We also publish a FAQ on this site that you'd fine useful. Just follow the FAQ link at the top of each page.

BTW, I disagree about using WD-40. It's a water displacement chemical, and not a lubricant or cleaning chemical. I've learned over the years that it doesn't work well with firearms. Your experience may vary, of course...

I store my Lugers in silicone impregnated gun socks made for long term storage, or "Bore Store" storage sleeves. Others store them in safes in open air racks.

The silicone impregnated textiles repel moisture, and can help prevent damage inside a safe from handling and in fire situations. The box and foam you use today may just deteriorate in the future.

Hold on...you’re “waiting on replacement foam”? Surely you aren’t planning on cleaning this mess off your gun only to place it back in foam again, are you? If so, save your time and effort and put the gun back in the same foam, because the same thing will happen again with the replacement foam. Or, you can go on Amazon, or to your local gun store and drop $25 on a quality gun rug from Boyt.

https://www.amazon.com/Boyt-Harness-...dDbGljaz10cnVl

hmmm i take it placing a gun in a foam case is not good. i didnt know. thanks

i think i got a spare gun sock somewhere but i dont know if its silicone impregnated. i originally bought it for my colt gold cup but never used it. let me go find it......thanks

As was stated above, do not clean this Luger and place it back into a foam box for storage. I own the same Luger you have, and also the same type of foam filled box. In no way would I store mine in that type of foam box. There are many other good, and SAFE ways to store your Luger.

Even the original styrofoam boxes offered better protection than these foam lined ones.

i actually found the gun sock...will keep it there once its cleaned

What
 

tell me this isn't a joke

no its not a joke. this is not my area of expertise.

the foam was removed without harm to the gun by using acetone as suggested

thank you everyone for your help

Excellent and thanks for showing the results...

These are beautifully made, and many (like yours) in top condition are very satisfying...

It will be happy inside it's gun sock (all the commercial ones have silicone impregnated in them to ward off moisture)...

Your's is one of the later ones that has the more P.08 looking grip (as opposed to the more Swiss looking grip profile found on the earlier ones). It seems that Sam Cummings complained to Mauser that people wanted the P,08 profile, and not the straight Swiss style M1929 grips.

like i said before i thank everyone who chimed in an helped. i have to admit one thing, the luger slide mechanism is like no other gun ive seen. to be honest, im not all too familiar with it and struggled a bit to understand how it works. without the help of youtube, i would have never been able to field strip it. even with the videos i had a difficult time reassembling it.

Two helpful hints: First, as you slide the toggle train into the receiver, push the sear bar in with a finger to allow the firing pin to move past the sear without engaging. Then install the axle pin.

Second, when sliding the receiver unit onto the frame, move it all the way rearward and then pull it forward until the "S" arm clears the main spring hook. Carefully move it backwards again to allow the "S" arm to engage the main spring hook. (If you're careful, you may engage the "S" arm as you move the receiver rearward initially and not have to pull it forward. It helps to tilt the front upward to allow the arm to engage the hook easier)

Then seat the side plate, push the receiver backward against the main spring pressure and rotate the take down lever into it's locked position.

Replacement foam?
Why do it again?

I would not, ever, never store the luger in a box with foam or anything else.

Depending on your storage area- safe, shelf, other- a nice clean sock will keep away
the dust and any dings from moving it around.
If you want to go up in "class" buy one of the treated "bore stores"; as long as it breathes you are ok.
JMHO.

While there were a number of designs in the late 1890's, the one that emerged most successful was the Luger.

The toggle design originated on other rifles, machine guns and pistols (the Maxim and the Borchardt, C-93 for example), it was Georg Luger's redesign of Borchardt's pistol that succeeded in the military marketplace.

The Swiss depended on the Luger for almost 50 years - perhaps exceeded only by Colt's M1911 / M1911a1 design which has been in the US military for over 100 years.

You literally hold history in your hands. Hopefully, joining the forum will help you understand it better, and obviously will help you take better care of it.

These handguns can be very addictive. If you decide on acquiring another, look to the military issue guns from Germany or Switzerland for your next. You won't be dissatisfied if you get some reference material, and study them a bit...

As many of us, including Don above, have mentioned, the Bore Store or silicone treated breathable sock is a good storage choice. I don't like using plain untreated cotton or synthetic blend socks because the cotton can retain moisture, but the ones that are silicone treated (all "Gun Socks" should be) would do the trick. A proper zipper case "rug" is also a good alternative, but just get in the habit of regularly checking the contents and properly oiling the guns with preserving gun oil, wiping fingerprints off...

the gun now lives in the gun sock. yes for all these years the gun was in storage and in that foam case just the way my dad had it i doubt he knew the foam would degrade that way. i can tell you guys i certainly didnt know but now i do. i wont happen again.

i also got a 50th anniversary version never fired and in a commemorative case a p38. these 2 guns are real beauties

For a good primer to understand how the Luger works, I'll recommend Gerard Henrotin's e-book "Luger Mechanical Features" H&L Publishing Possibly the best $7.95 you'll ever spend!

thanks, i really need to read some of these e-books. this luger slide is very difficult to pull back and i want to know if thats how its supposed to be or some spring needs replacing.

i also noticed the slide does not lock in place unless you have the mag in. is this how its supposed to be?

Yes, the Luger's Holdopen is only supposed to be activated by an empty magazine, Another good reference for Luger technical and general development details would be the C&rsenal video on them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exsk6nVc3zQ