Snail Drum Question
 

I am new to the world of Lugers. I've always admired them, but only recently entered the world of owning one. This summer I inherited a bring back P08 from my wifes Grandfather. Matching serial numbers 1942 #173 (the cruel joke is that the magazine is numbered #37). I only have a cursory knowledge of the history of these magnificent firearms, but I am curious about snail drums.

The pistol itself has little wear, but I won't pretend to know how to grade it's condition. It also came with a 32 round snail drum which I think would be graded as very good condition by any measure. From what I have read, most snail drums were issued to artillery, and from what I gather, typically were accompanied by Lugers with 7" barrels, which mine does not have. My assumption is that the drum and the pistol were not issued together, and since Grandpa is deceased, I will never know exactly how how he acquired the two pieces.

I am curious if anyone is aware of snail drums being issued along with standard barrel P08s.

Any input is appreciated.

Welcome to the Forum!

Snail drum were never issued with the standard 4" barreled pistol. There are thousands of reasons why one acquires things, but the most likely reason your wife's Grandfather picked up the drum magazine is because he was interested in it. They work in any Luger and it would be fun to have a drum on a pistol at the range or while plinking.

Not issued but likely used with 4" Luger on the front lines. With millions of German troops at war, it would make statistical sense the at least one German Soldier grabbed a 32 round drum magazine and used it in a 4" Luger during the heat of combat. Issued no. But If you use the drum in your Luger you are just doing what others have done before you during the war.

However with the magazine being roughly equal in value to the gun, caution is advised in using it at the range. A more cautious approach would be to treat it as a collectable, not a shooting mag. It is a WW1 item, valuable and some springs are probably fragile.
dju

Thanks for the repiles. I have no intention of using the magazine at the range, but am happy to have it.

Just to clarify. I was not suggesting that Jay use his magazine at the range. I was suggesting that may have been a reason his wife's Grandfather acquired it.

Snail Drum
 

Just thought you might like to know that in order to load your
Snail drum to it's full 32rd you will need a loader and the real
ones are as much as the snail drums.
Thanks,George:atwhore:

I've looked into the reloading tools, pretty spendy. Maybe someday....

I could get 18 rounds into mine by hand, no tool, when I used to shoot it. Great fun!

18 rounds is about all I have ever heard of any one ever being able to get into one without a
loader.
Thanks,George

I am listening. How do you get them in starting out from scratch? I just got a snail drum today. I have one loaded so far. I have a Bing, # 201530 and have no idea of how to proceed.
thanks
Jack

You have to take off the tension of the spring first, then it is relatively easy to start adding rounds, to about 18 as mentioned before:

Extend the lever, then turn the lever towards the opening in the lid, where the button can be lowered, so that the lever can be held in place. The internal (leaf) spring is now tensioned, taking off the tension on the second spring. Also press in the small follower button while loading it.

Some repro loader could be use without lot of money
http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=42...c1e576e816b35c

Patrice, 99.00eur is an excellent price, even for a reproduction. Least expensive I've encountered these days approaches $600 at fixed price listings. If one chose to purchase and resell, conceivably one could profit somewhat by doing so. Miene Deutshh ist nicht gut genug, otherwise I'd try. I still have the remaining balance on an open export permit from Germany, and could put it to use...

Item # 1. I understand the picture and the currency amount but I don't understand the words. David, are you saying you could import the item?

Item # 2. I am getting too much resistance in cranking the handle around to that position. I am not a weakling but it just gets to taunt to go around until it will catch in the slot. Am I already wound too tightly?
thanks
Jack

Is it safe to open this machine with the amount of tension I feel or am I about to have some springs flying at me if I open her up?
thanks
Jack

Jack, You better talk to George Fortier (Kitkatt) He has opened more drums than anyone else I know of.

Jack,

Last spring/summer I bought some Erma parts from a seller in Germany. Since the seller does not export to the USA, I enlisted the assistance of the forum, and Gerben rose to the occasion by giving me contact info for Gerd Schoen, a retired Mauser exec., who purchased the parts and sent them to me. (This reminds me, I am remiss, and must correspond with Gerd.) Anyway, sending gun parts from Germany requires an export permit, the cost of which is determined by the value of what is sent. The permit Gerd obtained has some remaining power to allow another several hundred dollars' worth of stuff to be sent. It will expire at some point, I think a few months from now, and I'd have to contaact the most gracious Herr Schoen about it; but if someone in the states bought a loader in Germany, I think it could be sent. Details about how to do it would have to be worked out. Etc., etc...

David, A very gracious offer! However how could you call a loader a gun part? There is nothing about it that would be restricted in any way that I can think of?

By the way..there is a fellow in France that sells very nice reproduction loaders on Ebay and he seems to have no trouble shipping them to the US?

Nothing will fly out if you open it.
There is a humongus flat coiled spring that is safely welded inside a cup with only a shaft protuding.
Break that 100 year old spring and you have a paperweight.

Where you can get hurt is the lever coming off one of the little studs and slashing up yor hand or fingers.
Drums were viewed with suspicion by those who used them for real.