P.08 only fires if manually cocked

Freischütz · 10-12-2002, 10:46 PM

I took a 7.65mm from the 1920s to the range today. ItÃ¢??s a reblue with mismatched side plate. With single loading the pistol fired every time. It never fired when the action cycled and chambered the second round. Here are the particulars:
1. No firing pin indentation on the unfired roundÃ¢??s primer.
2. Trigger seemed completely unconnected. I only felt the trigger springÃ¢??s pressure when I pulled the trigger.
3. Trigger pull was extremely variable Ã¢?? some shots very light and others very heavy.
4. Previously fired P.08s seemed to almost have a two stage trigger pull. Trigger pull on this pistol was uniform unless it was one of the heavy pulls. Then it took a lot of pressure at the end of the pull to fire the pistol.
5. At home I removed the side plate. The connecting lever and its pin fell out onto the work bench. I imagined this explained the trigger pull variation, but wasnÃ¢??t sure if it explained the second round failures.
6. My reloaded ammo consisted of reformed 7.63 mm cases, a 93 gr truncated lead bullet, 5.0 gr of Unique, and an overall length of 29.75 mm.

IÃ¢??d appreciate any suggestions and wonder if thereÃ¢??s a special way to install the connecting lever pin so it wonÃ¢??t fall out. I see the shoulder on the side plate that the pin should bear against and wonder what the best method of securing it against that shoulder is. Are there other factors to consider?

unspellable · 10-13-2002, 06:18 PM

The trigger lever is the number one suspect, either because the pin moved and it's loose or there is something wrong with it. The number two suspect is the rigger spring. If the upper end of the trigger lever does not retract into the sideplate far enough the sear plunger or disconnector cannot move forward under it to reconnect the trigger. If it is a borderline case then it's quite possible for the first shot to go and the second to fail, the difference being that you are holding the trigger back while the receiver returns to battery.

Karl · 10-13-2002, 07:08 PM

FreischÃ?Â¼tz,

There are any number of things that could be wrong but I find the mismatched sideplate and the fact that the lever and pin "fell out" suspicious. In my experience both parts are a very tight fit, and the side plate needs to be fitted to the gun. The pin should lock in by rotating it into a recess in the sideplate. If you have another Luger, compare sideplate assemblies. You might even swap out the sideplate from another Luger and give it a try. I would suggest removing and re-installing the barrel/receiver assembly without engaging the recoil spring so that you can easily cycle the action and then experimenting with snap caps to figure what is, or what is not, going on. Another possible culprit is a stuck or gummed-up sear bar plunger but I can't account for the unusual trigger pull. KFS

10-12-2002, 10:46 PM	#1
Freischütz User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Eastern Washington Posts: 125 Thanks: 9 Thanked 26 Times in 19 Posts	P.08 only fires if manually cocked I took a 7.65mm from the 1920s to the range today. ItÃ¢??s a reblue with mismatched side plate. With single loading the pistol fired every time. It never fired when the action cycled and chambered the second round. Here are the particulars: 1. No firing pin indentation on the unfired roundÃ¢??s primer. 2. Trigger seemed completely unconnected. I only felt the trigger springÃ¢??s pressure when I pulled the trigger. 3. Trigger pull was extremely variable Ã¢?? some shots very light and others very heavy. 4. Previously fired P.08s seemed to almost have a two stage trigger pull. Trigger pull on this pistol was uniform unless it was one of the heavy pulls. Then it took a lot of pressure at the end of the pull to fire the pistol. 5. At home I removed the side plate. The connecting lever and its pin fell out onto the work bench. I imagined this explained the trigger pull variation, but wasnÃ¢??t sure if it explained the second round failures. 6. My reloaded ammo consisted of reformed 7.63 mm cases, a 93 gr truncated lead bullet, 5.0 gr of Unique, and an overall length of 29.75 mm. IÃ¢??d appreciate any suggestions and wonder if thereÃ¢??s a special way to install the connecting lever pin so it wonÃ¢??t fall out. I see the shoulder on the side plate that the pin should bear against and wonder what the best method of securing it against that shoulder is. Are there other factors to consider?

10-13-2002, 06:18 PM	#2
unspellable User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 768 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 11 Posts	The trigger lever is the number one suspect, either because the pin moved and it's loose or there is something wrong with it. The number two suspect is the rigger spring. If the upper end of the trigger lever does not retract into the sideplate far enough the sear plunger or disconnector cannot move forward under it to reconnect the trigger. If it is a borderline case then it's quite possible for the first shot to go and the second to fail, the difference being that you are holding the trigger back while the receiver returns to battery.

10-13-2002, 07:08 PM	#3
Karl Lifer - Twice Over Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Savannah Posts: 520 Thanks: 0 Thanked 266 Times in 116 Posts	FreischÃ?Â¼tz, There are any number of things that could be wrong but I find the mismatched sideplate and the fact that the lever and pin "fell out" suspicious. In my experience both parts are a very tight fit, and the side plate needs to be fitted to the gun. The pin should lock in by rotating it into a recess in the sideplate. If you have another Luger, compare sideplate assemblies. You might even swap out the sideplate from another Luger and give it a try. I would suggest removing and re-installing the barrel/receiver assembly without engaging the recoil spring so that you can easily cycle the action and then experimenting with snap caps to figure what is, or what is not, going on. Another possible culprit is a stuck or gummed-up sear bar plunger but I can't account for the unusual trigger pull. KFS