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Mauser Broomhandle Stock Leather Harness Original?


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Looking for some expert eyes to determine if this leather harness is original:

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/796959515

 

It looks too good or new looking (stamped number) to be original, but I'm not an expert.

 

Any other comments about it appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Robert

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On GB under the heading of “Broomhandle” there is a nice vintage M96 leather stock holder that you can inspect and compare.

 

I looked and saw these:

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/790749529

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/793530175

 

I think I like the shoulder hanging leather harness, assuming that's correct for my gun (manufactured between 1915 to 1921 as I recall from looking up the SN).

 

Robert

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Both guns in both those auctions have been refinished, both harness' are repros, and only the mauser banner stock in the ......175 auction is legit. The other stock is a repro as well. Older nicer one though. All of it is priced as the real deal unfortunately.

 

 

Added some pics of two holster rigs- original

and one repro and one original stock. HTH

20190120_1625371.jpg

20190120_1626061.jpg

20190120_1627231.jpg

Edited by johnsonlmg41
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Robert, 1917 leather, no I don't believe it. While the leather has a large grain making it appear old, the stitching looks fairly new, the leather would of had a much finer grain to it and you would see much darker patina and a smooth polished look showing wear. This appears to be some kind of reproduction. But hey, for the price, (if it stays there) it would be ok to use in my opinion. The photos are really not that great either. I defer to other opinions.

 

MH

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Robert, 1917 leather, no I don't believe it. While the leather has a large grain making it appear old, the stitching looks fairly new, the leather would of had a much finer grain to it and you would see much darker patina and a smooth polished look showing wear. This appears to be some kind of reproduction. But hey, for the price, (if it stays there) it would be ok to use in my opinion. The photos are really not that great either. I defer to other opinions.

 

MH

 

Those were my impressions too, but a nice reproduction at a reasonable price would be OK. My bid is well below what it will probably sell for, I'm guessing.

 

But if it was original, I'd stay in the bidding.

 

Thanks,

 

Robert

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I went a little higher, but my conclusion was it was a fake after studying the ones above that were real. I hope I was right because if it was real it was a steal, and I wasn't the successful bidder.

Just so folks are aware harnesses started getting knocked off in the 1970s so some are a good 50 years old today

Only way to even hope to tell the slightest difference might be is the stitching but even that isn't sure fire 100%

 

I suppose one could test for the tanning processes involved too

 

anyways any harness that's in pretty decent shape has a 50% chance of being an older knock off

most originals either have repairs or tears

very few survived the last century or more unscathed.

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Leather harness is original, the stock is hard to tell but I'm thinking of a later time period than the teens. By the way, I'm interested in finding a stock for a Schnellfeuer 712, a repro would be OK. I found a maker overseas who wants the world for a repro, not going to pay that much. If anyone knows of anything available please let me know.

 

MH

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Leather harness is original, the stock is hard to tell but I'm thinking of a later time period than the teens. By the way, I'm interested in finding a stock for a Schnellfeuer 712, a repro would be OK. I found a maker overseas who wants the world for a repro, not going to pay that much. If anyone knows of anything available please let me know.

 

MH

 

Yes it's a bit too blonde for the early issue

at the very least the holster stock and harness are badly mismatched.

 

Something for guys to remember is the Mauser manufactured stocks were cut from a Northern European Walnut with tends to be quite a bit darker than French or Southern Euro wood.

The old school repros were all French or Southern Walnut, rather blonde like this one

The Chinese stocks are almost all very light colored wood once you get under the stain. Real light in weight as well contrasted to real Euro Walnut

 

This should NOT be taken as a hard and fast rule though

The very early stocks, pre 1900 were often rather blondish.

Knew one old C96 collector many years ago who claimed the Walnut used was "French", or rather sourced from Western Germania so well basically French Walnut

 

Over the years I have heard so many opinions

really the only way to resolve it would be by DNA testing to identify exact origin

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

How about this one, real or fake?:

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/808235834

 

This one looks good to me if it's not a fake (given the asking price). I like the style harness (although I don't see where the strap it goes through the metal loop toward the stock end where the wooden flap is that opens up to put the gun inside it--is that just not visible in the pictures?).

 

Robert

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  • 9 months later...

Not meaning to hijack this thread but there seems to be a lot of C96 expertise here. I've decided I want one. I'm looking for a shooter grade "Red 9" but I really don't know what to look for in terms of features, conditions etc. I don't need or want a safe queen but I don't want to end up with a piece of Scheisse. Can anyone point me at some good reference material or even web sites?

Edited by StrangeRanger
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somehow i learned that one way the feds can tell if a stock is original, pre 1945 is any tree cut before 1945 w0nt have a radioactive isotope in the wood. any wood from a tree growing after 1945 will have picked upa radioactive isotope from atomic blast test of that era, just sayn

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