Well this is a first for me anyone else ever see this
 

Well i got home from shooting some new factory 124gr 9mm and upon disassembly to clean my luger i found the center toggle to be cracked on only one side of it i have no idea when it happened anyone else ever see this or should i just chalk it up to being a 110 year old piece of steel

Exactly what cartridges were you shooting? Lugers should never be shot with +P, +P+, NATO or any other cartridge that isn't standard pressure. The original Luger load was a 123 grain bullet at 1090 fps. Most who shoot their Lugers with factory ammo use 115 grain Winchester White Box.

This was absolutely nothing hot at all it was just regular federal 124gr factory ammo with a fps of 1150 i know better than to shoot anything hot in my luger and would never ever shoot a +p bullet in this gun

If you would like to see if a replacement front toggle is available (the first part in the toggle train is the breechblock) I can highly recommend this person. He is likely to have the part you need and can also do the repair. If you do a search on this forum, you'll find many compliments WRT his work. He has done work for me and it was first rate. He's also pleasant to work with.

Gerald Tomek, 316 W. Straford Dr., Chandler, AZ 85225
Email: gctomeks@msn.com
Phone: 408-234-6565

I have already located a toggle i more curious on how it could of happened so maybe it can be prevented again but if i do run into some issues i will reach out to your contact

It will happen dependably with the Erma .22s made in the sixties if "hyper velocity" rounds are used (e.g. Stingers and Velocitors). Granted, those guns are made primarily of cast ZAMAK, but the corresponding part to yours breaks the very same way.

IMHO, 115 grain ammo is gentler than 124 grain ammo on the Luger action.. These are old guns, remember.

Yeah once i get my new toggle in and get it installed i will be changing to 115gr and only using an ammo that i find will feed and run reliably

Pardon the pun,
but maybe your Luger was not all it was cracked up to be.

Second the G.T. reference

Yeah aint that the truth but im being optimistic about it and all thaf this is my very first luger and i just look at it as a lesson to learn when i get my next one i will be going to tue show of shows this weekend in louisville and will be looking for luger parts which im sure i will fine but i will say i am hooked in this gun and already wanting another

broken link!
 

Hi Dbrittss1917, And thanks to all the forum members who have expressed confidence in me over the years! It is a very special group here, and I have a lot of respect fo my fellow members.
As for the broken middle link, I think either the part was improperly heat treated, or, a flaw in the metal? I've never seen one break in that spot? But, being that you're replacing it, make sure you have the headspace checked, or you might just go from bad to worse??? ::eek: Best of luck with your repair, til.....lat'r....GT:cheers:

i will say i am hooked in this gun and already wanting another[/QUOTE]


That is a very common syndrome among Luger people!! ;)

Is there a set of gauges i can purchase to have the head space checked i live in sort of rural ky and do not have alot of options open as for gun smiths that work with lugers yes i could send it to someone but thats just a time inconvenience now if its something super hard then yeah i will do that or maybe a book i can purchase that will teach me about this gun and how to do checks as in the head space

Beside the potential problem with headspace, the fitting of the link pin may present an issue. The new toggle may not have the identical hole size. Just a thought.

Would it be wise to open up the hole of the toggle or lower the circumference of the pin through fine wet sending of course taking my time and checking fitment along the way and not rushing anything

I'm not qualified to answer that.

Okay thank you for the honesty

pin fit!
 

As for sanding the holes, the short answer is nope!!!! :eek::eek:
Every thousands is important for either maintaining, or re-establishing the correct head space! In fact, a tight closure on the "GO" gauge is desired..
Install the middle toggle, to rear toggle, link pin and see how it feels? If just a little snug, oil it up and work it back and forth thru it's, "working range" don't work it too far as it will remove the blue on the rear toggle knobs!
If then too tight, use a little fine lapping compound. A spot of that, and a couple of cycles by hand, and it will loosen up immeadiatly. Be carefull and don't over do it. Check the rest of the pins in the same manner. toggle should be free, with zero endplay.. If possible... best to all, til.....lat'r....GT..:cheers::cheers:

If you have any problems, just be smart and send the pistol to GT, you won't be sorry.

Hey gt how do i get ahold of you directly to possibly speak about maybe sending this luger to you to have you install the toggle and ensure my gun is good to go

Go back to post number 4 where I listed GT's complete contact information.