Range report
 

Finely got to take the Navy clone Don built for me to the range to put quite a few rounds through it this time. With standard 9mm ball if functioned almost perfectly. After 50 rounds,Only two occasions, the case did not completely eject. No stove pipe, just did not fully eject. My friend was shooting hollow point 9mm though his HK. I tried one round with no issues. So I fired 2 full mags of the hollow point through it with no malfunctions.

Now to the bad. My 68 year old eyes are not what the used to be. Even with the proper glasses on, I had a very hard time getting a good sight picture, it has original Navy type sight. I could get the target in focus, but not the sights. The few times I did sight OK, the Navy was very accurate. To make things more difficult, I was shooting at a black silhouette at 50 ft. The black sights about disappeared into the target. Shot at the white part of the target, but things were only slightly better. Need to get the right glasses to focus of the sights. I can deal with a slightly out of focus target. My bifocals or progressives just do not do the job.

To make thing worse, I let my buddy (younger than me, better eyes) put a few rounds through it. He loved the grip and though the trigger pull was not to bad and surprised at how accurate it was and enjoyed shooting it, but then said those were the worst sights he had ever seen on a pistol. Oh well,

As an aside, my 380 PPK clone I shot for the first time. Accurate, focus somewhat better than the Luger, but no matter how I held my grip, the hammer bite was awful. After 30 rounds I had a bruise and blood blister. Think I'm going to let that one go.

My accurized 1911 was a dream to shoot. The night sights gave me a good sight picture. Best 1911 I've ever fired. My friend kept asking me if I wanted to sell it. I said I would swap if he could come up with the right Luger. He just shook his head.

If you have not been to a range lately, time to pack up and go!

I think that it is fair to state that all of us with "senior" eyes have to work at shooting the old Luger sights. I have a pair of special shooting glasses that have corrected my dominant eye to focus on the front sight, and my non-dominant eye to focus on the target. Not everyone can use glasses like this, but my eyes/brain don't have a problem. ;)

I think a eye appt. is in order.

If it's been generally cycling fine, look to your grip and your grip support before you try changing anything about the firearm or ammunition.

I had my ophthalmologist write two Rx for me. One for a normal progressive pair of glasses, and the second for a pair of shooting glasses.

The shooting glasses are made with safety lenses and are setup with my dominant eye behind a fixed focus lens centered at the end of my outstretched hand, and the non-dominant eye a normal progressive lens.

This draws my "shooting" eye naturally to the front sight, and still allows me to focus on the target with my other eye when I want to see where things hit. My accuracy goes up when I'm wearing them.

Hi Bill,
Sounds like a fun day, except for the PPK!

Just for the record, what brand/type ammo were you shooting in the "navy"?

I have the same problem with "eyes"; that is I can usually see the target or the sights clearly but not both. After having cataract surgery and two distance lenses installed in my eyes- I can see the target very well- and the sights if I'm outside and it is a bright day.

On an indoor range, I can see the target ok, but not the sights- even with the lights it is still "dark" inside.

My solution is to just get a bigger target, and be happy with 6" groups instead of 3" groups. :)

Sounds all too familiar.

I throw my guide dog up, and when he barks I shoot :)

Kidding aside, I stopped shooting when my wrist and shoulder started complaining too much after an evening of shooting. But my eye sight didn't help either. I installed a square holed rear sight on my shooter P08 to compensate a bit.

At a Gun Action in New Hampshire a few years back there was one Luger. A American Eagle in rather rough shape. Someone had filed down the read sight, then very crudely welded/braised a very small washer to it to make a peep sight. As I recall, the front sight was filed off some to give a square top. Wonder what that did to it's aim point. Thing it would shoot high. Anyway I bid to $1,000 and dropped out. It sold for $1,400 with a 15% buyers fee. So out the door for around $1,500. In a few weeks I'm sure it was listed on Gunbroker for $1,700. As I recall it never sold.

Any links or pictures of Lugers properly turned into a practical target pistol? I think I'd enjoy shooting one. Of course a shooter to start with a good barrel. I read somewhere that back in the 1930s a Luger shooter won a national competition. Would be interesting to see how that Luger was set up.

All you need is shooting glasses set to allow a clear image of the sights. You don't really need to see the target very well.

I use a Merit optical attachment to my shooting glasses
http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html

Works like a camera diaphragm to extend your depth of view.
I am long sighted and can clearly see target but sights are a problem if I wear glasses to see front sight, I cannot see target at all.

With the Merit I can see both - even with a Luger (yes the sights are a challenge).

But ignore the attach with a suction cup - it will fall off.
I played using the suction and then glued it when I found the correct placement where it has sat for years now (I can dimly remember 60)

Kiwi, Thank you. I'll look into them.