French Gendarmerie C96: A German Pistol for the Occupation
This Mauser C96 variant was likely produced for the French Gendarmerie under a 1919 contract, intended for occupation troops in Germany. Notably, these 7.63mm pistols feature 50-500m tangent sights, typically found on 9mm models, suggesting the use of leftover parts from wartime 'Red 9' production. The C96 served as a de facto carbine, offering a high-capacity, portable option for French forces lacking submachine guns.









