Can Snail Drum Work With Other Than Artillery Luger
 

I saw a picture of handsome Jerry 'The Leather Dude' posing under a beautiful oak with his artillery luger out fitted with his snail drum and wondered if this was the only proper use? Did it work on any other models?

No expert here but I believe that they will fit into any (original) Luger. Not sure how they would feed .30 into a 1900 but see no reason why not. They were also used with certain SMG's at one time.
dju

Over the last few years I,ve seen their prices jump over $400. Them and Jans' book seem to be the hottest idems. Congrads to Jan!! Worth every penny.

Eric, Nothing official that I know of. It was designed for use with the Artillery and that is pretty much where it stayed to my knowledge.

The Machine Pistol 18 was also designed to use the .32 round snail drum with an adaptor. I have had the great privlege to shoot one. The MP 18 was built so close to the end of the Great War that it didn't see extensive use in the German Army. I would guess it might have seen some Police use during Weimar.

David, George Fortier, my drum expert asked me last Summer if the .30 would function in a drum..I have a shooting range right here beside my leather shop so I loaded up a full drum of ,30 slipped it into my .30 bench fitting pistol stepped out and ripped off a full drum of them! Worked really well! Expensive but they do work just like 9MM.

Some day if I can syay out of hospitals any monumental medical bill I get me a full correct artillery rig. What am I looking at?? They are so Sweeet!!

Do You still have your turkeys? I meant to ask, has the price of ammo skyrocked like gasoline??

I tested the TM08 in the LP08, a short barreled P08 and even in a Swiss M1929 Luger in .30 luger. Worked like a charm anytime.

Herbert Werle test fired the TM08 in combination with a full auto conversion luger carbine. This also worked very well.

Thanks Jerry. I trhink I need a TM to shoot. Any suggestins on good ones, authentic or repros, to buy as shooters?
dju

Hi David, I think you're going to have to bite the bullet (you should excuse the expression) and be prepared to pay. Genuine trommels in working order start in the low four figures for a Type 2 Bing and go up in to the very high teens or higher, for a decent Type 1 A.E.G. Good luck, Norm

Norme:
If I spent that kind of money on one I would be afraid to enjoy it very much. Break a spring? I'd cry in my beer for weeks. Both for the money loss and the historical loss.
Half that amount on a repop would be OK.
Wonder what someone could tool up and make a few hundred of them for? Every now and then someone makes a run of Thompson "C" 100 rd. drums. But those have fewer parts for sure.
Thanks;
dju

Hi David, There are some fakes made in eastern Europe that show up from time to time on the auction sights. They are difficult to tell from originals and are splattered with patches of artificial rust. They usually sell for $800.00 or so, and I have no idea if they work. Regards, Norm

They usually sell for $800.00 or so, and I have no idea if they work. Regards, Norm

Norm, I had wondered for some time and I forget who...Perhaps Gerben but someone in Europe I believe gave a test report on the repro drums and it was positive in that case..it worked.

You must be careful if you buy a drum..the repro's are out there and you don't want to pay an original price for one..Like Norm says..maybe 800. 1200-1500 for an original.

I guess there isn't great deal out there on legit drums~

Eric..5-6 years ago drums could be had for $6-800 they just kept going up. We will all likely look back 5-6 years from now and wish we had bought them at $1200!

Inflation isn't just for that blow up doll under the bed!

Although I sure she has gone up too! What about ammo? Is it worth going back to packing you own? Down here you have to buy the ammo from the range and return the casings, I'm going back to BBs I hate to admit this but i'm a luger virgin!!I've got to pickup a shooter if I can stay out hospitals long enough!!!

In 1968 I was a senior in high school. I purchased a DWM 1920 commerical in 30 luger serial 5215 n and a type 2 snail drum magazine from Ralph Shattuck. The Luger was mint and cost $125.00 and the drum was $100.00. I can't remember how many rounds I fired through it with the drum attached but it was in the 4 to 5 thousand range. Back then I reloaded my ammo because I could not afford factory ammo. I used cut down military 5.56 M 16 cases that I reformed. Never had any problems with the combo. I do remember that the last few rounds were a bear to load in the drum. Ended up selling the combo and purchased a 1970 Honda 750 motorcycle. Wish I had the Luger back, it was a great shooter.:)

Trommel's were used by the police for training with 'artillery' and the shorter P08 (lets say 4 inch, but they varied) and I am sure when needed during the turbulent 1920's; although the MP18 was favored, the trommel was used with 4 inch lugers.


Ed