Long slow ANH DL-44 build

When the bolt comes forward, it pushes a round out of the magazine into the breach. The ejector hooks over the end of the casing. When a round is fired, the spent casing is forced backwards pushing the bolt backwards too. The ejector holds everything in place, mainly the rear of the casing down against the magazine spring. The next round/follower in the magazine provides spring pressure under the spent cartridge so as soon as it clears the breech, it's pushed up and away. The next round is pushed into the breach by the bolt and the process starts again. The Mauser C96 works more like a semi-auto rifle (having a bolt, ejector and integrated magazine) than modern semi-auto handguns that have a slide.

Things missing on a Denix: Breach, Follower, magazine spring. Also, probably anything from keeping a follower from falling out of the top of the magazine.

What he said ^. I don't think it's worth trying to make a Denix this operable. Take the easier way and just mill out the shape of the extractor. No one will know but us.
 
When the bolt comes forward, it pushes a round out of the magazine into the breach. The ejector hooks over the end of the casing. When a round is fired, the spent casing is forced backwards pushing the bolt backwards too. The ejector holds everything in place, mainly the rear of the casing down against the magazine spring. The next round/follower in the magazine provides spring pressure under the spent cartridge so as soon as it clears the breech, it's pushed up and away. The next round is pushed into the breach by the bolt and the process starts again. The Mauser C96 works more like a semi-auto rifle (having a bolt, ejector and integrated magazine) than modern semi-auto handguns that have a slide.

Things missing on a Denix: Breach, Follower, magazine spring. Also, probably anything from keeping a follower from falling out of the top of the magazine.

Haha, you have nothing to apologize for :)

The extractor (the recessed piece of steel at the front of the bolt) has a nub on the end that catches the back ridge of the casing and flips it up.


EDIT: This'll help you visualize!


Thank you both for helping me out with this. I definitely understand how it works now. But I do have a question: What stops all of the rounds being forced out of the gun by the follower spring when the bolt goes back? Is that the extractor too? Thanks again!
 
What stops all of the rounds being forced out of the gun by the follower spring when the bolt goes back? Is that the extractor too? Thanks again!

I don't have a real C96 so I don't know for this specific gun. On a modern pistol, there is a hook at the top of the magazine that makes it so the rounds can only be pushed out forward. Must be something similar on a C96. I'd guess the only way to clear a C96 is to cycle the bolt repeatedly until the magazine is empty or drop the base plate.
 
I don't have a real C96 so I don't know for this specific gun. On a modern pistol, there is a hook at the top of the magazine that makes it so the rounds can only be pushed out forward. Must be something similar on a C96. I'd guess the only way to clear a C96 is to cycle the bolt repeatedly until the magazine is empty or drop the base plate.


Oh ok. And that catch holds the other rounds in place when the bolt gets pulled back?
 
Oh ok. And that catch holds the other rounds in place when the bolt gets pulled back?

Right. If you look at the magazine below, the hooks hold the ammo in place until pushed forward. On a C96, you use a clip to push the rounds into the magazine. Maybe the part: 9-Magazine Plunger has something to do with it. I don't know. Mostly I just want to make it look realistic from 3' away. :)

Another good animation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zQUPiGHXE8

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Right. If you look at the magazine below, the hooks hold the ammo in place until pushed forward. On a C96, you use a clip to push the rounds into the magazine. Maybe the part: 9-Magazine Plunger has something to do with it. I don't know. Mostly I just want to make it look realistic from 3' away. :)

Another good animation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zQUPiGHXE8

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I've been looking for a while now and I still can't find out what the magazine plunger does
 
I've been looking for a while now and I still can't find out what the magazine plunger does

It's two functions. It's a lock for the magazine plate, and a latch to hold the spring for the hammer. That spring holds the hammer in place, AND pushes it back to ready... WHILE also pushing the plunger DOWN to lock in the magazine plate.
 
It's two functions. It's a lock for the magazine plate, and a latch to hold the spring for the hammer. That spring holds the hammer in place, AND pushes it back to ready... WHILE also pushing the plunger DOWN to lock in the magazine plate.


Thanks Scott! So other than the floor plate, it doesn't affect the rounds or the follower?
 
I made some more progress. Shaped the magazine base plate. Fixed the safety, sight profile, hammer. Made the button on the sight slide have the right texture. I know of a C96 for sale locally, so maybe I'll go take a look at it.

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I came up with a simple firing pin solution that's flush and easy to remove, although I'm going to have to do it over since I messed up and cut the notch off-center:
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Details over on my thread here.
 
I have to ask, were you able to do this with a manual mill? And make the new plate with a mill? If so thats some amazing work! I tried to mill the half circle on the bottom of the mag plate, got scared and quit.

Amazing work I cant wait to see what you end up with

I have a Todds kit, if you need any measurements or anything, just ask!

Over the weekend, I made some progress.

Removed the logo. Worked on fitting the new grips. A little chisel work on the wood to remove the excess in the center. Sawed out the central grip support on the lower. Then milled each side 0.050" thinner so the grips sit properly and it doesn't feel so bulky. Still some shaping work to do here, but at least all the major work is done.
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Inspired by jason_ehl 's work on the magazine base plate, I worked on a similar project. That's some tough work. I'm still not quite done with lots of shaping left to do. I think it'll be nice when it's done. The screw holding it on in the photo above is temporary. A more permanent "button-like" solution is coming soon.

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I hope you all like the progress pics.
 
I have to ask, were you able to do this with a manual mill?

Yes, all on a manual mill. I really haven't used the mill for a whole lot, but my father really knows his way around it, so he supervised and confirmed my ideas. The bottom of the magazine will milled off with a 5/8 end mill until the lines were gone. 5/8 is also the diameter of the tongue on the plate, so once I had the depth, I just found the center and came back the right depth. T-Slot was just milled vertically with a 1/8" mill. Then flipped it 90° and milled side to side .060" (should have been 0.060, but I messed up and went 0.100, oh well). Filed the corners square.

The base plate took a long time. Started with an aluminum bar. 5/8 end mill to just mark a spot in the center near the edge so we know where to file the tongue in the end, flip it over an mill to thickness 1/2" wide, then work on the T-slot. T-slot was just milled to the right width and depth then used a 0.045" slitting saw to cut out the sides, slit, raise, slit raise until the right diameter drill fit in the slit. Flipped it sideways to mill out the corners where the tongue starts. The rest was all file work: rounding the tongue and making it fit the bottom of the magazine. Get it close and file it into place. It's a really tight fit.

I can't wait until I get Todd's kit. Slowly running out of things to work on.
 
All the hard work is gonna pay off big time. I love watching this build.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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I did get a really good deal on her. I won't be cutting her up though. She got a thorough cleaning when it made it home, fresh oiling and reassembly. Grips are bathing in BLO overnight and a few layers of Lacquer later. (edit: not lacquer, shellac.)

I can now answer this and scottjua was quite right.
I've been looking for a while now and I still can't find out what the magazine plunger does
The magazine plunger is the button that releases the floor plate.
 
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I did get a really good deal on her. I won't be cutting her up though. She got a thorough cleaning when it made it home, fresh oiling and reassembly. Grips are bathing in BLO overnight and a few layers of Lacquer later.

I can now answer this and scottjua was quite right.

The magazine plunger is the button that releases the floor plate.

Ohh, ok. I'm pretty sure the Denix just has solid metal where that's supposed to be. I hope it doesn't block the space I need to hold a magazine spring and follower. As you probably read I'm trying to get mine to chamber 9mm dummies
 
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