to be used for. These designs were most probably created by an engineer named Josef Nickl whom Mauser had employed in 1904. Nickl produced designs for pistols in 9mm Parabellum, .45 ACP, 7.65 Automatic (.32ACP) and 6.35mm (.25ACP). His designs for the .45ACP and 9mm Parabellum used a delayed blowback system and his designs for the smaller cartridges were of a straight blowback design.
The 45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum Mauser Pistols
Mauser's design for a full size military pistol used a quite unusual delayed blowback system that featured a pair of arms in the frame ahead of the trigger guard that engaged into machined angled surfaces in the slide. When the pistol was fired the slide and barrel recoiled together with the friction between the angled surfaces on the arms and slide delaying the unlocking of the action until the breech pressure had dropped to a safe level. When the arms were forced down the slide and barrel unlocked allowing the slide to recoil to battery. In Mauser's early design there was an unusual recoil buffer spring (Rückstoßpufferfeder) at the rear of the frame to absorb the impact of the slide hitting the frame at battery.
The .45ACP prototype was the subject of a Forgotten Weapons video a few years ago and Ian of Forgotten Weapons provides a clear demonstration of this pistol and is mechanism.
The delayed blowback Mauser pistols in 9mm and .45ACP did not prove to be successful as military designs: the German Military adopted the P08 Luger while the US Military adopted John M. Browning's Colt M1911. Even the stodgy British, who tended to regard an automatic pistol as 'dashed unsporting', created their own in the form of the William Whiting designed Webley Mk I pistols adopted by the Royal Horse Artillery in 1913 and Royal Navy in 1914. So Paul Mauser's original idea of creating one basic pistol design to suit all customers did not eventuate. Not to be defeated however Mauser had from the outset also been working on smaller caliber pocket pistols for civilian and police customers.
The Mauser 'Model 1910'
Despite the fact that Mauser's company did not actually refer to their designs by model, but rather by caliber, so the two smaller Mauser pistols that were produced in large quantities have tended to be referred to by collectors by model year. The M1910 is the nomenclature applied to the smallest of these handguns that was chambered for the 6.35mm cartridge (.25ACP) and the M1914 model name for the 7.65mm (.32ACP) pistol.
Mauser Model 1910 in 6.35mm with a Walther PPK. (Picture courtesy icollector.com).
The 6.35mm Browning (.25ACP) chambered Mauser Model 1910 was actually introduced in Europe in 1906 and into the USA two years later. This pistol was a straight blowback design, not having the complexity of the delayed recoil locking system used for the 9mm Parabellum and .45ACP versions. The pistol was made to be simple, reliable, and easy to maintain.
Mauser 6.35mm Browning 'Model 1910' field stripped. The pistol was kept to a minimum of parts and was made to be easy to field strip.
As can be seen from the picture above the fixed barrel was made to be easily removable: it was held in place by the long pin at the bottom of the picture which was also the recoil spring guide rod.
The first variant of the Model 1910 was the 'Side Latch', which featured a rotating side-latch just above the trigger which enabled the cover over the side of the lockwork to be removed for cleaning. The second variant was the 'New Model' typically referred to as the 'Model 1910/14' because it first appeared in 1914. The original side-latch model created some potential problems when field stripped as the trigger could be removed, but would be difficult to replace because of the spring pressure on it. The New Model eliminated this issue and provided some other changes to the lockwork including improvements to the interrupter mechanism, and the magazine and slide stop mechanisms. The New Model's change to the striker mechanism also made it easier to determine if the pistol was cocked.
The pistol was single action, and striker fired, with the trigger connected to a bell crank lever which rotated around its center to disengage from the striker sear, allowing it to fly forward under spring pressure and discharge the cartridge.
The mechanism for the Model 1910 6.35mm and Model 1914 7.65mm pistols is the same and can be visually appreciated in the video below from C&Rsenal
To operate the pistol it must first be opened, but the slide cannot be opened unless a magazine is inserted. If an empty magazine is inserted then the slide can be pulled back and will lock in place. If the empty magazine is removed the slide will remain locked open: however, if an empty magazine is inserted and pushed home the slide will close.
If the magazine is loaded with cartridges then when it is inserted into the pistol and pushed all the way home the slide will fly forward chambering a cartridge. This was a very convenient feature ensuring the speediest reload as there was no need to operate the slide to get the pistol into action, as soon as the loaded magazine was inserted the slide would automatically close and the pistol was good to go. So the design was very well thought out.
Mauser 6.35mm Model 1910 here seen with safety catch disengaged and ready to fire. The safety catch is the small lever behind the trigger. It is pressed down to engage the safety. When engaged the safety catch is locked in place. To release it the button below the safety lever is depressed, this causes the safety catch to fly up under spring pressure. (Picture courtesy icollector.com).
The safety catch of the 6.35mm Model 1910 is a lever to the rear of the trigger which is pressed down to engage. Once the safety lever is pressed down it locks in place and cannot just be pushed back up: instead the locking button located just below it is pressed, this causes the safety to fly up under spring pressure and disengage so the pistol can then be fired.
There were a number of variants of the 6.35mm 'New Model' pistols including the post World War I commercial models, 1934 Transitional Model, and the 'Model 1934' which is distinguished by its more rounded ergonomic grip.
Mauser 1914 Serial Number Lookup Reverse
At top is a 'Model 1910' New Model, note the absence of a side latch. At bottom is the 'Model 1934' version of the Model 1910 New Model with the more ergonomic rounded grip. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
For a full and detailed description of the history and model variants of the Mauser 6.35mm 'Model 1910' see Ed Buffaloe and Burgess Mason III's article on unblinkingeye.com
The Mauser 'Model 1914'
The development of Paul Mauser's small pistols was well underway by around 1908: around this time he told the Deutsche Versuchs-Anstalt für Handfeuerwaffen (the German Experimental Laboratory for Handguns) that his company would be producing a small 7.65mm pistol '…not larger in weight and size than the well-known Browning 7,65 pistol…,' (Note: See 'Paul Mauser: His Life, Company, and Handgun Development 1838-1914' by Mauro Baudino & Gerben van Vlimmeren).
The Mauser 7.65mm 'Model 1914' pistol seen here with a Walther PPK so its size can be appreciated. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
The pistol we nowadays refer to as the Mauser 'Model 1914' was the 7.65mm (.32ACP) version and development work on it began after the 'Model 1910' was in production. The design of the pistol was almost identical to that of the 6.35mm 'Model 1910' but scaled for the larger and more powerful .32ACP cartridge.
Diagram of the 7.65mm (.32ACP) 'Model 1914' Mauser pistol.
The 7.65mm Mauser pistol was aimed at the police market, and the 7.65mm cartridge had already become the caliber of choice for many police departments in Europe. The first version of the 7.65mm Mauser pistol featured a 'humpback' shape of the slide in which the thickness of the metal around the ejection port and forward from there was of smaller dimensions than the rear. The logic behind making the ejection port area less thick makes sense in terms of ensuring easier ejection of fired cases, while the thicker metal at the rear of the slide provides additional mass to absorb the recoil power of the 7.65mm cartridge.
Standard 'humpback' Mauser 'Model 1914' first variant pistol. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
The action of the 'Model 1914' was largely the same as that of the 'New Model' 6.35mm pistols and featured the same improvements to the trigger and interrupter mechanisms, and the magazine mechanisms that blocked the slide open when the magazine was empty, and prevented the pistol from being fired if the magazine was removed.
Operation of the Mauser automatic pistol explained with field stripping by Larry Potterfield of Midway USA
With the Model 1914 'humpback' pistol in production Mauser decided that the additional machining to produce the humpback shape was not actually necessary and so a new design was introduced which eliminated it.
Two examples of the Model 1914 7.65mm (.32ACP) Mauser pistols. These are both export models but note there are differences in the markings: there are many variants of these Mauser pistols. (Picture courtesy icollector.com).
As can be seen from the picture above the fixed barrel was made to be easily removable: it was held in place by the long pin at the bottom of the picture which was also the recoil spring guide rod.
The first variant of the Model 1910 was the 'Side Latch', which featured a rotating side-latch just above the trigger which enabled the cover over the side of the lockwork to be removed for cleaning. The second variant was the 'New Model' typically referred to as the 'Model 1910/14' because it first appeared in 1914. The original side-latch model created some potential problems when field stripped as the trigger could be removed, but would be difficult to replace because of the spring pressure on it. The New Model eliminated this issue and provided some other changes to the lockwork including improvements to the interrupter mechanism, and the magazine and slide stop mechanisms. The New Model's change to the striker mechanism also made it easier to determine if the pistol was cocked.
The pistol was single action, and striker fired, with the trigger connected to a bell crank lever which rotated around its center to disengage from the striker sear, allowing it to fly forward under spring pressure and discharge the cartridge.
The mechanism for the Model 1910 6.35mm and Model 1914 7.65mm pistols is the same and can be visually appreciated in the video below from C&Rsenal
To operate the pistol it must first be opened, but the slide cannot be opened unless a magazine is inserted. If an empty magazine is inserted then the slide can be pulled back and will lock in place. If the empty magazine is removed the slide will remain locked open: however, if an empty magazine is inserted and pushed home the slide will close.
If the magazine is loaded with cartridges then when it is inserted into the pistol and pushed all the way home the slide will fly forward chambering a cartridge. This was a very convenient feature ensuring the speediest reload as there was no need to operate the slide to get the pistol into action, as soon as the loaded magazine was inserted the slide would automatically close and the pistol was good to go. So the design was very well thought out.
Mauser 6.35mm Model 1910 here seen with safety catch disengaged and ready to fire. The safety catch is the small lever behind the trigger. It is pressed down to engage the safety. When engaged the safety catch is locked in place. To release it the button below the safety lever is depressed, this causes the safety catch to fly up under spring pressure. (Picture courtesy icollector.com).
The safety catch of the 6.35mm Model 1910 is a lever to the rear of the trigger which is pressed down to engage. Once the safety lever is pressed down it locks in place and cannot just be pushed back up: instead the locking button located just below it is pressed, this causes the safety to fly up under spring pressure and disengage so the pistol can then be fired.
There were a number of variants of the 6.35mm 'New Model' pistols including the post World War I commercial models, 1934 Transitional Model, and the 'Model 1934' which is distinguished by its more rounded ergonomic grip.
Mauser 1914 Serial Number Lookup Reverse
At top is a 'Model 1910' New Model, note the absence of a side latch. At bottom is the 'Model 1934' version of the Model 1910 New Model with the more ergonomic rounded grip. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
For a full and detailed description of the history and model variants of the Mauser 6.35mm 'Model 1910' see Ed Buffaloe and Burgess Mason III's article on unblinkingeye.com
The Mauser 'Model 1914'
The development of Paul Mauser's small pistols was well underway by around 1908: around this time he told the Deutsche Versuchs-Anstalt für Handfeuerwaffen (the German Experimental Laboratory for Handguns) that his company would be producing a small 7.65mm pistol '…not larger in weight and size than the well-known Browning 7,65 pistol…,' (Note: See 'Paul Mauser: His Life, Company, and Handgun Development 1838-1914' by Mauro Baudino & Gerben van Vlimmeren).
The Mauser 7.65mm 'Model 1914' pistol seen here with a Walther PPK so its size can be appreciated. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
The pistol we nowadays refer to as the Mauser 'Model 1914' was the 7.65mm (.32ACP) version and development work on it began after the 'Model 1910' was in production. The design of the pistol was almost identical to that of the 6.35mm 'Model 1910' but scaled for the larger and more powerful .32ACP cartridge.
Diagram of the 7.65mm (.32ACP) 'Model 1914' Mauser pistol.
The 7.65mm Mauser pistol was aimed at the police market, and the 7.65mm cartridge had already become the caliber of choice for many police departments in Europe. The first version of the 7.65mm Mauser pistol featured a 'humpback' shape of the slide in which the thickness of the metal around the ejection port and forward from there was of smaller dimensions than the rear. The logic behind making the ejection port area less thick makes sense in terms of ensuring easier ejection of fired cases, while the thicker metal at the rear of the slide provides additional mass to absorb the recoil power of the 7.65mm cartridge.
Standard 'humpback' Mauser 'Model 1914' first variant pistol. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
The action of the 'Model 1914' was largely the same as that of the 'New Model' 6.35mm pistols and featured the same improvements to the trigger and interrupter mechanisms, and the magazine mechanisms that blocked the slide open when the magazine was empty, and prevented the pistol from being fired if the magazine was removed.
Operation of the Mauser automatic pistol explained with field stripping by Larry Potterfield of Midway USA
With the Model 1914 'humpback' pistol in production Mauser decided that the additional machining to produce the humpback shape was not actually necessary and so a new design was introduced which eliminated it.
Two examples of the Model 1914 7.65mm (.32ACP) Mauser pistols. These are both export models but note there are differences in the markings: there are many variants of these Mauser pistols. (Picture courtesy icollector.com).
There were many variations of the 7.65mm Mauser pistols including those purchased by the German Reichsmarine, Kriegsmarine, Weimer Navy, Weimer Police, and the Norwegian Police are examples.
The last major revision to the design of the Model 1914 came with the Model 1934, which, like the 6.35mm version, was given a more rounded pistol grip.
You can find a full and detailed description of the many model variants of the Model 1914 7.65mm (.32ACP) pistols by Ed Buffaloe and Burgess Mason III's on unblinkingeye.com in the second part of their article.
Mauser 'Model 1914/1934' at top by comparison with its successor, the Mauser HSC. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
Conclusion
The Mauser automatic pistols were intelligently designed and proved popular with a great many having been produced, and many exported to the United States. They were made to Mauser's very high quality standards, are known to be a reliable pistol, capable of decent accuracy, and providing a good level of safety for examples that are in good condition. There are many variants of these pistols and some are worth more money on the collector market than others. But if you have one of these in your 'I've got this old gun' drawer somewhere it might be worth dusting it off and taking it to the range for some shooting fun. Just make sure you give it a good clean up before you do that, and preferably check its function with some snap caps to make sure its working OK. Better still have a gunsmith give it the once over before you put live ammo in it, bearing in mind that it will be an old gun and we need to be cautious when shooting old guns in case something is worn out: just as we normally do some maintenance on an old car before we try to start the engine or drive it.
Ammo for these pistols is common, which makes them a great shootable collectible.
Long barrel Model 1914 7.65mm (.32ACP) 'humpback'. (Picture courtesy Rock Island Auction).
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he's a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Mauser 1914 Pistol For Sale
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
Mauser 1914 Serial Number Lookup
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