Is it just me? ...

... Or are Luger Hold Opens mysterious devices the operate only when they damn well feel like it? Am being tormented by a Luger poltergeist?


I've been shooting Lugers for about 3 months now, and I'm baffled by the hold open. Never had a semi-auto pistol that didn't hold open all the time.


I have a matching refinished 1918 DWM. I also have 2 matching artillerys-- a 1915 and a 1916. The 1918 and 1915 are very finicky about holding open. I've replaced the h.o. device in the 1918 and tried various different magazines--and it's never held open consistently. With the 1915, I've tried different mags, and found only ONE --an FXO--that holds open consistently. With the 1916, which is the best gun of the lot, a recent purchase from Ralph Shattuck that's hardly been fired, the variable seems to be ammo. It holds open with every magazine I try, even cheap ones--but only with certain ammo, such as White Box Winchester 115 gr. FMJ. Never ho's with Federal American Eagle 124 gr. FMJ--even with the FXO mag or an almost-new Schmeisser.


This lack of rhyme or reason baffles me. I still enjoy shooting the guns, but it's annoying to be fiddling with the h.o. all the time. Any comments, observations, hints, etc.?


(Thanks for your comments in the past few weeks, guys, you've been really patient and helpful with a newbie!)