One of the earliest successful automatic pistols, this design originated in Germany in the late 19th Century, when Paul Mauser introduced his C96 in 1896. It was significantly more reliable and easier to use than the earlier Borchardt C93 and achieved immediate success. The new pistol's distinctive grip earned it the nickname of "Broomhandle." Governments all over Europe purchased them, as did private citizens in Europe and America, where it became the first automatic pistol commonly seen in the American west. Prominent users of the C96 included Winston Churchill, who carried a Broomhandle at the Battle of Omdurman, and T. E. Lawrence, AKA "Lawrence of Arabia." Originally chambered in 7.63x25mm, Mauser also produced a variant in 9x19mm for the Imperial German Army (Reichswehr) during WWI.