The IMI Desert Eagle is a semiautomatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the United States. It is mainly manufactured by Israel Military Industries (IMI). The Desert Eagle was initially intended as a revolver. However subsequently, it was reshaped into a pistol. Two versions of the IMI Desert Eagle were designed: one chambered for the .357 and the other for .44 Magnum. Subsequently, a .50 version was also designed. Because of the powerful chambering, the Desert Eagle is very powerful and offers massive stopping power.

The Desert Eagle is fed by a 9-round magazine and is capable of sustained fire. However, it becomes difficult to control when continuously fired because of its high recoil. Desert Eagle pistols are available in two barrel lengths: 6 in and 10 in. In the future, handguns similar to the Desert Eagle are unlikely to be designed. In fact, the .50 version of the Desert Eagle is the peak point in the development of large-sized handguns.

Several variants of the Desert Eagle have been manufactured. These are:>> Mark I/VII: The Mark I was the initial model. Mark VII features an adjustable trigger. Both of these versions are available in steel, stainless steel and aluminium alloy versions and cambered for the .357 and .44 Magnum rounds.>> Mark XIX: This is latest model of the Desert Eagle. It is capable of firing .357 and .44 Magnum rounds and also .50 Action Express rounds. It comes in two barrel lengths: 6 and 10 in.>> Jericho / Baby Eagle: This is not exactly a variant of the Desert Eagle. It resembles the Desert Eagle only externally. However, it uses IMI cartridges. >> Micro Desert Eagle: This is also not a true variant. Though shares a common blowback system, it bears no other design characteristics of the Desert Eagle. It is named so to capitalize on the name of the Desert Eagle.

The Smith & Wesson Model 4506 is a semiautomatic pistol chambered for the powerful .45 ACP round. It is a third-generation pistol belonging to Smith & Wesson’s 4500 series and was produced from 1988 to 1999. The Model 4506 can also be used to fire the .45 Super rounds by using special springs.

The Model 4506 is very popular with law enforcement agencies because of its tremendous stopping power. The body of the pistol is constructed from stainless steel and is highly resistant to corrosion.A variant of the Model 4506 called “Model 4506-1” is also available. This version features a round trigger guard unlike the 4506 where it is square shaped. It also features laser etching instead of S & W roll marks. Other than these minor changes, the Model 4506-1 is almost identical to the Model 4506.

The Smith & Wesson 1006 is a powerful semiautomatic handgun chambered for the 10 mm auto cartridge. It is recoil-operated and uses double-action mechanism. It is made from stainless steel and comes with a 5 in barrel. It is fed using a 9-round single column magazine.The Smith & Wesson 1006 is the first in the series of third generation semi-automatic handguns launched by Smith & Wesson. It is very robust and powerful in terms of stopping power. At the same time, it is also quite reliable and accurate.The 1006 was adopted by the FBI as it provided sufficient stopping power to provide protection to the agent. However, the 1006 was not so popular with law enforcement agencies. Instead, the S & W 4026 was way better suited for law enforcement.Several variants of the 1006 have been designed. These include 1026, 1046, 1066, 1076 and 1086. Other 3rd generation models similar to the 1006 include 5906, 4006, 4506.

The Beretta 93R is a machine pistol designed by the Italian company Beretta. The design of the 93R is based on the earlier Beretta 92. The 93R was designed in the 1970s and was intended for use by police and military personnel.

The Beretta 93R offers extra firepower and is highly concealable. The gun can fire three-round bursts with each pull of the trigger. The designers of the pistol deliberately restricted the rate of fire to three-rounds as it becomes more difficult to control the weapon at continuous firing. The 93R is designed to fire the 9x19mm Parabellum round and is capable of firing 1100 rounds per minute at 3 round bursts. It is fed using a 20 round box magazine.

The 93 has been discontinued and is no longer being produced by Beretta.

The SIG P-220 is a Swiss semiautomatic pistol designed and manufactured by Swiss Arms AG (earlier known as SIG Arms AG). It is also manufactured in Germany by J.P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH.

The P-220 was designed as a replacement got the earlier World War II era SIG P-210. The design the P-220 was a joint effort by SIG and J.P Sauer und Sohn GmbH and thus the subsequent pistols are called SIG-Sauer pistols. The P-220 was adopted by the Swiss Armed Forces in 1975 under the designation P75. Subsequently, Japan and Denmark also acquired and adopted the P-220.

Several variants of the P-220 are available. These include:>> P-220 Rail: This version is same as the P-200 except for a Picatinny rail on the dust cover. >> P-220 Carry: The P-220 Carry features a shorter barrel but has a full-sized body frame.>> P-220 Compact: As the name suggests, the P-220 Compact is a compact version of the P-220. It has a shortened slide and a much smaller body frame.

>> P-220 Combat: These versions come with night sights and a Picatinny rail. These are chambered for the .45 ACP instead of the standard 9 mm Parabellum. >> P-220 ST: The P-220 is made of stainless steel instead of lighter metal alloy. Much heavier than the P-220, it has lower recoil. >> P-225/P6: The P-225 is a compact variant of the P220. It is mainly used by the Swiss Police and also by Swedish law enforcement agencies.>> P-245: The P-245 is chambered for the .45 ACP round and is mainly intended for the US market. The P-245’s magazine has a capacity of 6 rounds. The pistol has been discontinued and replaced with the P-220 Carry and the P-220 Compact.

The Beretta 92 is a semiautomatic pistol manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The pistol was designed in the year 1972 and continues to be manufactured till date. It was designed by Carlo Beretta, Vittorio Valle and Giuseppe Mazzetti.The design of the Beretta 92 is based on earlier designs such as the M1922 and M1951. In incorporates various features from these models such as the open slide mechanism, the locking block barrel and the grip design.

The Beretta 92 is a conventional design. However, it is a fine weapon with its high versatility and reliability. The pistol can be fired both in double-action mode and also by manually cocking it. The pistol is chambered for the 9mm Parabellum round and the magazine is capable of holding 15 rounds.A version of the Beretta 92 was adopted by the United States Military after extensive field testing. The pistol is designated as the 92SB and was later replaced by another variant called the 92F.

Despite the Beretta’s reliability, some problems were encountered during the initial years of its introduction. The 92’s slide was prone to cracking and in some extreme cases, would come loose and fly off into the firer’s face. However, in the later versions these problems were fully rectified. Subsequently, the US Military replaced the 92 with other handgun models.

The Beretta 92 is often employed by law enforcement agencies. Many private gun owners also prefer to use it. A variant called the 93R has also been introduced. This pistol is capable of firing three-round bursts and has been used in limited numbers by the Italian law enforcement agencies. However, it has not achieved widespread popularity and use continues to be on a limited scale.

The Glock 17 is a semiautomatic pistol designed and manufactured by Glock GmbH of Austria. The pistol was designed in the year 1980 and continues to be employed in service till date by many countries.The Glock 17 was designed in response to the Austrian Military’s requirement for a new pistol to replace the older Walther P38. It was officially adopted by the Austrian military and police forces in 1982 under the designation P80 i.e. “Pistole 80”. Subsequently, several other countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden also purchased the Glock 17 for their armed forces.

Several modifications and versions of the Glock 17 have been manufactured. Variants of the gun are chambered for various calibres and also have different dimensions. Ever since the gun was introduced, more than 2.5 million units have been sold to more than 100 different countries. The Glock 17 is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round. It feeds from a double-column 17 or 19-round magazine. The body frame, magazine body and other parts of the pistol are fabricated using a high-strength known as “Polymer 2”. The body of the gun is highly resistant to corrosion and is also very strong because it is made to under a proprietary nitriding process known as “Tenifer”.

Several variants of the Glock 17 have been designed. These include: >> Glock 17C: The 17C was introduced in 1996. This variant has clots in the barrel and slide to control the recoil.>> Glock 17L: This variant was introduced in 1988 and features an extended barrel. This version has been discontinued.>> Glock 17A: Version designed for the Australian market.

>> Glock 17S: This version has external manual safety. This version was manufactured for use by Israeli, Pakistan and the Tasmanian security forces.>> Glock 17T: Training version of the Glock 17, designed to fire rubber or paint balls.>> Glock 17P: Training version without the chamber and firing pin. This was a dummy pistol designed to demonstrate loading and unloading the Glock 17.>> Glock 17Pro: Variant of the Glock 17 designed for the Finnish market. The Glock 17Pro features a few design alterations.>> Glock 17DK: The 17DK was designed to conform to handgun regulations in Denmark.

The Ruger MK II is a semiautomatic pistol designed and manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Company. The pistol was very popular and more than 3 millions units have been manufactured and sold till date.The MK II was manufactured from 1982 to 2005. In 2005, the MK II was discontinued and replaced with the improved MK III. The Ruger MK II is chambered to use the .22 Long Rifle cartridge and is fairly accurate up to a distance of 70 meters.

The MK II has some design characteristics similar to the Japanese Nambu pistol. Bill Ruger before partnering with Sturm duplicated the Nambu pistol captured during the Second World War. However, he decided against marketing copies of the pistol and went ahead to design a new pistol that integrated some of features of the Japanese pistol.The MK II was available in several barrel lengths: 4, 5.5, 6.875 and 10 inches. A model called the “Government Model” was used by the US to train its solders and thus is more sought-after by gun collectors and enthusiasts. There is also another version called the “Red Eagle”. This was the version that was manufactured from 1949 to 1952.The Ruger MK II is used by Navy SEALs and pest control officers. The Israeli Mossad uses a suppressed version of the MK II.

The Heckler & Koch P7 is a semiautomatic pistol designed in West Germany by Helmut Weldle. It was designed in 1977 and production began from 1979 and continued till 2007. The need for a better weapon arose after the 1972 Summer Olympics incident. Subsequently, three different pistols were considered: The SIG-Sauer P225, the P7 and the Walther P5. However, the P7 was ultimately selected and production was started in the year 1979. It was adopted by the German Army’s Special Forces and by the GCG 9 (Federal Police’s counter terrorism unit).

Initially, the P7 was manufactured only by Heckler & Koch. However, subsequently in was also license manufactured in Greece by the Hellenic Arms Industry and in Mexico by DIM. The P7 was also exported to several other countries.Several variants of the P7 have been designed. These include:>> P7PT8: This version was designed primarily as a training pistol and used the 9x19mm PT training round with plastic bullets. About 200 numbers of this variant were manufactured and used mainly to simulate firing in enclosed spaces.

>> P7M13: The P7M13 is P7 variant with a double-column 13-round magazine. This version was offered the US Army, but was not adopted. A variant of the P7M13 was also designed and produced in limited numbers for use by German Special Forces.>> P7K3: The P7L3 is a shortened version of the P7 and has a removable barrel. It is modular in design and by swapping the barrel and magazine it can be used to fire a number of different cartridges such as .380 ACP, .32 ACP and .22 LR.>> P7M10: This version was launched in the American market in 1991. However, limited numbers were manufactured because of high costs and complexity of manufacturing.

The PSM is a semiautomatic pistol that was designed in the Soviet Union by the Tula Design Bureau and manufactured at the Izhevsk Mechanical Works factory. It was designed to be used by the law enforcement and military agencies as a self-defence weapon. It has been in active service since 1973.The PSM is made of steel and uses a blowback mechanism. It has a double-action trigger and a slide mounted manual safety. In the older versions, the grip panels were made of aluminum. However, in the newer versions, the grips are made from hardened plastic.

The PSM pistol is designed to fire the 5.15x18 mm cartridge. The cartridge was designed by Precision Mechanical Engineering Central Research Institute and is fairly effective in terms of stopping power. Its firepower is comparable to other rounds such as the .22 LR and .25 ACP.The PSM pistol was initially designed for members of the army high command. However, it became popular with the KGB and law enforcement personnel of the Soviet Union. It was also popular with members of the Communist Party.

The Walther PPK is a blowback-operated semiautomatic pistol designed by Carl Walther Waffenfabrik in 1929. During its production history, it was manufactured by various companies such as Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen, Manurhin, Interarms and Smith & Wesson under licence from Walther.The Walther PPK is designed for use by police and law enforcement agencies as a concealed weapon. During the Second World War, PPKs were issued in Germany to various military units and also to Nazi Party Officials. In fact, Adolf Hitler used a PPK to commit suicide during the final stages of the Second World War.

Several other pistols have been influenced by the design of the Walther PPK. Most notable of these include the Soviet Makarov and the Czech CZ50. The PPK also had several competitors, most notable of which include the Mauser HSC and Sauer Model H.After the defeat of Germany during the Second World War, the occupying allied forces banned the manufacture of guns in Germany. During this period, Walther contracted the manufacture of the PPK to Manurhin in France. Manurhin continued production of the PPK until 1986.

Additionally, the PPK was also license manufactured in the United States by Interarms and Smith & Wesson. In fact, today the PPK is manufactured only in the United States.The PPK was the basis of a few variants. These include the PPK/S and the PPK/E. PPK/S was designed to make the compliant with the Gun Control Act of 1968. The PPK/E was announced in the year 2000. It is license manufactured by FEG in Hungary and is much cheaper when compared to the PPK and PPK/S.

The FP-45 Liberator was single-shot pistol that was mass-manufactured by the United States to be dropped into occupied territories. The purpose of the gun was to arm resistance forces on a large scale to deter and lower the morale of armies of the axis powers. The FP-45 was designed in 1942 and was manufactured by General Motors Corporation. While the gun was being manufactured, it was designated as “Flare Projector Caliber .45” to disguise it. More than one million units of the FP-45 were manufactured within a 6-month time period.

Design wise, the FP-45 was very crude and simple. It was designed for mass-production without any emphasis on accuracy. There were only 23 stamped steel parts and this made manufacturing very cheap. The FP-45 was designed to fire the .45 ACP round. Its barrel was unrifled and thus its range was limited to only 25 feet. At higher ranges, it was not accurate. The FP-45 was shipped in a box with 10 rounds. The box also contained a wooden dowel pin to remove spent cartridges. The box also contained a comic book manual with instructions on loading and firing the gun. The gun was intended primarily as an insurgency weapon. The resistance soldier was to use this gun to incapacitate the enemy and snatch his weapon.

Despite the initial intentions, the FP-45 was never mass dropped over Europe. Only a handful of these were dropped to the Chinese and resistance fighters in Philippines. The FP-45 was never issued to the regular military forces. During the Vietnam War, the concept was revived and a similar gun called the “Deer Gun” was designed and mass dropped in Vietnam. Today, the FP-45 liberator is a sought-after collector’s gun. A Liberator gun in good condition with the box and documentation can fetch as much as $4500.

The Makarov PM was a semiautomatic pistol that was designed in the Soviet Union by Nikolay Makarov. It was the standard service pistol of the Soviet Military forces from 1951 to 1991. During the years of service, it saw action in a number of conflicts most notably the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the Vietnam War.

The Makarov PM was designed to replace the earlier Tokarev TT-33 pistol. Nikolay Makarov—the designer of the PM—chose to create a new cartridge instead of using an existing cartridge. The new cartridge i.e. the 9x18mm Makarov was very powerful and thus became the Soviet alternative to 9 m Parabellum round.The PM was chosen because of its simplicity, accuracy and ease of manufacture. It has few moving parts which makes its manufacturing and maintenance easy. The PM also has decent stopping power because of the 9 mm round it uses. Even today, the PM is preferred by many as a concealed weapon.

On the minus side, the Makarov PM has an awkward shape. However, the reliability and effectiveness of this weapon are don’t hampered by it in anyway and thus is not really a minus point.During the Cold War, the PM was manufactured in several Soviet bloc countries. It was commonly manufactured in China, East Germany and Bulgaria. Redesigned versions continue to be manufactured till date.

The Stechkin APS is a machine pistol designed in the Soviet Union in 1948. It was designed by Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin and manufactured between 1951 and 1975 at the Tula Arsenal. The Stechkin APS is chambered for the 9 mm Makarov round and comes with a wooden stock.Initially, the Stechkin APS was designed to use the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge. However, it was later redesigned to se the 9x18mm Makarov round. The Stechkin APS was adopted along with the Makarov pistol in 1951 to replace the earlier Tokarev TT-33.

The Stechkin APS looks very much similar to the Makarov PM. However, they differ in many aspects. For instance, the APS is capable of automatic fire whereas the Makarov PM is not. When fired in automatic mode, the APS should be fitted with the wooden stock or it becomes difficult to control it. The stock also doubles up as a carry case for the pistol similar to the Mauser C96.The Stechkin APS was used as a sidearm mainly by artillery and tank crews. However, the pistol was rather heavy and thus was slowly phased out of active service. Eventually, the pistol was replaced by the AKS-74U compact rifle. The Stechkin made a comeback in the 1970s during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Several Russian law enforcement agencies such as OMON and SOBR continue to use the APS. Several variants of the Stechkin APS are also in common use. For example: the 9 mm OTS-33 Pernach.

The Walther P38 is a semi-automatic pistol designed in Nazi Germany at the beginning of the Second World War. It was designed to replace the Luger P08 which was proving too costly to manufacture. The pistol was designed by Walther and later manufactured by other companies such as Mauser Werke and Spreewerke.

The design of the P38 was completed in 1938 and the German Army accepted it the same year and scheduled field tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the weapon. However, production of the prototypes didn’t commence until 1939. Production for the army began in mid-1940 after a few glitches found during the tests were rectified. Initially, it was produced only by Walther. However in the later years, Mauser and Spreewerke also manufactured the pistol.

More than 1.2 million P38s were manufactured by Germany during the war years. After the war, France also manufactured many more copied using captured parts at the Mauser factory. Production of the pistol continued until 1990s under the name Pistole 1. This pistol was employed mainly by Police and Armed forces of West Germany.The P38 used a double-action trigger and was the first locked-breech pistol to do so. The initial design of the pistol had a hidden hammer. However, the German Army requested an external hammer and so it had to be redesigned. The initial model also has a walnut grip which was later replaced by bakelite.

The P38 was used to design several variants in the years following the Second World War. The P1 variant was designed in 1957 and remained in service with the Police forces and Army of West Germany until 1990. The P1 was made using an Aluminium alloy instead of steel and also had minor changes. In the 1970s, another variant was designed. Designated as “P5”, this pistol was designed for use by the Police forces.

The Tokarev TT30 is a semiautomatic pistol of Soviet design. It was designed by Fedor Tokarev and was used to replace the earlier Nagant M1895 revolvers. The TT30 was very robust and reliable and thus large numbers of the pistol were manufactured during the Second World War and in the subsequent years.

In 1930, the Red Army felt the need for a new pistol to replace the aging M1895 revolver. Subsequently, Fedor Tokarev’s TT30 model was considered and was adopted for service. After the pistol was adopted, a few changes were made to the design of the weapon to simplify the manufacturing process. These changes included modifications to the barrel, trigger and the frame. The new variant was designated TT33 and was used widely during the Second World War. However, the earlier Nagant revolvers also continued to be used and it was not until the war that they were completely phased out.

The Tokarev TT33 looks very much similar to the FN 1903 automatic pistol and the M1911. However, it is not a clone of either of these and uses a much simpler hammer design. The pistol also has several other features such as locking lugs around the barrel and other design factors that make the manufacturing process simpler.The Tokarev TT30 is designed to use the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge. This cartridge is very similar to the German 7.63x25mm Mauser cartridge and for this reason when the Germans captured a large number of TT-33s, they reissued them to their units using their own ammunition.

In the USSR, production of the TT-33 was stopped in the year 1954. However, many other countries such as China, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania kept manufacturing copies and variants of the pistol. Today, the TT pistol is still being used by Police forces in Pakistan. Norinco, a Chinese firearms manufacturer still manufactures a variant of the TT-33 and 7.22x25mm ammunition for it. Today, the TT-33 is still in service in China and North Korea. Manu gun enthusiasts and collectors also use the Tokarev because of its reliability and durability. Versions chambered for 9 mm ammunition are also popular.

The Browning Hi-Power is a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol that was designed by John Browning and Dieudonne Saive. The pistol is named “Hi-Power” for its 13-round magazine. The Browning Hi-Power is the first pistol to have a double-column magazine.

The Browning Hi-Power was developed in response to the French Military’s requirement for a weapon with extreme versatility, high magazine capacity, ease of cleaning and maintenance and high stopping power. Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium contracted John Browning to design the weapon and two prototypes were designed—one with a simple blowback design and the other using a locked-breech recoil mechanism. The prototype with locked-breech was finally chosen and many modifications were made to it. Production began in yea 1935 and so the model was designated P-35. However, the French Military didn’t adopt the pistol and instead opted for the similar Modele 1935 Pistol.The Hi-Power has two disadvantages. First, its trigger is very heavy to pull. This is because of the magazine’s safety design. It can be overcome by completely removing the magazine safety mechanism completely or by polishing the surfaces of the safety plunger and the magazine. Secondly, the Hi-Power causes injury to the shooters hands if not handled properly. This is overcome by replacing the hammer or by learning to hold the pistol properly while firing.

Despite these disadvantages, the Hi-Power’s thirteen round magazine capacity makes it a preferred weapon by many countries. During the Second World War, it was used widely by both the Axis and Allied militaries. In the recent years, many armies and police departments have adopted the Browning Hi-Power pistol. As of today, more than 50 countries such as Belgium, Britain, India, Australia, Argentina and Israel use it in active service.

The Colt M1911 is a semiautomatic pistol that was designed by John Browning in 1911. It was the standard sidearm of the United States Army from 1911 to 1985 and was used in numerous conflicts of World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. Even today, some U.S. forces use the Colt M1911. More than 2 million M1911s and its variants have been manufactured over the years.

The Colt M1911’s design has its origins in the late 1890s. However, it was adopted in the year 1911 and thus its designation. It was initially manufactured only by Colt’s Manufacturing Company. However, when the First World War broke out, the government-owned Springfield Armoury also started manufacturing it to meet the increased demand for weapons.During the First World War, certain changes were made to the original design. The new design was designated was M1911A1 and was very similar to the original except for a smaller trigger, a longer grip safety spur and simpler grip checkering. The M1911A1 has no internal modifications and parts are interchangeable with the earlier M1911.

The Second World War saw even more demand for weapons and more than 1.9 million units were manufactured during the war years by several companies such as Remington Rand, Rock Island Arsenal and others. The pistol was very popular among soldiers because of its reliability and effectiveness. After the Second World War, the M1911 saw action in the Korean War and in Vietnam. In recent years, it saw action during both the First and Second Gulf Wars. However in the recent years, its use has been limited and better models such as the Beretta 92F and M9 pistol are been used to replace the M1911.

Currently, the M1911A1 is preferred by various SWAT personnel in the USA. Other police departments in various countries also prefer it for its high stopping power. The M1911A1 is also popular among the general public. It is often used as a concealed weapon for personal defence and for target practice. The demand for the weapon is increasing in the recent years with its reliability and simplicity being the main reason for its popularity.

The Luger P08 is a German semiautomatic pistol that was designed by Georg J. Luger and manufactured by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM). The pistol was widely use by Germany during the First and Second World Wars. The initial versions of the Luger P08 were chambered for 7.65x22mm Parabellum. However, variants of the pistol were also designed to use the larger 9x19mm Parabellum round.

The design of the Luger P08 is based on the earlier Borchardt C-93. The C-93 was the first semiautomatic pistol to be ever manufactured in large numbers. The P08, however, features several modifications and enhancements that its predecessor.During the First World War, submachine guns came into widespread use and proved to be very effective in trench warfare. The German Army began to conduct experiments to create machine pistols that were capable of firing bullets continuously similar to submachine guns. The Luger P08 and the Mauser C96 were converted into machine pistols. However unlike the C96, the P08 had excessive rates of fire and so only a small number were converted to machine pistols.

The Mauser P08 was the standard sidearm of the German Army during both the World Wars. The Swiss Army also adopted the pistol in 1900. The United States also considered using the P08 and conducted military trials in limited numbers. However, DWM withdrew supply after sometime for unknown reasons and thus the trials had to be stopped.Today, the Luger P08 is a sought-after collector’s gun because of its design and association with Imperial Germany and the Nazis. During the First and Second World Wars, it was highly prized by the Allies. Thousands of these pistols were captured and taken home. Many of these are still in circulation today and many are available as collector’s items.

The Mauser C96, commonly known as the “Mauser Broomhandle”, is a semi-automatic pistol of German design. It was designed by Mauser in 1895 and manufactured from 1896 to 1937. Copies of the Mauser C96 were also manufactured in Spain and China without license.The Mauser C96 has a distinctive appearance with a long barrel, the integral box magazine, a broom-handle shaped grip and the wooden stock. The stock also serves as a holster or carrying box. In the English speaking world, the C96 was commonly known as “Broomhandle” because of the shape of its grip. In Chinese copy of the C96 were known as the “box cannon”.

During the years of manufacture, approximately 1 million Mauser C96 pistols were manufactured in Germany. The number of copies manufactured in Spain and China is unknown because of lack of proper production records.When compared to many other pistols of that era, the Mauser C96 had superior range and high penetration power. This was because of its long barrel and the powerful 7.63x25mm round it used. Within a year of its design, the Mauser C96 saw service in many countries such as the Ottoman Turkish government and Italy. The gun was also popularly used by British Army officers. However, interest in the weapon quickly weaned at the beginning of the First World War.

The C96 saw service in many wars: various colonial conflicts, World War I, Spanish Civil War, the Chinese Civil War and World War II. It was widely employed by the Chinese during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. The original model of the C96 was chambered for the 7.63x25mm round. However other versions chambered for 9mm Parabellum and 9mm Mauser Export were also manufactured. The Chinese versions of the C96 were designed for the .45ACP round. Though the C96 was well known and widely used in many countries, only China used it as a primary military pistol.

In popular culture, it is commonly depicted as an exotic weapon and is easily recognizable because of its distinct shape. A modified and “sci-fi” variant of the C96 can also be seen in the Star Wars Series. The Mauser C96 is also a highly sought-after collector’s item.