The 7.63 Mauser (7.63X25mm, 30 Mauser) was introduced in 1896 in the C96 "broomhandle" Mauser pistol. The 7.63mm Mauser is a bottleneck cartridge firing a light 86-grain bullet of .308-inch diameter at an unprecedented velocity of 1410 fps. Although never officially adopted by a major military, C96 in 7.63 Mauser remained in production until the 1930s and was a popular "alternative" pistol in both world wars. It remains a favorite choice in period Hollywood movies, often in the hands of villains...and was used by good guys as well, perhaps most notably Winston Churchill, both in the 2d Boer War and in Sudan. Many C96 pistols remain in the hands of collectors and shooters, and although no pistols so chambered have been produced since before WWII ammunition remains readily available.
