shot my luger for the first time and need a little help
 

i have a 1937 S/42 and i took it out for the first time today. sweet little shooter but it keep staying open at different times. some times it would shoot all the rounds and then stay open and other times i would only shoot a few rounds and it would lock open with rounds still in the mag ( it would not jam up or anything it would just lock open and not feed the next round). i was shooting winchester 9mm from walmart so i don't think it's the ammo.im a little confused about this. what should i look for to correct this from happing.
thank you

Lee,
Were you holding with a stiff wrist. Lugers don't like to be held with a limp wrist. The more rigid the better.

This will often cause them to lock open.

Ron

humm

dont really remember

could there be another reason?

does it look like the spring is bent?

Yes

i think that might be the problem

Hi,

That thing is the holdopen and it's meant to be pushed upwards by the magazine button, so that it will block the toggle after the last shot.

Sometimes the magazine button will not push against it hard enough or high enough so that the toggle closes after the first shot.

Your problem, however, indeed suggests that the holdopen stays in blocking position, thus catching the toggle.

You can safely shoot the pistol without the holdopen installed, btw.

W2K, I agree with the above in that your HO spring is either weak or not bent in the downward direction as it should be. TH

thank you guys