Update: Luger Artillery Pistol
 

Hello All,

Back on December 31, 2009, I posted my first thread on the Luger Forum regarding a 1918 Artillery pistol I inherited from my uncle, and the trouble I was having getting it to function properly. Since then, I have become a member of the Massachusetts Rifle Association, purchased a SIG Sauer Mosquito (.22 cal) and a Sig Sauer P226 (9 mm), and I am truly enjoying my new-found hobby. :thumbup:

Having become proficient at cleaning the two SIGs, I thought I would pull the Luger out of my safe and give it a really good cleaning and see if I could get it to function. After field stripping it and really taking my time to do a proper cleaning job, I took it to the range to see if I could get it to work. After firing the first round, I encountered the original problem of the second round not firing. So, I carefully pulled back the toggle and the second round ejected. I then let the toggle snap shut and aimed downrange and the third round fired. After that, I put a total of 50 rounds through it with only 1 other misfire. It seems like it just needed to be slowly worked back into operational mode. (Just a hunch, but I welcome any opinions.)

Here's my question. Is is normal for the barrel to become quite hot? I accidentally touched the barrel after putting about 15 rounds through and it was very warm (almost hot) to the touch. I could keep my hand on the metal, but there was no mistaking the fact that a good deal of heat buildup had occurred. I was using Winchester White Box 115 grain ammunition, and I never loaded more than 5 rounds into the magazine at one time. So, ostensibly, I was slow-firing 5 rounds and then reloading 5 more rounds.

Also, the adjustable sight would creep up from the completely flat position to a slightly raised position after every round, and would continue to do so with every subsequent round if I didn't push it back down. Is there possibly a screw that needs to be tightened?

All-in-all it was an incredible experience . . . so much different than the SIGs. Now I know why people fall in love with Lugers. What a precision piece!

Thanks for any advice or information you folks can provide.

Ralph

Ralph,

Both 'features' you describe are quite normal. The barrel can get quite hot and it is fairly typical.

The sight design is a bit of a design flaw, a very, very small spring that needs to keep a very, very small piece of metal in place during 9x19 recoil.... Whoever designed it must have had a rough night the day before :)

The slider part (small teeth) is usually worn down, causing a few of the teeth to be worn to such an extent that the sight can pop from 50 meters to 150 after one shot. The easiest 'fix' is to use a tie-wrap to keep it in place during shooting. Looks odd, but it works well.

The next level of course is shooting it with all bells and whistles: stock, (repro)holster and drum magazine. The holster, attached to the stock, will serve as an excellent and comfortable padding.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate your feedback.

rmc, If the "teeth" are not worn down or the numbered part of your LPO8 rear sight, perhaps the inside tip of the push botton is worn or your spring is weak. I do have these parts in stock. TH

Thanks, Mr. Heller, I will take a look and let you know.