1942 Palestine HEBREW PISTOL MANUAL Israel 0.38 WEBLEY MAUSER C96 LUGER BERETTA

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Seller: judaica-bookstore ✉️ (2,803) 100%, Location: TEL AVIV, IL, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 285753207515 1942 Palestine HEBREW PISTOL MANUAL Israel 0.38 WEBLEY MAUSER C96 LUGER BERETTA. The Notrim (Hebrew:נוטרים ‎, lit.Guards ; singular:Noter ) were a Jewish Police Force set up by the British in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1936. The plans were approved by Field Marshall John Dill.

DESCRIPTION : Here for sale is an ULTRA RARE richly illustrated Jewish - Judaica - Hebrew book ( Namely - manual ) ,  a guide book for the usage of PISTOLS for the members of the "NOTRIM" , The Jewish-Hebrew members of the Supernumerary Police during the British Mandate period in Eretz Israel ( Then also refered to as PALESTINE ) . The Hebrew book was published in Palestine Eretz Israel in 1942 ( Dated ) .  It's a manual for PISTOL USAGE named " THE PISTOL ( 0.38 Inch ) - SMALL ARMS TRAINING ". Specificaly for these FOUR SERVICE PISTOLS -  The LUGER - PISTOLE ( PISTOL ) PARABELLUM , The PISTOLA BERETTA  , The MAUSER C96 and the WEBLEY REVOLVER . Illustrations of these PISTOLS , All their parts and instructions of dismantling, Cleaning, Maintenance and FIRING. NUMEROUS illustrations of armed  Jewish-Hebrew SOLDIERS with their typical uniforms , Helmets and firearms , Using these FOUR TYPES of PISTOLS . Hebrew. Throughout illustrated  .Original wrappers.  5 x 6.5" . 44 throughout illustrated pp  . Very good condition . Clean and unstained . Tightly bound. Very nicely preserved copy . The previous owener name on the front page was torn off the page upper corner and the front page was very nicely mended. ( Pls look at scan for accurate AS IS images ) Will be sent inside a protective rigid packaging.

AUTHENTICITY : This is an ORIGINAL vintage 1942 book ( Dated ) , NOT a reproduction or a reprint  , It holds a life long GUARANTEE for its AUTHENTICITY and ORIGINALITY.   PAYMENTS : Payment method accepted : Paypal & All credit cards .
SHIPPMENT : SHIPP worldwide via registered airmail $ 25 . Will be sent inside a protective packaging . Handling around  5-10 days after payment.  The Notrim (Hebrew: נוטרים ‎ , lit. Guards ; singular: Noter ) were a Jewish Police Force set up by the British in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1936. The force was divided into Supernumerary Police and highly mobile Settlement Police. Members were recruited almost entirely from the Haganah. After World War II, the Notrim became the core of the Israeli Military Police. History in World War II On 6 August 1940 Anthony Eden, the British Secretary of War, informed Parliament that the Cabinet had decided to recruit Arab and Jewish units as battalions of the Royal East Kent Regiment (the "Buffs"). At a luncheon with Chaim Weizmann on 3 September , Winston Churchill approved the large-scale recruitment of Jewish forces in Palestine and the training of their officers. A further 10,000 men (no more that 3,000 from Palestine) were to be recruited to Jewish units in the British Army for training in the United Kingdom. Faced with Field Marshall Rommel's advance in Egypt, the British government decided on 15 April , 1941 that the 10,000 Jews dispersed in the single defense companies of the Buffs should be prepared for war service at the battalion level and that another 10,000 should also be mobilized along with 6,000 Supernumerary Police and 40,000 to 50,000 home guard. The plans were approved by Field Marshall John Dill. The Special Operations Executive in Cairo approved a Haganah proposal for guerilla activities in northern Palestine led by the Palmach, as part of which Yitzhak Sadeh devised Plan North for an armed enclave in the Carmel range from which the Yishuv could defend the region and attack Nazi communications and supply lines, if necessary. British intelligence also trained a small radio network under Moshe Dayan to act as spy cells in the event of a German invasion (Israeli and Penkower, 2002, pp. 112-113).The Jewish Supernumerary Police (sometimes referred to as Jewish Auxiliary Police) were a branch of the Guards (Notrim ) set up by the British in Mandate Palestine in June 1936. Around 22,000 Notrim were appointed, armed and equipped by the British to act as a protective militia for Jewish settlements. This force "soon became a legal cover for the Haganah and an increasingly effective shield against Arab forays". The British authorities gradually expanded the Supernumerary Police from 6,000 to 14,000. Those trained became the nucleus of the Haganah, which itself became the main constituent of the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The other branch of the Notrim was an élite mobile force known as the Jewish Settlement Police. The Webley Revolver (also known as the Webley Top-Break Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various marks, a standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, and the British Empire and Commonwealth, from 1887 until 1963. The Webley is a top-break revolver and breaking the revolver operates the extractor, which removes cartridges from the cylinder. The Webley Mk I service revolver was adopted in 1887 and the Mk IV rose to prominence during the Boer War of 1899–1902. The Mk VI, introduced in 1915 during the First World War, is perhaps the best-known model. Firing large .455 Webley cartridges, Webley service revolvers are among the most powerful top-break revolvers ever produced. The .455 calibre Webley is no longer in military service but the .38/200 Webley Mk IV variant is still in use as a police sidearm in a number of countries.[1] With a modified, "shaved" cylinder and the use of a half moon clip, the Webley Mk VI can fire the .45 ACP cartridge,[2] although standard pressure .45 ACP cartridges exceed Webley proof loads and should not be used.[3] Contents 1 History 2 Webley revolvers in military service 2.1 Boer War 2.2 First World War 2.3 Second World War 2.4 Post-war 2.5 Police use 2.6 Military service .455 Webley revolver marks and models 3 The Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver 4 Other Webley revolvers 4.1 Webley RIC 4.2 British Bull Dog 4.3 Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver 5 Users 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links History[edit] Webley & Scott (P. Webley & Son before merger with W & C Scott in 1897) produced a range of revolvers from the mid 19th to late 20th centuries. As early as 1853 P. Webley and J. Webley began production of their first patented single action cap and ball revolvers. Later under the trade name of P. Webley and Son, manufacturing included their own 0.44 in (11 mm) calibre rim-fire solid frame revolver as well as licensed copies of Smith & Wesson's Tip up break action revolvers. The quintessential hinged frame, centre-fire revolvers for which the Webley name is best known first began production/development in the early 1870s most notably with the Webley-Pryse (1877) and Webley-Kaufman (1881) models. The W.G. or Webley-Government models produced from 1885 through to the early 1900s, (often incorrectly referred to as the Webley-Green) are the most popular of the commercial top break revolvers and many were the private purchase choice of British military officers and target shooters in the period, coming in a .476/.455 calibre. However other short-barrel solid-frame revolvers, including the Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model and the British Bulldog revolver, designed to be carried in a coat pocket for self-defence were far more commonplace during the period. Today, the best-known are the range of military revolvers, which were in service use across two World Wars and numerous colonial conflicts.[4][5] In 1887, the British Army was searching for a revolver to replace the largely unsatisfactory .476 Enfield Mk I & Mk II revolvers, the Enfield having only replaced the solid frame Adams .450 revolver which was a late 1860s conversion of the cap and ball Beaumont–Adams revolver in 1880. Webley & Scott, who were already very well known makers of quality guns and had sold many pistols on a commercial basis to military officers and civilians alike, tendered the .455 calibre Webley Self-Extracting Revolver for trials. The military was suitably impressed with the revolver (it was seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, as the American-designed Owen extraction system did not prove particularly satisfactory), and it was adopted on 8 November 1887 as the "Pistol, Webley, Mk I".[6] The initial contract called for 10,000 Webley revolvers, at a price of £3/1/1 each, with at least 2,000 revolvers to be supplied within eight months.[7] The Webley revolver went through a number of changes, culminating in the Mk VI, which was in production between 1915 and 1923. The large .455 Webley revolvers were retired in 1947, although the Webley Mk IV .38/200 remained in service until 1970 alongside the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver. Commercial versions of all Webley service revolvers were also sold on the civilian market, along with a number of similar designs (such as the Webley-Government and Webley-Wilkinson) that were not officially adopted for service, but were nonetheless purchased privately by military officers. Webley's records show the last Mk VI was sold from the factory in 1957, with "Nigeria" noted against the entry. A Webley Mark I Revolver, circa 1887, from Canada, cal .455 (Mk I) Webley   Webley Mark VI .455 service revolver   Close up of the cylinder (including thumb catch) on a Webley Mk VI service revolver   Webley RIC 1868 cal .450 CF   Webley WG Revolver .455/476 (.476 Enfield)   A Webley Revolver, opened   The IOF .32 Revolver is a derivative of a Webley produced in India   Fake Webley Pocket Pistol (in .38 S&W) at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan   .455 in SAA Ball ammunition.   A box of Second World War dated .380 in Revolver Mk IIz cartridges Webley revolvers in military service[edit] Boer War[edit] The Webley Mk IV, chambered in .455 Webley, was introduced in 1899 and soon became known as the "Boer War Model",[8] on account of the large numbers of officers and non-commissioned officers who purchased it on their way to take part in the conflict. The Webley Mk IV served alongside a large number of other handguns, including the Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" (as used by Winston Churchill during the War), earlier Beaumont–Adams cartridge revolvers, and other top-break revolvers manufactured by gunmakers such as William Tranter, and Kynoch. First World War[edit] The standard-issue Webley revolver at the outbreak of the First World War was the Webley Mk V (adopted 9 December 1913[9]), but there were considerably more Mk IV revolvers in service in 1914,[10] as the initial order for 20,000 Mk V revolvers had not been completed when hostilities began.[11] On 24 May 1915, the Webley Mk VI was adopted as the standard sidearm for British and Commonwealth troops[11] and remained so for the duration of the First World War, being issued first to officers, pipers and range takers, and later to airmen, naval crews, boarding parties, trench raiders, machine-gun teams, and tank crews. The Mk VI proved to be a very reliable and hardy weapon, well suited to the mud and adverse conditions of trench warfare, and several accessories were developed for the Mk VI, including a bayonet (made from a converted French Gras bayonet),[12] speedloader devices (the "Prideaux Device" and the Watson design),[13][14][15] and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into a carbine.[16] Demand exceeded production, which was already behind as the war began. This forced the British government to buy substitute weapons chambered in .455 Webley from neutral countries. America provided the Smith & Wesson 2nd Model "Hand Ejector" and Colt New Service Revolvers. Spanish gunsmiths in Eibar made decent-quality copies of popular guns and were tapped to cheaply close the gap by making a .455 variant of their 11mm M1884 or "S&W Model 7 ONÁ" revolver, a copy of the Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action First Model. The Pistol, Revolver, Old Pattern, No. 1 Mk. 1 was by Garate, Anitua y Cia. and the Pistol, Revolver, Old Pattern, No.2 Mk.1 was by Trocaola, Aranzabal y Cia.. Orbea Hermanos y Cia. made 10,000 pistols. Rexach & Urgoite was tapped for an initial order of 500 revolvers, but they were rejected due to defects. Second World War[edit] Webley Mk IV in .38 The official service pistol for the British military during the Second World War was the Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38/200 calibre revolver.[17] Owing to a critical shortage of handguns, a number of other weapons were also adopted (first practically, then officially) to alleviate the shortage. As a result, both the Webley Mk IV in .38/200 and Webley Mk VI in .455 calibre were issued to personnel during the war.[18] Post-war[edit] The Webley Mk VI (.455) and Mk IV (.38/200) revolvers were still issued to British and Commonwealth Forces after the Second World War; there were now extensive stockpiles of the revolvers in military stores, yet they suffered from ammunition shortages. This lack of ammunition was instrumental in keeping the Enfield and Webley revolvers in use so long: they were not wearing out because they were not being used. An armourer stationed in West Germany joked by the time they were officially retired in 1963, the ammunition allowance was "two cartridges per man, per year." [19] The Webley Mk IV .38 revolver was not completely replaced by the Browning Hi-Power until 1963, and saw use in the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, Malayan Emergency and the Rhodesian Bush War. Many Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolvers were still circulating in British Military service as late as 1970.[20] Police use[edit] The Hong Kong Police and Singapore Police Force were issued Webley Mk III & Mk IV (38S&W then.38/200 - Never use 38/200 in a Webley Mark III proofed for black powder 38S&W only) revolvers from the 1930s. Singaporean police (and some other "officials") Webleys were equipped with safety catches, a rather unusual feature in a revolver. These were gradually retired in the 1970s as they came in for repair, and were replaced with Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 revolvers. The London Metropolitan Police were also known to use Webley revolvers, as were most colonial police units until just after the Second World War. The Ordnance Factory Board of India still manufactures .380 Revolver Mk IIz cartridges,[21] as well as a .32 calibre revolver (the IOF .32 Revolver) with 2-inch (51 mm) barrel which is clearly based on the Webley Mk IV .38 service pistol.[22] Military service .455 Webley revolver marks and models[edit] There were six different marks of .455 calibre Webley British Government Model revolvers approved for British military service at various times between 1887 and the end of the First World War: Mk I: The first Webley self-extracting revolver adopted for service, officially adopted 8 November 1887, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel and "bird's beak" style grips. Mk I* was a factory upgrade of Mk I revolvers to match the Mk II. Mk II: Similar to the Mk I, with modifications to the hammer and grip shape, as well as a hardened steel shield for the blast-shield. Officially adopted 21 May 1895, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel.[23] Mk III: Identical to Mk II, but with modifications to the cylinder cam and related parts. Officially adopted 5 October 1897, most not issued, with exception of a number that were marked with the "broad arrow" acceptance stamp on the top strap. These few went to Royal Navy Service.[24] Mk IV: The "Boer War" Model. Manufactured using much higher quality steel and case hardened parts, with the cylinder axis being a fixed part of the barrel and modifications to various other parts, including a re-designed blast-shield. Officially adopted 21 July 1899, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel.[25] Mk V: Similar to the Mk IV, but with cylinders 0.12-inch (3.0 mm) wider to allow for the use of nitrocellulose propellant-based cartridges. Officially adopted 9 December 1913, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel, although some models produced in 1915 had 5-inch (130 mm) and 6-inch (150 mm) barrels.[26] Mk VI: Similar to the Mk V, but with a squared-off "target" style grip (as opposed to the "bird's-beak" style found on earlier marks and models) and a 6-inch (150 mm) barrel. Officially adopted 24 May 1915,[27] and also manufactured by RSAF Enfield under the designation Pistol, Revolver, Webley, No. 1 Mk VI 1921–1926.[28] The Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver[edit] Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver Type Service revolver Place of origin British Empire Service history In service 1932–1963 Used by United Kingdom & Colonies, British Commonwealth, Wars Second World War, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous others Production history Designer Webley & Scott Designed 1932 Manufacturer Webley & Scott Produced 1932–1978 No. built approx. 500,000 Specifications Mass 2.3 lb (995 g), unloaded Length 10.25 in (260 mm) Barrel length 5 in. (125 mm) Cartridge .380" Revolver Mk IIz Calibre .38 (9 mm) Action Double Action revolver Rate of fire 20–30 rounds/minute Muzzle velocity 620 ft/s (190 m/s) Effective firing range 50 yd (46 m) Maximum firing range 300 yd (270 m) Feed system 6-round cylinder Sights fixed front post and rear notch At the end of the First World War, the British military decided that the .455 calibre gun and cartridge was too large for modern military use and, after numerous tests and extensive trials, that a pistol in .38 calibre firing a 200-grain (13 g) bullet would be just as effective as the .455 for stopping an enemy.[29] Webley & Scott immediately tendered the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV revolver, which as well as being nearly identical in appearance to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller cartridge), was based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed for the police and civilian markets.[30] Much to their surprise, the British Government took the design to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, which came up with a revolver that was externally very similar looking to the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV, but was internally different enough that no parts from the Webley could be used in the Enfield and vice versa. The Enfield-designed pistol was quickly accepted under the designation Pistol, Revolver, No. 2 Mk I, and was adopted in 1932,[31] followed in 1938 by the Mk I* (spurless hammer, double action only),[32] and finally the Mk I** (simplified for wartime production) in 1942.[33] Enfield No. 2 Mk I Webley & Scott sued the British Government over the incident, claiming £2250 as "costs involved in the research and design" of the revolver. This was contested by RSAF Enfield, which quite firmly stated that the Enfield No. 2 Mk I was designed by Captain Boys (the Assistant Superintendent of Design, later of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle fame) with assistance from Webley & Scott, and not the other way around. Accordingly, their claim was denied. By way of compensation, the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors eventually awarded Webley & Scott £1250 for their work.[34] RSAF Enfield proved unable to manufacture enough No. 2 revolvers to meet the military's wartime demands, and as a result Webley's Mk IV was also widely used within the British Army in World War Two. Other Webley revolvers[edit] Whilst the top-break, self-extracting revolvers used by the British and Commonwealth militaries are the best-known examples of Webley revolvers, the company produced a number of other highly popular revolvers largely intended for the police and civilian markets. Webley RIC[edit] Webley Royal Irish Constabulary Revolver The Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model was Webley's first double-action revolver, and adopted by the RIC in 1868,[35] hence the name. It was a solid frame, gate-loaded revolver, chambered in .442 Webley. General George Armstrong Custer was known to have owned a pair, which he is believed to have used at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.[36][37][38] A small number of early examples were produced in the huge .500 Tranter calibre, and later models were available chambered for the .450 Adams and other cartridges. They were also widely copied in Belgium. British Bull Dog[edit] Main article: British Bull Dog revolver Smithsonian file photograph of the British Bulldog revolver used by Charles Guiteau to assassinate President James Garfield in 1881 The British Bull Dog model was an enormously successful solid-frame design introduced by Webley in 1872. It featured a 2.5-inch (64 mm) barrel and was chambered for five .44 Short Rimfire, .442 Webley, or .450 Adams cartridges. (Webley later added smaller scaled five chambered versions in .320 and .380 calibres, but did not mark them British Bull Dog.) A .44 calibre Belgian-made British Bulldog revolver was used to assassinate US President James Garfield on 2 July 1881 by Charles Guiteau. It was designed to be carried in a coat pocket or kept on a bedside table, and many have survived to the present day in good condition, having seen little actual use.[39] Numerous copies of this design were made during the late 19th century in Belgium, with smaller numbers also produced in Spain, France and the USA.[40] They remained reasonably popular until the Second World War, but are now generally sought after only as collectors' pieces, since ammunition for them is for the most part no longer commercially manufactured. Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver[edit] Main article: Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver A highly unusual example of an "automatic revolver", the Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver was produced between 1900 and 1915, and available in both a six-shot .455 Webley version, and an eight-shot .38 ACP (not to be confused with .380 ACP) version.[41] Unusually for a revolver, the Webley-Fosbery had a safety catch, and the light trigger pull and reputation for accuracy ensured that the Webley-Fosbery remained popular with target shooters long after production had finished.[42][43] Users[edit]  British Empire[44]  Hong Kong: Retired  India  Ireland  Israel  Luxembourg  Malaysia[45]  Philippines  Pakistan  Rhodesia[46]  Sierra Leone[47]  Singapore:Retired   Switzerland  Tunisia: Retired  Tanzania[48] *****The Mauser C96 (Construktion 96)[7] is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937.[8] Unlicensed copies of the gun were also manufactured in Spain and China in the first half of the 20th century.[8][9] The distinctive characteristics of the C96 are the integral box magazine in front of the trigger, the long barrel, the wooden shoulder stock which gives it the stability of a short-barreled rifle and doubles as a holster or carrying case, and an iconic grip shaped like the handle of a broom. The grip earned the gun the nickname "broomhandle" in the English-speaking world, because of its round wooden handle, and in China the C96 was nicknamed the "box cannon" (Chinese: 盒子炮; pinyin: hézipào) because of its rectangular internal magazine and the fact that it could be holstered in its wooden box-like detachable stock.[10] With its long barrel and high-velocity cartridge, the Mauser C96 had superior range and better penetration than most other pistols of its era; the 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridge was the highest-velocity commercially manufactured pistol cartridge until the advent of the .357 Magnum cartridge in 1935.[11] Mauser manufactured approximately 1 million C96 pistols,[12] while the number produced in Spain and China was large but unknown due to the non-existence or poor preservation of production records from those countries.[8] Contents 1 History 2 Contract variants 2.1 1897 Turkish Army Mauser 2.2 1899 Italian Navy Mauser 2.3 1910 Persian contract Mauser 2.4 M1916 Austrian contract 2.5 M1916 Prussian "red 9" 2.6 M1920 French police contract 2.7 WW2 Luftwaffe contract 3 Major variants 3.1 M1896 Kavallerie Karabiner 3.2 M1896 compact Mauser 3.3 M1896 officer's model 3.4 M1898 pistol carbine 3.5 M1912 Mauser export model 3.6 M1917 Mauser trench carbine 3.7 M1920 Mauser rework 3.8 M1921 "Bolo" Mauser 3.9 M1930 Mauser 3.10 M1932/M712 Schnellfeuer 3.11 9 OBI 3.12 PASAM machine pistol 4 Notable copies 4.1 Chinese C.96 (7.63mm Mauser) 4.2 Shanxi Type 17 (.45 ACP) 4.3 Type 80 (7.62mm Tokarev) 4.4 Astra Model 900 4.5 ETAI / Royal MM31 (Model 1) 4.6 Royal MM31 (Model 2) 4.7 Royal MM34 4.8 Azul and Super Azul 4.9 Federal Ordnance M713 and M714 5 Users 5.1 Non-state actors 6 Cultural significance 7 See also 8 Notes 9 Bibliography 10 External links History[edit] An early C96 prototype "Red 9" Mauser C96 with stock Within a year of its introduction in 1896, the C96 had been sold to governments and commercially to civilians and individual military officers. The Mauser C96 pistol was extremely popular with British officers at the time, and many purchased it privately. Mauser supplied the C96 to Westley Richards in the UK for resale. By the onset of World War I, the C96's popularity with the British military had waned.[13] As a military sidearm, the pistols saw service in various colonial wars, as well as World War I, the Easter Rising, the Irish Civil War, where the gun was nicknamed the "Peter the Painter", as the pistol grip looked like a brush handle[14]], the Estonian War of Independence, the Spanish Civil War, the Chinese Civil War, and World War II. The C96 also became a staple of Bolshevik commissars from one side and various warlords and gang leaders from another in the Russian Civil War, known simply as "the Mauser". Communist revolutionaries Yakov Yurovsky and Peter Ermakov used Mausers to execute the former Russian imperial family in July 1918.[15] Winston Churchill was fond of the Mauser C96 and used one at the 1898 Battle of Omdurman and during the Second Boer War; Lawrence of Arabia carried a Mauser C96 for a period, during his time in the Middle East.[8][16] Indian Revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil and his partymen used these Mauser pistols in the historic Kakori train robbery in August 1925. Chinese Communist General Zhu De carried a Mauser C96 during his Nanchang Uprising and later conflicts; his gun (with his name printed on it) can be viewed in the Beijing war museum. Three Mauser C96s were used in the killing of Spanish prime minister Eduardo Dato in 1921, and a Mauser C96 was used in the assassination of the King of Yugoslavia Alexander I of Yugoslavia in 1934. Imported and domestic copies of the C96 were used extensively by the Chinese in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, as well as by the Spanish during the Spanish Civil War and the Germans in World War II.[9][17] Besides the standard 7.63×25 mm chambering, C96 pistols were also commonly chambered for 9×19mm Parabellum, with a small number also being produced in 9 mm Mauser Export. In 1940, Mauser officials proposed using the C-96 as the vehicle for an upgrade to the 9×25mm Mauser Export cartridge to match the ballistics of the .357 Magnum.[18] Lastly, there was a Chinese-manufactured model chambered for .45 ACP.[8] Despite the pistol's worldwide popularity and fame, China was the only nation to use the C96 as the primary service pistol of its military and police. Contract variants[edit] 1897 Turkish Army Mauser[edit] Mauser's first military contract was with the Ottoman Turkish government in 1897. They ordered 1,000 pistols; they had their own serial number range, running from 1 to 1000.[9] They differ in that they use a non-Arabic number system on the tangent sight and the weapon is designated in this number system in the Islamic calendar year "1314" rather than the Gregorian calendar year "1896 / 1897". Markings include a six-pointed star on both sides of the chamber and the crest of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (a trophy of crossed Turkish flags, various polearms, and a collection of his royal awards and honours) and the Muslim year 1314 on the square left rear frame panel. 1899 Italian Navy Mauser[edit] In 1899, the Italian government ordered Mauser's first major military contract; an order for 5,000 C96 pistols for the Italian Royal Navy.[12] They differ in that their receivers were "slab-sided" (i.e., lacked the milling on the sides found on commercial Mausers). They also have a "ring hammer" (spurless hammer with a hole through its head) instead of the early "cone hammer" (spurless hammer with ribbed cone-like projections on the sides of its head). These guns had their own serial number range, running from 1 to 5000. 1910 Persian contract Mauser[edit] The Persian government ordered 1,000 pistols. They have the Persian government's "Lion and Sun" insignia on the rectangular milled panel on the left side of the receiver and the serial numbers range from 154000 to 154999. It is often confused with the Turkish contract Mauser. M1916 Austrian contract[edit] Austria-Hungary ordered 50,000 Mausers in the standard 7.63×25mm. A small number were rebarreled to 8mm Gasser (8.11×27mm) for an unknown reason.[19] M1916 Prussian "red 9"[edit] Mauser "Red 9" C96 with stripper clip During World War I, the Imperial German Army contracted with Mauser for 150,000 C96 pistols chambered in 9mm Parabellum to offset the slow production of the standard-issue Luger P08 pistol. This variant of the C96 was named the "red 9" after a large number 9 burned and painted in red into the grip panels[20] to warn the pistols' users not to incorrectly load them with 7.63 mm ammunition. Of the 150,000 pistols commissioned, approximately 137,000 were delivered before the war ended.[9] Because the army delegated the branding to unit armourers, not all 9 mm pistols carry the nine. M1920 French police contract[edit] The French government set up an order for 2,000 pistols with 99 millimetres (3.9 in) barrels for the Gendarmerie Nationale.[21] The pistol had black ebonite grips rather than wooden ones. WW2 Luftwaffe contract[edit] The German government purchased 7,800 commercial M30 pistols in 1940 for use by the Luftwaffe. They have Wehrmacht proof marks and the Mauser serial numbers come from the early- to mid-1930s. The weapon had ceased production in 1937 but the order was filled from remaining stocks. According to Kersten, Moll and Schmid, these were likely purchased by the High Command of the Armed Forces and issued to motorcycle and flak crews of the Luftwaffe. Major variants[edit] There were many variants of the C96 besides the standard commercial model; the most common are detailed below. M1896 Kavallerie Karabiner[edit] One of the experimental ideas was the creation of a pistol-carbine for use by light cavalry. They had a "slab-sided" receiver, standard 10-round magazine, a permanently affixed wooden stock and forend, and a lengthened 300 millimetres (12 in) (early production) or 370 millimetres (15 in) (late production) barrel. They were dropped from production after 1899 due to poor sales and little military interest. There was limited sporting interest in the carbine version and due to small production numbers it is a highly prized collectible priced at about twice the value of the pistol version.[22] Recently, importers like Navy Arms imported replica Mauser carbines with 16-inch or longer barrels for sale in the US.[23] M1896 compact Mauser[edit] A version of the Mauser pistol with a full-sized grip, six-shot internal magazine, and a 120-millimetre (4.7 in) barrel. Production was phased out by 1899. M1896 officer's model[edit] This is the unofficial term for a variant compact Mauser with a curved wooden or hard-rubber grip, like that of the Reichsrevolver. The name comes from the US Army designation of the Mauser pistol sent to participate in their self-loading pistol trials. M1898 pistol carbine[edit] This is the first model to come cut for a combination wooden stock-holster. The stock doubled as a case or holster and attached to a slot cut in the grip frame. M1912 Mauser export model[edit] This model was the first to chamber the 9×25mm Mauser export cartridge. It was designed to appeal to the arms markets in South America and China. Mauser C96 pistols in this caliber usually have an indentation milled into the upper surface of the magazine's follower to facilitate feeding of the straight-cased 9×25mm cartridge cases. The rifling in the barrel has a unique 13:8 twist. In addition, the flat surfaces extending around the chamber are longer to accommodate the higher pressures of the 9×25mm cartridge. Examples of Mauser C96s in this caliber are rare, but are still occasionally found on the private collector's market. The 9×25mm Mauser export caliber receded from the market as the armaments industry reoriented itself towards military manufacture during World War I, but the round enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as a submachine gun caliber in the 1930s. M1917 Mauser trench carbine[edit] This model featured an extended stock and barrel similar to the M1896 Kavallerie Karabiner. It also possessed a 40-round magazine and was chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. The M1917 Mauser trench carbine was introduced during World War I and was intended as a cheaper replacement for the expensive Lange Pistole 08 in close-quarters combat. However, the Imperial German Army did not believe it was a cost-effective substitute, and the project was shortly abandoned with only a few ever made.[24] M1920 Mauser rework[edit] The Treaty of Versailles (signed in 1919) imposed a number of restrictions on pistol barrel lengths and calibres on German arms manufacturers.[25] Pistols for German government issue or domestic market sales could not have a barrel longer than 4 inches and could not be chambered for 9 mm cartridges. The Weimar Republic banned the private ownership of military-issue or military-style weapons in an attempt to recover valuable arms from returning soldiers. The confiscated weapons were then used to arm government forces, leaving them with a hodge-podge of military and civilian arms. To meet the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, a major reworking project was begun that set about converting these weapons. To be compliant, pre-war C.96 models belonging to the Weimar government had to have their barrels cut down to 99 millimetres (3.9 in). This meant that their tangent sights had to be replaced with fixed sights. They also had to be converted to the standard 7.63×25mm Mauser round, though a few hybrid Mausers were made with salvaged Luger barrels that were chambered for 7.65×21mm Parabellum. Compliant confiscated government-issue guns were marked M1920. This practice was continued on German service pistols even after the ban was ignored and the conversions had stopped. M1921 "Bolo" Mauser[edit] Mauser began manufacturing a compliant version of the C96 for commercial sale from 1920 to 1921. It featured smaller grips, a shorter 99-millimetre (3.9 in) barrel,[10] and was chambered for the standard 7.63×25mm Mauser. An experimental 8.15×25.2mm Mauser cartridge (DWM 580) was used to replace the banned 9×19mm Parabellum and 9×25mm Mauser Export cartridges for domestic sales but it never supplanted the 9mm caliber. Mass-production of the weapon was from 1921 to 1930. It was sold in quantity to armies in the contested Baltic region and was carried by the Poles, Lithuanians, German Freikorps and White Russians. The Bolshevik government (and later the new Red Army) of the embryonic Soviet Union, purchased large numbers of this model in the 1920s and also appropriated them from defeated enemies.[26] The distinctive pistol became associated with the Bolsheviks and was thus nicknamed the "Bolo".[26] The "Bolo" model was also popular elsewhere, as the shorter barrel and smaller overall size made the gun easier to conceal.[27] There was also a transitional version in 1930 that used the "Bolo" frame but with a longer 132-millimetre (5.2 in) barrel. M1930 Mauser[edit] Also known as the M30 by collectors, it was a simplification and improvement of the M1921 Mauser. It simplified production by removing several fine-machining details and reverted to the "pre-war" large grip and long barrel. The early model M30s had a 132 millimetres (5.2 in) barrel, but later models had the traditional 140 millimetres (5.5 in) barrel. It was made from 1930 until 1937. Joseph Nickl designed a selective-fire conversion in 1930. It tended to "cook off" (fire by spontaneous ignition of the propellant when overheated) when fired in long bursts. Only 4,000 of this model were made between 1930 and 1931.[28] Since the M1932 / M712 variant was full-auto, the semi-auto M1930 it was derived from was sometimes called the M711 by war surplus dealers and collectors. M1932/M712 Schnellfeuer[edit] Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer The Spanish gunmaking firms of Beistegui Hermanos and Astra began producing detachable magazine-fed, select-fire versions of the C96 in 1927 and 1928 respectively, intended for export to the Far East.[9] Mauser began production of the Schnellfeuer (rapid fire), their own select-fire, detachable magazine version of the M30 designed by Karl Westinger. Production started in 1932 and ended in 1936,[9] which has led to its unofficial designation of "M1932" by collectors. An extremely successful design, around 98,000 guns were made overall and they had their own series of serial numbers.[28] It was largely intended for export to South America and China or to the opposing sides in the later Spanish Civil War. From 1932 to 1935, the Yugoslavian military tested batches of the Schnellfeuer in both 7.63mm and 9mm Parabellum for the purpose of arming mountain troops and special operations units. Improvements requested by the Yugoslavs included a detachable barrel, improved front and rear sights, more durable parts to prevent breakage under sustained fire and lowered position of the shoulder stock to avoid "hammer bite".[29] Small numbers of M1932s were supplied to the German Wehrmacht during World War II, who designated it the M712.[9] The US National Firearms Act of 1934 placed a $200 tax on select-fire weapons ("machine guns"), making exports of the Schnellfeuer guns to the US impractical since at the time this was roughly half the cost of a new car. After World War II, importers sold a semi-automatic conversion of the detachable magazine Schnellfeuer that was made for the US surplus market. The versions imported from China were built on new semi-auto-only frames; the ATF treats them under the law as new guns and not under the curio and relic exemption. 9 OBI[edit] Oyster Bay Industries was an American company that made a detachable magazine conversion kit for the Mauser. It removed the floor plate, spring and follower and added a small magazine catch mechanism that allowed it to feed its own brand of proprietary fourteen round 9 mm magazines. The conversion could either be performed on a "red 9" pistol or a new 9 mm upper receiver could be sold that would convert a standard C.96 7.63mm pistol. PASAM machine pistol[edit] The Brazilian government bought five-hundred 7.63mm M1932 Schnellfeuer machine pistols for the Policia Militar do Distrito Federal (Portuguese: "Federal District Military Police") during the mid-1930s. The PASAM (pistola automática semi-automática Mauser,[28] or "semi-automatic / automatic military pistol") used the M1932 as its base but made a few alterations. The controls were the same as the standard model, except the markings were in Portuguese. The selector switch (found on the left side, above the trigger guard) was marked N for normal (semi-automatic) and R for rápido ("rapid" for fully automatic). The safety control lever (found to the left of the hammer) was marked S for seguro (safe) and F for fogo (fire).[30] It was used with Brazilian State Military Police (Polícia Militar) forces in the 1980s. They preferred to use it as a semi-automatic carbine and reserved its full-auto setting for emergencies due to its recoil and muzzle-climb.[30] In 1970, the Policia Militar do Rio de Janeiro (PMRJ) asked the services of Jener Damau Arroyo, a Spanish-born gunsmith, to make modifications on their PASAMs in order to improve their handling. The first modification (PASAM MOD-1), of which 101 were modified, received a metal frame extension welded to the magazine housing. It was fitted with a metal forward grip well ahead of the gun under the muzzle.[28] The original grip was left alone, making it compatible with the wooden holster/stock.[28] The second modification (PASAM MOD-2), involving 89 pistols, featured a similar frame extension, but the forward grip had wooden panels and was of different shape. The pistol grip frame used thicker rectangular wooden grips and had a 1.5-foot (460 mm) "t-bar" metal shoulder stock welded to it. A metal frame attached to the receiver supported a rectangular wooden foregrip, taking pressure off the barrel. In both models, of course, the barrel was left free so as to enable it to do its short recoil during firing. For the record, 295 PASAMs were left in the original condition.[28] It took standard detachable 10-round box magazines,[30] although they can also take the extended 20- and 40-round magazines.[28] Notable copies[edit] Chinese C.96 (7.63mm Mauser)[edit] The most common and popular pistol in China since the beginning of the Republic in 1912, was the Mauser C96, called the "Box Cannon" (盒子炮) in Chinese. It was imported from Germany and Spain (Astra 900 and MM31), but mostly produced locally in various arsenals, the larger being in Hanyang, Shanghai, Gongxian, Shanxi. They were often used with a detachable shoulder stock.[31][32] Hanyang alone produced around 13,000 copies.[33] Shanxi Type 17 (.45 ACP)[edit] During the Warlord era of Chinese history in the early 20th century, the province of Shanxi was ruled by warlord Yen Hsi-shan, who had established a modern arms factory in his capital city of Taiyuan. Yen was equipping his troops with a locally produced copy of the Thompson submachine gun, chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge, but was experiencing supply difficulties as his troops' sidearms were 7.63mm calibre C96 handguns.[34] Yen's solution was to produce a .45 ACP caliber version of the C96, thus standardizing ammunition and making supply logistics easier.[34] Designated Type 17, production of the .45 caliber handgun began in 1929 at the Taiyuan Arsenal and ended in 1931. They are inscribed (in Chinese) "Type 17" on the left hand side of the gun, and "Republic Year Eighteen, Made in Shansi" on the right hand side.[34] They were issued (along with Thompson SMGs) to railway guards in the province as defense against bandits and other warlords. Besides being chambered for a larger cartridge, the Shanxi .45 pistols use a noticeably larger frame than their 7.63mm counterparts, with the 10-round magazine extending below the trigger guard and a 155 mm (6.1 in) barrel. It was loaded using two five-round stripper clips rather than the single 10-round stripper clips of the standard 7.63mm Mauser. Because of the overall increase in size, Type 17 pistols share no interchangeable parts with any other C96 variant. Most of the Shanxi .45 pistols were melted down after the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, largely due to their odd caliber for Chinese Communist standards, but a few examples were exported overseas for sale on the commercial market.[34] Approximately 8,500 Shanxi .45 caliber Broomhandle pistols are believed to have been produced by the Taiyuan Arsenal, but there is some debate as to how many of the Shanxi .45 caliber Broomhandle pistols currently on the commercial market were actually produced for Yen's troops, and how many are more recent productions for the US collectors' market. Type 80 (7.62mm Tokarev)[edit] Main article: Type 80 (pistol) Type 80 is a machine pistol designed in the late 20th Century by the People's Republic of China. It is based on the C96 which was widely used in China since the 1900s and is chambered for the Type 51 cartridge (Chinese copies of the Soviet 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge), but it is fed by a 20-round detachable box magazine instead of the 10-round nondetachable magazine in a standard C96. A 10-round box magazine is also available for the firearm. The Type 80 features a different grip similar to that on a TT-33 but seems narrower than that of a standard TT-33. The Type 80 is said to have an effective firing range of 100 metres (about 109 yards)and a muzzle velocity of 470 meters per second (about 1542 fps). It was designed to replace some of the PLA's Type 54s (Chinese copies of Soviet Tokarev TT pistol. The Type 54 was the standard service pistol of the PLA from the 1950s to the 1990s), especially the Type 54s in service in the Chinese special forces, as a small, light weapon which was required to be good at both attacking and personal defending, similar to that of a PDW. In the 1990s, the Chinese designed a new type of pistol, the QSZ-92, which was adopted as the standard-issue pistol by both the military and most of the police forces later and replaced most of the pistols in their service, including the Type 80. Astra Model 900[edit] Main article: Astra Model 900 Astra 900 The Spanish gunmaker Astra-Unceta y Cia began producing a copy of the Mauser C.96 in 1927 that was externally similar to the C96 (including the presence of a detachable shoulder stock/holster) but with non-interlocking internal parts. It was produced until 1941, with a production hiatus in 1937 and 1938, and a final batch assembled from spare parts in 1951.[9] The Spanish copies of the C96 were generally intended for export to China,[9] but after the commencement of the Sino-Japanese war (which blocked supply of guns to Chinese forces) the remaining Astra 900s were used in the Spanish Civil War, and numbers were also sold to Germany in the period 1940–1943.[9] ETAI / Royal MM31 (Model 1)[edit] Produced by Beistegui Hermanos in Eibar, Spain, this was the first pseudo-Mauser on the market, a relatively crude semi-auto appearing in 1926 and full-auto variants appearing in 1927. Mechanically, it was laid out approximately like the Mauser original, but without the removable lock frame. Internal parts (trigger, hammer, safety lever, etc.) pivoted on pins and screws extending through the frame. The screws also held the frame together. The bolt was of round cross-section, unlike the square Mauser bolt. The weapon was stamped with either "Royal" or "ETAI".[35][36][37] Royal MM31 (Model 2)[edit] This was a much closer copy of the Mauser original than the ETAI/Royal model and variants, with the full separate lock frame and all. It was of much better quality than the earlier gun, though still not at Mauser level. The MM31 was manufactured until 1934. A total of about 10,000 were made, in perhaps four successive variants. These models came in semi-auto and semi-auto/full auto selective fire variants.[35][36] Royal MM34[edit] This model was much like the MM31, but added a mechanical rate reducer inside the grip area, a three-position lever to select the firing rate. It also had a ribbed barrel to help prevent the barrel from overheating during sustained full auto fire. Only a few hundred of these weapons were made and are very rare today.[35][36] Azul and Super Azul[edit] The Azul and Super Azul pistols were also manufactured by Beistegui Hermanos in Eibar, Spain, but sold by Eulogio Arostegui. The Azul was a copy of the standard C96 while the Super Azul was a semi auto/full auto select fire variant. Each accepted detachable box magazines instead of having an internal box magazine.[38][39] Federal Ordnance M713 and M714[edit] In the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the Federal Ordnance firearms company in South El Monte, California made reproductions of the Mauser 1917 Trench Carbine and C96 pistol, named the M713 and M714 respectively. The M713 came in a standard variant with a fixed stock and magazine, as well as a "Deluxe" variant which had a detachable stock and detachable box magazines. The M714 supported detachable box magazines, unlike the original C96, and a "Bolo" variant, with the "Bolo" model having a shorter barrel and grip. All variants of the M713 and M714 were available in 7.62x25mm and 9x19mm ammunition.[40] Users[edit]  Austria-Hungary[19][41]  Bolivia[42]  Brazil[30]  Finland: Used in the Finnish Civil War and in the Second World War.[43]  German Empire: Army issued 137,000 of the "Red 9" variant during World War I.[9]  Kingdom of Italy: 5,000 bought from Germany in 1899 for the navy.[12]  Nazi Germany: 8,000 of the Schnellfeuer variant was issued to the Luftwaffe during World War II. Also bought thousands of the Spanish-made Astra Model 900 and 903 variants.[9]  North Vietnam[44]  Malaysia: Used by Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency[45]  Mexico: contracted in 1897  Ottoman Empire: 1,000 ordered from Germany in 1896.[9]  First Philippine Republic[citation needed]  Republic of China (1912–1949): Hundreds of thousands were used by Kuomintang, Communist, and warlord forces.[46]  China: Used by the People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War.  North Korea: Used by the Korean People's Army during the Korean War.  Qajar dynasty: Used during the Persian Constitutional Revolution by constitutionalist forces.  Second Spanish Republic[9]  Soviet Union: "Bolo" variant bought from Germany during the 1920s.[26]  Thailand[30]  United Kingdom: Many were privately bought by British officers before World War I.[13] Non-state actors[edit]  Irish Republican Army[47]  Syrian National Coalition[48] **** The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger[7]—is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol that was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 to 1948. The design was first patented by Georg Luger as an improvement upon the Borchardt Automatic Pistol and was produced as the Parabellum Automatic Pistol, Borchardt-Luger System by the German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM).[1] The first production model was known as the Modell 1900 Parabellum.[1] Followed by the "Marinepistole 1904" for the Imperial German Navy. The later versions included the popular "Parabellum Pistole Modell von 1908" or simply "P08" (Pistole 1908), which was produced by DWM and other manufacturers such as W+F Bern, Krieghoff, Simson, Mauser, and Vickers.[8] The first Parabellum pistol was adopted by the Swiss army in May 1900. 1904 they were adopted by the German Navy. In German Army service, it was adopted in slightly modified form as the Pistole Modell 1908 (Pistole 08) in caliber 9×19mm Parabellum.[1] The Model 08 was eventually succeeded by the Walther P38. The Luger is well known from its use by Germans during World War I and World War II, along with the interwar Weimar Republic and the postwar East German Volkspolizei. The P.08 was introduced in 7.65mm Parabellum, though it is notable for being the pistol for which the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge was developed, also known as the 9×19mm Luger. The pistol has been used in fictional works by many villainous characters over the past several decades because of its association with Nazi Germany. Contents 1 Design details 2 Service 3 Model 1900 and Swiss Luger 3.1 Swiss Luger 4 Model 1902 5 Navy model 6 Model 1906 (Neues Modell) 7 1907 U.S. Pistol Trials 8 Pistole Modell 1908 (P08) and World War I 9 Lange Pistole 08 (Artillery Luger) 10 Luger Rifle M1906 11 Interwar years and commercial production 12 World War II production 13 Post-WWII production and assembly 14 Users 14.1 Non-state entities 15 See also 16 References 17 Further reading 18 External links Design details[edit] Cutaway drawing of the Luger pistol from Georg Luger's 1908 9mm. patent. The Luger has a toggle-lock action that uses a jointed arm to lock, as opposed to the slide actions of many other semi-automatic pistols. After a round is fired, the barrel and toggle assembly travel roughly 13 mm (0.5 in) rearward due to recoil, both locked together at this point. The toggle strikes a cam built into the frame, causing the knee joint to hinge and the toggle and breech assembly to unlock. The barrel strikes the frame and stops its rearward movement, but the toggle assembly continues moving, bending the knee joint, extracting the spent casing from the chamber, and ejecting it. The toggle and breech assembly then travel forward under spring tension and the next round is loaded from the magazine into the chamber. The entire sequence occurs in a fraction of a second and contributes to the mud-resistance[9] of the pistol. This mechanism works well for higher-pressure cartridges, but cartridges loaded to a lower pressure can cause the pistol to malfunction because they do not generate enough recoil to work the action fully. This results in the breech block either not clearing the top cartridge of the magazine or becoming jammed open on the cartridge's base.[10] This malfunction with under-powered cartridges does occur with Browning-type and other pistol designs as well, but the Luger is sensitive to cartridges other than the brass-cased ammunition that it was designed to use.[11] Submachine guns were found to be effective in trench warfare during World War I, and experiments were conducted to convert various types of pistols to fully automatic machine pistols, including the P08. The Luger proved to have an excessive rate of fire in full-automatic mode, however, as did the Mauser C96. Service[edit] Luger Model 1900 pistol carbine Luger pistols were manufactured in Germany and Switzerland to very close tolerances and exacting standards using the highest quality materials of the day, and original pistols were known for having a long service life.[12] The design requires hand fitting of certain parts for proper operation. Assembling the gun using a sideplate from another pistol, for example, may prevent the sear from working, making the pistol inoperable. The Luger barrel, which was rigidly fixed to the barrel extension and carried the front sight, provided excellent accuracy.[12] William B. "Bill" Ruger praised the Luger's 145° (55° for Americans) grip angle and duplicated it in his .22 LR pistol.[12] The famous handgun author and revolver enthusiast Elmer Keith observed that the Luger design had been unfairly criticized by gun writers over the years as unreliable, partly due to poor experiences with Lugers constructed from salvaged parts.[12] Keith noted that the Luger was a "natural pointer", one of the most accurate of all autoloading pistols—particularly at long ranges—and reminded critics that the Luger was the choice of more nations as their military sidearm than any other contemporary pistol or revolver.[12] Swiss Pistol 06/29, 7,65x21mm 'Artillery Luger' Lange Pistole 08 with 32-round Trommel-Magazin 08 and removable stock. Model 1900 and Swiss Luger[edit] A number of countries purchased the Model 1900 Parabellum in 7.65×21 mm Parabellum (.30 Luger) caliber and issued the pistol on a limited basis to officers, non-commissioned officers and mounted troops, including Germany, Switzerland, and the United States.[1] The Model 1900 or Pistole Modell 1900 was issued to German officers and likely first saw combat in China during a bloody intervention by German troops in the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.[13][14] On April 16, 1901, following a successful preliminary test of the Model 1900 at Springfield Armory,[15][16] the U.S. Board of Ordnance purchased 1,000 Model 1900 Parabellum pistols with 4.75-inch barrels, marked with what appear to be standard U.S. ordnance bomb proofs, but aren't,[17] and "American Eagle" stamps over the chambers, and issued them to each troop of mounted cavalry of the U.S. Army for field testing, with the remainder to the light artillery and officers at West Point.[1][6][16] In 1902, U.S. Army officials purchased another 50 Model 1902 Parabellum pistols with 4-inch barrels, again in 7.65mm Parabellum caliber, for further testing and evaluation. This was followed by a third test of 50 so-called "cartridge counter" Parabellum pistols in 9 mm caliber by Springfield Armory in 1904. Other nations either tested the Model 1900 or purchased small numbers for limited field service, including Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Holland, Luxembourg, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Portugal.[1] Commercial models of the Model 1900 were exported in quantity as well. In the U.S., Model 1900 pistols in 7.65 Parabellum caliber (aka .30 Luger in the U.S.) were first imported by Georg Luger, then by a DWM sales agent, Hans Tauscher, until World War I.[18] Referred to at the time as the 'Borchardt-Luger' by U.S. authorities, Tauscher consistently referred to the pistol in his marketing and advertising materials as the 'Luger', after its inventor. Model 1900 pistols shipped to the U.S. were typically stamped with an American Eagle atop the barrel extensions.[18] 'American Eagle' 7.65 Model 1900 pistols were used by variety of buyers, including American lawmen such as Stringer Fenton, outlaws, and Texas Rangers.[19][20][21][22] Swiss Luger[edit] After testing, the Swiss Army adopted the Model 1900 on April 4, 1901 in 7.65x21mm caliber as its standard side arm, designated Pistole 1900.[23] This model uses a 120 mm (4.7 in) barrel and incorporates a grip safety and leaf-type mainspring. A later Swiss military contract with DWM resulted in the latter supplying improved Model 1900/06 pattern pistols designated the Model 1906 or Pistole 1900/06. Commencing in 1918, these Model 1906 Parabellum pistols were manufactured and assembled at Waffenfabrik Bern, Switzerland. In 1929, Swiss authorities adopted an improved version of the Modell 1900 designated the Modell 06/29 with improved sights, trigger and a stronger toggle link. Manufactured entirely at Waffenfabrik Bern, the 06/29 pistol served the Swiss Army until well after the adoption of a new service pistol in 1948/9, and remained in limited service until the late 1960s. Model 1902[edit] In 1902 DWM introduced a slightly improved version of the Model 1900 Parabellum as the Model 1902. The Model 1902, with its shortened 4-inch barrel, was the first Parabellum pistol to be offered in 9x19mm Parabellum caliber, along with a change from four-groove to six-groove rifling.[24] Navy model[edit] The Luger pistol was accepted by the Imperial German Navy in 1904 in 9mm Parabellum as the Pistole 04 (P04). The navy model had a 150 mm (5.9 in) barrel and a two-position ( 100 meters (110 yd) or 200 meters (220 yd) ) rear sight. This version was also referred to as the "Marine Modell 1904" or, more colloquially in the US as the "navy Luger".[23] The Pistole 04 was later updated with a coil mainspring to Model 1906 pattern as Luger continued to refine and improve his design. Model 1906 (Neues Modell)[edit] Georg Luger introduced a new version of the Parabellum pistol in 1906, which would become known as the Model 1906 or New Model (Neues Modell). This latest version of the Parabellum replaced the old flat laminated main spring with a new, more reliable coil design.[1] As all models of the Luger built after 1906 have the coil mainspring, they are known as New Models.[1] Older Parabellum pistols in German service were usually upgraded to the New Model specification. Replica of a 45ACP 1907 US Army Trials Luger 1907 U.S. Pistol Trials[edit] By 1906, the United States evaluated several domestic and foreign-made semi-automatic pistols, including the Colt M1900, Steyr Mannlicher M1894, and an entry from Mauser.[23] Although Springfield Armory had previously purchased 7.65×21mm Parabellum pistols for two separate field trials in 1900 and 1902, U.S. authorities had rejected the 7.65x21mm cartridge as insufficiently powerful for military use. In 1904, a small number of Parabellum pistols were tested in the then-new, more powerful 9×19mm round, but U.S. authorities again rejected the pistol. By this time, numerous adverse combat reports of insufficient stopping power of the Army's Colt .38 caliber revolvers used in the 1899-1902 Philippine Insurrection and the published findings of U.S. Army personnel obtained from the Thompson–LaGarde Tests resulted in a requirement for a military handgun in .45 (11.25mm) caliber. In 1906 and 1907, the U.S. Army held trials for a large-caliber semi-automatic pistol, which constituted the fourth and final evaluation of the Luger or Parabellum pistol design by U.S. authorities. At least two, and possibly three Parabellum Model 1902/1906 pattern pistols in enlarged form and chambered in .45 Luger caliber were brought to the U.S. by Georg Luger for the 1907 trials, each chambered in .45 ACP caliber.[1] Prior to his arrival, the U.S. Frankford Arsenal had provided Luger with 5,000 rounds of .45 ammunition for experimentation and to serve as a guide for chambering measurements.[1] Finding numerous defects in this prototype ammunition (U.S. authorities later were forced to produce new ammunition for the 1907 trials), Luger had DWM pull the bullets of these cartridges and had them re-loaded with a special faster-burning powder in new brass cases.[25] Luger brought 746 rounds of this new ammunition to the March 1907 trials with his .45 Luger pistol.[1][25] Two test .45 Luger pistols, bearing serial numbers 1 and 2 are known to have been used in the 1907 tests.[25] Although the .45 Luger passed the firing tests, it was ranked below the Colt/Browning and Savage pistols in number of malfunctions and misfires, though Army officials conceded that the .45 Luger performed satisfactorily with the DWM-loaded ammunition.[25] In the words of the testing commission: "The Luger automatic pistol, although it possesses manifest advantages in many particulars, is not recommended for service tests because its certainty of action, even with Luger ammunition, it is not considered satisfactory, because of the final seating of the cartridge is not by positive spring action, and because the powder stated by Mr. Luger to be necessary, for its satisfactory use is not now obtainable in this country.”[26] DWM and Luger later rejected an invitation by Army officials to produce 200 pistols in caliber .45 for further competition against the Colt and Savage submissions, at which point DWM effectively withdrew from the U.S. trials.[1][25] The fate of the .45 Luger, serial number 1 is unknown, as it was not returned and is believed to have been destroyed during testing. The .45 Luger prototype serial number 2, believed to have been a back-up to Serial Number 1, survived the 1907 trials and is in private ownership. Its rarity gives its value of around US$1 million at the time the "Million Dollar Guns" episode of History Channel's "Tales of the Gun" was filmed,[27] recheck by Guns & Ammo as of 1994.[28] At least two caliber .45 Luger pistols were manufactured later for possible commercial or military sales; one is exhibited at the R. W. Norton Art Gallery, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The other was sold in 2010 and remains in a private collection. A single .45 Luger carbine is also known to exist.[29] Pistole Modell 1908 (P08) and World War I[edit] In 1908, the German Army adopted the DWM Parabellum pistol as the Pistole Modell 1908 (P08) Parabellum to replace the Reichsrevolver in front-line service.[30] The Pistole 08 (or P.08) had a 100 mm (3.9 in) barrel and was chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. This version of Georg Luger's design reflected a number of improvements requested by German military authorities. The grip safety used on earlier versions was omitted, while a lug was attached to the heel of the pistol frame for attachment of a shoulder stock. The barrel was reduced in length to 4 inches (102mm), and the caliber was 9x19mm Parabellum, and the 9x19mm DWM cartridge (Catalog No. 278F) initially adopted by the German Army featured a 123-grain truncated-nose bullet design intended to increase wounding effect of the fully jacketed bullet.[31] With slight modifications, notably the addition of a stock mounting lug and a hold-open latch, the P08 would serve as the German Army's principal sidearm during World War I, augmented by Mauser C96 and Model 1914 pistols. Over 2 million Luger pistols were used by German forces from 1914 to 1918.[24] The Bolivian Army also adopted the DWM Luger in 9×19mm Parabellum as an officer's sidearm; 500 were bought in 1913. They bore the legend "Ejercito Boliviano" stamped on the chamber.[32] Lange Pistole 08 (Artillery Luger)[edit] The adoption of the Lange Pistole 08 or LP 08, aka the "Artillery Luger", was authorised by the Kaiser on the 2 July 1913. This P08 variation was equipped with a 200 mm (7.9 in) barrel, an 8-position tangent rear sight (calibrated to 800 meters (870 yd)) and a board-type shoulder stock with an attached leather holster. In the event of close combat, the pistol was intended to be used as a carbine with the shoulder stock attached to a lug mounted on the heel of the pistol frame. When set for long range use the rear sight element visibly moves to the left to compensate for spin drift. While initially intended for use by German artillery units who could not be encumbered by the long and heavy K.98 rifle, the LP 08 was also used by Aviation units (prior to equipping aircraft with machine guns) as well as the Infantry, primarily on the Western front during World War I. The infantry Stoßtruppen or Stormtrooper units frequently employed the Artillery Luger equipped with a new large magazine, the 32-round Trommelmagazin or 'snail' magazine. Production of the LP 08 ended in 1918 with the end of the war. By that time, German troops had begun using the newly developed MP 18 submachine gun in place of the LP 08 for their stormtroop assault companies. However, by this time enough LP 08 barrels had been manufactured and stockpiled to fill LP 08 export orders into the 1930s. Carbine versions of the LP 08 were also produced commercially, with yet longer barrels. The firm Armeria Belga of Santiago (Chile) also manufactured a detachable stock, the Benke Thiemann stock, that could fold out from the grip section. In the early 1920s, carbine production was restarted, with barrels up to 600mm (24 in) long. Under a small contract, LP 08 or Artillery P08s were assembled in the 1930s to fill an order from the Shah of Iran for his artillery troops, with some of these weapons ending up with Thai police forces. Existing LP 08 pistols that had remained in storage were re-issued in WWII with new-production board stocks for some German units such as artillerymen and Waffen SS units, and these continued in use until the end of the war in 1945. Luger Rifle M1906[edit] The M1906 was an attempt to make a full-powered semi-automatic rifle using the same toggle-bolt action of the pistol. A single rifle, serial number 4, was found and put on auction and was said to be made by Georg Luger. The description mentioned a German patent No. 4126 of 1906, the patent applied specifically to serial number 4. The rifle was chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser, and the stock resembled the later K98k style.[1] [2] Interwar years and commercial production[edit] From 1919 on, DWM rebuilt P08 frames with new parts or existing parts (including barrels) into complete pistols for sales to the civilian and export markets. These sales helped restore DWM to solvency after the Armistice.[33] Most of these commercial pistols were in 7.65 Parabellum (.30 Luger) caliber, although a number of pistols were also rebarrelled to 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm). The new component parts were stamped with serial numbers to match the frame to ensure that all the fitted parts stayed together. Many thousands of these pistols were thought to have been assembled and sold between 1919 and 1923. Some of these pistols were fitted with new barrels of different lengths by the importer upon customer request. Many so-called 1919 and 1920 Commercial Lugers were imported to the United States by such firms as Abercrombie & Fitch, Pacific Arms Co., and A.F. Stoeger Inc. The latter importer sought and registered the name Luger in 1929 in the United States.[18] In 1923, A.F. Stoeger Inc., the predecessor to Stoeger, Inc. began importing commercial pistols from DWM stamped A.F.Stoeger Inc. – New York. and "Germany". These pistols were exported to the United States in both 7.65 Parabellum (.30 Luger) and 9mm calibers, with barrel lengths from 75 mm to 600 mm. These imported Parabellums were also the first pistols to bear the name "Luger", roll stamped on the right side of the receiver. That same year, DWM also signed contracts to supply small numbers of P08 pistols to the armed forces of Finland (8,000 pistols, designated m/23),[2] the Netherlands, and Sweden. Until 1930, DWM continued to export both P08 and commercial Parabellum pistols to nations in Europe and to overseas markets, including the United States and the Far East. Although never officially adopted by Nationalist forces, all variants of the Parabellum or Luger pistol were highly sought after by both Chinese Nationalist officers and irregular guerrilla forces. In 1924, just before the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War, a review of Chinese Nationalist small arms reported that "Among officers, bodyguards, and police, the German Parabellum (Luger) 9-mm automatic pistol was the weapon of choice...".[34] In 1930, Mauser took over manufacture of the P.08 from DWM.[7] Additional P08s were produced by Simson and later Krieghoff. Many P04 and P08 pistols would continue in service with German army and navy personnel throughout World War II. Towards the end of 1937 (beginning with 't' & 'u' block pistols) Mauser phased out rust blue process and "straw finishing" small parts and levers on the P08, choosing to salt blue all parts of the weapon at one time. In 1941 some of these pistols were fitted with inexpensive black Bakelite grip panels to cut production time and expense. Years after the war, these pistols would be given the name "Black Widow" by a postwar US arms dealer as a marketing ploy. World War II production[edit] The P08 was technically replaced in service in 1938 by the Walther P38, but ever-growing wartime demands for handguns resulted in continued P08 production by Mauser until December 1943.[7][24] Mauser production was supplemented by a small contract for Luger pistols given to Heinrich Krieghoff & Son of Suhl in 1935 to produce a Luger variant for the Luftwaffe; a second contract for 15,000 pistols was only partially completed when Krieghoff ceased Luger production in 1944.[24] The German Army took their last delivery of 1,000 Mauser-made pistols in November 1943.[24] A further 4,000 pistols assembled by Mauser in December of that same year were sold to Portugal, which renamed them the Model 943.[24] German military authorities refused to take any more Luger pistols, leaving a large stock of parts at the factory in Oberndorf.[24] Captured Lugers were much prized by Allied soldiers during both of the world wars as war trophies.[35] However, during World War II, German soldiers were known to sometimes use a discarded Luger pistol to lure unsuspecting trophy hunters, rigging it to detonate land mines or hidden booby traps when disturbed.[36] Word also spread of accidental discharges and deaths of Allied troops by users unfamiliar with the P08 and its safety mechanisms, as well as stories circulating that American soldiers were being executed if captured in possession of German weapons.[18][37] Soviet forces captured tens of thousands of Lugers but they were never issued to their own troops but rather kept in storage.[38] Post-WWII production and assembly[edit] Although Mauser P08 production terminated in 1943, the P08 re-appeared in postwar form because of a continuing demand for handguns for military and police requirements. In 1945 Mauser restarted Luger production under the control of the French occupation authority to supply the French military and occupation police forces. Assembly commenced under French control from June 1945 until mid-1946. In the second half of 1946, tooling and some Mauser personnel moved from Oberndorf to Chatellerault in France, the location of MAC (Manufacture d’Armes de Chatellerault) to continue assembly from existing parts stocks. About 4,000 Luger 'parts' pistols, including a few LP 08 models, are thought to have been assembled for French forces, a sufficient number to justify the production of new-manufacture Luger magazines in France for several years.[13][24] Surviving examples of Lugers assembled under French supervision are sometines found with a distinct, gray parkerized finish.[39] A few early French control pistols bear a five-pointed star proof mark known to have been used by French Occupation authorities. Later pistols assembled in France often carry a French arsenal/manufacturer name, such as Manufacture Francaise d’Armes & Cycles de St. Etienne (Manufrance).[citation needed] Surviving French Control Lugers were retained in French storage depots of the paramilitary National Gendarmerie as late as 1970.[39] Pistols were also assembled under the direction of Soviet (and later, East German) authorities to arm military and MP units, as well as the Volkspolizei.[24] During the immediate postwar period, complete Luger pistols were also assembled from rejected or salvaged parts with different serial numbers, then sold as souvenirs to occupation forces in Germany. Thousands of original Luger pistols were taken home by returning Allied soldiers after both world wars. Other Luger pistols were later assembled in the United States by gunsmiths of varying aptitude using secondhand, rejected, or salvaged parts imported from Germany and other countries. These pistols and their construction quality (or lack of it) would contribute to criticism of the Luger as a finicky and unreliable weapon. However, a well maintained Luger with new springs and suitable cartridges is a very reliable weapon.[40] The Swiss Parabellum 06/29 continued in production until 1946. In 1969, after purchasing the Swiss 06/29 tooling, Mauser Werke in Oberndorf restarted Parabellum production, which ceased in 1986 when the last commemorative model was produced.[41] While new Mauser Luger production ended at this time, pistols continued to be assembled and sold from parts on hand until the 1990s. The Luger pistol is still sought after by collectors both for its sleek design and accuracy, and for its connection to Imperial and Nazi Germany. According to Aaron Davis, writing in The Standard Catalog of the Luger, "From its adoption, the Luger was synonymous with the German military through the end of World War II" and "Ask any World War II vet of the [European Theater of Operations] what the most prized war souvenir was and the answer will invariably come back, ‘a Luger.’”[30] Colonel David Hackworth mentions in his autobiography that it was still a sought-after sidearm in the Vietnam War.[42] Vietnamese gunsmiths even copied the basic Luger design, producing a few crude 'Luger' pistols with which to arm Viet Cong and other irregular forces.[43] Users[edit] Luger 04 Pistol of the Imperial German Navy  Algeria: used by the National Liberation Army, bought from Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia[3]  Austria: Armed forces used Lugers after 1945, supplied from the French controlled Mauser factory [44]  Bolivia:[44] delivered from 1912 and used during the Chaco War[45]  Brazil[13]  Kingdom of Bulgaria[46]  Chad[47]  Republic of China: Used by Chang Tso-lin's warlord army.[48]  Colombia  Cuba[49]  Cyprus[50]  Democratic Republic of Georgia: Mainly issued to officers.[51]  Dominican Republic[citation needed]  Egypt[52]  Empire of Japan: Used Luger pistols in a semi-official capacity taken from disarmed Dutch forces in Indonesia.[8]  France: The French occupied and operated the Mauser factory 1945–46, then seized remaining Mauser parts stocks to assemble approximately 4,000 Luger pistols for French forces[44]  Finland[53]  Gabon  Georgia[54]  Germany[55]  German Empire[35]  Weimar Republic[35]  Nazi Germany[35]  East Germany: Used until the 1960s by the Volkspolizei[38] and Stasi agents.[8]  Greece[citation needed]  Grenada[56]  Guatemala[citation needed]  Indonesia: Almost 14,000 Dutch KNIL M.11 Lugers were in Indonesia before the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. As such, the Luger was widely used during the Indonesian National Revolution. General Sudirman is known to have personally carried an M.11.[57]  Imperial State of Iran[8]  Kingdom of Italy[58]  Luxemburg[18][verification needed]  Malta[18][verification needed]  Montenegro[citation needed]  Netherlands: Dutch arms factories made Lugers in 1912 for use by the Dutch East Indies Army.[44] Other contracts were completed for the Dutch Navy commencing in 1923, and the Dutch Air Force in 1928.  Lebanon[citation needed]  Libya[59]  New Zealand: Captured Lugers issued to RNZAF ADS officers 1942-45.[60]  North Korea[61]  Norway: In use from 1945 and phased out in 1987.[62]  Pakistan  Palestine: the Palestine Liberation Organization received P08s from East Germany[38]  People's Republic of China[63]  Portugal[64][65]  Poland[citation needed]  Romania[citation needed]  Russia[18]  South Korea[66]  Spain[53]  Soviet Union: stored captured P08s but never used in combat[38]  Sweden[18]   Switzerland: The Swiss Army was the first to adopt the Luger. 1900-1950[53]  Turkey[65]  Thailand[32]  North Vietnam Captured from France  United Kingdom: used by Special Operations Executive[67]  United States[18] The U.S. Ordnance Board purchased 1,000 Model 1900 7.65mm pistols under an official military contract order and issued them to active duty cavalry troops for field testing.  Venezuela[68]  Yemen[69]  Zambia  Zimbabwe[70] Non-state entities[edit]  Irish Republican Army  Lebanese Forces[71]  Organisation armée secrète[72]  Yugoslav Partisans[73]  Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army[74]  Chetniks See also[edit] Borchardt C-93 Mauser C96 Lahti L-35 Walther P38 Stoeger Luger Nambu pistol Table of handgun and rifle cartridges ***** The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1975 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today. The United States military replaced the M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol in 1985 with the Beretta 92FS, designated as the M9. Contents 1 History 1.1 Evolution 1.1.1 92 1.1.2 92S 1.1.3 92SB (92S-1) 1.1.4 92F (92SB-F) 1.1.5 92FS 2 Design 2.1 Magazines 3 Variants 3.1 Models 3.2 93R machine pistol 4 Copies 5 Users 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links History[edit] The Beretta 92 pistol evolved from earlier Beretta designs, most notably the M1923 and M1951. From the M1923 comes the open slide design, while the alloy frame and locking block barrel, originally from Walther P38, were first used in the M1951. The grip angle and the front sight integrated with the slide were also common to earlier Beretta pistols. What were perhaps the Model 92's two most important advanced design features had first appeared on its immediate predecessor, the 1974 .380 caliber Model 84. These improvements both involved the magazine, which featured direct feed; that is, there was no feed ramp between the magazine and the chamber (a Beretta innovation in pistols). In addition, the magazine was a "double-stacked" design, a feature originally introduced in 1935 on the Browning Hi-Power.[1] Carlo Beretta, Giuseppe Mazzetti and Vittorio Valle, all experienced firearms designers, contributed to the final design in 1975.[2] Evolution[edit] 92[edit] Production began in May 1976, and ended in February 1983. Approximately 7,000 units were of the first "step slide" design and 45,000 were of the second "straight slide" type.[3] 92S[edit] In order to meet requirements of some law enforcement agencies, Beretta modified the Beretta 92 by adding a slide-mounted combined safety and decocking lever, replacing the frame mounted manual thumb safety. This resulted in the 92S, which was adopted by several Italian law enforcement and military units. The magazine release button is at the bottom of the grip as is customary in Europe. This model was produced from 1978 - 1982. 92SB (92S-1)[edit] The 92SB, initially called 92S-1, was specifically designed for the USAF trials (which it won), the model name officially adopted was the 92SB. Features added include a firing pin block (thus the addition of the "B" to the name), ambidextrous safety levers, 3-dot sights, and relocated the magazine release catch from the bottom of the grip to the lower bottom of the trigger guard. The later relocation of the magazine release button means preceding models (92 & 92S) cannot necessarily use later magazines, unless they have notches in both areas.[4] A compact version with a shortened barrel and slide and 13-round magazine capacity known as the 92SB Compact was manufactured from 1981 to 1991.[4] 92F (92SB-F)[edit] Beretta modified the model 92SB slightly to create the 92SB-F (the "F" added to denote entry of the model in U.S. Government federal testing) by making the following changes: Design of all the parts to make them 100% interchangeable to simplify maintenance for large government organizations. Squared off the front of the trigger guard so that one could use finger support for easier aiming. Recurved the forward base of the grip to aid aiming. Hard chromed the bore to protect it from corrosion and to reduce wear. New surface coating on the slide called Bruniton, which allegedly provides better corrosion resistance than the previous plain blued finish.[5]:16 Vector-graphic of model 92FS A Beretta 92FS Inox with the slide retracted, showing the exposed ejection port and barrel mechanism. A Beretta 92FS Inox stainless steel pistol. The French military adopted a modified version of the 92F with a decocking-only lever as the PAMAS G1. These pistols have tellurium in the slide, making the steel brittle and as such only have a service life of approximately 6,000 rounds.[6] 92FS[edit] See also: Beretta M9 The FS has an enlarged hammer pin that fits into a groove on the underside of the slide. The main purpose is to stop the slide from flying off the frame to the rear if it cracks. This was in response to reported defective slides during U.S. military testing.[7] The 92FS also came in a Centurion model which featured a shorter barrel that just clears it's full size frame. Design[edit] The Beretta 92's open slide design ensures smooth feeding and ejection of ammunition and allows easy clearing of obstructions. The hard-chromed barrel bore reduces barrel wear and protects it from corrosion. The falling locking block design provides good accuracy and operability with suppressors due to the in-line travel of the barrel. This is in contrast to the complex travel of Browning designed barrels. The magazine release button is reversible with simple field tools. Reversing the magazine release makes left-handed operation much easier. Increasingly, it has become popular to reduce handgun weight and cost as well as increase corrosion resistance by using polymers. Starting around the year 2000, Beretta began replacing some parts with polymer and polymer coated metal. Polymer parts include the recoil spring guide rod (which is now also fluted), magazine floor plate, magazine follower and the mainspring cap/lanyard loop. Polymer coated metal parts include the left side safety lever, trigger, and magazine release button.[8] Magazines[edit] To keep in line with the introduction of laws in some locations restricting magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, Beretta now manufactures magazines that hold fewer than the factory standard 15 rounds. These magazines have heavier crimping (deeper indentations in the side) to reduce the available space while still keeping the same external dimensions and ensuring that these magazines can be used on existing firearms. Beretta also produces 15 round "Sand Resistant" magazines to resolve issues encountered with contractor made magazines, and 17 round magazines included with the A1 models. Both magazines function in earlier 92 series and M9 model pistols. Italian magazine manufacturer Mec-Gar now produces magazines in blue and nickel finishes with an 18-round capacity, which fit flush in the magazine well on the 92 series. Mec-Gar also produces an extended 20-round blued magazine that protrudes below the frame by 3⁄4 inch (19 mm). These magazines provide users in unrestricted states with a larger capacity magazine. Variants[edit] The Beretta 92 is available in many configurations and models: The French-made PAMAS G1 variant. Models[edit] 92D  The 92D is a double action only variant of the 92FS with no safety or decocking lever. Beretta 92 Compact L owned by the Royal Malaysia Police. Vertec  (2001-2007, 2014-2018) The Vertec is a variant of the 92-series with a recountoured, straight backstrap, removable sights, 1-slot accessory rail, flared magwell, and 4.7 inch barrel 90Two  (2006-2012) The 90two is a 9mm/.40 variant of the 92-series with a redesigned, thicker slide and frame to accommodate an accessory rail, fully dovetailed front sight and .40 S&W pressures. Other features added include a captive recoil spring, internal recoil buffer, user changeable monogrips and 17-round magazines.[9] 92A1 / 96A1  (2010–present) The 92A1 and 96A1 were introduced in 2010, based on elements from the 92FS and 90two.[10] Centennial (2015) The 92 FS Centennial limited edition (500 units) commemorates adoption by the Italian Military of Beretta's earliest semiautomatic pistol, the Model 1915. This Centennial 92 is notable for its frame-mounted manual safety and single-action-only mechanism. The Beretta medallion in each wood grip panel displays the anniversary dates in Roman numerals, which are also engraved on either side of the steel slide. The pistol is packaged in a custom M2A1 ammunition can bearing the Centennial logo.[11][12] M9A1 (2006–present) The M9A1 was adopted by the USMC in 2006. It adds a 1-slot Picatinny rail, more aggressive front and backstrap checkering and a beveled magazine well for easier reloading of the weapon. M9A1 pistols are sold with physical vapor deposition (PVD) coated magazines developed to better withstand the conditions in the sandy environments in Iraq and Afghanistan.[13] M9A3 (2015–present) The M9A3 (the M9A2 concept never went into production) was released in 2015, as a potential upgrade for the US military, in response to the Modular Handgun System trials. The main updates to the M9A3 were a 3-slot Picatinny rail, thinner vertical grip, removable wrap-around grips that can be swapped between Vertec-style and 'old' M9 style,[14] fully removable tritium night sights and a universal slide, which makes the gun convertible from decocker-safety to decocker-only mode. The tip of the barrel is pre-threaded to facilitate addition of a suppressor.[15] Additionally, the M9A3 comes with 17-round sand-resistant magazines in a beveled shape for easier reloading. Beretta/Wilson 92G Brigadier Combat, a cooperative effort of Wilson Combat and Beretta. It features heavy Brigadier Slide, stainless match barrel, single function ambi-decock and a refined action. Wilson Combat 92G Brigadier Tactical (2014 to present) Made in collaboration with Wilson Combat,[16] these pistols differ from the standard Brigadier in that they have a military standard 1913 picatinny rail, all steel controls (as opposed to the polymer coated steel), decock only feature (G-model), 4.7" target crowned barrel, fluted steel guiderod, thin profile G-10 grips, rounded trigger guard, the lighter hammer spring used in the "D" model, Elite II hammer, and their own unique serial number with a "WC" prefix among other features. Elite LTT - Langdon Tactical The Elite LTT was introduced by Beretta in 2018, in conjunction with firearms trainer Ernest Langdon. The LTT uses the Vertec slide with front cocking serrations on a modified M9A1 frame, and wears Langdon Tactical G10 grips. The pistol comes equipped with G-Model decocker, dovetailed front sight, steel trigger and guide rod, improved springs, and a 4.7 inch stainless barrel with target crown, just to name a few of the more prominent features.[17][18] 92x (2019–present) The 92x was introduced in 2019 as an update to the 92-series and standardization of the Vertec platform. Similar to the M9A3, it features a 3-slot Picatinny rail, thinner vertical grip, removable wrap-around grips that can be swapped between Vertec-style and 'old' M9 style, fully removable sights (High visibility orange dot) and a universal slide, which makes the gun convertible from decocker-safety to decocker-only mode. Unlike the M9a3, the barrel is not threaded. The 92x series comes in compact, centurion, and full size variants. 92x Performance (2019–present) The 92x Performance was introduced in 2019, alongside the 92x as a competition pistol. Similar to the 92x, it features a 3-slot Picatinny rail, thinner vertical grip, removable wrap-around grips that can be swapped between Vertec-style and 'old' M9 style, dovetailed sights. The 92x Performance however includes a red fiberoptic front sight, adjustable rear sight, front and rear slide serrations, skeletonized hammer, competition hammer spring, steel spring recoil rod, extended beavertail, front and rear frame checkering, oversized magazine release, and match take down lever. The Vertec frame is made of steel rather than alloy, increasing the weight to 48 ounces. The 92x Performance utilizes a frame mounted safety compared to the slide mounted safety of the standard 92x. The Extreme-S trigger mechanism is utilized in the handgun, reducing trigger reset by 40%. The trigger is adjustable for pre-travel (in single action only models), as well as overtravel (in all models). 93R machine pistol[edit] Main article: Beretta 93R The Beretta 93R is a significantly redesigned 92 to provide the option of firing in three-round bursts. It also has a longer ported barrel, heavier slide, fitting for a shoulder stock, a folding forward grip, and an extended magazine. Unlike other Berettas in the 90 series it is single-action only, does not have a decocker, and very few are around today.[5]:12–13 Copies[edit] Turkish Beretta 92 copy, the Yavuz 16 Compact. The Beretta 92 was designed for sports and law enforcement use and, due to its reliability, was accepted by military users in South America and other countries all over the world. Brazil After a large order of original 92s for the Brazilian military had been completed, the factory was sold to Taurus, who continued to make the gun as the PT92. These notably differ from modern 92s by their frame mounted safety rather that their slide mounted safety. Egypt Egypt had produced the Beretta 92 under license as the Helwan 920 with the magazine release button at the bottom of the magazine.[19] South Africa Vektor Z-88 (see also Vektor SP1). Turkey Turkish companies MKEK and Girsan manufactured a copy of the Beretta 92F as Yavuz 16 for the Turkish Armed Forces and General Directorate of Security.[20][21] There has been speculation that these were being made under contract from Beretta. Some of these pistols were imported into the United States by the company American Tactical Imports as the American Tactical 92 or AT-92. Yavuz 16 was exported to Canada, Colombia, Georgia, Malaysia and Syria.[22] Users[edit] User Organization Model Quantity Date Reference  Albania Albanian police and special police forces [23]  Algeria Special Intervention Detachment Beretta 92FS [24][25]  Brazil Brazilian Armed Forces Taurus PT-92 [24]  Canada Vancouver Police Department, being phased out in favor of the SIG Sauer P226 [26]  Colombia Colombian Army Colombian Navy Colombian Air Force Colombian Naval Infantry Beretta M9 Yavuz 16[22] [24]  Egypt Egyptian Army Helwan 920 [27]  France French Military, Gendarmerie Nationale PAMAS G1 100,000 (97,502 in 2002) 1989 [28][29][30]  Georgia Georgian Police Yavuz 16 _ _ [22]  India Mizoram Armed Police, MARCOS 92S [31]  Indonesia Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) special forces group of the Indonesian Army _ _ _ [32] Komando Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) tactical diver group of the Indonesian Navy _ _  Italy Italian Armed Forces and various police forces [29][33]  Ivory Coast Unknown users Beretta 92F [34]  Japan Various specialized detective units of the Prefectural Police Departments Vertec _ _ [35]  Jordan Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) M9 _ _ [24]  Kuwait _ _ _ [36]  Luxembourg Unité Spéciale de la Police of the Grand Ducal Police 92F _ [37][38][39]  Libya Libyan National Army (LNA) M9 _ _ [24]  Malaysia 10 Paratrooper Brigade rapid deployment forces of the Malaysian Army 92FS [40] Grup Gerak Khas special forces of the Malaysian Army _ Malaysian Road Transport Department 92 Compact L _ _ [41]  Malta Armed Forces of Malta 92FS [42]  Mexico Various branches of the armed forces _ _ [26]  Monaco Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince _ [43]  Morocco 2010 [24]  Nigeria 2010  Pakistan Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Law Enforcement 92F [44]  Peru Armed Forces of Peru, Peruvian National Police _ _ 2010 [24]  Philippines Philippine Army, Philippine National Police _ _ _ [45]  Portugal Military Police _ _ _ [46]  Russia Law enforcement groups _ _ 2010 [47]  Slovenia Slovenian Armed Forces 92FS _ 1991 [48]  South Africa South African Police Service Vektor Z88 _ 1992 [49]  South Korea Republic of Korea Navy [50]  Sudan _ _ _ [24]  Syria Syrian Army Yavuz 16 _ _ [22]  Thailand Royal Thai Armed Forces, Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Marine Corps, Royal Thai Air Force, Royal Thai Police, Border Patrol Police 92fs _ _ [51]  Turkey Turkish Armed Forces Yavuz 16[22] _ _ [24] General Directorate of Security Yavuz 16[22] _ _ [24]  United Kingdom Bermuda Regiment 92F [52]  United States US Armed Forces, designated as the M9 92FS _ 1985 [29][33] US Border Patrol _ _ _ [24] Minneapolis Police Department 96D _ _ [53][54] Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) 92F & 92FS [55] ***** The Beretta M1951 is a 9×19mm semi-automatic pistol, developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s by Pietro Beretta S.p.A. of Italy. The pistol was produced strictly for military use and was introduced into service with the Italian Armed Forces and security forces as the Modello 1951 (M1951), replacing the Modello 1934 pistol, chambered for the 9×17mm Short (.380 ACP) cartridge.[1] Contents 1 History 2 Design details 3 Variants 4 In popular culture 5 Users 5.1 Non-State Actors 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links History[edit] The pistol was Beretta's first locked-breech design on the market (previous Beretta semi-automatic pistols, were all blowback-operated) and was in limited production circa 1953 and in full-scale production in 1956 until 1980. The initial production batch featured a lightweight alloy frame, which proved to be unable to withstand the shock of the relatively high-powered 9×19mm Parabellum round in the long run. This was replaced by the 'second series' model with a steel frame that proved to be totally adequate in endurance. The steel-framed version was nearly 250 grams heavier than the alloy version, but the balance was improved. A special version of this second series (the "Egyptian Contract" model 951) was modified according to the wishes of the military of the Egyptian Arab Republic. Approximately 50,000 Egyptian Contract 951s were produced. Its particular modifications included larger sights, a simplified, narrower grip and external "thumb-spring" magazine release, rather than the push-button release in the lower-right grip of all other 951 versions. Beretta was in competition with Tokarev to become the primary supplier of sidearms to the new Egyptian republic. Despite intense pressure and incentives from the Soviet bloc, the Egyptians appreciated the 9×19mm Beretta's accuracy, power and uncanny reliability in desert conditions, and consequently, the Hungarian "Tokagypt" was produced in comparatively small quantities. The "third series" of the model 951 was the definitive production version. Its lengthened slide further improved the pistol's balance. The relatively large sights of the Egyptian Contract version were replaced - even on the Maadi-made Helwan 951 - by the original smaller, unobtrusive sights which were less likely to snag on a holster. Serial production of this definitive version initiated in Italy 1955, and in Egypt in the early 1960s. The M1951 is no longer produced in Italy and was never adopted by the Italian Army. The Italian Army instead opted to keep the .380 ACP Beretta M1934 in service until the adoption of the 9×19mm Beretta 92; the M1951 was instead adopted by the Italian Navy, the Carabinieri and the Italian national Traffic Police, but has since been replaced in all services with the above-mentioned Beretta 92, in 1977. Other military forces to have adopted the M1951 include Egypt (where it has been produced by the local firm Maadi as the "Helwan"), Israel, Iraq (license-built as the "Tariq"), Nigeria, Libya and Tunisia; in most of these countries, the pistol is now out of service. The pistol is known as the M951 "Brigadier" on the civilian market. After 1968, in the United States, it was briefly referred to as the 104 in promotional literature. Design details[edit] The M1951 is a short recoil-operated, locked breech pistol with a vertically falling locking piece and an open top slide (the locking mechanism design was influenced by the Walther P38 pistol).[1] The locking piece, located under the barrel, is unlocked by a sliding pin and locked back into battery by a beveled surface on the pistol's frame. The locking piece features two locking lugs that engage appropriate recesses cut into the slide's internal side surfaces. When the pistol is fired, the locking piece, integral with the slide, goes back together with the barrel which is locked to the slide. After a brief period of unrestricted travel of approx. 13 mm (0.5 in) the unlocking pin on the rear barrel lug strikes the receiver and stops. As the barrel and slide continue back, the locking piece strikes the stationary plunger and is forced down into recesses in the slide. The barrel comes to rest but the slide continues rearward for a further 50 mm (2.0 in). Upon forward return, the slide picks up the barrel and the locking piece on the barrel lug is lifted up by the receiver cam to lock the barrel to the slide. The spring-loaded extractor is integrated into the slide, and the fixed-type ejector is integral to the pistol's frame. The pistol has a hammer striking mechanism (with an exposed hammer) and a single-action trigger with a disconnector, which enables semi-automatic fire only. A cross-bolt safety mounted on the weapon's frame (beneath the hammer) provides safe operation with a cartridge introduced into the chamber. In the “weapon safe” position (the safety's button pushed in to the left) the slide catch is disabled. The M1951 is fed from an 8-round detachable box magazine. A hold open device will keep the slide locked open after discharging the last cartridge from the magazine.[1] The slide can then be released by depressing the slide release lever located on the left side of the frame. The pistol uses fixed iron sights set for engaging targets at 50 m. These consist of a forward blade and rear notch. The pistol's barrel has a rifled bore with 6 right-hand grooves and a 1 in 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate. The M1951 pistol is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. Variants[edit] The Modello 952 is a commercial version of the M1951 chambered in 7.65×21mm Parabellum. Produced for sales to sport shooters in Italy in order to comply with restrictions forbidding ownership of military caliber pistols. This model was available in two variants: the “Target” and “Special” models. The "Target" version of the 952 incorporated modifications to the grips, sights and barrel that had originally been introduced on the "Berhama" target-shooting model of the 9mm 951 made specially for the Egyptians. The M951R is a select fire version of the M1951 chambered in 9 mm Parabellum. The "R" stands for Raffica, which is Italian for "volley", "flurry", or "burst" (sometimes spoken "R" as "Rapid" in English), which was designed and produced during the 1960s in response to a request made by the Italian special forces. The primary difference between the M951R and the original M1951 lied in the fire selector lever mounted on the right side of the weapon’s frame, enabling either semi-automatic or continuous fire - labelled "SEM" and "AUT", respectively. Additionally, the weapon has a heavier slide, a folding wooden forward grip, the barrel was extended, and so was the magazine, increasing capacity to 10 rounds. The M951R had a rate of fire of approximately 1000 rounds/min. The M951R was issued to several Italian special forces and to a lesser extent to the Carabinieri and the Polizia di Stato all along the 1960s; it had poor success and quickly went out of production, as it was plagued by several defects: the ammunition capacity was low compared to the rate of fire and, with the selector on the "AUT" position, the M951R fired in full-automatic mode rather than by three-rounds bursts as other similar products of the following years; this produced high recoil and resulted in poor controllability and scarce accuracy. Furthermore, with such a high rate of fire, even with extensive training it was impossible for the shooter to produce short and controlled bursts, and as reported by many users the shortest burst one could achieve was five-rounds. In popular culture[edit] One of the two principal pistols used by Don Pendleton's character Mack Bolan in his The Executioner series is a Beretta M1951 Brigadier. Bolan named his Brigadier "Belle" and over the course of dozens of books used it to kill hundreds of Mafiosi. In the 1983 film Scarface, Al Pacino is shown prominently wielding an M1951 in the infamous "chainsaw scene". Users[edit] Blued-steel Iraqi Tariq Gold-plated Iraqi Tariq presentation pistol  Egypt:[2] Special Egyptian Contract guns marked with National crest. Later licensed by Maadi and produced as the Helwan.  Haiti[2]  Iraq:[2] Manufactured under license as the Tariq by Al-Qādisiyyah Establishments from 1981 onwards. Production stopped in 2003 and resumed from 2009 onwards. The internal design appears identical to the original pistols, and the primary external differences are the Arabic stamping on the slide and the warrior emblem (the medieval Arab warrior Tariq ibn Ziyad—who invaded Spain in 711 A.D.) on the grip. Gold-plated guns were produced for presentation and some pistols have special inscriptions. The Tariq pistol is currently in service with the Iraqi Police and the Kurdish Asayish and Zeravani, and was in service as the standard pistol of the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Republican Guard; pistols issued to Saddam Hussein's Private Police have a special marking on the frame.  Iran: Used captured Iraqi "Tariq" pistols known only as "Beretta" in duty service.  Israel[2]  Italy[2]  Libya[2]  Mali: People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad[3]  Nigeria[2]  Thailand[2]  Tunisia[2]  United Kingdom: In 1954 the Beretta M1951 was selected as the standard sidearm of the Metropolitan Police's Special Branch and Royalty Protective Officers[4]  Yemen[2] Non-State Actors[edit]  Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: Captured from ISIL.[5]  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[6]    
  • Condition: Used
  • Condition: Very good condition . Clean and unstained . Tightly bound. Very nicely preserved copy . The previous owener name on the front page was torn off the page upper corner and the front page was very nicely mended. ( Pls look at scan for accurate AS IS images )
  • Country of Manufacture: 1942 ERETZ ISRAEL - PALESTINE
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Israel
  • Religion: Judaism

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