POTD: China Copied A Lot Different – Chinese Made Semi-Automatic Pistol
Sam.S 08.19.21
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Hopefully, if you are reading this Photo of the Day then you have also read a previous one on the fact that Sapin had copied a ton of firearm designs in the 1800s and 1900s for various reasons. Not a huge surprise but the Chinese also did this but weirder? China would copy firearm designs and quite blatantly mark them with words/names such as “Mauser” or “Browning.” Anyone keeping up with Ian over at Forgotten Weapons may have seen that he has a new book coming out talking about these sorts of handguns. It is called “PISTOLS OF THE WARLORDS: CHINESE DOMESTIC HANDGUNS 1911 – 1949.” Make sure to check him out as well as Rock Island Auction Company where many of these POTD have come from!
“This is a Chinese produced semi-automatic pistol, which shows features and markings which appear to have been copied from both Mauser and Browning/ FN firearms. Blade and fixed notch sights, similar to those from the C96 Broomhandle, complete with a cosmetic tangent bar and lifter milled into the slide, with gibberish numbers and markings on the tangent, “MAUSER” banner on the right and “BROWNINGS/ BROWNINGSBROWNINGS” on the left. The chamber is marked with a set of Belgian-style proofs, with copy of the Mauser banner on the left, a small ring hammer, combination safety/ slide catch, stock slot in the back strap and ribbed grip with “MAUSER/ BROWNINGS” marking. With an unmarked magazine and a brown leather holster.”
Lot 679: Interesting and Unique Chinese Made Semi-Automatic Pistol [Photograph found in Auction Catalog #52, Rock Island Auction Company]. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2021, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/52/679/interesting-and-unique-chinese-made-semiautomatic-pistol
