In the year 1812 the "Royal Gunfactory" started their work in the church of the abbey in Oberndorf. This was following the previous transfer of the "Königlich Württembergischen Waffenfabrik" from Ludwigsburg to Oberndorf, where iron-ore and coal were near and the waterpower of the river Neckar could be used, and the immigration of an "Ouvrier-Company" (Metalworkers on daily base).
133 worksmen were busy in converting and producing muzzleloader-guns and edged-weapons. Andreas Mauser was a gunsmith in this company and his sons Paul and Wilhelm soon joined the company as gunsmith- apprentices.
The Mauser-company was founded in 1872 by Paul and Wilhelm Mauser as "Waffenfabrik Gebrüder Mauser" in order to produce guns after the development of a new gun action system in 1866. In 1874 the company was re-established to the "Gebr. Mauser & Cie Kommanditgesellschaft" by joining the "Würtembergischen Vereinsbank". In 1884 the company was reorganized from a limited partnership to a joint-stock company , where later on the shares of the Württembergischen Vereinsbank were sold to the company Ludwig Loewe & Co.
It is fore sure that the Mauser-rifle was the reason for the good references of the company, not only because of financial sucess but also due to itīs reliability and high quality standard. The less success in handguns is not because of worse design but caused by the unlucky circumstances and times of production.
The company got well-known worldwide in 1896 with the pistol-construction C-96 and in 1898 with the infantry-carbine 98 with Mauser-Action.
During World War I the fabric-area was widely enlarged, but after the lost war the contract of Versailles put an end to gun-business. The company had to give machines for the 98-rifle production as war-reparation to other countries, 800 pcs. to Jugoslavia, 1500 pcs. to Tchechoslovakia and about 1000 pcs. to Poland. But they could keep the machines for the hand gun production. It is very likely, that Mauser in that time not only exported their guns but also delivered them to the German army and other officials. At least the police that time used several types, even models C-96. In 1923 an order for the delivery of C-96-pistols arrived from China
In 1922-1925 they started new products like measuring devices, haircutting tools, sewing machines and automobiles.
The gun-production started again in 1933 before the begin of World War II with the production of weapons of many kinds. After the transfer of 800 machines from the works in Wittenau to Oberndorf the the production of Parabellum-pistols started. Since 1942 the company had in charge foreign forced labourers too, mainly from Russia and Poland, but as well from Belgium and Netherlands. Sometimes there were up to 5000 foreigners working, preferably with the production of carbines.
As in 1945 French troups conquered the company in Oberndorf with nearly no damage they found a big amount of gun parts and weapons of different kinds. The production program of the company included pistols of the type Mauser HSc, Parabellum P 08 und Walther P 38 , rifles and carbines, and as main productions machine-guns, tank-destroying weapons, machine-cannons and steel-tubes. In August 1945 the gun production in Oberndorf started again for short time. Until end of November 1946 the French allied produced carbines and pistols for their own purpose, 47696 carbines modell 98 k, 2560 pistols P 08, 3500 pistols P 38 and about 20000 pistols HSc. In December the production was definitely stopped an shortly afterwards the machines were disassembled.
After reerection in 1965, after some former Mauser-employes produced measuring devices already since 1848, the production of hunting-rifles started again.
Today the company Mauser is an industrial company with about 4000 employes. It is among the world-leaders in production of machines, measuring devices and hunting guns.