Real, Reworked, or Faked? Authenticating a C96 Mauser
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When you get into expensive historical firearms, values begin to diverge significantly for guns in particularly good condition. This, naturally, leads some people to take poor quality guns and make them better. Sometimes this is done with an innocent view to improving condition, and sometimes it is done with truly fraudulent intent (like renumbering parts). Today we are looking at two examples of WW1 German military C96 Mauser pistols to start to learn how to discern elements of a gun that have been repaired, improved, or outright fabricated.
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If tomorrow's test were about C96 Mauser authenticity, this would be good preparation.
It's not.
Pfffftt, when someone on the side of the road has a booth selling C96's; and your classmates buy a fake when you don't, it'll all be worth it.
Probably.
Mine is about Requirements analysis in software engineering. So not quite it. But authenticating a user could be a requirement for software, so maybe.
@@jort93z LOL "Does the user's internal serial numbers match?"
@@rucker69 I mean, pretty much lol. Better than nothing.
We recently made a prototype and authentification was not a requirement, so in that system you can get data of any user from the database without any authentification. We started working on it like a week before it was due to be fair.
If someone is selling them on the side of the road, they will all be fakes... Or stolen! 😅
I love watching buying tips for a gun I’ll never be able to buy
Kektus you never know one day you might. I have no use for this firearm and I’m not much of a collector but I do love history of firearms especially when it comes to firearms used in war. For me if I’m not going to use it I don’t need it.
I couldn't even afford the fakest C96 - unless it's like a plastic miniature :D
Mmmmmh. Are there miniature plastic model kits of historical guns like those of tanks and planes? That would actually be something cool to collect!
I don't know, if that bad one is only about $500 I would buy it in a heartbeat!
@@Trigger50AE is it the mag limitations that make it no use to you as these were Also avaliable in common 9mm ammo
Omar Torres no they are just impractical to carry and they aren’t as accurate as modern firearms
I like how this video isn't about how the inauthentic guns are bad, but really about how you should pay what the gun is worth.
Yes, personally I really liked the bolt-stop on the fake.
ya i mean if a 100+ year old gun needs parts, it shouldn't deter people from fixing it and making it functional. they just need to make sure to sell it on its merits and history not its rarity
I really really want a Chinese rip off, in .45, something just awesome about it in .45.
I would like to know what makes it safe or unsafe to shoot.
@@AsbestosMuffins yeah but sadly lots of people will lie to your face and try to get the most money they can. Maybe because they got screwed on it and want to make their money back or just think they are rising the value of the gun by "restoring" it. About 8 years ago I learned that gun shows can be the worst places to buy guns. People would get real defensive and rude about the firearms they have for sale once you ask too many questions or point something out. Especially if you are a young person.
Alternative title: "Things to Look Out For When Making a Counterfeit Original Mauser"
Yea now I can give these details to the Pakistani gun makers in Khyber pass and get an Authentic C96 replica
@Blake Ubersox Khyber pass makes good shit. Ian has a whole video on it
At least neither of these two is a belgian Mauser from Brownings Brownings Brownings.
@@HappyBeezerStudios idk if either of these are real, I don't see any BELGIQUE BELGIQUE BELGIQUE on them
*Lives in a country where owning one of these would mean a 5 year prison sentence*
'Oh boy I gotta watch this'
What country?
@@Poopooslinger England
(Looks at homemade Glock 26 on hip) I feel for you blokes!
Feel so bad for Brits.
The C96 didn't make the "Heritage Arm" exemption?
“You’ll be surprised how easy it is to feel a bulge” -Ian (11:20)
OwO
Well then
lmfao your fruity !
"do you have a mauser in your pocket or are just happy to see me?"
Joe Maks his fruity is what?
This channel is basically antique roadshow for gun nerds, I’ve come to realize.
Imagine how cool that would be
Ian and Mark travelling around america, and people bring them strange guns :)
That would be fantastic.
Many of the guns on here are far from antique but an antique road/gun show might make for a good show.
The telltale signs of hand polishing are good to look out for if you're in the market for vintage wristwatches as well. Especially stuff that was cheap for a long time but is becoming worth more now, like 1960s and 1970s Seikos.
I’m a bit of a watch guy, I buy and sell them a lot and it’s paid my daughters uni costs….and you’re bang on the money there. There’s a very fine line between being polished not quite enough, and polished too much. It can give the game away easily if you know what to look for.
I saw a 70’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual at a highly regarded dealer, it was a little bit special and I considered buying it, as it was still about 10% below what it was worth. The documents stood up, the authenticity was affirmed, but I was very sus about the bezel and the band claw, the polish looked 100% perfect, but when the rest of the was 75% perfect. The grain looked off too.
It turns out after some digging that it was badly damaged after falling off the wrist of the owner, and it was repaired and polished. The difference could have passed most people by. Even my wife couldn’t see it. I could have made a pricey mistake!
I also saw a Grand Seiko that was stunning, but had a previous frame repair that was just subtle enough that no one had spotted it. The polish was too good, the polishing direction was off and they over softened the edges. A no from me!
I will often buy a watch that’s had some action and been repaired, if the price corresponds to that and/or if the repair is disclosed. The problem is that they often don’t!
Nice to know so I can get a good price on a non-authentic one.
Only if the seller knows that it's a less than authentic one. I've been in a room when a guy was trying to tell a seller that an antique gun wasn't 100%. I don't know who was right, but I thought the two guys were going to punch each other.
@@Odin029 I had one back in the 80s I wish I had kept it.
@@Odin029 Scammy antique sellers should be exiled in the same remote island as scammy automobile sellers. I am sick and tired of boomers selling broken or bubba-ed weapons and millitaria as if they are museum quality pieces
Exactly what I was thinking. A gun with newer/replacement parts (which probably means better functional condition) that's also cheaper? Yes please!
@@BleedingUranium In many cases you have to replace the springs, bolt stop etc. or even have a new barrel sleeve installed in case of shot-out bores. I've done that with two Broomhandles, and now they are safe, functional and look awesome! The shoulder stock is also indispensable - C96 with a stock is specifically exempt from NFA as are a few other stocked pistols if in their original configuration.
The ATF exempts Mauser stocked pistols from the NFA. What happens if an ATF agent looks at your stock and tells you it's faked? Does he shoot your dog immediately?
(seriously though, surely the ATF does not run a mauser historical verification service)
Generally if the pistol is original, it doesn't matter if the stock is a fake or replacement. However, as I said in another comment, if the pistol has had the receiver replaced, as my semi-auto converted Model 712 has, then it cannot legally mount a stock of any kind. That's my understanding from the last time I read up on the rules, assuming they haven't had a 'change of opinion' recently.
@@USSEnterpriseA1701 i honestly doubt in the case of C96 pistols they particularly care.
These are relics of 100 years time, the newest one made is 83 years old.
@@therideneverends1697 No, given how nit-pick-y the ATF has been of late, I'd bet they'd jump on you in a heartbeat for the tiniest perceived infraction. To them, that new grip frame made in the 1980's IS the gun, and therefore it is not in fact 80 years old, not that age matters to them all that much. Don't forget, the 130-ish year old early Maxim machine guns are still just as heavily regulated as a 1980's automatic conversion of (insert cool 80's semi-auto version of a full auto gun here) for the most part. I'd rather not draw the ire of them in this case, preferring to try and get change to happen through the legal processes, if possible. I've heard of a supposed saying by the ATF, 'once a machinegun, always a machinegun', no idea if they actually say that or not, but if that's the kind of mentality they choose to go with, then I'm not about to see if they consider my converted 712 an SBR if I try and stick the stock on it.
TheFanatical1 most people won't get "that shoot your dog" joke lmao I did I'm dying here
Nice piece of technical information, presented well.
Just hope no-one out there after watching this, who has one, picked it up to check and found out they were duped.
The reworked stock doesn't even look like wood anymore. So much sanding and polishing that it looks like plastic. But the hinge on the "original" one has some patina on it that looks like being dirty, but the wood looks gorgeous.
"Ah, the choice of an avid gun collector! It's a nice gun stranger."
My Man!
Meanwhile, I have one that was found in a wall, looks like it was found in a wall, still out-shoots some people and their Glocks.
That would be the shooters, rather then the Glocks. Glocks are plenty accurate.
@@Agentcoolguy1 not really. a good marksman can get the most out of a pistol that 'shoots a sloppy group' (like glocks do) but a fair marksman can get the same result with a pistol that shoots a 'tight group' (like a mauser) .... its ok if you like glocks. they are a fine pistol, but I have never met one that I liked, they dont fit my hand the way my H&K does. plain and simple and thats my only real complaint, aside from the big groups.but that could just be me. or it could be the extra clearance they have so people can bathe them in mud and gunk to show off how durable a glock is.
Where did you find the wall
@@tadeuszbanku2329 the guy bought a house in Baltimore, not long before one of the times Baltimore flooded. So, the basement needed to be gutted and re-done.
First wall a contractor sunk a hammer into, out came piles and piles and piles and PILES of old guns, dating from the 1860s to the 1960s. .38 revolvers of every description, Lugers and 1911s from both world wars, some rare-ish European target pistols, 15 mint-condition Thompsons, some MP40s, and so on.
Being Baltimore, sadly, the NFA stuff all got jumped on...but the rest? It all wound up in a gun shop I used to hang out in. Anything that was on the lower layers of the pile was gun-shaped coral, anything near the top was pristine, with the barrels all plugged with cosmoline-soaked cigarette butts.
My Broomhandle was at the border between the two
@@mikehendon7327 sounds like an awesome find! Must have been like opening a treasure chest. Thanks for sharing that story with me, I appreciate it!:)
Proud owner of a C96 "bolo" in 7.63x25mm that has been in the family for five generations. Original owner, my great, great grandfather was also a veteran of the Anglo-Boer war. He obtained the pistol somewhere in the early twenties, I suspect, but can't confirm for sure, that he handled/used/was issued a C96 during the war and therefor bought one again after the war.
As someone who recently has been looking into getting a C96 this video came just in time.
I'd be more interested in getting a good value for a shooter instead of a collector's piece. So what is the discount for all of these flaws?
I agree. My P.08 is not a museum piece so I'm not scared to shoot it or forget to clean it for a while.
You can get some very shootable Chinese copies for pennies. As you say Who cares. Does it go bang and put rounds where I want them?
Jersey Mike's Rail Videos I was just thinking exactly the same thing.👍🏻
Yep, I find myself in the same place, I wouldn't want an unshootable safe queen, I want to be able to use everything I own!
Lol $600?
As a non gun owner I’m amazed at the amount of hand fitting, the precision and the time that must have been taken to produce these mechanisms in such large numbers. Truly up to a quality and not down to a price from people proud of their country
As weird as it is, I would kind of like someone to intentionally make a modern c96.
Not sure where the trademar/patent rights lie, but most likely with Rheinmetall, who own Mauser for a while and are still in the business. They even make new civilian M98
@@HappyBeezerStudios patent has definitely run out . The trademark maybe not .
@@nickdavis5420 They should do it then. So people can shoot their C96 without devaluating any old ones.
Imagine a fully tacticool Mauser a century after it's original design.
Thats not weird at all my dude, a modern c96 would be awesome
Just slap some picatinny rails on it ig
Being able to tell the difference between a real and prop Mauser is an important skill. Don't want a real one to accidentally fall into the hands of an actor during an opera or something.
Agent 47 approves this comment 😁
That was really cool, Ian. I would enjoy videos like this for any number of different guns. I enjoy observing the character that develops on any tool, not just guns, when they are actually used.
Love these authentication videos. Would love to see this become a series of sorts.
Fireplace guy strikes again
I love your videos, you do a extremely great job of explaining every part of a firearm. Even for someone who might not know much about guns, you explain everything very well. A++ job
Thanks Ian. I have one and will go through these steps to insure it authenticity.
Thank you! I'm actively looking for one. I was never really concerned with the collectability factor, as long as it's all there and represents what a wartime c96 was, so I'm glad you're video gave me some power for negotiating!
As someone who really wants to pick up one of these someday, I found this very informative. I really hate forgers. It's one thing to clean up a gun and make it look new because it hadn't been taken care of, and it's another to try to fake stuff on it.
Dear Ian. Please do an "In Range" 2 gun with a C96 and a MAS 38 (if you can find one that works). Cheers and thanks.
Ian actually owns a MAS38. I don't know if it's working or not at the moment but I know he owns one.
A german vs french weapon match. MAS 38 & M1935A vs MP38 & C96
Maybe even add some italian MAB 38 and M1923
I have a refinished mutt of a C96, but I got it for a good price and I don’t have to worry about ruining a collectible by shooting it. Also, it needed new springs and a new firing pin, so no guilt on replacing those.
I had a chance at a 'Red 9' being offered at a hole in the wall gun shop. Payday was a few days off, I'd had more bills than expected, the two friends I was with were broke and I can't blame the dude for refusing my last $20 as a deposit for a four day hold. I don't recall what exactly he was asking but it was one hell of a deal. Too good in fact. Later heard he got busted for fraud. If not on the Mauser then another not so antique.
As always great info! Look forward to more like this!
As always Ian, fantastic, instructional, video. Thanks for sharing.
Wow super interesting video. These are pretty much all clues that I would not have known to look for. I'm not much of a collector but every bit of knowledge helps.
Thanks
I spent a deal of time with old Joe Schroeder, a well known Mauser and Bergman collector coauthor of the book System Mauser (of which i have a signed copy of), But when he sold my my first C96 he told me a few tips about how to recognize if it has spent its life with a stock. One of the best ways you can tell that Ian did not point out is, on the right side of the hammer on the mechanism locking block there will be intense polishing, this is from the spring in the stock. I can also tell you that when Rguns imported a lot of C96s many were from Mongolia, Mine was made in 1908 and most came into the country with stocks, however many were heavily rotted and so R-Guns decided to throw them in the trash. Joe was a great guy and I am blessed to have known him. God Rest your Soul Joe.
Newcomer to your channel, Ian. Love it!
Thank you very much! Following your video I examined my C96 guns and found one was reworked, I wish I had received this information before I bought it.
I'm currently rebuilding a rusted-out and pitted shooter, but I still loved all of the nuances of the finer pistols. As you were talking about how it should be polished and the fit, I would look at mine and laugh because all I have it no finish and pits..
This is exactly the video I needed to finish my forgery. Thank you.
My favorite fireplace
It's never on, but always enlightening.
This video raises some questions for me about gun restorations. As a machinist, welder, metal finisher, and general metalworker I have made all sorts of parts to restore mechanical devices. From clocks made in the 1600s to antique cars to even go-karts made in the 1960s. The goal has always been to make the repaired or replaced part indistinguishable from the original. My intent though was never to deceive and I or my customers were almost always honest about the restored portion of a device or vehicle. One example was when I had to learn to make crappy MIG welds on a frame that matched the originals and my customer told the judges that what they thought was a completely original frame and seat support was in fact mostly new. I have made and restored some parts that my customers represented to prospective buyers as completely original and I no longer do work for them. Anyway, recently I have been asked to do some restoration work on a couple old rifles. I have no idea if they are valuable. So if I make or repair parts that look perfect should I mark them somehow so that they can be identified as a replaced or restored part?
Eric
Some more video types like this would be great 👍
Last year I bought a C96 Red 9. I thought it might be worthwhile noting that I contacted Mauser for details about the serial number. One important detail. WWI C96 Red 9s had a 9 inch barrell and a ladder rear sight. The Treaty of Versailles required that Mauser retool these trimming the barrell and replacing the rear sight with a fixed one. The Allied powers apparently had enough respect for this pistol that they wanted to make it less formidable. The Treaty modified pistols are legitimate Red 9s according to Mauser but they don't have the standard wartime configuration. Some 36,000 Red 9s were made during the war. Original configurations are likely trophy guns or weapons carried home by German service personnel.
I love these authentication videos!
Thank you ever so much.
A little less than 20 years ago I was able to find and pick up an 8 number serial, all number matching, MAUSER emblem 9mm "Export" caliber broom handle. Since then, about 7 years ago I purchased at least a dozen rounds of authentic German 9mm cartridges and used those to help me prototype 9mm export cartridges out of cut down 9mm magnum cases. Then I started working on developing reloading recipes and have developed a solid 9mm export cartridge that cycles well for my broom handle. I've run 150+ different development rounds thru it, but I haven't finished my trials yet because of work/family/life and I live almost 5 hours round trip drive to the nearest outdoor range. Now that I've seen this video, I am going to re-open my development for a modern 9mm export round... Thanks!
I can now add this pistol to the list of stuff at a gun show that I can properly assess,
as the seller says it's 100% with a straight face.
Knowledge is power/money.
Great video
These videos really help those of us who do collect authentic guns
Thanks for the video, absolutely great information. Going to buy a Mauser C96 next Wednesday (Ser. No. 136xxx) and found this extremely useful to verify the authenticity of the pistol and matching stock. With the information of this video and the detailed pictures supplied to me so far by the seller, was able to verify important points and will be well prepared for the final inspection before buying it. Definitly something I want to do before parting with $ 3'650.-
Those guns are damn beautiful and I'd love to own one.
It's a shame that it's a pain in the ass to get to own a gun here in Finland, or that's what I've heard at least.
Isn't it ironic that in the 40's Finland would have given their left arm for more guns? When I read about countries in both world wars literally wanting anything that would shoot, as opposed to their stance now that guns are bad, it makes my head hurt.
If you look at a map pre world war two, finland looks like it actually gave it's left hand lol
It's a slight pain in the ass, but totally doable. I'm a Finnish guy in my early 20s and own a bunch of guns, both older and newer stuff. Just go to an SRA-course, join a suitable shooting/reservist club near you and get a gun. If you started the hobby right now, you could be owning ARs with regular magazines in a year and handguns in two years. After you're "in", you can get as many guns as you want. I considered a C96 but bought a Mauser-made Luger instead.
@@kurtbergh Hei! Do you ever see any Finnish contract C96s there? One of my books on the C96 says there were some made in 7.65mm Parabellum for Finland.
@@792x33 late answer but to my understanding there was no real C96 contract to Finland and definitely not in 7.65 para. We got mostly 9x19 C96 pistols from Germany during Finnish Independence War 1918. Number was around 2 000 after the war (and Finnish soldiers took many more home with them so they never made it to army depots). That's why C96 in 7,63 Mauser is much rarer in Finland unlike any other part of the world.
Finland did order Lugers in 7.65 para from Germany during 1920's so author could have been mistaken? Finnish army considered Luger to be most modern and overall best service pistol at the time.
What an amazing piece of engineering!!!
I want one so badly!!!
Back in the 90's, when many many C96s were coming in from China, I had an order of 5 guns come in. Three of them were of the average fair to good condition that Chinese Broomhandles normally were. One was in absolutely awesome shape, matching serial numbers etc.. The fifth gun was a Chinese made counterfeit. While it was well made and perfectly functional, the milling lines were very coarse, and the normally stamped markings were obviously hand engraved. It was a beautiful piece for what it was, and that is how I sold it, as a wonderful forgery.
Yea. Good video. Looking forward to shows starting again. Really want to see some old guns.
This reminds me the mission "Curtains down" in Hitman Blood Money, where one of the options to kill the target is swap the prop C96 for a real C96 with live rounds.
Probably my favorite mission in that game.
Because agent 47 is so ready for anything, that he has live 7.62 mauser ammo in his pocket at all times
@@therideneverends1697 lol
Great video as always, Ian:)-John in Texas
Awesome stuff Ian!
Oh fireplace dude. We will never know who you are, but we love you all the same.
thank you very much Ian for sharing.
Thank you for this. A C96 is on my list to get at some point so this will be very helpful.
It all depends on what you want to do with the gun.
As a piece of WW 1 history, or a reliable shooter to enjoy at the gun range.
Frankly, I would normally want a shooter in solid condition then something to gather dust in a display case.
Was I the only one carefully eyeing his own C96 during this video and feeling relieved every time it turned out my C96 was all real and unrestored?
Always love a stocked Mauser 👌
I suggest also checking the rear sight's number. Got burned on a matching number C96 when buying online. Didn't expect the rear sight to not match.
That is extremely helpful and I'm very grateful for giving us the benefit of your wisdom.
I've wanted one of these for years.
Asking the important questions
Fireplace man: Thank you! And, Thanks Ian!
How to check for authenticity? Send gun to Ian along with a WORKING Chauchat magazine and a small note....wait for the reply.
Very informed review, thank you
More goodness from the from seemingly endless collection of Fireplace guy.
Thank you , Ian .
now the refabricators are gonna take note of this, and be extra persistent in their work.
there is a certan point where effort excedes profit margin
Thank You!!! Really interesting video. Loved the detail.
Only gave 500 for my bolo c96, mismatch and worn but shoots like a charm great shooter grade piece
What?? How did you do that? When did you buy it, must've been years ago?
@@ticket2space 2017, off gunbroker, i was the only bidder
Great video, lots of good advice.
More! Do more of these! Perhaps a collaboration with Bloke on the Range for a "What To Look For" series!
Love the info.
Really interesting and useful information. Thank you.
That bore axis is insanely high.
Han Solo is watching
"Fun" fact: they butchered an actual Red9 to make his prop gun
@@michael3556 And now it's dramatically more valuable and interesting, being Han Solo's gun.
He'd say "Hmm, I think mine has been refinished."
@@michael3556
Butchered?
Btw i don't know if the video is still on youtube but there was a video of someones conversion of a Mauser to Han Solo's gun, looked amazing
@Apsorrus von Lötzing
Your generation? Yours?
Hope to God you don't mean millennials
Nope
The point of my post?, to show someone that thought the gun was butchered that it wasn't, (repurposed, maybe,)
That i need to explain this?
YOUR generation
This trusty axe has served me well for years. Well, till the axehead broke, but I replaced that... then the haft splintered. Replaced that. But I've had this axe for years and never needed a new one.
pretty much
me watching this video knowing I'll never be able to buy even a fake C96: "this knowledge is far more important than anything I learned in high school"
A real easy way of checking authenticity re: anything organic pre-WWII will not have any strontium-90 or cesium-uhh-forget-the-isotope. They're byproducts of the bombs going off (and probably tons of testing residue as well) and permeating throughout the earths environment in the measurable PPM. The furniture on the gun might have been solely replaced, yielding a false positive (if all you're interested in is the metalwork), but it's a common method used in paintings, wine, etc.
So i suppose the radioactive things can't permeate after the gun has been made?
@@thesturm8686 That's actually a real interesting question I didn't consider. I'm not in nuclear physics but I'd *suspect* that most gun furniture has varnish/poly/whatever on it that eliminates the permeabiliy. That's just based on my limited work with wood.
I skimmed around the internets and it seems that they also end up doing a C12-C14 analysis for age, along with Tritium samples.that for full confirmability. (You'd use something like a hypodermic needle to core sample out two depths and compare the decay numbers). I guess if the levels match up between those 4 (probably more, if you're doing an assay, you're probably going all-out) you either have an authentic piece or a fantastic forger (in that case, take my money, brother, you worked hard for it haha)
I'd love to find one complete with stock at sub $1k, , even if it's mismatched or refinished
There are models from China that are just now being imported that can be found for under $400 but they are usually So Worn Out and Abused (To the point of not being safe to shoot) that no one would be even slightly concerned about having some Star Wars fanboy converting it into a Han Solo Blaster.
World Traveler Got a link for them? Because the only ones that got imported that I’m aware of where back in the 80’s before the import ban.
@@worldtraveler930 If you want to make a Star Wars blaster, it's more cost efficient to start with one of the really good Airsoft or BB reproductions you can buy brand new for about $100. I've got the M712 replica in .177 that looks and feels in the hand just like an original (aside from the fact that it's parkerized instead of blued.) It even functions and disassembles pretty much like an original, aside from the fact that it's CO2 powered and shoots BBs. That fact alone makes it so much easier to own than an original Schnellfeuer, and it's a complete giggle to unload a full magazine in full auto. (Caveat: it takes a month of Sundays to load the damn thing.)
But like I said, if you want to pretend to be Han Solo and build yourself a movie replica, there are cheaper ways to go about it without destroying a piece of history.
@@baneofbanes
Just Keep an eye on Gunbroker they pop up every couple of weeks but now most of the Chinese purchased Mauser's that are finding their way back into the States are extremely used and abused as would be expected considering their history.
@@tarmaque
I feel that It's better to have saved a pistol that's So worn out and abused that it has become totally useless and destined to be scrapped by an Oxygen Acetylene Torch.
I love these videos, even if I probably will never touch a real C96 :(
That was helpful. Took out my C96. All matching and original as it looks. Good condition and from 1903 as it looks with some special cherub grips. Bought it for 500€. XD
What a valuable video! As Ian and Othias said in a TFB video, buy the book first.
They are works of art
Hmmm, have values dropped on these? About a decade ago, a kid traded me a nice but standard American import C96 for a dirtbike. That gun fetched $8500 through a broker. I would think that a stocked version would be several times that.
Thank you! Everything matches.
The tips for buying are good to follow for most expensive potential buys on used items. If someone won't let you either test or take apart or jack up/pop the hood, walk away. People will try to pull every dollar out of you while also taking every dollar out of what they're giving, non OEM parts or cheap repairs are bargaining chips and people will try to convince you they've got the best you can get.
Top quality video, Ian, top.
great channel ian
Very interesting, in particular for this piece, but applicable to others. Nice. Thanks.
I really wish someone would make an updated version of these. I'd put the dollars out for something like that.
Good to know information, thanks!!
Thank you Ian! This will help me make much more convincing fakes!
I'm not a Mauser collector. I'm not a gun collector. I don't even own a gun. But I realy like those authentication videos.
This would make an interesting video for old Colt single action revolvers. There has got to be a lot of flim-flammery in that market.
on the subject of filling in the lettering. a crayon will do just fine. did the serial numbers etc. on my USP when I first got it. used a crayon, that was a few years ago and it still looks new, as though it were done at the factory with paint. gotta love free/cheap dress up tricks!
Taking notes from Gunjesus, so I can fake my guns perfectly...
Should've called it "How to make your Broomhandle copy more Convincing"