Loose c96 safety
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You are currently reading a thread in /k/ - Weapons
Bought a c96 and the safety is non functional if anyone is willing to help me solve the problem please help.
>>28373603
Take it apart and see why it's not working.
Take it to a gunsmith. Don't risk fucking up a piece of history trying to fix it yourself.
>>28373603
You may want to consult an exploded diagram of the C96 to see which part has failed. If you can afford a C96, you can afford to spend 30 seconds on google
>>28373603
The safety fell out of place but other than that everything looks fine.
>>28373603
Which safety version is it? (If I remember correctly there are at least three different safety types on variants of the C96)
![IMG_0576[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/f9sbpMX.jpg "IMG_0576[1].jpg")
>>28373875
>>28373927
I've been fucking around with the safety with all kinds of combinations of pulling the hammer back and pushing the safety down but it still won't catch the hammer.
>>28373927
Show us the other side, you may have sheared off a lug.
>>28373927
>28373927
Does the hammer have a large "S" with a small "N" in the middle on the back?
![IMG_0577[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/DkzTSOP.jpg "IMG_0577[1].jpg")
>>28374025
>>28374026
neither, it has a 7 stamped into it.
>>28373603
Next time buy a gun that just werks, like the beautiful VP9.
also old guns are gross lmao
>>28374129
Please post the hammer if possible (both the back and the side with the indentations).
Also, is this a matching-parts gun? (C96s have at least partial serial numbers on lots of their parts, so you may be able to tell if some have been swapped.)
>>28374260
The barrel and receiver are matching but other than that no serial numbers are present.
![IMG_0578[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/NUVnrjp.jpg "IMG_0578[1].jpg")
>>28374260
sorry about the graininess.
![IMG_0579[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/ZIGIywy.jpg "IMG_0579[1].jpg")
![IMG_0580[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/vU3xtEK.jpg "IMG_0580[1].jpg")
>>28374394
Please take the hammer out of the lock frame and show the left side. There should be channels there that will help identify the safety. Serial number range would also help.
>>28374467
serial number is 1380XX
![IMG_0581[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/od8Ar6z.jpg "IMG_0581[1].jpg")
>>28374489
>>28374557
The hammer and lever look like the "Neue Sicherung" type, but I've never heard of one of those that lacked the "NS" marking.
The serial number suggests a pre-WWI commercial gun, and too early to have been originally sold with a safety of this type. Mauser did offer retrofitting for a time, but I was under the impression they replaced the hammers with "NS" marked ones.
The safety should engage in two ways:
1. When cocked:
The hammer must be farther back than the cocked position to engage the safety while cocked.
Cock the hammer. Hold the hammer as far back as it will go (probably with the thumb of the hand holding the grip). Push the safety lever up until it stops.
2. When uncocked:
Push the safety up. This will force the hammer off of the firing pin by a very short distance and prevent it from either falling fully or being cocked until the safety is disengaged.
>>28374693
But is the safety supposed to flop around inside the pistol?
>>28374731
No, and I'm having a hard time imagining how that could happen with the gun assembled. I'm taking one apart now for comparison.
>>28374810
Thanks for helping, would it still be safe for the pistol to fire with out the safety so I can test fire it?
>>28374824
>>28374824
I'm not sure. I'm not aware of a specific reason that would cause problems, but I've never considered firing once in that condition before and can't recommend it.
Mine is tight even when the lockwork is removed from the frame. I don't see a way for it to get loose like you describe (aside from something like >>28374025 suggested, but the lug appears to be present in your picture).
Does everything else seem to work?
>>28375032
yup, Everything works good accept for the safety that keeps flopping around.
>>28375032
It's even loose with the lockwork removed from the frame. The only thing I can think of that would cause it would be the bend in the safety lever. It may be pushing the safety out too far to catch the notch on the hammer.
>>28375105
I would have a gunsmith check it out but there are literally none in my area of rural Ohio.
>>28375105
Hmm...I'm not sure that's right. If I understand the way it works correctly, the safety should have significant friction to keep it from "flopping" like you describe when installed in the lock frame even if the hammer is not present. That "bend" should force the front of the safety against the lock frame while the lug on the pivot holds it in place.
>>28375164
I just checked this, and it appears I was correct. Even with all the other parts removed from the lock from, the safety lever is held in place in most positions by the lug and the bend in the front (it will move more and can fall out the side when the lug is aligned with its slot in the frame). It is definitely tight when the tip is in the slots for the "engaged" and "disengaged" positions.
>>28375241
My safety is probably worn out, wish me luck trying to find a new one...
>>28375350
Now I'm having trouble getting the damn thing back together.
>>28375350
Finding a gunsmith would probably be best - better if it's one who has some knowledge of and experience with C96s.
If you can afford it (and you can find a source), you might try ordering one or more replacement safety levers to see if they might fit better. You'll need to be aware that there are several types and make sure you get an equivalent. C96 manufacture involved a good deal of hand-fitting, so it's common for two parts from the same variant of the gun to fit slightly differently (this is why buying several copies of a part at a time can be advisable).
>>28375365
I'm assuming you already have disassembly and reassembly instructions. If not, make sure to look them up. Pay particular attention to the Rocker Coupling - reinstalling it incorrectly can cause major problems.
>>28375404
Actually I think I fixed it, maybe. I made the bend in the safety a hair inward and boom, the safety is tight.
>>28375438
Is the hammer supposed to decock when I reinstall the rocker coupling?
>>28375457
Installing the plunger and coupling forces the hammer up. That doesn't prove or disprove that it is installed correctly. Please look up instructions with photos or video if you haven't done this before (this isn't difficult to do right, but it's worth having good guidance at first).
![IMG_0584[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/FOtyO7U.jpg "IMG_0584[1].jpg")
>>28375554
with your insight about the bend in the safety I fixed it. Thanks man!
>>28375554
If you're curious about markings or anything else on it feel free to ask. All I know is that the barrel was resleeved to 9mm by Federal Ordinance sometime in the 50's at least that is what I was told. It also has no import marks on it.
>>28375616
I'm glad to hear it worked, although I'm kind of surprised it could be fixed that way.
>>28375665
I am, actually. The Mauser banner on the left is particularly interesting - I thought that was specific to model-1930 versions. The lockwork and hammer you showed looked like wartime or pre-war, though...
What's on the right side panel?
>>28375708
Correction - lockwork could be late pre-war, wartime, or anything until the Universal Safety was introduced (around 1930). The hammer is still puzzling.
![IMG_0586[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/CQQQFyK.jpg "IMG_0586[1].jpg")
>>28375724
Sorry about the upside down pics. When thumbing the hammer back to down I noticed the trigger pull is pretty long are most c96's like this?
>>28374151
>>28375724
Also the serial number on the stock matches the pistol in case you were wondering.
>>28375767
The trigger on mine can move a fair distance before meeting resistance. Once there is resistance, the distance before the break is short. I assume the others are similar (I don't think any version changed the trigger much), but mine is the only one I've ever actually fired.
I'd like to see the barrel from either side, the area on top of the chamber, and the grip (especially the lanyard ring and swivel, assuming it's still present) if you don't mind. This is a variant I'm not familiar with and I'm trying to identify it based on descriptions in System Mauser and a couple of other sources.
>>28375827
Good - matching sets can be tough to find. Does the stock have a Mauser banner on it like the banner on the left side, or not?
>>28375868
Nope, but it is walnut like the originals.
>>28375883
I asked because what I've read indicates that banner being on the stock was introduced very late (mostly on stocks for postwar bolos and model 1930s). Lack of banner on the stock seems more consistent with the serial number as it also suggests pre-war.
![IMG_0572[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/iNnbvDD.jpg "IMG_0572[1].jpg")
>>28375906
Dumping pics.
>>28375985
>>28375995
>>28376007
>>28376030
>>28376035
Any more requests? Also I have selected way to many gifts for the CAPTHA.
>>28376053
I can guarantee that it's been re blued because It looks too nice for how old you said it was and there is some pitting on the undersides of some parts.
>>28376053
No, I can't think of anything else to check.
Thanks for posting these. I'm still a little confused about the gun's features - they seem like a mix from several different known variants. The banner on the left panel seems especially weird given the rest.
>>28376101
do you think it was worth the $800 I gave for it?
>>28376115
That seems inexpensive for one with a matching stock (assuming the stock is original; Serializing a reproduction to a specific gun would be kind of weird). I'm not really sure how to judge, the price though, given the cut and replaced barrel, likely rebluing >>28376083 noted, removed lanyard ring, and possible other parts replacements.
>>28376162
Even if it's not %100 original it still looks cool and will probably be fun to shoot.
>>28376200
Agreed (assuming it is shootable now) - and that's probably a better way to judge the price paid than trying to estimate its current market value.
