Copy of a Knockoff: Chinese Warlord Version of a Bestigui Model H
Forgotten Weapons
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It was no secret in the international arms market that Mauser was doing a tremendous business selling C96 pistols into Warlord-era China in the 1920s. The C96 was an imposing and powerful handgun that was highly regarded in China. Spanish companies including Bestigui Hermanos took note, and started to produce pistols specifically for the Chinese market.
For Bestigui, this included a visual copy of the C96 with simplified lockwork. If was introduced in 1926 as the Model H, and quickly accompanied by a fully automatic version, the MM31. Both of these were popular in China, and both were copied by domestic Chinese arsenals and artisans. Today we're looking at a copy of a Model H, along with it's stripper clip bandolier.
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