Double trouble, a cautionary tale.

HisSoldier · 11-19-2011, 05:13 PM

My 1970's Mauser had what I considered to be too heavy a trigger, 6.9 pounds. I read much of what was said here about fixing it, plus Henriot's Ebook, and finally bought a 1974 Shooting times magazine that told how to work on it. He said to take the sear ledge on the firing pin down .015-.020". I decided to go slow and took it down .010". I did the other things too including reset and over travel screws to the the trigger.
I was very happy when I found it was 4.5 pounds, but when I shot it I took the careful man's method, load only one extra round. Sure as heck, it doubled. I shoot through a baffle box so my neighbors won't have to listen to the boom.

When I shot it it happened so fast I foolishly assumed both rounds were in the target, I got up to walk downrange to look but saw a splintered hole in the top of the baffle box! The second round went up at a 35 degree angle, through the top of the box and through the roof! I hate to think what a full magazine would have done!
Anyway, I've fixed the problem, it wasn't the .010" I took off, it was a bad angle on the sear lever. I rehoned it and now it works, still 4.5 pounds.

But, there is a better way to test than loading only two rounds, in my later tests I loaded one live round and below it a snap cap, after shooting the first round a "click" on the second pull tells me that the sear/firing pin is still under pressure. Had I done that before there wouldn't be a hole in the roof of my shop.

Curly1 · 11-19-2011, 07:54 PM

Good plan, something to remember.

HisSoldier · 11-26-2011, 06:35 PM

It took a long time to get comfortable loading more than one round and a snap cap, finally, after about 15 snap cap second rounds I loaded two, did that about 5 times and loaded 4. I haven't loaded more than 4 since because I can't get past thinking of what would have happened had I started with a full magazine! I think I'll lay a plate of steel on top of the baffle box and shoot a few full mags through it.

Anyway, I do have to wonder if a P-08 will actually come all the way back in FA with a full magazine. Does anyone know? A friend of mine had 4 rounds come out of a 1911 once in the basement, his wife was upstairs not directly overhead when it happened. I believe the last round came out past vertical.

Another thing to consider is that there is at least one case of a person being charged because his gun went FA at a range after trigger work. It's hard to believe a LEO would ignore the obvious to get a feather in his cap over an accidental FA experience. Every officer is an individual though and there area few bad eggs out there.

Edward Tinker · 11-27-2011, 10:54 AM

people aren't going to take a gun to a range that is full auto on purpose.

If you are worried about it going full auto and a cop arresting you, sell it, scrap it or dump it.

That kind of worry is beyond my thinking?

lugerholsterrepair · 11-27-2011, 11:08 AM

Fix it?

DavidJayUden · 11-27-2011, 11:16 AM

I'd say that we should light up the "LugerDoc" search beacon...Send it to him.
And do not take it to the range. With my luck I'll be the poor slob that gets shot by a run-away Luger...
The BATF has prosecuted persons of less guilt.
dju

Lugerdoc · 11-28-2011, 10:08 AM

I'm not really set up to do accuracy or ultra light trigger work. I aim to return lugers to their orig specs. Years ago when testing a customers .25acp pistol, I shot a couple of rounds thru a steel roll up door in the back of the shop. Sometime, we have to learn the hard way. TH

11-19-2011, 05:13 PM	#1
HisSoldier User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Oregon Coast Posts: 95 Thanks: 1 Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts	Double trouble, a cautionary tale. My 1970's Mauser had what I considered to be too heavy a trigger, 6.9 pounds. I read much of what was said here about fixing it, plus Henriot's Ebook, and finally bought a 1974 Shooting times magazine that told how to work on it. He said to take the sear ledge on the firing pin down .015-.020". I decided to go slow and took it down .010". I did the other things too including reset and over travel screws to the the trigger. I was very happy when I found it was 4.5 pounds, but when I shot it I took the careful man's method, load only one extra round. Sure as heck, it doubled. I shoot through a baffle box so my neighbors won't have to listen to the boom. When I shot it it happened so fast I foolishly assumed both rounds were in the target, I got up to walk downrange to look but saw a splintered hole in the top of the baffle box! The second round went up at a 35 degree angle, through the top of the box and through the roof! I hate to think what a full magazine would have done! Anyway, I've fixed the problem, it wasn't the .010" I took off, it was a bad angle on the sear lever. I rehoned it and now it works, still 4.5 pounds. But, there is a better way to test than loading only two rounds, in my later tests I loaded one live round and below it a snap cap, after shooting the first round a "click" on the second pull tells me that the sear/firing pin is still under pressure. Had I done that before there wouldn't be a hole in the roof of my shop. __________________ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

11-19-2011, 07:54 PM	#2
Curly1 User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,247 Thanks: 125 Thanked 717 Times in 374 Posts	Good plan, something to remember. __________________ Laugh hard and often. Gary

11-26-2011, 06:35 PM	#3
HisSoldier User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Oregon Coast Posts: 95 Thanks: 1 Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts	a revisit. It took a long time to get comfortable loading more than one round and a snap cap, finally, after about 15 snap cap second rounds I loaded two, did that about 5 times and loaded 4. I haven't loaded more than 4 since because I can't get past thinking of what would have happened had I started with a full magazine! I think I'll lay a plate of steel on top of the baffle box and shoot a few full mags through it. Anyway, I do have to wonder if a P-08 will actually come all the way back in FA with a full magazine. Does anyone know? A friend of mine had 4 rounds come out of a 1911 once in the basement, his wife was upstairs not directly overhead when it happened. I believe the last round came out past vertical. Another thing to consider is that there is at least one case of a person being charged because his gun went FA at a range after trigger work. It's hard to believe a LEO would ignore the obvious to get a feather in his cap over an accidental FA experience. Every officer is an individual though and there area few bad eggs out there. __________________ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

11-27-2011, 11:08 AM	#5
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,775 Thanks: 4,995 Thanked 3,133 Times in 1,439 Posts	Fix it? __________________ 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."

11-28-2011, 10:08 AM	#7
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 737 Times in 484 Posts	I'm not really set up to do accuracy or ultra light trigger work. I aim to return lugers to their orig specs. Years ago when testing a customers .25acp pistol, I shot a couple of rounds thru a steel roll up door in the back of the shop. Sometime, we have to learn the hard way. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

11-27-2011, 10:54 AM	#4
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,966 Thanks: 2,066 Thanked 4,595 Times in 2,116 Posts	people aren't going to take a gun to a range that is full auto on purpose. If you are worried about it going full auto and a cop arresting you, sell it, scrap it or dump it. That kind of worry is beyond my thinking?

11-27-2011, 11:16 AM	#6
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I'd say that we should light up the "LugerDoc" search beacon...Send it to him. And do not take it to the range. With my luck I'll be the poor slob that gets shot by a run-away Luger... The BATF has prosecuted persons of less guilt. dju