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Mauser HSc   by hi joiney

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Mauser HSc

Type

Semi-automatic pistol

Place of origin

 Nazi Germany

Service history

In service

19401945

Used by

Germany

Wars

World War II

Production history

Designer

Alex Seidel

Designed

193536

Manufacturer

Mauser

Produced

19401977

Number built

Over 334,000

Variants

HSc Super

Specifications

Weight

700 g (24.7 oz) unloaded

Length

152 mm (6 in)

Barrel length

86 mm (3.4 in)

Cartridge

.32 ACP (7.65x17mm Browning SR)

.380 ACP (9x17mm Short)

Action

Blowback

Feed system

8-round box magazine (.32 ACP)

7-round magazine (.380 ACP)

Sights

Fixed iron sights

The Mauser HSc is a 7.65mm pistol made in Nazi Germany from 1940 until the end of World War II. The designation HSc stood for Hahn Selbstspanner ("self-cocking hammer") Pistole, third and final design "C". Production was continued in 194546 during the French occupation and, later, from 1968 to 1977 by Mauser. It features a semi-exposed hammer, double-action trigger, single-column magazine, and a spring surrounding the barrel.

It competed with the contemporary German Walther PPK and PP and Sauer 38H for police and military use. The Mauser HSc was originally intended as a commercial pistol, but was procured initially by the Navy (Kriegsmarine) soon followed by the Army (Heer) and police. HSc pistols used by the Luftwaffe or Waffen-SS were procured from Army and police stocks.

The full serial number of each pistol is located on the front of the grip frame, just above the magazine. The last three digits of that serial number are located on the bottom of the barrel's chamber (stamped) and the flat panel of the slide just under the muzzle (electropenciled).

Production began in late 1940 at serial number 700,000, as an extension of the serial number range of the Mauser Model 1934 pistol, a much more difficult pistol to manufacture. The early pistols have well-made wooden grips, and are highly polished and richly blued. The first 1350 pistols were made for the commercial market and, because of the low positioning of the grip screws, have become known as the "Low Grip Screw" variety. Approximately half of this initial production was purchased by the German Navy (Kriegsmarine). All these early low grip pistols are today very rare. At approximately serial number 701345 the grip screws were relocated upward to a more central and sturdier position.

The German Army began HSc procurement with an initial order for 3,000 pistols in early 1941, beginning with serial number 701,345, and, intermittently, ending about #712,000. These pistols are marked with an Eagle/655 inspection stamp on the left rear trigger guard web, a factory firing proof Eagle/N on the right rear trigger guard web and at the front of the right slide. Also a small Army Test Proof stamp was stamped on the left rear grip tang. Subsequent orders were placed by the Army throughout the war, along with pistols procured by the Police and Kriegsmarine, with almost 24% of the total production of 252,000 pistols going to the commercial market.

A second Army variation of about 5,000 pistols consisted of pistols whose serial numbers ranged, intermittently, from about 712,000 to about 745,000. These have an Eagle/655 WaA (Army acceptance) on the left rear trigger guard web and the Eagle/N firing proofs on the right rear trigger guard web and on front of right slide, but have no proof mark on the left rear grip tang. The finish on these pistols is also of the first quality.

The third Army variation of some 4,000 pistols ranged in intermittent serial numbers from about 745,000 to about 790,000. These bear an acceptance mark of Eagle/135 on the left rear trigger guard web and the two Eagle/N firing proofs on the right side. The high quality finish of the earlier pistols starts to decline in this production segment.

The fourth variation consists of 31,000 intermittently numbered pistols from around #790,000 to #886,000. These pistols have an Eagle/135 acceptance and Eagle/N proofs as before. On pistols after #855,000 the left side of the slide now has a three-line device stamped along with the Banner. The polish of these pistols is rougher and the military "dusk blue" is now in evidence. The cross hatched machining inside the top sight channel is no longer there.

The last variation, of some 32,000 intermittently numbered pistols in a serial number range of about #886,000 to #952,000, has the three-line device on the left side of the slide and bears an Eagle/WaA135 acceptance and the Eagle/N proofs. Beginning in the late #940,000 range some pistols were given black plastic grip panels. The very last pistols, in the #949,500 to #952,000 range, were finished with Mauser's phosphate finish, somewhat similar to the U.S. parkerizing finish used on most M-1 rifles, M-1 Carbines and M1911 pistols. The Mauser phosphate finish is variable in color, from a dark grey to an almost green color. These phosphated pistols are quite rare today and, with Eagle/WaA135 acceptance, are highly desirable to military collectors. Interestingly, the Eagle/WaA135 marks are generally "right side up" on the early phosphate pistols but "upside down" on the later pistols. Small parts on many of these very late phosphate pistols are usually a mix of older blued parts and later phosphated parts. HScs with frames and slides of different finishes may exist and would be extremely rare and desirable to military collectors.

Final German World War II production ended with the capture of the Oberndorf area by American troops in late April 1945. After the area was given to the French production resumed for French use and was concluded in 1946.

Military personnel of all ranks not issued sidearms often purchased HSc pistols in the commercial marketplace and carried them into the field. Such commercial pistols often returned with veterans as World War II war souvenirs, often in military proofed HSc holsters.

Distribution of total HSc pistol production (19401945):

Army (Heer): 137,121 (54.4%)

Navy (Kriegsmarine): 27,100 (10.8%)

Police (Polizei): 28,300 (11.2%)

Commercial (Civil): 59,467 (23.6%)

Total: 251,988 (100.0%)

The HSc pistols made by the French in 194546 bear an RW proof. Most of these pistols were destined for French forces fighting in the First Indochina War. Production of high-quality commercial pistols was resumed at the Mauser factory in Oberndorf from 1968 to 1977. These were exported primarily to the U.S. commercial market and were available in both blued and nickel finishes.

The pistol chambered the 7.65 mm (.32 ACP) cartridge, but during the 1970s the majority of Mauser HScs used the 9mm Kurz (.380 ACP).

References

Mauser Pistolen, Weaver, Speed and Schmid, 2008 Axis Pistols in World War II, Jan C. Still, 1989 Mauser Pocket Pistols, Roy G. Pender, 1971 German Pistols and Holsters 1934-1945, Maj. Robert Whittington 1969

^ Mauser HSc Production History

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mauser HSc

Mauser HSc at guns.ru

Mauser HSc history at http://www.mauserguns.com

v  d  e

German firearms and light weapons of World War II

Side arms (Pistolen)

Mauser C96   Luger   Walther P38   Walther PP and PPK   Sauer 38H   Mauser HSc   Dreyse M1907 Pistol   Volkspistole

Rifles & carbines (Gewehre & Karabiner)

Karabiner 98k   Gewehr 41   Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43   MP 43/MP 44/StG 44   FG 42   M30 Luftwaffe drilling  StG 45(M)   VG 1-5   Wimmersperg Spz-kr

Submachine guns ( Maschinenpistolen )

MP 18   MP 34   MP 35   MP 38/MP 40   MP 3008

Machine guns & other larger weapons

MG 08   MG 30   MG 34   MG 42   Schwarzlose MG M.07/12   MG 35/36A   Faustpatrone   Raketen-Panzerbchse 43   Panzerfaust   Panzerschreck   Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust  Flammenwerfer 35   Einstossflammenwerfer 46   Panzerbchse 39   Solothurn S-18/1000   IMG 28   VMG-27

Mortars (Granatwerfer)

5 cm leGrW 36   8 cm GrW 34   kz 8 cm GrW 42   12 cm GrW 42

Grenades (Granaten)

Model 24 Stielhandgranate   Model 43 Stielhandgranate   Model 39 Eihandgranate   Splitterring   Panzerwurfmine   Hafthohlladung

Notable foreign-made infantry weapons

P.640(b)   Vis.35   Vz.24/G24(t)   Vz. 33   MG26(t)   Panzerbchse 35(p)

German-made cartridges used by the Wehrmacht

7.92x57mm Mauser   7.63x25mm Mauser   7.92x33mm Kurz   7.65x22mm Parabellum   9x19mm Parabellum

Categories: Mauser semi-automatic pistols | German semi-automatic pistols | World War II German infantry weapons | Semi-automatic pistols |.32 ACP firearms |.380 ACP firearmsHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from August 2009 | All articles needing additional references

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