Unintended consequences...
 

I recently bought a WW1 DWM. The lower parts and the toggle train match but the barrel and extention don't match the rest of the gun. However, the barrel and extension are matching. The gun was nickel plated and I bought it cheap enough to be a fixer-upper shooter.

The unintended consequence is that removing the nickel made the gun quite loose. With the upper removed the toggel train has a lot of side-to-side play and the axle pin is very loose. The sideplate is now able to move away from the gun ever so slightly requiring about 3 times the normal trigger pull to trip the sear.

I spoke with a gunsmith friend of mine who pointed out that removing the nickel was necessary to do the repairs and clean-up that needed to be done. In his opinion he would renickel the gun to tighten it back up and close the tolerances.

Any opinions? If I elect to renickel who would be good to use?

I just had a thought. If I use an oversize axle pin and weld a little metal to the leg of the sideplate, for the locking lug leg to bear against, I could tighten the gun enough to be a decent shooter.

It is possible, but welding can cause additional problems.

Usually adding nickle or chrome takes it out of tolerance, so you'd think taking it off would improve it.

Either the person who added the nickle took some metal off to make it function or else it was loose to start with?


A nickle gun shoots as well as a blued one, just many folks don't like them. I think they are part of history and think everyone should own at least one ;)


Ed

Nickled 1918 Erfurt!
 

Mine, a great shooter in 9mm, wouldn't think of changing it.

Why don't you parkerize it? After re-finishing my 1911, I had to use fine grit valve-lapping compound to loosen up the slide enough to function. Good luck. MR

I considered that but something about a parked Luger just doesn't compute.

JimD

Just a point of info... the LAST contract for Lugers was for the Portugeuse... the Lugers were made by Mauser, marked byf and the year over the chamber was "42". I have seen some blued, but most were evidently parkerized! :eek:

As an alternative to the typical chrome or nickel plate , armoloy seems superior and offers a nice even coating which likely is more durable on the sliding parts

I have one luger armoloy coated - was that way when acquired - and is to me excellent appearance and sort of like a satin chrome - apparently not much polishing was required as markings appear almost original

I have no association with this linked entity ( just used search "armoloy firearms" )

http://www.armoloyftworth.com/Armolo...plications.htm

good luck with your project
Bill

Jim, I find it interesting that you think chrome or nickel is preferable to parkerizing on a military pistol. If that is your cup of tea, well, have at it. To each his own.
MR

I think the point is that these are former military pistols and most of us tend to leave them as we find them.
I have a couple parked Ports and they are kinda ugly compared to originals.-
Nickle and other finishes are postwar mods, and while garish and not very practical are nicer looking than parkerizing.
I'll never run aother combat patrol, so chrome is no issue on a relic pistol.

To each his own, indeed.

Well, I'm almost finished with this project. I got a WWII Mauser marked barrel from a friend that is better than mine. It timed up just right and the headspace is good.

I tried 4 barrels he sent me and in the process of torquing on and taking off the barrel extension tightened up making the toggle train a better fit.

There is a .010" gap between the locking lug button and the side plate leg allowing the sideplate to move away from the gun when pulling the trigger. That movement requires pulling the trigger very hard to trip the sear. What I will do is silver solder a .010" square piece of spring stock to the front of the leg of the side plate to take up the play.

Also, enough metal was removed between the interior of the sideplate and the left side of the trigger where the two meet. That allows the trigger to wobble quite a bit. What I will do is solder a small piece of spring stock to the inside edge of the sideplate thereby taking the wobble out of the trigger. A little dressing with a stone will fine tune the spring stock so as not to bind the trigger.

After the sideplate work is done then I will blue it and call it a day.

Jim,
You can bend the leg of the sideplate out away from the frame to remove slack. The metal of the sideplate is pretty soft. Put the sideplate in a vise with the leg out. Either tap slightly outward or put a cresent wrench on it for leverage and bend slightly. Go slowly and check the fit often. This should go without saying but... make sure you protect the surfaces of the sideplate. I used an old belt folded in half with the sideplate in the middle. You'll probably be surprized how easy it is to bend. Hopefully it will tighten the slack in the trigger also.

Parkerizing will take up some of the slop...Not a whole lot (maybe .0005" to .0015")...I've Parked AR15 barrels, and the front sight base is always a bear to get on afterwards...

But I've found that if you go over a Parked finish with well-worn 0000 steel wool (that's 4 zeros) it will give the Park a satiny-shiny semi-gloss... :thumbup:

Beats me but it did.

It depends on which way you have the receiver clamped in the vise... :p

Unintended consequences...

If you want this try

Armoloy® .

I sent a Weatherby Varmintmaster action to these people for Armoloy finish .

They "vapour honned" the parts before plating including the locking surfaces .

The end result was a destroyed action with a $100 invoice.

There are NO gunsmiths involved .
Kenny Jarrett had a major problem when they plated the inside of match barrels years many ago.
Be warned!!

I have seen serious competition pistols done with Metalife finish on the other hand
that were perfect in finish and function.

Do a search on the pistol forums for the latest information.

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=63257

Glenn

duracote, could be another option, it comes in various shades and can actualy be applied over a parkerised finish.

I agree with MFC above, that some judicious bending of the side plate should solve your slack trigger problem. I do have oversized rear axels available, ranging from 0.05 to 0.20mm over standard diameter if needed @$20 + $3 S&H each. TH