Not your "run of the mill " fatbarrel!
 

Just received this one from Neil Keller of Kustom Ballistics. I sent him a Luger a while back and asked him to do something "different" with it. This is what he came up with, Neil is truly a Master Gunsmith!

A 45 GAP on a standard Luger frame. He had to build a bbl, breechblock and magazine from scratch. He widened the magazine well to accept the oversize mag, and probably some other stuff I haven't figured out yet. Had special springs made for the the recoil spring and mag spring. GT made the bottom for the magazine. I put on a pair of NG grips with beautiful grain checkered 30 LPI.

As soon as we get a few bugs worked out and have it running smoothly, I'm thinking about having it engraved!

Hugh, I am normally not very atracted to customized lugers, but that sure looks like a very nice one. I wouldnt mind it in my herd. John

Nice one!

Looking forward to the range report :)

Hugh, Very nice! I wonder what the magazine looks like? Like Gerben, I am anxious to hear how it performs!

Jerry Burney

Wow!!!!
I Like It! :)

Without being boring, how does it shoot?Any problems with feeding, how are the ears holding up? Any signs of being pounded too hard? How about the back of the frame?
How was the increase in pressure compensated for? Were spacers used in the main spring or was a new one formed from scratch?

Ok, I will stop asking questions :)

Nice!

Vern

very nice, I would love to have a 45 acp (or I guess gap) luger :)


ed

Nice looking fat barrel! Beautiful grain in those grips, too. Neat project. Looking forward to the range report.

What other calibers have y'all seen on a standard Luger frame?

Vern,

Don't know how it shoots, haven't loaded any cartridges yet, so don't know how it feeds, no battering of the ears, no signs of being pounded too hard because it hasn't been shot except for testing. New bbl takes care of pressure problem, I don't think the 45 has any more pressure than the 9mm. The main spring is a new made heavy one as is the magazine spring.

For those wanting a range report, if ya'll would quit sending me grips to restore, maybe I would have time to load some cartridges and shoot it!!!

Hugh!

Hang your "Out to Lunch" sign and go SHOOT that bad boy... I can't wait for the range report either! Quick too, before it turns into another BBQ gun!

Hugh ,

verrrrrry cool and beautiful - congratulations !!!

thanks for sharing

Bill

Neal K et al, I have a few PO8 breech blocks that have had the breech face opened up by Martz for .40S&W or .38 Super available @$50 each + S&H, for you experimenters out there. TH

Hugh:

Do you have the opening parameters for loading for this very interesting .45 GAP creation?

Bullet profile and O.A.L. should be two very imprortant elements in getting this fine pistol to operate properly.

For powder, I'd start out with Bullseye and create an accurate load that would function the pistol, then spread out into some slower burning powders for an accurate load that had a little more velocity.

Two Saturday afternoons at the range should be all you really need to develop some really fine loads for this eye candy!!!

If you are happy with your Smiths work, I think he may have several more orders coming from this site, perhaps, including one from me!

Sieger

Sieger,

I have about a dozen reloading manuals, plus the Handloader Website has a list of loads from all current reloading manuals, so starting loads won't be a problem.

As for ordering one from Neil, here is what he wrote me:

"I’m about ready to send the 45 to you and let you do some debugging. I need to do a little more refining before I send it. I have spent the better part of the last couple months spiddling with it. I now know why Martz charged so much and why he always told me that most of the time spent was getting the guns to function.
I still do not know if there will be a number beyond 2........... I really do not care if you post it as I do not know if I will make any more of them................ I would like to make a full size 45 but not do it like John did. Instead of using 2 guns I see the possibility of cutting the gun apart and inserting pieces to stretch it. I have looked at this and believe it is possible, but want to finish some of what I have started now, as my carbine."