Have an opportunity to pick one up. Appears to be a prewar M30 (12 line grip, 1000m sight, mag even with trigger guard, small ring hammer, MAUSER frame mark) relined (or more likely rebarreled) to 9mm. Valuing it is tough though, any suggestions? Anything to look for?

Pre-1940 is GTG for the wood stock/holster last I checked yeah?

One of the favorite methods of both Federal Ordnance/Navy Arms back in the late 80's and early 90's was to rebore (not reline) the barrel to 9mm Para if the 7.63 barrel were shot out... Usually cost an extra $100 or so. Another option for some gunsmiths (Redmans relining comes to mind) was to do the same thing to folks who wanted the 9mm option if the performance/condition of their 7.63 barrel was subpar. Redmans only offers the relining service now, not the reboring. The rebore removes the collectability but increases the shooter desirability factor. Some rebores shot well but others were done poorly and wouldn't shoot to the point of aim so YMMV. As to the stock, not sure but I think ATF has something about original stocks being OK but repro's not good??? Not sure on that one...

I would say $7-800 for a rebored broomhandle with stock.  Was it refinished as well?  The stocks are a sticky point, originals are good to go, but replicas are not.  The thing is, how are you supposed to know if it's a replica?  I have one with the stock, and the stock is actually numbered to the gun.  It is original though? I'd have to take it to someone and get it appraised to be sure. Burden of proof is on someone to prove it's NOT original.

BATF has changed their minds a couple of times on legality of reproduction stocks. The latest (2014) version is that reproduction stocks of design and manufacture similar to originals are OK on original German C96 pistols.
As always, the devil is in the details. One cannot make the blanket "Repros are Ok" or "Repros are forbidden" statement, because BATF's position has qualifiers. Per usual, those qualifying statements get left off in the simplfication.

Buffer tube with AR stock, etc? NO
Chinese or Spanish copies of C96 (Astra, etc.)? NO
Postwar Fed Ord parts guns? NO
Mauser Oberndorf marked C96 with repro stock? YES

I was looking that up the other day because I couldn't provide a decent answer and I think you nailed it pretty well...

I recently sold a total rebuild, re-sleeved Mauser C-96 and a repro IMA stock set separately on GB for a lot more than that.

I don't doubt it, but to answer the OP's question, that's what my initial offer would be. Maybe you get lucky and a lowball offer works. I'm sure most of us have got a screaming deal from somebody that's not a gun person.

I sold an absolute beater Bolo for that money,

anything in decent shape will bring twice that

I have an absolute beater Bolo that I got back in 1988 for the princely sum of $150... Going to send it to Redmans rifling for the relining and then refinish it in rust blue with new grips so I can see how it actually shoots (now that I have a decent stash of 7.63 Mauser ammo...) Now, as it sits, I can get a couple of clips (finally a proper use of that term) through it before the bullets start keyholing at 10 yards.

Just because the thread is already started, who is good to go over a C96 and make sure it's good to shoot?

I bought one over a decade ago, and there is something screwy with the fit of the trigger group into the frame.  If I hold the gun firmly then everything works, and if I don't hold it firmly the trigger won't engage when I pull the trigger.

Broomhandles are an absolute nightmare to get back together.  You may have a lever not in the right position or something like that.  I would watch as many videos as you can on assembly.

The mechanism is definitely a bit of a clock puzzle.  The man hours to put broomhandles together would only be acceptable to a 3rd World hand assembled shop in this day in age.

Put it together incorrectly and it will lock up and NEVER come apart.

Yep.....if you put in the rocker coupling incorrectly, It will lock up the subframe in the receiver.....and you'll be needing the services of a specialist to get everything back apart.

Carefully check the upper (barrel extension) for bowing/distortion around the opening for the bolt stop....that's a sure sign the gun is beat to death. Take a good look at the bolt stop as well.....many of the Chinese import guns I've seen had locally made bolt stops of dubious metallurgy . When I shot my Broomhandles, I always used Mauser 712 bolt stops...... they will be clearly marked with an "R" ...

Once wear sets in, Broomhandles have a tenancy to start unlocking early.....and that's what causes problems. While holding your bbl/extension forward (against the frame), try retracting the bolt.....if it unlocks almost immediately from the extension that is bad....you want the extension to travel rearward a few MM's before the locking block drops, and the bolt is free to recoil.

I don't shoot any of mine any more...... they are elegant, 100 year old guns.....but after 2 "catastrophic" incidents with them, they are only for looking at as far as I'm concerned.

You haven't lived till a crystallized firing pin wedges forward, and your M30 broom empties the mag in about 1 second....firing before it locks up , breaking the bolt stop and dumping the bolt on the ground behind you

A similar thing happened to me with one of the Navy Arms "TU-711" detachable mag guns...... I think that problem could have been traced to the poor machining/soft metal in the Chinese made frame/receiver.

Attached File

fortunately I was able to correctly reassemble mine last weekend

I need to locate a rear sight detent spring and a lanyard ring for mine. Numrich is out of a lot of C96 related parts. Anyone have an idea where I may be able to locate these without buying another complete pistol?