Shooter won't go bang!
 

I took my .30 shooter out today. Firing pin barely made a dimple in the primers.

Firing pin is fine. Spring feels plenty stout enough. Firing pin protrudes more than enough. Primers are seated correctly. Did an eyeball check for head space. It seemed okay. Don't have a clue.

Any of the Lugerologists have any ideas??


Ron

Bad amo??

Cleaning the firing pin and the channel in which it moves solved this problem for me

Ron,

What ammo did you use. I've encountered Fiocchi primers which got pierced by the firing pin and those that appeared to be too thick, as the pin didn't ignite the properly.

I am using hand loads with CCI primers. I have used them before with no problems or failures in other .30s.

When I tried to fire the pistol. The sound and feel of the firing pin was was weak. When dry firing, it sounds and feels fine.

I think I will replace the spring and go from there. Although the spring tension seems very stout.

Thanks! Ron

Have kind of put 2 and 2 together? The firing pin was coated with clear grease(RIG or something similar). It was very cold where we were shooting(below freezing). The Luger had been in my shooting bag in the back of a pick-up truck most of the morning.

I think( read: hope) that the grease had coagulated due to the cold. And gummed up the channel.

Thanks again guys!!

Ron, I suspect your detective work is going to prove correct.

Good luck on this (though I actually don't believe in luck).

Thanks Rod, I sure hope so.

Ron

We have liftoff!! After a thorough cleaning and relube, it went bang. And very accurately. I'm happy to report. Amazingly so...

I do need to reload just a tad bit hotter. Which also makes me happy since I wanted to shoot some toastier loads in it. It didn't want to cycle with the, precautionary lighter than usual loads, that I worked up for it.

Off hand(standing on my hind feet) it shot 2" average groups at about 25 to 30 yds, and exactly to point of aim. At a "rested" 100yds it averaged 4" groups with an occassional flyer, with no hold-over. Not bad for a mix-master shooter. Impressed the begeezers out of my buddy who laid ridicule on it, and me when it wouldn't fire on the previous outing. He had to eat some serious crow on this one.

:cheers:

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/107_0721.jpg



Ron

Excellent! If your buddy continues to ridicule Lugers, he had better acquire a taste for crow. (Not much hope for that though...having consumed a few myself on a number of occasions and finding each experience equally humbling)

Hey Ron,

I thought that he had learned his lesson when I kept up with one of his favorite rifles using my Navy shooter with a repro butt stock. Some people just need to be pounded into submission.

Have a great day!! Ron

Ron, this is great news. I'm very glad it worked out for you.

Just think how well you'd have been able to shoot at a hundred if it hadn't been foggy! :D

Hi Rod,

Right after this photo was taken. It blew away and the sun was out bright. That's what prompted me to try it at 100 yds.

Ron