LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Reproduction Snail Drum

PhilOhio · 03-21-2017, 10:42 PM

Don,

You're absolutely right about both types being designed for jacketed bullets, but the harder copper alloy jackets do cause more bore wear. When both guns and barrels are easily replaced, this is no big consideration. When that is no longer the case, and they are valuable collector items where condition is everything, it's a different ball game.

In the Thompson, you are putting a lot of rounds out there in a short time, so the wear factor goes up fast. Thompsons have very shallow rifling. On the early and most valuable ones from Colt, barrels were numbered to receivers in a secret marking place. In guns worth $25,000 to $40,000 on today's market, bore wear is not something to be sneezed at. Some in our collector group pay no attention to this. I have a different opinion. I have seen enough worn out barrels to be a believer. Same with Lugers. What a shame to trash a pristine bore by shooting too much Winchester White Label or something similar through it. Sometimes fun has a price I would rather not pay.

I shoot what I own, even the rare ones. Good lead bullets, with good modern lubricants, cause no problems of any kind in any type of barrel. And they cause virtually no bore wear, compared to jacketed ones. With today's lubricants, I can shoot them in gas-operated high-power semiauto rifles with no problems of any kind, despite all the "expert" opinions to the contrary. I've done a lot of that. They are usually more accurate, and tolerances are more easily controlled and fine tuned. I've been making and shooting them in almost 50 calibers and weights now for 57 years.

I do swage a number of jacketed specialty types, but only for certain handguns and rifles in the 3200 to 4200 foot per second range.

I have a number of guns and, in my opinion, the Luger requires more attention to load tailoring than any of them. But when you get it right, it stays right. I hope my load research for the drum works out to be the same.

Fun? Yep, tons of it. And you learn so much, as must have been the case 100 years ago when they were designing these things. I've had my drum, the artillery, and the holster/stock rig since 1964, but was never able to shoot the drum until now. Been shooting Lugers since '59, and have three. Yet there's always more to learn.

And more fun.

03-21-2017, 10:42 PM	#105
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Why No Jacketed Bullets? Don, You're absolutely right about both types being designed for jacketed bullets, but the harder copper alloy jackets do cause more bore wear. When both guns and barrels are easily replaced, this is no big consideration. When that is no longer the case, and they are valuable collector items where condition is everything, it's a different ball game. In the Thompson, you are putting a lot of rounds out there in a short time, so the wear factor goes up fast. Thompsons have very shallow rifling. On the early and most valuable ones from Colt, barrels were numbered to receivers in a secret marking place. In guns worth $25,000 to $40,000 on today's market, bore wear is not something to be sneezed at. Some in our collector group pay no attention to this. I have a different opinion. I have seen enough worn out barrels to be a believer. Same with Lugers. What a shame to trash a pristine bore by shooting too much Winchester White Label or something similar through it. Sometimes fun has a price I would rather not pay. I shoot what I own, even the rare ones. Good lead bullets, with good modern lubricants, cause no problems of any kind in any type of barrel. And they cause virtually no bore wear, compared to jacketed ones. With today's lubricants, I can shoot them in gas-operated high-power semiauto rifles with no problems of any kind, despite all the "expert" opinions to the contrary. I've done a lot of that. They are usually more accurate, and tolerances are more easily controlled and fine tuned. I've been making and shooting them in almost 50 calibers and weights now for 57 years. I do swage a number of jacketed specialty types, but only for certain handguns and rifles in the 3200 to 4200 foot per second range. I have a number of guns and, in my opinion, the Luger requires more attention to load tailoring than any of them. But when you get it right, it stays right. I hope my load research for the drum works out to be the same. Fun? Yep, tons of it. And you learn so much, as must have been the case 100 years ago when they were designing these things. I've had my drum, the artillery, and the holster/stock rig since 1964, but was never able to shoot the drum until now. Been shooting Lugers since '59, and have three. Yet there's always more to learn. And more fun.