Cleaning and FMJ ammo
 

One of the bad habits (?) I picked up while maintaining and cleaning some of the German rifles I bought was cleaning the hell out of them, down to the last screw. One of the tricks I learned for cleaning a K98 bolt assembly is soaking all the parts in an acetone bath for about 15 minutes. Would this be a bad idea for cleaning Luger parts? I like everything very clean. Also, I was looking at some of the ammo available on the Sportsmansguide.com Web site. I like ordering from this organization because I have always been very satisfied with the products and outstanding customer service. I highly recommend them. Anyway, they have some PMC 9mm Luger FMJ rounds for $6.97 for a box of 50. In curious, what kind of commercial FMJ rounds are considered best for a Luger? I’m predisposed toward FMJ rounds because of the superior ballistics I’ve noticed with the 7.92mm FMJ rounds I’ve used for my German Mausers. [img]wink.gif[/img]

Heydrich, I like to use FMJ UMC ammo. I have read that others like the Wolf ammo at a little over $5.00 a box(50). Acetone is good but it evaporates really quick, I have found that it really doesn't get all of the old oil off for some reason, really screwed up a blueing project as a result. When I was in the Army they used a 50 gal drum cut in half and filled with diesel fuel, kerosene would prbably be just as good for overall cleaning. Isopropyl alcohol is also good. Go to K-Mart and get a spray dispensor of "Greased Lightnig" it works great but can be hard on the hands as it is a little caustic.

I've found PMC ammo to be great. Also, I tried some Wolf ammo, both FMJ and hollowpoint. Both work fine in my S&W, but my Luger only functions OK with the FMJ--the hollowpoints don't feed well. I quit buying Wolf ammo (and any other Russian stuff) when somebody reported overpressure (and maybe a blowup) with Russian ammo on the old forum back in about May. I am now buying only the Walmart Winchester FMJ ammo that sells for $10.95 for 100 and shoots great in both my 9mms.

I have found that I must clean the Luger after about 60-70 rounds for 100% reliability. It doesn't take a really serious effort, I just need to field strip, clean out powder residue from the toggle and canon, relube and reassemble.

Although probably not going to happen to your guns, they taught me in unit armorer school, that more guns are hurt by over cleaning than by under cleaning.

Excess wear on the lands, wear on the bolt, taking it apart, slipping and scratching it.

The guns used at Fort McClellen, AL are a great example, being the military they wanted the basic training guys to keep their weapons clean as all get out, and some of them were rubbed pretty clean! Lots of blue gone.

I also knew a guy that shot competivily with the .45 and he said he kept putting oil on it and just wiped it down. Said it shot tighter groups, accumulating the powder residue. Don't know if he was full of dillo doo or what but that is what he told me [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Just some late night words of almost wisdom,

[img]wink.gif[/img]

The Walmart stuff is my favorite too. Very clean. I have about 1000 rounds of Wolf .223, have fired lots of it in 9mm and .45, won't shoot it in anything but my MKVI .45, my P1, and my single shot .223. Very accurate but in the .223 about one of every 7 rounds will not eject and I keep a cleaning rod nearby knock it out. The single shot .223 is a NEF/H&R that will put out your eye when the shell is ejected. If it sticks then the cases are not right. I won't shoot it in my AR15, Luger, P38, or 1911A1. With both the 9mm & .45 I have had repeated case splits. Never overloaded though.

RK

""Said it shot tighter groups, accumulating the powder residue. Don't know if he was full of dillo doo or what but that is what he told me"" that's no BS , for IPSC training where shooting around 500 rnds is common, it's what I do and I usually make a complete disassembly every 1000 rnds or before official matches, I use good lubricants and everybody in the field asking me to test them because of that, I have already shot more than 100 000 rnds with my 2 first 10mm pistols, Colt Delta and Bren Ten, they're resting since I compete now in revolver category with my SW 610 , 10 mm revolver ( 50 000 rnds in 7 years )
[img]biggrin.gif[/img]

I use the UMC Remington 124 gr FMJ most often in my range firings of clients guns. AGE's 1915 DWM shot this group with it!! I must have burped on that one flier!!! <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/AGETarget.jpg

Nice shootin' Thor!

I’m going to try both isopropyl alcohol and acetone and see with one cleans better as a solvent bath. I may just use both, take turns soaking the parts in each. Took the advice given by many here and went to Wal-Mart and purchased some of the Winchester 9mm Luger ammo in the 100 round box. That’s some mean looking ammo, I must admit. The 18-year-old kid in the firearms section at Wal-Mart made an interested comment while I was gapping at the FMJ rounds, he goes, “Yeah, those will put a serious hole in someone.” I’ve never liked talk like that, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that all I would ever shoot at is some tin cans and puddles of water. The DWM Luger I purchased is the first pistol I’ve ever bought, and I think it will be the last. I’m starting to intensely dislike the sigma that goes with pistols. This is something that I have never run across in my many years of shooting rifles. I’m sure many will disagree with me, but being a rifleman kind of carries with it a much more honorable persona. I guess maybe I watched too many episodes of the black and white series “The Rifleman” when I was a kid. LOL. Maybe the fact that a pistol is easily concealable gives it such a questionable reputation. You can try to hide a rifle, like on the side under your shirt and down a pant leg, but lots of people may just think you’re really glad to see them, if you guys know what I mean. LOL. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Acetone is a lot more harmful to your body than is alcohol. Both really can burn explosively! When I use acetone as a soaker, I have it enclosed so I dont breath the fumes. Another super degreaser is Walmart's Prestone Brake Cleaner at around $1.50 a can. Wear good gloves and spray those parts outside, again, vapors are explosive (hahahha.......I sure no that much) Simple green is a good coarse crud cutter for the big majority of heavy grease. Thor

I have been using 'spray brake cleaners' for years...it works great and that sucker is almost too clean when you are through!

You will need to get CLP on it almost at once as you can almost see the rusting start on that super-clean bright metal!

Orv Reichert

Heydrich,

To each his own on pistols vs rifles. I've found pistols and CCW permits very respectable in Florida, at least if you are respectable. Maybe I've watched too many westerns, etc. too but a pistol is very handy for defense while a rifle is unlikely to be available for defense against surprise attack. Besides, who carries a rifle for self defense today?

Also, a pistol is hard to shoot accurately--it takes years of practice and thousands of rounds to become a decent shot. Anybody can shoot a scoped rifle (at least with a rest) after firing a box or two of ammo. There is a lot more challenge and fun in pistol shooting in my opinion even though I started shooting in a high school smallbore rifle team back in the late '40s long before I could buy a pistol.

Heydrich, I understand what you mean by the stigma, although it matters a lot where you live in the US. Over on the wetter side of the state, I think guns are not as smiled upon, close to the Idaho border it is almost like living in Alabama (gun rack on the back window, plays heck with those pinto wagons).

I prefer handguns, but also prefer the older ones with history and it is too hard for me to carry a rifle under my shirt or pants [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[quote]Iâ??m starting to intensely dislike the sigma that goes with pistols. This is something that I have never run across in my many years of shooting rifles. Iâ??m sure many will disagree with me, but being a rifleman kind of carries with it a much more honorable persona................. Maybe the fact that a pistol is easily concealable gives it such a questionable reputation. <hr></blockquote>

There is a very good essay on the subject of men not liking guns at http://www.cruffler.com. Written by a female, Julia Gorin.

My goodness, this gal has insight into the male ego! We are letting our need to be liked by women take our manhood from us by agreeing with their fear of guns.

This is an essay worth the read. (And after all, Luger Discussion Forums happens to be a forum for handguns!)

Wes:

What I ment by my posting was that I disliked the *reputation* that seems to go with pistols. Not the physical object itself. I read Mrs. Gorin’s article, much of it smacked of pseudo-intellectual claptrap to a certain degree, while some of the psychological aspects are correct. Oddly enough, some of the things she wrote reminded me of Jeff Copper’s writings.

If you said that you disliked my wife's reputation, you and I would have a very primitive discussion.

And my wife ranks right up there with my handguns!

Intellectually, those are the kind of discussions that I have come to expect.

Heydrich, why deny yourself the pleasure of owning and shooting Lugers or any other handgun because of what you think other's perceptions are? Instead of giving in to the opinions of others, be a good example and change their minds.

If an individual doesn't like my handguns, that's OK with me. We won't discuss guns and I won't invite them to go shooting with me. If they insist on berating me for owning guns then they'll find me much less tolerant. I'm completely unapologetic when it comes to my guns. I own them, I use them and I'm a licensed concealed weapon carrier. I will never live anywhere that denies me those rights.

Doubs,

Amen to your comments.

About 15 years ago I took a job in NY state (not the city). Tough times reguire hard choices. Anyway, I couldn't stand the thoughts of NY restrictions so I lived over the border in CT. They were decent on gun restrictions then, that's where I bought my first AR-15 and fairly easily got a CCW license.

CT is evidently a lot tougher now, but I live in FL. It's a great state for shooters and anyone who hates winter.