Loose Grips Sink Ships

[mm]

Maybe it was "Loose Lips Sink Ships!"


Anyway, I have found a way to make Luger grips snug without the worry of overtightening.


Take a Luger grip screw to your local hardware store - go to the faucet gasket section. Find the little black o-rings. Locate the one that fits best around the screw threads and buy them 10-25 cents each) Place the o-rings around the threads of the screws. As you tighten the screws - the o-rings expand under the face of the screw and take up the excess space between the screw head and grip making it snug and providing an elastic cushion to boot. I believe these black rubber type o-rings are actually made from polyeurothene (sp?) or some other modern synthetic rubber.

Other solutions I considered such as placing material between the grip and frame risked cracking the grip if uneven. mm

Actually the common o-rings you buy in a hardware store are uaually of Buna-N or sometimes called Nitrile. These are great for the application. Good idea MM.

Thanks for the tip.

[Milt Keller]

MM,


Because of you, I tried it, It works! Thanks again!


Milt Keller

[Big Norm]

Good idea. I'm glad that you gave everyone a handle on this information.

Big Norm

[mm]

I'm glad to be of help and share the information. So many of you on the forum have provided valuable information to me and it great to have the opportunity to do a little of the same. mm

[renaissance]

The proper size for the "O Rings" is:


#5 OR 3/8 x 1/4 x 1/16


These work perfectly on 1940 "42" and "Black Widow Grips".


17 cents at Home Depot.

[mm]

My o rings measure 3/8" across and are 1/16" wide. The 1/4" must be the measurement of the donut's hole. I did not get the proper description from the hardwarde store, but it looks like we are talking about the same animal. mm

[renaissance]

The very same!

[G.T.]

At any boat OMC dealership, as they use very thin high quality O-rings to seal some of the bolts that hold the bearing carrier for the prop shaft.....till...later....G.T.

[Marvin]

A question about the "o" rings. Has anyone done a little write-up about this procedure for tighting the grips and placed it in the General information or technical questions section? I think this idea may be well worth keeping.


Marvin

Small black o-rings are made out of various rubber and non-rubber based products, although again most would be of a petroleum based product. Most common in natural rubber although not gum rubber would be neoprene, the other non-rubber product though looking like it would be SBR which is synthetic Butyl rubber. First and most natural feature of an o-ring is it's ability to seal irregular shapes against leakage of oil, water & chemical based liquids or solubles. This information courtesy of a graduate of Sperry-Vickers and Parker Hannifin schools.

[renaissance]

I have a 1940 "42" which came to me with "authentic" "Black-Widow" grips (which I have been given to understand were NOT original issue for this model and vintage).

They were a trifle "Loose" on the frame even with tightening down the grip screws as tight as I dared.


I tried the "O-rings".


After snugging down the grip screws lightly over the "o rings"; The grips became perfectly im-mobile on the frame.


However:


Now the magazine would not release (empty) when I pressed on the magazine release. > something that had NEVER happened to me before with this gun and this magazine.


I removed the grips > magazine released fine.


Replaced the grips with the "O-ring" > it would not release.


Removed the grips AND and replaced them without the o-rings > the magazine released fine again.


Replaced the grips WITH the o-rings but left the screws VERY loose > magazine released but now grips rattled again.


Obviously, there is some sort of interference being caused with this solution on MY gun.


Anybody else noticed any problems like mine with implementing the "O-ring fix">

[Hugh]

Philip,


The problem that you are experiencing is a common one when the inside "ridge" of the grips is too thick and sticks into the magazine well. Try removing one side at a time to determine which side is the culprit. You can then sand down the inside of the grip until the magazine will slide freely. Often it is the groove in the grip where the mag button goes that is not deep enough.