shoots well

[John1125]

http://forum.lugerforum.com/attachme...1&d=1488649982

I had to get a prescription from the Luger Doctor , (thanks Tom) for a new hold open spring and a recoil spring for modern ammo and it runs perfect now . I was shooting WW white box 115 grn. http://forum.lugerforum.com/attachme...1&d=1488650469

Oh and I thought I was fairly handy , but learned what difficult really is when you go to change out the mainspring in a Luger . I even built the tool , still really tough!

[Edward Tinker]

Nice - yes, the mainsprings can be a pain to change.

[rhuff]

Good shooting. Glad to hear that Tom got you up and reliable.


The mainspring changes get easier after your first dozen or two!!

[John1125]

Originally Posted by rhuff

Good shooting. Glad to hear that Tom got you up and reliable.


The mainspring changes get easier after your first dozen or two!!

The spring guide hook kept binding in the frame opening once I would get it up past that it was OK , but it seemed very close fit - spring guide through the frame slot .

Kirk

[kurusu]

Good shooting.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by John1125

The spring guide hook kept binding in the frame opening once I would get it up past that it was OK , but it seemed very close fit - spring guide through the frame slot .

Kirk

That is why they make files.

Sometimes tolerances go against you, a little "adjustment" can be done without any problem.

[Curss]

I second kurusu, good shooting!

[Diver6106]

I'd be REAL careful in any modification of the hook, facing forward, at the top of the spring guide. It is critical and just barely catches the recoil lever. With very little steel to spare as it rides over the rotating axle on the recoil lever. The hole in the frame has more steel and strength to be slightly filed down.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by Diver6106

I'd be REAL careful in any modification of the hook, facing forward, at the top of the spring guide. It is critical and just barely catches the recoil lever. With very little steel to spare as it rides over the rotating axle on the recoil lever. The hole in the frame has more steel and strength to be slightly filed down.

Right, but the hook width is not commonly the problem; but the flat below it that is a little "wide". Still, if one can get into the frame opening, a better place to remove metal.

[Eugen]

Glad to hear you got it working properly and it appears to shoot very well.

I have yet to change a main spring. I can't say I am excited about loosing my main spring virginity given all the negative reports.

[John1125]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

Right, but the hook width is not commonly the problem; but the flat below it that is a little "wide". Still, if one can get into the frame opening, a better place to remove metal.

Its not something one does every day , but I wished that I would have fit the spring guide to the frame before I started back together , I actually removed and replaced the original spring in order to get a count on the coils accurately . Then I got a new spring and replaced the old one (Saving all the original parts of course)

What I encountered was the guide not wanting to turn to the correct alignment and was binding as it was square and the frame hole square also. Maybe just a bit of relief on the frame and or the guide to allow it to turn into position more easily .

Or perhaps starting into the frame with the hook facing forward more precisely . That seemed to be difficult with all the spring pressure working against things . I agree if I go back into another , just a wee bit of careful fitting may be in order before going together with the spring in place .


Kirk

[DonVoigt]

I do not think the "strut"/guide is designed to turn as being inserted; I just start it in the correct orientation. If you do this it will probably fit right in.

Show us a picture of your mainspring tool you made. There was/is a luger tool made just for that purpose. One of the members here sells a nice one, hand made with your choice of wood for the handle.

[Lugerdoc]

Kirk, Congrats on your recent PO8 recoil spring change. I personally have two tools that I use to do this job: first I have a lever type arrangement that lifts the spring guide, so that I can disconnect the hooked top from the recoil lever with my free hand. Then I use the hooked tool to remove the spring and guide from the frame. Same in reverse to install. This makes connecting the guide to to the lever easy. TH

[John1125]

Here's the tool that I made :
http://forum.lugerforum.com/attachme...1&d=1488740698

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by Eugen

Glad to hear you got it working properly and it appears to shoot very well.

I have yet to change a main spring. I can't say I am excited about loosing my main spring virginity given all the negative reports.

Eugen, just buy Jim Solomon's mainspring tool and follow the instructions... it's a snap once you get the hang of it.

[rhuff]

Originally Posted by John1125

Here's the tool that I made :
http://forum.lugerforum.com/attachme...1&d=1488740698

The one that I made to change out mainsprings looks almost identical to yours. Once one gets a "feel" for it, the whole process gets much easier.

[Eugen]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

Eugen, just buy Jim Solomon's mainspring tool and follow the instructions... it's a snap once you get the hang of it.

John, yes, indeed. I got one of Jim's ubercool tools a few months after I got my first Luger and doing some research on the matter. Thus far I have had no need to replace a main spring. I know...it is just a matter of time.

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by Eugen

John, yes, indeed. I got one of Jim's ubercool tools a few months after I got my first Luger and doing some research on the matter. Thus far I have had no need to replace a main spring. I know...it is just a matter of time.

Just don't hold your breath. The original springs might very well outlive you.

[John1125]

Originally Posted by Lugerdoc

Kirk, Congrats on your recent PO8 recoil spring change. I personally have two tools that I use to do this job: first I have a lever type arrangement that lifts the spring guide, so that I can disconnect the hooked top from the recoil lever with my free hand. Then I use the hooked tool to remove the spring and guide from the frame. Same in reverse to install. This makes connecting the guide to to the lever easy. TH

OK , that got me thinking so I went out to the shop and wondered just what would I have that would do that ? And it came to me , a pair of lock ring pliers might do the job.

So I found a pair I had and fit them to the hole in the spring guide and ground them a bit so they would fit nice to the frame radius and whalla , Easy peasy , they worked Great.

Also noted that the frame cut out where the guide goes through was rough as cob and the guide itself was very rough on the sides . So that was easy to remedy .

I also found that if I greased up the hook and spring it would twist on to the guide much easier - imagine that !

This worked so well I just wanted to share this , I even found with a zip tie I could have both hands free to get the spring guide hooked up with the recoil spring lever . Snap ring pliers made this job very easy , night and day difference between trying to compress the spring with a hook tool and then look for another hand to get things together.

( In the pics below I just locked the toggle open to show how the pliers would work )

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by Eugen

I have yet to change a main spring. I can't say I am excited about loosing my main spring virginity given all the negative reports.

Get Jim's tool or make something similar and its easy. I managed to do it once before I got the tool. Let's just say I accomplished the mission, but it involved both hands, a small screwdriver, one hip, and the edge of a slop sink to brace the gun against!