Hi Jerry!
The key to Luger function is raising the toggle train pivot above the centerline of the toggle train. If you will look at both the Borchardt and the Parabellum I think you will find they both work on this same principle, and George Luger made no fundamental changes here.
As an aside, getting the Parabellum design to work as a blow back firearm was a very simple thing. All it took was preventing the toggle train pivot from going to or below the centerline of the toggle train. If you will take a look at the ERMA â??Lugersâ?? (like the one pictured in the Ownersâ?? Corner, under Kyrie) you will be able to see this design modification.
The raking of the grip frame back was an unintended consequence of changing the shape and location of the main (recoil) spring. In short, the grip frame had to be slanted back to get adequate performance from the new spring/location. This was actually quite a headache for George Luger, and he was uncertain that it would really work - which was the origin of the toggle lock. The absence of any spring pressure preventing the toggle from bouncing back open was a real concern! In the event, this turned out to be an unnecessary worry. But we can see the level of concern by the complicated toggle lock and all the problems it caused by itself.
Iâ??ve always found it interesting that the arguably single most attractive feature of the Pistole Parabellum, the nice â??feelâ?? produced by the raked back grip frame, was an unintended consequence of a change to the recoil spring.
Warm regards,
Kyrie
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