Paint thinner
 

Will paint thinner or acetone hurt bluing on gun??

No. I have used both. Just don't use paint remover!

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Thanks Ron, I am having difficulty inserting and removing magazines in my Erfurt artillery pistol and have used some DYKEM bluing to highlight the high spots in the lower end. I am getting close but still not where the magazine will just fall out when magazine release button is depressed, still need two hands. As I file away the thought of removing the bluing keeps coming to mind.

Are you filing on the magazines or on the frame?
dju

David..sounds like the frame!

Yes on the frame, I have 4 magazines and none of them will work properly. I can't see where the frame has been damaged,but with none of the mag's working it has to be the frame! Is there really that much difference between magazines that that could be the problem?

Have you tried inserting and removing magazines with both grips removed?

tight frames...and loose frames!
 

There is a slight variance in frames, and I have seen many that are just a'bit tight... First thing to do is take a MEC-GAR mag and see if it fits and drops free correctly.. They are a few thousands under on all dimensions and can be definitively used as a go gauge... after that, you need to dig out the old dial calipers and start checking magazine dimensions... If the mags are super clean, you can probably expect them to fit, but much use and deformity.. whether one or four, will probably cause you trouble... If you have the frame with the grips off and the hold open out.. and the mags stripped (I don't recommend!) they would drop straight through.... Anyway, this info should help you a'bit... best to you, til...lat'r...GT:cheers:

Yes I have removed screws and grips so that I could put in bluing and do the filing. Just holding lower and filing high spots, rebluing and a little more filing. I have 4 mag's: One MEG-GAR, one Mauser, one wood bottom with number 5989 which I think is an Erfurt and one aluminum bottom with #1115 and marked 1 with an eagle. the last works best of the lot but still not without a pull on bottom.

How difficult is it to insert the magazine? Is there a point at which you meet resistance going in? At what point does resistance ease upon removal?

I meet resistance both inserting and removal when magazine is about two inches in slot. I have been filing on both the round side and the flat side just about opposite each other where bluing shows high spots.

It's possible that the frame has been twisted (torqued) out of true.

There is a mandrel tool used at the factory for straightening these. I saw a few at a recent meeting in Oberndorf...

Marc

Where do you live?

I am in Florida for the winter (till May) then in Penna. (till Oct) I stopped the filing for the night. It seems as though I am making progress. I am using the mag that was giving me the most problems and it is going in and out much better. Taking pains to do no damage to other parts of the frame. I appreciate all the help/suggestion I have gotten on this forum.

Make sure you are only filing with the magazine release button removed from the frame... its too easy to ruin it...

Thank you all, finished up this morning. just a little touch up with emery cloth, removed the bluing with acetone and all is well. Not quite as good as when it came out of Erfurt factory but 100% better then it was. Stopped when I was ahead and before I did damage. I can imagine people who read my post yesterday losing sleep last night thinking about that dam fool using a file on a hundred year old gun.........

At least it wasn't a Dremel......