Luger Won't Fire
 

I have several Lugers and decided I ought to fire one. I selected one that has a "42" on the top of the toggle and a date of 1940 on top of the chamber. It appears to have all matching numbers. I understand that the 42 is a wartime code for the Mauser company??? Anyway, I loaded her up and aimed at a tree and pulled the trigger and NO BANG! I moved the safety lever and tried again with the same result. It won't fire.

Any ideas on what the problem might be? Any recommendations for a good Luger gunsmith...perhaps in Texas?

Thanks,
Terrell

Not an expert. One possibility is the side plate being "forced match". There are other senarios with problem in sear, disconnector, and/or firing pin. Remove the ammo and dry firing a few times should find what's wrong (may need a snap cap in chamber to protect the firing pin).

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Welcome to the forum.

A few more details please, but first, welcome to the Lugerforum.

Did the primer have a dent in it? or was there no 'click' ?

Are you certain the ammo was good ammo?

Does the trigger drop the striker (no hammer in a Luger) when you dry fire it? Snap cap recommended, but a few dry fires won't hurt much.

Let's start with these questions, instead of going through every possible scenario...

Let me know

Thanks very much for the responses. There was no click at all. The trigger moved and absolutely nothing happened....no click no anything. I tried it numerous times at the ranch and never could get it to do anything when the trigger was pulled. I jacked several rounds through it and tried it loaded, unloaded and without the magazine. Nothing. Now that I have the pistol at home and unloaded I have dry fired it a few times and there is a snap which sounds (and feels) like the striker is firing. Strange.

Sounds to me like your sear bar/disconnector is sticking. remove the sideplate. Looking at the sear bar left there is a spring loaded pin that moves laterally front to rear. If this pin sticks in the inside position, it will provide the symptoms you are describing. I recommend that you saturate the pin and searbar in WD-40 and work the pin in and out until such time as it has complete freedom of movement.

Once it moves, replace the sideplate and try dry firing again. You should have consistent snap when the striker falls. If you do not, then **** the gun and once again remove the sideplate. press on the front of the sear bar and the rear of the bar will pivot up and release the striker.

Report back once you have determined that this is happening. Do not use any ammo until we have it dry firing consistantly...

later,

Your gun has not been fired for a long time: I recommend that you clean the breach block of any possible grease build up. Your sporadic tripping of the firing pin sounds like this may be your problem.

Have you been using WD40 by any chance, I like the stuff but it can gum up an action to the point that the firing pin will not move or move past a certain point.

Vern

Just saw John's post-- WD40 works! It only causes a problem over long periods of time.

Thanks to all once again. Yes, the Lugers have not been fired in a very long time, (probably several decades at the very least). I doubt that they have ever had WD40 on them. I will try the WD 40. I'm a little nervous about taking a Luger apart even a little bit, since the last time I took one apart I spent about two hours of cussing trying to get it back together and never would have had I not found an internet site with instructions on how to do so. I'll let you guys know the result.
Terrell

Terrell, When all else fails, it's time for the "Lugerdoc". TH

Another phenomena I have witnessed which produces symptoms pretty much as those described is the transfer bar axle pin rotating and sticking out away from the sideplate.
If the small bend in this pin has rotated away from being flat against the interior of the sideplate, it may be causing the failure to fire. Pressing the bend in the pin flat against the sideplate again and preventing it from rotating via a non-permanet adhesive or peening might fix this problem

Terrell,

There are videos on Youtube.com that give a very good explanation and instruction for Luger assembly and disassembly... just search for Luger. The videos were done by a forum member.

OK. Problem solved. Many thanks for all the help.

NOW....I should stop right there and save myself some humiliation....BUT....because all of you were so nice to offer your help I will continue and tell "the rest of the story." I may then have to withdraw from the "Luger Forum" and return under another name.

I had an uncle who gave me his gun collection. In the collection there were some Lugers. I had never fired a Luger and decided that I wanted to do so and then had the problem mentioned above. My uncle inventoried his entire gun collection about 12 years ago. In doing so he attached a small string tag to each firearm and put a number on the tag. The firearms are listed by number in a manuscript with a description of each weapon by each number. The tags on all the Lugers are attached to their trigger guards with a very fine string. I did not remove the tag (and still have not) to fire this particular gun. The string is just looped through the trigger guard and can slip back and forth. When the string is behind the trigger, the gun won't fire....when I pull it in front of the trigger - no problem. I discovered this after using the WD 40 and then the pistol would not dry fire at all so I began messing with the string. MAN...talk about close tolerances!! It still amazes me that this very fine string prevents the luger from firing.

SO.....In the future when some guy has the same probem maybe you guys should first say: "HEY DUMMY...do you have a string on the trigger guard!"

I'll let you know when I have fired the pistol. Thank you all again.

"John Doe"

Thanks for the smile :)

Its far better than beating your gun flat with a hammer, don't laugh we have seen that too, so your still way above bottom.

We would love to hear about your lugers, pictures and things like that

thanks for the post! and the smile :)

Vern

Terrell -- Great. You found it and solved it. This type of problem is supposed to be hard to find by text. :cheers: I am a little confused -- Is "John Doe" your name, or your uncle's name?

Alvin,
I think you are kidding me, but "John Doe" was used so as to not use my real name after such a bonehead stunt.

Terrell

Sorry, my mistake. I remembered a last name wrong. "John Coe"..... his name appears in quite a few classic C&R books..... I wrongly interpreted that you're his nephew. I did not even think the special meaning of "John Doe" because I thought you referred to Mr. Coe.

Took the Luger to the ranch and fired 7 rounds. No problems.
Thanks again,
Terrell

Terell, glad you got er bucked out.