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Marvin · 03-09-2001, 08:11 PM

Rod,

Kyrie is the expert on the velocity and energy of the 9mm cartridge, but I will try to explain the controversy on a Luger "Breaking" from firing the weapon.

The pistol is well designed and tested to take the German load of the Pre-WWI thru the WWII era and be reliable. I feel that the problem we have today is the age of the pistol, some ammo on the market now that is loaded to maybe a higher pressure or designed for sub machine guns. This may be a potential problem, but I feel it is slight.

The next problem, and the one I think about, is how has the pistol been treated over the years before it came to our hands. Has someone in the past used handloads that were overloaded and stressed the parts, has someone mistreated the parts in disassembly, have they been abused in someway that may damage a part and it not be visible? These are questions we can't answer unless each part is tested.

Now I guess to really answer your question. I do shoot some of my pistols on occasion. Some I have not fired yet, but may one day. If I invest $1700 in a pistol and I fire it and by SOME chance, the firing pin breaks, and I replace it with another, I now have a mis-matched pistol and I just lost several hundred dollars in value even having the original broken firing pin. I honestly feel this is reason for the statements about not firing a very collectable Luger except on rare occasions. It is not the ability of the pistol, but just the unknowns from years of use, abuse, etc. Maybe someone else will chime in on this subject, it is a very good question and I appreciate you asking this.

Marvin

03-09-2001, 08:11 PM	#3
Marvin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Luger ammo Rod, Kyrie is the expert on the velocity and energy of the 9mm cartridge, but I will try to explain the controversy on a Luger "Breaking" from firing the weapon. The pistol is well designed and tested to take the German load of the Pre-WWI thru the WWII era and be reliable. I feel that the problem we have today is the age of the pistol, some ammo on the market now that is loaded to maybe a higher pressure or designed for sub machine guns. This may be a potential problem, but I feel it is slight. The next problem, and the one I think about, is how has the pistol been treated over the years before it came to our hands. Has someone in the past used handloads that were overloaded and stressed the parts, has someone mistreated the parts in disassembly, have they been abused in someway that may damage a part and it not be visible? These are questions we can't answer unless each part is tested. Now I guess to really answer your question. I do shoot some of my pistols on occasion. Some I have not fired yet, but may one day. If I invest $1700 in a pistol and I fire it and by SOME chance, the firing pin breaks, and I replace it with another, I now have a mis-matched pistol and I just lost several hundred dollars in value even having the original broken firing pin. I honestly feel this is reason for the statements about not firing a very collectable Luger except on rare occasions. It is not the ability of the pistol, but just the unknowns from years of use, abuse, etc. Maybe someone else will chime in on this subject, it is a very good question and I appreciate you asking this. Marvin