The Mauser HSc pistol has been gone now for over 35 years. Yet it's still found here and there. It's history is really interesting, so I undertook to write an article on it for The Blue Press. I thought I'd give you an advance peek. Bear in mind I hold the copyright, but nonetheless, you're welcome to print it out for your own use if you wish. Comments/corrections welcome.
John
The Mauser HSc pistol had its beginnings in the 1930s. At that time, Mauser-Werke, in the town of Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany had been producing a fairly popular line of single-action pocket semi-auto pistols in calibers .25, .32, and .380, the models 1910, 1914 and 1934. However, the Carl Walther company of Zella-Mehlis in Germany had introduced its advanced double-action Model PP in 1929 and the similar but more compact PPK pocket pistol in 1931. When Mauser sales dropped and the public began to show a preference for the more modern Walther pistols, Mauser management decided to develop a competitive double action pistol of their own.
The design of the new pistol was assigned in 1933 to Alexius Wilhelm Seidel (1909 – 1989) in the Mauser Development Section. Seidel was a talented engineer who later went on to become a co-founder and the chief engineer of Heckler and Koch in the postwar years. His work was difficult, as he had to maneuver around the existing and iron-clad Walther patents. Nonetheless, he succeeded in that task. His brainchild became the Hahn Selbstspanner Pistole (Self-Cocking Hammer Pistol) version “c” in 1934. Mauser was set to begin production in 1938, but the German Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Bureau) insisted that Mauser concentrate on production of the K98k rifle, the P.08 “Luger” and M1934 pocket pistol. With the eventual blessing of the German arms authorities, production of the HSc began in December, 1940. The first serial number was 700001, which was stamped on the lower front grip strap. The last three digits were also marked on the barrel and slide. The introduction of the HSc ended production of the single-action Model 1934.
The first 1,345 of the pistols are now known as the “low grip screw” pistols because the grip retention screws were close to the bottom of the grips. Most of this production run went to the Kriegsmarine (German Navy). The grip screws were then moved up about ¾”. At serial number 701348, the Heer (Army) began purchasing the pistol. Subsequently, guns were bought by various Polizei (Police) departments, including the infamous Schutzstaffel or SS. The Luftwaffe (Air Force) purchased their pistols through the Heereswaffenamt instead of directly. The HSc also found popularity with military troops who were not issued pistols; they often bought them on the commercial market. These pistols were produced in 7.65mm (32 ACP). A few experimental models were subsequently made in .22 LR caliber.
The HSc was a blowback pistol, and was designed to fire double-action on the first shot and single-action on subsequent shots. Unlike the Walther PP series, the rotating safety lever on the slide does not interpose a block in front of the hammer. It swings the firing pin out of the impact area of the hammer. The safety does not lower the hammer; this has to be done by pressing the trigger. Once the hammer is down and the safety engaged, the pistol cannot be brought to full cock except by retracting the slide, as the safety also blocks the sear. The slide will lock back if the pistol is empty regardless of whether or not there is a magazine present. The insertion of a loaded or empty magazine will cause the slide to snap forward. There is no external slide stop. This is a strange feature inherited from the Model 1910/1914/1934 pocket pistols and is often confusing when first encountered. The hammer on the HSc is very unobtrusive, designed so that it would not easily catch on clothing. It can be manually cocked for a single-action first shot if desired. Because of its rounded form and close fitting, the hammer seals the internal mechanism against dust. The gun cannot be fired when the 8-round magazine is removed. The extractor doubles as a loaded chamber indicator, and can be felt when it protrudes about 1 mm over a loaded round. The magazine release is at the heel of the butt, in accordance with European custom. Field stripping the unloaded pistol is accomplished by cocking the hammer, engaging the safety, depressing the takedown catch inside the trigger guard and moving the slide with the barrel and recoil spring forward very slightly to remove. The barrel and recoil spring are then easily removed from the slide. Further disassembly is not recommended. The HSc utilizes a significant number of stamped internal parts.
All Mauser HSc pistols made during WWII will bear the Beschussstempel (factory firing proof) of an eagle over “N” stamped on the right trigger guard web, the front of the right slide and on the barrel breech. In addition, military and police pistols will have a specific waffenamt (acceptance stamp) on the left trigger guard web. The wartime HSc was produced from December 1940 to April 1945, with a grand total of 259,923 being made. The Army got 135,000, the Navy 27,100, and the Police organizations 29,300. The rest of production went to the commercial market. Most pistols had a polished blue finish, while later wartime production had a rougher polish. Very late examples had a phosphate finish quite similar to U.S. Parkerizing, bore an Eagle over WaA135 acceptance marks, and had Eagle over N proofs. These are considered rare and very desirable for collectors today. From 1943 on, brown or black Kunststoff (plastic) grips substituted for the original wood. Pistols intended for the police and military were generally issued with two matching magazines and a flap holster, and these are also desirable to find.
The Oberndorf area was captured by American troops in April, 1945, and production of the HSc was terminated by the occupiers. The Mauser facility fell into the French sector of divided Germany following the war, and was occupied by the French from May 1945 to June 1946. The French continued to produce about 15,000 additional HSc pistols in Oberndorf, most of which went to their troops in Indochina. These had serial numbers in continuation of the wartime system, up to about number 971239. There were no proof marks on these guns, but an interlaced “WR” factory inspection mark was stamped on most pistols at the right rear of the trigger guard. Most of the factory was subsequently destroyed and the manufacturing equipment distributed to other Allied nations.
In 1967, a reconstituted Mauser-Werke returned to Oberndorf, and from October 1968 to December 1977, a total of 63,118 new HSc pistols were manufactured. 18,868 were made in 7.65mm with a serial number range of 00.1001 to 00.19868, and 39,250 in 9mm Kurz (.380 ACP) with a serial range of 01.1001 to 01.40250. A special group of 5,000 in those two calibers, the “American Eagle Edition”, brought this series to a close. The pistol illustrated was made in 1975. It’s chambered in 9mm Kurz, and is so marked on the chamber of the barrel, over “.38”. It came with both a finger-extension magazine and one with a flat baseplate.
Today, the Mauser HSc is no more, but the pistols, particularly those of wartime manufacture, are rapidly becoming valued collector’s items. This classic pistol had a number of innovative features. It pointed naturally and was valued for its ergonomics, sleek lines and quality. In its day it lived in very competitive co-existence with the Walther PP series of pocket pistols. Surviving examples still make very effective personal defense weapons.