Luger Reliablity-Stong Springs help

[Ted]

While they arent a panacea to the answer of a Lugers reliablity, they certainly are the first place I look when reliablity problems rear their ugly head. A Luger opens and closes in 1/30 or a second (or less) and the magazine has to get the cartridge in position in much less time than that. Think about the movement of the breech block, it has to almost clear the rounds in the magazine before they can begin their upward and rapid move into position. The breech block doesnt move very much more backwards before it begins it forward progress to pick up the next round. This is why a proper operating Luger MUST have a strong spring in the magazine and this is why they included a loading tool with the weapon.....the springs are very strong indeed. A spring replacment of the main spring, magazine spring, sear spring, trigger recoil spring, and yes even the extractor spring will go a long way to make shooter grade Lugers more reliable assuming the ammunition is powerful enough (but not overly so)magazine lips are in good order, parts in the mechanism are properly oiled and in the correct fit and alignments. There are many things that can cause problems, but IMO, springs are the FIRST place to investigate problems. I have seen other things like an ejector that didnt move correctly (the empties didnt eject all the time) a frame that was not properly relieved enough to allow the magazine follower button to properly lift the hold open device and many others. Ted

I'm new to Lugers (don't even have one yet) but a fairly experienced shooter. Years ago a Marine armorer advised me never to load my "clips" (i.e.,magazines) until I was on the range ready to shoot. He said that, over time, springs in loaded magazines lose their "springiness". (I've forgotten the technical term for spring stregth). Hope this is helpful. Thanks to all who posted to my "newbie" enquiry; and I've learned a lot merely by lurking here in the Forum. Regards to all. Ad.

[John Sabato]

An associate recently came across a loaded M-16 magazine in a footlocker that had been in storage in his (dry) basement for over 20 years. Not a single malfunction in his AR-15. I have personally fired magazines for M1911 Colts that have been loaded at least that long. Never a malfunction. Newer magazines used on even a sporadic basis should not be a problem. If they were reliable when you bought them, they should continue to be so.


If the spring was truely made to original design specifications, it should last a virtual lifetime... BUT...


...in the case of most all original Luger springs (and orignal mag springs), they have ALREADY lasted MORE than a lifetime. Don't hesitate to upgrade the springs in your shooters. They will give your Luger a new life, and lessen the chance of parts breakage, or unreliability from battering of the parts due to a weakened spring.


regards,


-John

Any one have the spec.s for the Luger springs. Load at rest (L1) and load when compressed (L2), wire size, etc.? Just knowing what the intended design limits are would assure we have are installing the correct spring for the application.