Idiot (me) Luger question
 

Hi gents (and ladies)

I am extremely new to the Luger hunt, as I have spent my whole life doing the Winchester M-12 thing. A few years ago I got into 98k rifles...and look where it has led me. In the next two weeks I am going to look at a friend's Luger, and I have no idea on how to cycle the toggle. I want to be able to inspect the gun and bore (and take some notes)...but I am a novice.

1. How do I lock the action open to inspect the bore?
2. How do I release the action to battery position?

This thing looks a LOT more complicated than my P38...

Thanks, Dave

Dave, welcome to the forum!

You have to have a magazine inserted, then pull up and back, forceful, not with lots of ooomph, but some.

Pull the mag out and then pull the toggle back and it will release.

Ed

an empty mag.........

Dave,

Be aware that there is a variety of Luger which was manufactured without a holdopen, the toggle will not lock back. Most of them were armory retrofitted with a holdopen. They are scarce, but you could run into one.

Let us know how it goes and all the details of the Luger.

--Dwight

--Dwight

Ed, Howard, Tac and Dwight--you guys are great! Where else could a perspective Luger owner get such instant, accurate advice? Thank you all for making this forum what it is.
DougT

Also see the "dry firing?" thread in the New Collectors' Forum.

And should this thread also be in the New Collectors' Forum?

It might, ought to be in the new collectors forum, but it was general enough for me, sometimes guys can't find the thread when I move them :D

Gents, thanks a million for the mega-smokin speed in response. Ed, feel free to move this to the "new collector" if need be. It's where I should have asked it anyway :-) I also did a search on dry firing (like I should have done to start with) and found lots of instruction. Wow, reading really IS fundamental.

The current owner doesn't know anything about the gun's operation...but she probably knows more than I do!!! It was her husband's, and apparently a bringback by her father-in-law. Supposed to have the mag and holster. I will ask more questions when I know more. Thanks again.

Dave

Luger handling
 

Be aware that some variants will not allow the toggle to be pulled all the way back if the safety is engaged.

Wow! I'm an idiot. I've been playing with this thing, trying to figure out how it works, etc. The more I read, the worse it gets. Please don't hold this against me but you don't know unless you ask. Can someone please give me a direction to go concerning the the proper care and feeding of a really nice luger? I'm afraid to touch it now. Help!

yes, don't clean excessivly, i.e. try to take her all the way apart, guaranteed, you will scratch her.

Clean and oil lightly.


If a really nice one, then consider not shooting her, or shooting her much, and swapping out the grips, and maybe some other parts. Because if you break a numbered part, to most collectors, value is now half...

Ed

Thanks again Ed. Learning more all the time. Very humbling experience.
Reading through the various threads is a great education.

tac, Yep that's me. I think you just like the part about me being an idiot!
Cheers!
- Rick