Mauser C96 "Bolo"

This is my Mauser C96, made sometime in the 1920's. This is chambered in 7.63x25mm ammo.
The Mauser C96 is of German origin and was the first commercially successful self-loading pistol, and when it came out in 1896, it was considered to be quite reliable for the time period, however also quite expensive. It didn't start reaching real popularity until World War 1, when many soldiers from many sides (Germans, British, Americans, etc.) privately owned these and carried them to war. Winston Churchill used this gun in his soldiering days, and nicknamed it "The Ripper" because of the larger ammo capacity and the ability to fire quickly, unlike revolvers.
This is the Bolo model, which has a shorter barrel and a slightly smaller grip, for easier concealment and carry. It got its name from the word Bolshevik, which was the government of Soviet Russia, and this pistol was made for them. However, it was still also very popular in other places, like Great Britain and the United States. The Bolo came out in the 1920's, so the pistol I have is definitely one of the first made.
It jammed a lot on the first shot, but it was a lot of fun to shoot. It actually weighed a lot lighter than I thought it would.
This is probably one of my most favorite semi-auto handguns.