Feed ramp in barrel, Just wondering????
 

I recently received a P.38 where someone had tried to improve the feeding and reliability of the gun by grinding a slight feedramp into the bottom of the barrel chamber! As the barrel is already chamfered for this, it was redundant and as far as I could see, unsafe! Now, when you look at a luger chamber, they have quite an extensive ramp cut into each and every one?? I don't recall this on any other firearm? Do you think it was designed this way? Or was it modified at some early point in it's beginnings, like the second shot?? Modern pistols seem to be support the brass all the way around.. It would also seem that a gentle angle on the bottom of the breechblock would lessen the cartridge jump in the magazine upon cycling to feed... I'm not throwing stones, as the engineering on Lugers is incredible, but do you think they stopped short on some very basic issues? Or do you think they were at the end of their game? best to all, til...lat'r....GT

I was wondering the same thing myself. How come that brass does not burst where is not supported by chamber steel?

The web of the brass is strong enough, for a small section of the brass to be un-supported......

feed ramp cut.
 

Hi Rick, All is as well as can be expected down here! Thanks for the info. on the ramp cuts... I've just been wondering lately if they (German designers) were addressing a problem with the ramp, or designed it in from the get go??? I would like to think that this could be eliminated on a new design P.08. But the Swiss, and all the post war guns exhibit this same feature... although when inspecting barrels, I see quite a variance in the aftermarket barrels, and excellent consistency in the wartime barrels... all years..and models.. Best to you Rick, and thanks again for the reply...til...lat'r...GT

Gerry, In thinking about your question, I first thought it might have something to due with the distance from the breech face at full recoil and the chamber, but both the PO8 & the P38 seem to be about the same one and a half inches. So the feeding distance is about the same, which makes me wonder about slide/toggle speed. If the PO8 closes faster than the P38, perhaps the ramp is necessary because the cartridge is not fully seated on the breechface. Tom