Luger & Lahti Similarity ?

It seems to me that the Lahti L-35 and M-40 pistols comestically resemble the Luger.


Can anyone direct me to more info. on the Lahti pistol ? Was this an adaption by Sweden of a luger design ?

The L-35 was designed by Aimo Lahti who has also designed the famous submachine gun SUOMI M-31.


It was designed in 1935 and it became the official pistol for the Finnish armed forces. The L-35 was originally planned in both 7.65 mm and 9.00 mm caliber, but the former remained a prototype.


The Lahti pistol gave a good service in the Winter War, when it was found to be reliable even in very low temperatures.


http://www.winterwar.com/Weapons/FinSmallArms/FinPistols.htm


At first look, the Lahti pistol does have a lot of resemblance to the Luger, but actually the mechanism is quite different. The L-35 fires from a closed breech, the bolt being unlocked after a brief rearward travel and going on to complete the usual cycle. The mechanism incorporates a bolt accelerator-, a curved arm which is designed to increase the rearward velocity of the bolt.


The L-35 was also used by the Swedish army, where it was called the M-40, and it was manufactured by Husqvarna in Sweden. The Finnish manufacturer was Valtion Kiv�¤�¤ritehdas VKT (State Rifle Factory) .

Similar looks, but merely coincidental. Different mechanism altogether (or so I've read).

Another interesting fact about the Lahti is that the Luger Artillery stock fits. Makes sense. Finns designed the Lahti. Finns had Lugers and probably some Luger stocks. Avoid reinventing the wheel (stock) and ensure commonality of accessories.

[Thor]

Guess you guys missed this last month, I was redoing a Lahti and a Luger at the same time. See picture! ~Thor~




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Lahti1.jpg

[Thor]

Top View is really telling. The Lahti is a like a tiger tank (lots of metal) weighs 44 ounces (same as a 6" Model 27 S&W 357 Magnum (44 frame)) where the Luger weighs 30+ ounces. A real ***** cat to fire too! My wife fell in love with this one and had a ball, as I did, shooting this one. ~Thor~ It has a locking block much like a C96. Some say they crack but some say no. They feature an ACCELATOR arm and spring to open the action hard to function super in very cold weather. The Finns came up with the design and Sweds used it in their manufacture. This one is a Swedish model made by Husqvarna. ~Thor~




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Lahti2.jpg

[Thor]

Final condition after rework! ~Thor~




http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman...r/dscn2146.jpg

Thor:


It is said that the Lahti is difficult to dissamble. I never tried to so much as take the grips off my Swede. Did you have any problems?

[Thor]

It is not that bad to take apart, damn near impossible to get the sear/hammerspring/hammer back in there. Took me 6 hours, my first P38 took about 45 minutes. Lugers take me around 30 minutes. I would advise against it unless you REALLY need to, then let a gunsmith have the headache. ~Thor~

[Thor]

They are NOT bad to field strip, just the detail strip is tough! Thor

That's good to know. Maybe I'll dig mine out, play with it, and figure out how to field strip it. I thought I had read somewhere not even to try to take the bolt out, but maybe I remembered wrong.

[Thor]

Make sure the gun is empty!

1.With the internal hammer cocked and the magazine removed, move the barrel assembly rearward until it stops, and turn the takedown lever downward.

2.Move the barrel and bolt assmbly forward off the frame

3. Invert the barrel assembly and take out the bolt.

4. Lift out the bolt locking piece.


Gun is now field stripped to 5 pieces.

Magazine, frame, locking piece, bolt, barrel/receiver

Good luck! ~Thor~

Sounds like a Luger, that far. I'm sure the rest of it after that gets interesting. I'll stop at that point. Thanks, Bill

I heard at a gun show that the Lahti was finally discontinued from service (1970's or 1980's) due to only 2000-3000 rounds could cause dangerous cracks in the slide assembly.


Does the Luger also have such a frail reputation ?

Tut Tut, Thor! Your rework is a Husqvarna.... Betcha thought no-one would notice. Nice job though. A rework with mine [ a Lahti, marked SA Suomen Armijaa] would involve removing a 52 piece of tool steel heat shrunk then welded into the barrel, and a rebuild of the loading ramp, and replacing the missing inch of breech cunningly machined away and..........


Terry Foley

[HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr]

9 out of 10 Finnish made lathis that I find here is cracked around the accelerator.

1 out of 4 husqvarnas is cracked in the reiciver around the lockingblock area.


Both the finnish pistol and the Swedish pistol is very poor guns.

The Swedish m40 went out of swedish service in the end of the 80th after an officer had got a bolt in his head.

All military guns got immideately a military ban to not fire anymore rounds and got destroyed a few years later.


REgards HÃ?Â¥kan



http://www.vapensmedjan.com