Loose Safety

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

You might first check to see if the lever's retaining pin is still doing its job, and not allowing the part of the lever you don't see to be loose...

Originally Posted by Lugerdoc

As mentioned above, it's most likely that the safety lever retaining pin has loosened or it missing.

I took my 1900AE apart and am examining the safety lever retaining pin...It only comes out/goes in one way, and tapping on it with a punch, it doesn't seem to be loose...

I notice that the 1900AE lever is actually free, not attached to anything, and simply blocks the grip safety lever/bar...When it is not actually touching the grip safety lever/bar, it is floppy...When it does touch it, it is tight/snug...This would be the Up/Safe position...

My 'nub' is at the extreme end of the safety lever; drilling it for a ball & spring would not be practical...

I'm tempted to drift the pin out and look at my nub...I'll clamp it in my mill vise and see how difficult it is to drift out, and whether it is worn/bent/or broken...

Edit: Some surprising observations!

As shown in the pics below, I drifted the safety lever pin out (it only comes out/goes in one way), removed the safety lever, and examined the lever and pin. The pin is fine; 2.5mm x 14mm, and not bent or worn. BUT...The lever had a buildup of hard crud on the inner side where the lever bears against the gripframe. The 'nub' was also quite worn. Removing the crud and re-assembling the lever, I found that the 'floppiness' was gone...

I conclude that the buildup of 'crud' was keeping the lever from seating fully. Brass-wire brushing the 'crud' off has greatly alleviated the 'floppy' problem. The safety lever now locks snugly in both positions, and the lever has enough spring in its arch to hold it against the gripframe between positions.

My sincere "Thanks!" to Dave and Tom for clarifying this problem and its solution!

Note: I should point out that my Luger in the pics is an "Old Model"/1900AE, the flat-mainspring grip safety model. The "New Model"/P-08 safety is slightly different in construction and dis-assembly.