Developed in 1878, the C78 or Model 1878 "Zig-Zag" revolver was the first handgun designed and developed by Paul Mauser and his firm. A competitor to be the first centerfire cartridge-fed handgun adopted by the German military, the 1878 scored high marks in overall performance, though concerns about the complexity of the design led them to choose the 1879 Reichs revolver instead. At the heart of the mechanism is the combination of an angular track (the titular "Zig-Zag") machined into the side of the cylinder and a toothed reciprocating bar linked to the hammer, which serves to both advance and lock the cylinder, in contrast to the more commonly seen pawl/sprocket and stop arrangement. Additionally, the spring responsible for resetting the cocking bar also powers the hammer, replacing the grip frame mounted leaf spring commonly seen in that era. For loading, the barrel assembly is hinged at the rear of the top strap, automatically pushing the hammer back to the safety notch when opened, with the closure latch doubling as the lever for a star-pattern extractor assembly. Fixed sights, with "GEBR. MAUSER & Cie OBERNDORF a/N WURTTEMBERG.1878.PATENT." on top of the barrel rib. Matching full and partial serial number on various components including the inside of the grip panels.

Fine, retains 70% original nickel finish with smooth brown patina on the balance, and sharp markings and edges. Grips are also fine with defined scenery, a few light handling marks and areas of light fading. Mechanically excellent.