Navy Luger project

Olle · 07-13-2015, 04:36 PM

Here’s a project I have been tinkering with for many years. It started with an incomplete Luger that I got for cheap (including an extra barrel assembly), so I thought I can just as well make it a long term project and add to it when other cheap parts show up.

There were several reasons why this project gun was cheap. The takedown lever and the sideplate were both missing, both barrels were .30 cal, bad dings and rust pits all over and, worst of all, hammer marks on the front edge of the frame. This is what happens when Bubba uses the BFH to disassemble a Luger:

As usual, one of our resourceful forum members came to the rescue. Paladinpainter found a welder who could TIG weld the damage, and he fixed the hammer marks, dents in the the trigger guard, the rusted trigger and other spots while he was at it.

There was a lot of filing and fitting to get the frame back in shape again, and I don’t know how many times I had to mark it with Dykem, file a bit, mark it again, file a little bit more etc. Once I had a close fit, I finished the job by lapping the barrel extension to the frame to make it run smooth.

Yet another forum member, Art McCann, donated a broken takedown lever. I made a new button for it and sent it to the same welder. When I got it back, I put it in the mill and checkered it, then strawed it to the right color. I don’t have any pictures of the welding and machining, but you can see how it turned out in one of the pictures of the finished gun.

One of the interesting features of this pistol was the rear toggle pin. I’ sure don’t know what they used, but it looked like a piece cut from a bolt or something. I didn’t have one, so I made my own from drill rod and hardened it.

I found a cheap repro sideplate, a bit rough around the edges but still workable. It took a while to get it fitted, but it looked pretty good once I was done.

And here’s the part of the project where I didn’t take any pictures…

I found a cheap barrel and toggle assembly at a gun show, and the toggle was one of the cast reproductions. It wasn’t pretty, but it was cheap, so I spent a few hours on making it fit and then I filed it smooth and sanded it. It didn’t turn out too bad, but not all that great either.

The .30 barrel was stuck like the dickens and the rail extensions were a bit bent, so I sent it to GT for barrel removal and straightening. Once I got it back, I indexed the barrel and installed it. It was already chambered but not deep enough, so it needed to be reamed a bit. Our resident Borchardt builder TNBill came to the rescue and sent me a reamer so I could get it head spaced correctly.

After assembling and checking everything I took it out on the deck for a test. Surprisingly enough, this hodge-podge fed, fired and extracted perfectly right off the bat. The only problem was that the trigger didn’t reset, but after stoning the trigger bar and lever it fired as fast as I could pull the trigger. Unfortunately, the sight on the reproduction toggle didn’t do quite as well as the rest of the pistol, when I disassembled it for bluing I found that a piece had broken off. So much for reproductions, but a new toggle assembly is on its way from Chandler, AZ and it should be much better quality.

I used Paladinpainters ancient witch brew for the rust bluing, it’s some kind of potion he has come up with and it worked extremely well. I also strawed and fire blued some parts for accent, not sure if it’s correct for a Navy Luger but it just looks better that way. I decided to go the cheap route with the grips as well, these are Sarco’s infamous Indian grips that have been sanded and checkered to look a bit better. The mag bottom is also a cheap reproduction that has been sanded and fitted to look presentable. I might put original grips on it later, but these will work for shooting.

So here it is, still with a broken rear sight and a cast toggle, but at least you get an idea of how it turned out.

G.T. · 07-13-2015, 04:43 PM

Olle, That is really impressive! You did an outstand job on it, and it's as pretty as they come! Navy rear toggle sight assembly is on the way! ......

.....Again, very nice job! Best to you Olle, til....lat'r....GT,........

DonVoigt · 07-13-2015, 04:51 PM

Nice job!
Congrats on having the patience to do the job and what a job.

I have a similar but a little different job in the works; I hope it turns out as well as yours!

G.T. · 07-13-2015, 05:30 PM

Hi Olle is it 9mm?.....GT.......

Olle · 07-13-2015, 05:36 PM

Yes, it's a 9mm. Wouldn't have it any other way.

sheepherder · 07-13-2015, 06:27 PM

Looks great, Olle!

"I can't wait for the next installment!"

lugerholsterrepair · 07-13-2015, 08:31 PM

Richard, Your getting too much sun!

alanint · 07-13-2015, 08:49 PM

Fantastic looking shooter!

Needs a takedown lever spring!

Olle · 07-13-2015, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanint

Fantastic looking shooter!

Needs a takedown lever spring!

He he... eagle eyes, huh?

I have one, just haven't installed it yet.

ithacaartist · 07-14-2015, 04:48 AM

I'd be very happy with results like this, great job!

kurusu · 07-14-2015, 06:35 AM

Great job!

K.Wilhelm · 07-14-2015, 08:38 AM

Nice work, Olle! Really great looking Navy shooter. Bill

ithacaartist · 07-14-2015, 01:07 PM

Thinking about that broken casting... Why not send it to be welded?

DonVoigt · 07-14-2015, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

Thinking about that broken casting... Why not send it to be welded?

Cast metal is almost impossible to weld.
Maybe a really, really good welder could do that small a piece.

Olle · 07-14-2015, 02:29 PM

I know a welder who is an expert on TIG welding small stuff, and I think he could repair it. But like Don said, welding cast iron is an iffy procedure. I know you can weld larger parts by preheating and some other magic, but I don't think it can be done here. Even if he can make the weld stick, I'm sure it will pop off again as soon as I start filing on it. Also, this POS left a bad taste in my mouth, so I would rather throw it away. I'm going to replace the whole toggle, but I might try to make a sight from scratch later just to make the toggle assembly complete.

rhuff · 07-14-2015, 05:38 PM

I would be most proud to have your finished product residing in my safe, and making trips to the range.

07-13-2015, 04:36 PM	#1
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 663 Times in 318 Posts	Navy Luger project Here’s a project I have been tinkering with for many years. It started with an incomplete Luger that I got for cheap (including an extra barrel assembly), so I thought I can just as well make it a long term project and add to it when other cheap parts show up. There were several reasons why this project gun was cheap. The takedown lever and the sideplate were both missing, both barrels were .30 cal, bad dings and rust pits all over and, worst of all, hammer marks on the front edge of the frame. This is what happens when Bubba uses the BFH to disassemble a Luger: As usual, one of our resourceful forum members came to the rescue. Paladinpainter found a welder who could TIG weld the damage, and he fixed the hammer marks, dents in the the trigger guard, the rusted trigger and other spots while he was at it. There was a lot of filing and fitting to get the frame back in shape again, and I don’t know how many times I had to mark it with Dykem, file a bit, mark it again, file a little bit more etc. Once I had a close fit, I finished the job by lapping the barrel extension to the frame to make it run smooth. Yet another forum member, Art McCann, donated a broken takedown lever. I made a new button for it and sent it to the same welder. When I got it back, I put it in the mill and checkered it, then strawed it to the right color. I don’t have any pictures of the welding and machining, but you can see how it turned out in one of the pictures of the finished gun. One of the interesting features of this pistol was the rear toggle pin. I’ sure don’t know what they used, but it looked like a piece cut from a bolt or something. I didn’t have one, so I made my own from drill rod and hardened it. I found a cheap repro sideplate, a bit rough around the edges but still workable. It took a while to get it fitted, but it looked pretty good once I was done. And here’s the part of the project where I didn’t take any pictures… I found a cheap barrel and toggle assembly at a gun show, and the toggle was one of the cast reproductions. It wasn’t pretty, but it was cheap, so I spent a few hours on making it fit and then I filed it smooth and sanded it. It didn’t turn out too bad, but not all that great either. The .30 barrel was stuck like the dickens and the rail extensions were a bit bent, so I sent it to GT for barrel removal and straightening. Once I got it back, I indexed the barrel and installed it. It was already chambered but not deep enough, so it needed to be reamed a bit. Our resident Borchardt builder TNBill came to the rescue and sent me a reamer so I could get it head spaced correctly. After assembling and checking everything I took it out on the deck for a test. Surprisingly enough, this hodge-podge fed, fired and extracted perfectly right off the bat. The only problem was that the trigger didn’t reset, but after stoning the trigger bar and lever it fired as fast as I could pull the trigger. Unfortunately, the sight on the reproduction toggle didn’t do quite as well as the rest of the pistol, when I disassembled it for bluing I found that a piece had broken off. So much for reproductions, but a new toggle assembly is on its way from Chandler, AZ and it should be much better quality. I used Paladinpainters ancient witch brew for the rust bluing, it’s some kind of potion he has come up with and it worked extremely well. I also strawed and fire blued some parts for accent, not sure if it’s correct for a Navy Luger but it just looks better that way. I decided to go the cheap route with the grips as well, these are Sarco’s infamous Indian grips that have been sanded and checkered to look a bit better. The mag bottom is also a cheap reproduction that has been sanded and fitted to look presentable. I might put original grips on it later, but these will work for shooting. So here it is, still with a broken rear sight and a cast toggle, but at least you get an idea of how it turned out.

07-13-2015, 04:43 PM	#2
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,486 Thanks: 1,284 Thanked 3,583 Times in 989 Posts	Nice! Olle, That is really impressive! You did an outstand job on it, and it's as pretty as they come! Navy rear toggle sight assembly is on the way! ...........Again, very nice job! Best to you Olle, til....lat'r....GT,........

07-13-2015, 05:30 PM	#4
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,486 Thanks: 1,284 Thanked 3,583 Times in 989 Posts	9mm or 30 cal? Hi Olle is it 9mm?.....GT.......

07-13-2015, 06:27 PM	#6
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,182 Thanks: 1,398 Thanked 4,440 Times in 2,328 Posts	Looks great, Olle! "I can't wait for the next installment!" Attached Images __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter... Last edited by sheepherder; 07-14-2015 at 04:30 PM.

07-13-2015, 08:31 PM	#7
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,763 Thanks: 4,866 Thanked 3,105 Times in 1,429 Posts	Richard, Your getting too much sun! __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

07-13-2015, 04:51 PM	#3
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,678 Thanks: 1,441 Thanked 4,348 Times in 2,038 Posts	Nice job! Congrats on having the patience to do the job and what a job. I have a similar but a little different job in the works; I hope it turns out as well as yours!

07-13-2015, 05:36 PM	#5
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 663 Times in 318 Posts	Yes, it's a 9mm. Wouldn't have it any other way.

07-13-2015, 08:49 PM	#8
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Fantastic looking shooter! Needs a takedown lever spring!

07-14-2015, 04:48 AM	#10
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,290 Thanks: 7,055 Thanked 2,482 Times in 1,323 Posts	I'd be very happy with results like this, great job! __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

07-14-2015, 06:35 AM	#11
kurusu User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,225 Thanks: 2,679 Thanked 929 Times in 509 Posts	Great job!

07-14-2015, 08:38 AM	#12
K.Wilhelm User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Central Colorado Posts: 215 Thanks: 45 Thanked 109 Times in 66 Posts	Nice work, Olle! Really great looking Navy shooter. Bill __________________ NRA Endowment Life member Proud veteran of the Naval Security Group

07-14-2015, 01:07 PM	#13
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,290 Thanks: 7,055 Thanked 2,482 Times in 1,323 Posts	Thinking about that broken casting... Why not send it to be welded? __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

07-14-2015, 02:29 PM	#15
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 663 Times in 318 Posts	I know a welder who is an expert on TIG welding small stuff, and I think he could repair it. But like Don said, welding cast iron is an iffy procedure. I know you can weld larger parts by preheating and some other magic, but I don't think it can be done here. Even if he can make the weld stick, I'm sure it will pop off again as soon as I start filing on it. Also, this POS left a bad taste in my mouth, so I would rather throw it away. I'm going to replace the whole toggle, but I might try to make a sight from scratch later just to make the toggle assembly complete.

07-14-2015, 05:38 PM	#16
rhuff Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Az. Posts: 2,273 Thanks: 2,692 Thanked 960 Times in 706 Posts	I would be most proud to have your finished product residing in my safe, and making trips to the range.