THE WINSTON CHURCHILL-HAN SOLO CONFLUENCE

Mauser C96 photo courtesy of A-Human-Right.com

Probably the first commercially successful semi-automatic pistol was the German C96 manufactured by Mauser from 1896 through 1937. Copies were also made in Spain and China. Known more commonly as the "broomhandle" because of the shape of its grip, it generally appeared in either a 7.63mm or 9mm version, although China at some time made a few honking huge specimens in .45 caliber. It saw much use in combat in various theaters during the first half of the twentieth century and was employed both by Winston Churchill while serving in Sudan in 1898 and later in the Boer War as well as by one of the assassins who killed the Russian royal family in 1918. Numerous varieties were produced, including a fully-automatic version. The distinctive shape of the C96, including a magazine in front of the the trigger, makes it instantly recognizable, as no other handgun looks like it. 

This unique appearance has made it a popular prop in numerous cinematic endeavors, including, but not limited to, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, and the mini-series Band of Brothers. However, perhaps the most famous C96 first appeared in the 1967 Frank Sinatra movie The Naked Runner. It also is believed to have shown up in the 1972 Oliver Reed film Sitting Target. In both movies, the firearm was provided by Bapty, a British firm which serves as a source of weapons for filmmakers. 

Bapty subsequently supplied this C96 for use in a film called Star Wars, which was released in 1977. The pistol was highly modified into the iconic DL-44 blaster carried by Han Solo and which is now one of the most recognizable props in the history of cinema. Multiple copies of the sidearm with minor variations were eventually made for the Star Wars series, including several out of resin for use in action scenes where the prop would be subject to intense abuse.

Rabid fans across the world have fabricated copies of the infamous Star Wars blaster, much to the chagrin of gun collectors who cringe at the defacement of the highly prized and costly C96s (if you want to learn more about making or acquiring your own DL-44, click here).

Any of the DL-44s actually used in the film series would command (and have commanded) huge prices among these same rabid fans if offered for sale. The value of the original DL-44? The sky would be the limit, if it still existed. Unfortunately, after Bapty's C96 was "ruined" for use in other types of movies by its conversion to a blaster, it was most likely turned in by the company to be destroyed in a government gun buyback program.

DL-44 blaster photo courtesy of Wookieepedia

Photo copyright Lucasfilm. (from Wikipedia)