LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Reproduction Snail Drum

PhilOhio · 03-16-2017, 12:21 PM

Guys, I ran across this thread last night, as I've been searching for people who know about original (and of course repro) drum feed issues. I've owned an original for about 50 years, never managed to stuff more than three rounds into it, and decided now is the time.

So about five years ago, I began hand making a welded-up loader, based on all the photos I could find; but to my design. Yesterday I finally got there, and the prototype works, but I have better ideas for a few minor improvements with the next one. And no, no pictures yet.

First, a suggestion. Friction is our enemy. Several of you who have spent hundreds of hours on snail drums say that bullets are the major source of that friction. Polishing and lubing are very important, but has anybody tried using a snail drum to feed powder coated bullets of the correct, original German military design shape? It has only been in recent years that we could buy a mold to cast these, from Lee.

I have found that my cast bullets of this shape (a Lee 133 grain mold), loaded to the correct overall length (OAL) eliminate just about all Luger feed and function problems, if powder, pressure, and velocity values are also kept to what I think were the WW-II German standards.

I've recently started experimenting with powder coating my own bullets, just for fun. They cut friction way down, create no smoke, permit higher velocity without leading, and are clean to handle. And they are inexpensive to buy from the many commercial sources. Again just for fun, I've even run off a batch of 1200 with both Harbor Freight Red powder and Alox on top of that. It's probably not possible to make a slicker bullet than this, unless you coat it with Teflon.

This is all theoretical, since I still need to get my OEM drum slicked up inside, remove and replace the last of the 100-year-old factory grease, finish the final version of my loader, and see how it runs in my stocked 1917 Artillery Luger with fine tune sights. I've had some of that gear for half a century and it has not yet all come together on the range.

I don't know much about drums, but mine has a "B" over an "N" on it, and a six-digit serial number. Would that be what folks refer to as a Bing?

03-16-2017, 12:21 PM	#94
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Snail Drum Feed Reliability Guys, I ran across this thread last night, as I've been searching for people who know about original (and of course repro) drum feed issues. I've owned an original for about 50 years, never managed to stuff more than three rounds into it, and decided now is the time. So about five years ago, I began hand making a welded-up loader, based on all the photos I could find; but to my design. Yesterday I finally got there, and the prototype works, but I have better ideas for a few minor improvements with the next one. And no, no pictures yet. First, a suggestion. Friction is our enemy. Several of you who have spent hundreds of hours on snail drums say that bullets are the major source of that friction. Polishing and lubing are very important, but has anybody tried using a snail drum to feed powder coated bullets of the correct, original German military design shape? It has only been in recent years that we could buy a mold to cast these, from Lee. I have found that my cast bullets of this shape (a Lee 133 grain mold), loaded to the correct overall length (OAL) eliminate just about all Luger feed and function problems, if powder, pressure, and velocity values are also kept to what I think were the WW-II German standards. I've recently started experimenting with powder coating my own bullets, just for fun. They cut friction way down, create no smoke, permit higher velocity without leading, and are clean to handle. And they are inexpensive to buy from the many commercial sources. Again just for fun, I've even run off a batch of 1200 with both Harbor Freight Red powder and Alox on top of that. It's probably not possible to make a slicker bullet than this, unless you coat it with Teflon. This is all theoretical, since I still need to get my OEM drum slicked up inside, remove and replace the last of the 100-year-old factory grease, finish the final version of my loader, and see how it runs in my stocked 1917 Artillery Luger with fine tune sights. I've had some of that gear for half a century and it has not yet all come together on the range. I don't know much about drums, but mine has a "B" over an "N" on it, and a six-digit serial number. Would that be what folks refer to as a Bing?