Missfeeding

I have 2 questions regarding Luger pistols.

1) Taking a recently acquired Luger to a firing range, I found the pistol misfeeding about once out of every 3 rounds. That is, after a round is fired, no cartridge was in the chamber. After cocking the gun, it fired 2 or 3 rounds OK when againâ??no feed. Also, every once in a while a round would jam in the chamber. It would go in crooked and have to be pried out. My son took the pistol to another range, where the manger claimed that because of the Lugersâ??s tightly machined parts, it has to be held very firmly during firingâ??a step short of a death grip. It all sounded like hogwash to me, but I canâ??t argue with the results. My son, following directions, put 100 rounds thru the pistol without a single missfeed, and only one jam, which the manager attributed to a faulty magazine. The pistol is a 1918 Erfurth (sp?) While the magazine is aluminum and probably WW2. Does any of this make any sense to you experts out there? Your comments would sure be appreciated.

2)I have no interest in collector quality Lugers would be interested in purchasing another good-shape Luger as strictly a shooter. Where would I start looking and how much can I expect to pay. Thanks again.

[Herb]

Never heard of such a thing. Many Lugers are particular about the brand of ammo you feed them as some are just a hair more powerful, or less powerful. Try changing brands. Also check the 'lips' on the magazine to insure that they are not 'pinched' or otherwise distorted. The magazine follower spring may also be a little week from age. Try the ammo thing first, if nothing helps get a 'death grip' on that thing and have fun.

[Herb]

Also place a good gun grease lightly on the bottom of the receiver rails and the rails of the toggle links.

Thanks for the response. I never thought to ask what ammo my son used. Good thought. Also, I'll grease her up and try again.

[Lonnie Zimmerman]

Herb is right on about the gun grease!! Plus I would put

in a new Wolff magazine spring in, no matter what.


Lonnie

[Thor]

I concur with Herb completely. Lugers either seem to go too easy back or too hard. Too hard and the gun functions fine but is hammered a bit. Too soft and the breech doesnt come back far enough to eject properly or pick up the next round correctly. If the mag spring is too weak, then the round is in not in the proper position when the breechblock comes forward and you get a feeding jam. Strong springs and ammo go a long way to get one running right. I always check a Luger by only loading one round at a time. If it does lock the toggle back EACH and EVERY time I test it, the ammo is underpowered or there is something else amiss. Good Luck! Thor

[Dan Clemons]

I have noticed that my original magazines do not feed as smoothly as my "new" aftermarket Luger clip. It loads easier and feeds perfectly 100% of the time. A little oil in the old clip can help but not solve the feeding problem altogether. I shoot 115 grain Winchesters in my aftermarket clip with no problem to report.

Henry, I must agree with the range master. If you allow your wrist to "break" on recoil, this can lead to jamming problems with a variety of auto loading pistols. Certainly, a good condition magazine with a proper strenght spring and strong enough ammo is also important, but for good measure, keep a stiff wrist. Tom h

[lugerholsterrepair]

Tom is right. A limp wristed hold impedes proper toggle action and can cause jamming. I also agree that an old military mag might have spread lips and cause stovepiping. Jerry Burney

[Dwight Gruber]

Another thing to check is the actual fit of the magaazine in the grip. I just picked up a 1920 in .30 cal, which has a very worn magazine catch. It slips down far enough for the breechblock to 'slip' over the top round, and doesn't always push the bolt stop up far enough to catch the bolt. I suspected a weak magazine spring, but it functions this way with three different magazines, and the catch is visibly -very- worn. Thor is right on in the matter of recoil spring, I have the 'weak spring' problem in my 1900 Americal Eagle, and end up having to push the toggle the rest of the way down most every shot.


Frankly, though, if your son has successfully put a couple of boxes of through the gun, you probably have nothing more than an ammo problem or a handhold problem.


Lugers are -great- shooters, enjoy!


--Dwight

[Marvin]

Henry,


I don't remember where I heard about holding the grip tightly on a Luger, but after you mentioned it in your post, it came back to me that the Luger must have a firm grip to operate properly. Jerry and Tom prettly well stated that opinion too. If my memory serves correct, there was a test done with gripping the pistol and the results was that a "limp" hold would cause jamming. Find out what ammo your son was using, grip the pistol well and see what happens.


As everyone stated, the magazines are the usually the culprit as the originals are old and worn. A good aftermarket magazines for shooting works well.


If you are looking for a nice shooter, give Tom Heller a call or send him an e-mail to see what he has in stock. Tom's address and phone number are listed in the "Links & Resources" section on the Forum. Tom is an honest dealer and may be have what you need.


Marvin

[Lonnie Zimmerman]

All low powered pistols don"t cycle well when limp wristing.


Lonnie