
It’s not every day that one stumbles upon a gem in the expansive terrain of military firearms, particularly those that have, over time, been overshadowed by more prominent successors. For the aficionado who finds solace in the heft of a revolver and the echo of historical significance, the Mauser C78 revolver stands as a testament to ingenuity and craftsmanship in the face of changing military needs.

“The military handguns adopted by the Berlin government in the 1870s are distinguished by their unimportance,” once opined Dr. Edward C. Ezell, a former curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

His perspective casts a long shadow on the designs that emerged after the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, including the C78 and its counterparts, which often find themselves skipped in favor of more modern marvels like the C96 semi-automatic pistol, affectionately known as the “broomhandle.”

The Mauser brothers from Oberndorf, Wurttemberg, Germany, gained renown primarily for their Gewehr 98 bolt-action, magazine-fed rifle and its subsequent iterations, which have seen production in the tens of millions over the years.

Their involvement with this endeavor commenced in 1866, with Paul Mauser shifting focus to crafting a revolver for the German military eleven years later. The outcome was a distinctive single-action, six-shot revolver, unlike any other firearm of its time.

Traditionally, revolver cylinders, since Samuel Colt’s innovation in 1836, rotated through the engagement of a hand or pawl with notches cut into the cylinder, until a cylinder stop locked it in the firing position.

Mauser’s innovative “zig-zag” mechanism introduced an upright stud atop the trigger assembly. When cocked, this stud traversed forward along a track in the frame, rotating the cylinder by one-sixth of a turn.

This ingenious design addressed a prevalent issue in many American-made revolvers—namely, the frequent breakage of the handspring, leading to cylinder rotation failures. Colt’s handspring, being the weakest and most delicate component in their revolvers, often fractured, necessitating immediate replacement or, as a makeshift solution, tilting the revolver downwards to engage the pawl through gravity.

Mauser’s grooved cylinder and track arrangement effectively resolved this issue, operating smoothly and reliably. The Mauser revolver features a distinct ring-shaped lever positioned at the front of its frame, a design element later echoed in the C96 broomhandle model.

In its lowest safety notch, pulling the ring lever causes the barrel and cylinder to tilt upward, facilitating rapid unloading as new cartridges can be swiftly inserted. Moving the safety lever up one notch secures the firearm, preventing the hammer from cocking or the cylinder from rotating.

When in the highest position, the gun is primed for cocking and firing. Despite its innovative features, Mauser faced disappointment when the Spandau Commission rejected their initial revolver design, opting instead for the C79 Commission revolver. Mauser’s C78 model, available in three calibers, found a market among civilians but ceased production in 1884.

The revolver’s zig-zag cylinder cut, while innovative, was prone to clogging with dirt and debris, potentially leading to stoppages, a critical drawback especially in demanding battlefield conditions given the firearm’s tight tolerances.

Mauser secured a contract to produce approximately 8,000 Commission Reichsrevolvers, but truly made waves with the introduction of the C96 broomhandle semi-automatic pistol, of which over a million were manufactured. This success was followed by the Mauser 1910/1914/1934 pistols, totaling 500,000 units, and the revered HSc.

Additionally, the company stepped in to fill production demands for the P-08 and P-38, crafting a million Lugers and 340,000 P-38s. Despite a tentative start in the handgun arena, Mauser rebounded spectacularly, earning a stellar reputation. For collectors aiming to acquire even just one, or perhaps one of each of the three frame sizes, the task proves formidable.

While the exact production figure of C78s remains elusive, examples within the 3,000 serial-number range are exceedingly rare, commanding significant prices at auctions and private sales, a testament to their scarcity and collectibility.
Relevant articles:
– The Classics: Mauser C78 Revolver, Shooting Illustrated
– An Official Journal Of The NRA, American Rifleman