I acquired a commercial C-96 this past weekend at the Tampa Gun Show.  I always wanter one but all I ever saw were some really nasty pitted up junk in the past.  Didn't know anything about them but it was too purdy to pass up.  I sure I gave way too much for it but "what the heck it's only money!"  LoL  Not a rust speck on it anywhere.  It's just like brand new.  It would not even action cause the cosmoline was hard and all caked up inside.  It does not have the lanyard ring on the bottom so I figured it a commercial model.  The serial number is 534xxx and is all matching as well as the stock case.  9mm with no "9" on the 12 line handles.  The barrel is "not" a step barrel.  The rear site is 50-1000 meters.  After total disassembly and cleaning it function checks very nice.  It looks like it may have only had one shot fired at the factory because I can see a very slight primer stain on the bolt face.  The left side has the large Mauser banner with serial number on the left side barrel chamber.  Best I can figure is that it's an M30 transitional because of the 9mm caliber and 50-1000 meter site.  It's really hard for me to nail it down cause I only know what my very recent research is telling me.  Can anyone chine in with any info on this Mauser?  Will post some pics later this evening.

Bad pictures.  Gotta find a better place to take pics!

From where to where do you measure the barrel's length?

stick a rod down the barrel and when it contacts the breech face measure it at the muzzle?

Thanks.  The barrel is exactly 5" long.

Too high for a Prussian contract "red 9", yet too low for M1930.

By serial number I'd expect it to be a Bolo model.

That's the same problem I'm having with trying to understand which model I have.  Maybe the factory used left over parts to make a complete pistol.  Anyway it's a brand new pistol and I hope to shoot this puppy soon.  Maybe the red 9 marking was only on military and not on commercial pistols.  The 80 year old man, that I bought it from, said it just sat in his safe for the last 40 years.