4-29-2016
Updating this thread with more results and more info!
See post number 5 below.
There have been three or two threads recently on problems associated with firing 7,65mm or .30 cal luger pistols.
Many of the problems revolve around ammo, sometimes magazines, perhaps springs, and occasionally unknown causes of malfunctions.
We have learned that Fiocchi ammo is not always the same, and it has been confirmed to one member by Fiocchi that they have made changes in the ammo from time to time. Black box, grey box, and purple box Fiocchi seem to have different levels of performance. More to be learned here.
Finnish surplus ball ammo from the mid '50's has been reported to be quite reliable, and is currently available from Samco.
The mainspring or recoil spring is also connected to performance.
Years have taken their toll on original springs, springs have been replaced with "home made"; and several different configuration(sizes) were used in original production.
A compilation is shown attached below.
Magazines are a weak spot for many lugers, current production Mec-gar magazines have been shown to eliminate most magazine related problems.
Given this background, I set out for the range this past week with two different .30 lugers, a DWM alphabet commercial from the mid 1920s, and a 1912 Erfurt that was also re-lined in the '20s for commercial sale. I took three "new" magazines, two mecgars-one chrome, one blue, and a chrome Erma - all new or as new.
For ammunition, I had three types from Fiocchi: round nose jacketed soft point, ball, and hollow point, Winchester hollow point, and Remington ball and hollow point.
I fully expected to find that the hollow points were problematic in feeding and that of the 5 types of ammo, maybe one would work in each pistol. Same for the magazines, i.e. maybe one would be "best".
Pistols were dis-assembled, cleaned, and well oiled before firing.
Well, at the range, surprise!- all ammo worked equally well in both pistols- which is to say no malfunctions.
The Mecgar mags worked well, the Erma did not strip the first round as well as the other two; but they all worked.
I either got lucky or incredibly lucky- or else these .30 lugers are not so sensitive as I was beginning to think.
When i returned home, I checked the mainsprings,
the Alpha commercial had a 17 turn spring(0.056 wire) and the
1912 Erfurt a 19 turn spring of similar wire.
Just a note on replacement mainsprings. Wolf makes three "rated" springs; IIRC 36,38,and 40 lbs ratings- All have 21 or 22 turns, at least that is what was in my kit. Overall length varied by 1/4", but not in relation to the ratings. I think they are all the same.
I did buy two spring kits from Sarco, the mainsprings in them are 19 turns- and may be a better choice if you want to replace the springs in a .30.
Though if one studies the chart/info below, one sees that essentially all spring variations have been used at one time or another interchangeably for 9mm and .30 pistols. My apologies for not citing the reference, I do not know the name of the book where it is published.
So - long story short- either nothing or everything works!
I do hope this rambling story is of some help to someone.