POTD: The Legendary Large Ring – The Large Ring C96
Sam.S 01.25.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the short-lived “large ring” Mauser C96. These sought-after specimens second only to the Cone Hammer C96 are considered to be transitional models. They come at a time when Mauser was making in-line improvements and simplifications without designating a whole new variation. They popped up roughly around 1900 and were pretty much gone by 1904 or 1905. They had a very obvious and obnoxious large ring on the hammer which would later be replaced by a much smaller ring that became an accepted standard. These models are also decipherable by looking at the extractor since they always had the old-school longer version.
“Blade front and 500-yard tangent rear sights, with the Mauser address on top of the chamber, a small Ulm “antler” stamp on the right side of the chamber opposite a “crown/crown/U” proof, and matching full and partial numbers on the rear sight, bolt, hammer, floorplate and frame. The sides of the frame are deeply milled, with a set of “MW” monogrammed checkered grips and a lanyard ring on the butt.”
Lot 3364: Mauser 1896 Large Ring Transitional Broomhandle – Mauser Model 1896 Large Ring Transitional Broomhandle Semi-Automatic Pistol. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/69/3364/mauser-1896-large-ring-transitional-broomhandle.
