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Mauserwerke AG, Oberndorf-am-Neckar, West Germany. Formerly Gebruder Mauser (1869-84), Waffenfabrik Mauser (1884-1922). German designers from famous Mauser Werke worked on various semi-automatic pistols since about 1893. In the year of 1909 they set to develop a new, relatively simple semiautomatic pistol, chambered for 9x19mm Luger ammunition with reduced load. This weapon, known as Mauser Model 1910, was not a great success; its updated version, known as Model 1910/12, was manufactured in small numbers under contract with Brazilian navy. In the mean time, it was decided that a new design is more suitable for ammunition, less powerful than a "military" 9mm Luger, so, in the 1910, the basic design was scaled down to relatively new 6.35mm Browning ammunition (known in USA as .25ACP, first introduced in 1906 in Europe and in 1908 in USA). Known as Mauser Model 1910, this became a rather successful pocket pistol Mauser 1910 type pistols are simple blowback operated weapons with stationary, but easily removable barrel. barrel is held to the frame by the long pin, which passes through two underbarrel lugs below the barrel (one at the front and one below the breech). For disassembly, slide of the pistol is locked back, and pin is unlocked and rotated sideways, then pulled out to the front, so the barrel can be pulled up from the frame. The slide of this pistol has a characteristic open-top appearance, with a separate ejection window on the right side. Trigger is of single action type, striker fired. pistol is fitted with manual safety, located in the cut of the left grip panel, just behind the trigger, and with automatic magazine disconnect safety. Slide hold-open device is installed in pistol, but once slide is caught open, it can be released only by insertion of a fresh magazine. Magazine release is located at the base of the pistol grip. Sights are fixed. Grip panels are usually made from wood, but also can be made of plastic on late production guns. The early issues of the pistol are identifiable because of a small latch on the left side of the frame by the side-plate, which was used to take the side-plate off; hence the name side-latch, which attributed to the first run of these pistols. This extremely well machined pistol is almost an engineering work of art. It is an unlocked blowback, semi-automatic pistol that hold nine-shots in a detachable box magazine inserted through the grip-frame and retained by a spring-loaded catch at the base of the butt. It is striker-operated and has two safeties: a manual safety on the left side of the frame just to the rear of the trigger, which blocks the sear and a magazine disconnector that prevents firing when the clip is withdrawn. The recoil spring is mounted below the barrel and is mounted axially around the barrel holder guide. The barrel is removable from the frame, but is locked to the receiver by a lug at the chamber end as well as one at the forward end, through which the barrel holder and guide passes. A side-lock holds the slide open on the last shot and goes forward automatically when a new magazine is inserted, stripping the first shot into the chamber. The assembly of these weapons is unusual and interesting. The finish is excellent on pre-war models. How to field-strip (disassemble) Mauser 1910: 1) insert an empty magazine into grip 2) pull the slide back until it is locked open; inspect the chamber for remaining round 3) remove magazine 4) depress the small retaining latch located on dustcover below the barrel to release retaining rod 5) rotate barrel retaining rod until it is free from frame 6) pull the barrel retaining rod forward and out of the gun 7) pull the barrel up and out of the frame 8) while holding the slide against the frame, insert empty magazine into grip 9) press the trigger and carefully slip the slide forward and out of the frame. Reassemble in reverse order It is classified as a relic in the USA. (ref. ‘Pistols and revolvers’ p142 - JE Smith, ‘Price guide for collector handguns’ - R H Balderson p296, ‘Pistols of the world’ by Hogg and Weeks p165)

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