P.08 for Dummies
 

Fellas, I'm planning on purchasing my first P.08 and I've got a few basic questions. Are Lugers as tempermental as legend would have me believe ? I've always heard that they are rather picky about the ammo fed to them. Is .30 Luger as hard to come by as .30 Mauser ? Are there "trouble spots" I need to be aware of when purchasing a P.08 ?

Re: P.08 for Dummies
 

With a good magazine and a Wolff magazine spring plus Tetra Gun Grease on the toggle rails, all of my 9mm Lugers never miss a beat. 30 Mauser and 30 Luger ammo is available, but MUCH more expensive than 9mm.


Lonnie

Re: P.08 for Dummies
 

Original .30 luger ammo IS expensive, but some import (Fiocci) and some from companies like "Circled Wagons", a local Oregon company, now produce .30 luger at a reasonable price.(about $15 for box or bag of 50)

Re: P.08 for Dummies
 

I have a Tokarev that shoots the .30 mauser but isn't .30 luger and .30 mauser near the same design and both can be chambered?


sidhartha

NO!!! DON'T DO IT SID!
 

These two cartridges are NOT interchangeable! This is absolutely an UNSAFE practice!


regards,


John

Re: P.08 for Dummies
 

I agree 100% with John. Just because it will fit in the chamber and will cycle the action doesn't mean its safe. I destroyed every spring in a 98 Mauser Broomhandle shooting 7.62x25 Cz ammo instead of the more expensive 7.63 mauser. It was great while it lasted though. Very impressive fireball.


RGG/Roadkill

Re: P.08 for Dummies
 

Roadkill; try 6gr of Herco and a 85 gr Sierra and you won"t be sorry!! (In your Broomhandle)


Lonnie

Re: NO!!! DON'T DO IT SID!
 

No. I was not going to do it. I value my guns to much for that. Just that this stream reminded me of a conversation in a local gun shop where some guys were discusing the two calibers being nearly the same. Obviously they did not know what they were talking about.


sidhartha

Re: P.08 for Dummies
 

Fellas, thanks for the advice. I have a P.08 coming from Mr. Supica @ The Armchair Gun Show. It's a 1930s 9mm piece with black plastic grips....I'm guessing those aren't original. I ran three rounds of .30 Tok through my bolo....pinched the webbing of my hand each time so I got scared and stopped.

The black plastic grips...
 

could well be original. After 1937 black plastic grips were issued on some Lugers. And due to the practice of dip bluing everying after 1937, with the black grips, it gave rise to the "marketing term" - BLACK WIDOW.


Dok

Re: The black plastic grips...
 

Dok, maybe I'll save my $18 and not get those wood grips from SARCO. This weapon is dated 1933 and is S/42 code so I may just keep them on the P.08. Maybe they were added sometime during the Nazi reign.Thank ya, Sir.

Re: The black plastic grips...
 

Dated 1933 and S/42? You may have some kind of rarity.

Re: NO!!! DON'T DO IT SID!
 

I shot a couple dozen rounds of that Tokarev stuff thru a decent broomhandle a few years ago-took a close look and noticed some distortion/mushrooming on the reciever behind the locking bolt. Thing is, I knew better. I won't shoot anything thru that gun now-also I would never sell it as a shooter.

"If you're gonna be stupid, you better be tough."

Ooops!! (EOM)
 

Re: Ooops!!
 

Well, Mr. Supica describes the weapon as "mixed" so maybe some pieces were added later. I had a 1917 Oberndorf Gew98 that had been reworked during the early Nazi era and had a sight base coded S/42.