Well, you asked for it guys!

Here's a pic of my Mauser C-96 pistol. Its a 'bolo' version, made in 1927, chambered for the 7.63 Mauser cartridge. The exterior is a little scruffy, but thankfully it is near-mint inside, and the bore is in very good shape. It is a good shooter, not bad for the 500 bucks I swapped it for, several years ago. It came with a repro wooden shoulder-stock holster which had to be modified slightly to fit the slot in the grip, and I have since added the leather harness complete with cleaning-tool and spare magazine-spring in a pouch, from Simon Lawrence.

I was always intrigued by Bell's stories of using his "bom-bom" to intimidate hostile African tribes, and had to have one. Its a hoot to shoot!

Regarding ammo, there is only a thou or so difference between the 7.63 Luger, Mauser, and Tokarev cartridges, many broomhandles or bolos will chamber all three, but the Chinese toss too much powder in their Tokarev loads in my experience. I started out shooting Norinco Tokarev ammo in this gun, but recoil was a bit severe and I didn't want to risk peening-back the bolt-stop, so I now pull them down and reduce the powder-charge. I recently acquired a hundred brass cases and a set of dies, so if I can locate the right projectiles I will start reloading. Any suggestions?