The Mauser C96, is a German semi-automatic pistol that has a broomhandle-style pistol grip made by Mauser. Nicknames for the gun include the Broomhandle (named for its grip), the Red 9, and the box cannon. Although there were some semi-automatic pistols made before it was invented, the C96 was one of the first that was successful. The C96 was used by many countries including Germany, Spain, China, and the Soviet Union. The C96 was produced by Germany from 1896 and ended in 1937. Spain and China made many of their own unlicensed models of the C96 Although it was invented in Germany, it was never a standard pistol for the German military. Nonetheless, it was still very popular pistol for German soldiers and officers until the end of World War II. The only country that made the C96 its standard pistol was China.