Durability of Post War Mauser Luger

Aaron · 03-21-2006, 04:59 PM

I have a collection of post war Mauser Lugers, but I must confess that I have never fired one, since I regard them as collector guns only. I am curious to know if any forum members fire any of these pistols on a regular basis and can comment on their reliability, accuracy, and durability.

tracyp · 03-21-2006, 05:08 PM

I have a 70's Mauser Luger that I fire all of the time. It's extremely accurate. It has the Swiss style grips which I don't like as much as the P08. As for durability, I've had the ejector and rear axle pin break. Other thank that it's been great.

mauro · 03-21-2006, 06:01 PM

Aaron,
As far as I know the Mauser Parabellum are absolutely very accurate. I know people that are used to fire with and the comments are enthusiastic.

Rod WMG · 03-21-2006, 06:57 PM

I have fired mine on two outings. It was very accurate, though it was a navy and 40 yards was the only range I had to try. It was about two feet high at that point with a variety of 115 gr. factory ammo.

On the second trip the ejector left for parts unknown.

Aaron · 03-21-2006, 09:55 PM

As requested, left side photo of Cartridge Counter magazine:
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/dsc02453.jpg

Ron Wood · 03-21-2006, 10:23 PM

Aaron,
Thank you for the magazine photo.

lugerholsterrepair · 03-21-2006, 11:15 PM

Aaron, I do not have one of these but it is odd that both the extractor and the toggle pin are what has broken on my original P-08's. Of course I fire many thousands of rounds...Something is bound to break.

Tracy, do you really mean the ejector and not the extractor? I cannot emagine an ejector breaking, it has almost no stress. Whearas the extractor is inheriantly weak in it's design. Very thin in an important area. Jerry Burney

tracyp · 03-22-2006, 12:33 PM

Jerry,

It was the ejector. I don't know how it happened, but it didn't eject the next round. It must have caught on something. Anyway, I bought another one from Tom Heller ($50). I also bought the toggle pin from him. If you need parts for these, Tom's the guy.

Tracy

Rod WMG · 03-22-2006, 12:53 PM

I wrote "ejector" when I meant "extractor." Can't believe it; I just replaced it.

Edward Tinker · 03-22-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rod WMG
I wrote "ejector" when I meant "extractor." Can't believe it; I just replaced it.

I get the two mixed up all the time. If I sit and think, I know which is which, but normal talk and I get uhhhhh

Dwight Gruber · 03-22-2006, 02:28 PM

Remember the broken parts shooting survey http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...n+parts+survey ? The ejector was the most-reported part failure, by a significant amount.

--Dwight

Ponyman · 03-28-2006, 09:29 PM

The process commonly referred to as "strawing" is actually a mild form of temperring, which improves the elastic response of the metal. Of the small parts that fall in the straw category, only the ejector and the extractor are likely to be significantly distorted in the firing cycle. Strawing of the extractor was terminated early in the program. The high breakage rate of ejectors reported by Dwight may be an indication that - at least in the case of the ejector - strawing was not just cosmetic, but intended to prolong the life of the part. Is there any way to find out the straw condition of the parts reported as broken?

Dwight Gruber · 03-28-2006, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ponyman
Is there any way to find out the straw condition of the parts reported as broken?

Your assessment of the hardness situation is a good one. I'm sure at this point you'd have to do a new survey particularly for the "straw condition" information.

And I'm not sure that it wouldn't be a red herring, in any case. I don't imagine that the remaining straw is any indication of the change of hardness of the part (if any); straw is a surface color effect which can fade even by long-term exposure to light.

I can report that one ejector which broke on a G-date I used to own was polished white, and only the tipbroke off--it was still functional. The still-strawed ejector which was on the S/42 I shoot broke behind the ejection tab, as did the no-straw-remaining replacement, in short order.

This gun currently has a blued ejector, which brings up another point. From 1937 on these parts were blued, so even though they may have tempered them to straw temperature, the straw itself was covered--probably polished off in order to take salt-blue.

--Dwight

John Sabato · 03-29-2006, 09:27 AM

Gentlemen,

I agree with Dwight's last statement... in 1937, the German war machine dropped strawing as a firearm finish because it was too expensive a process and went to salt bluing of all the parts. Mauser's only exception to this are the commercial or contract pistols sold after 1937, where standard civilian finish was used, presumeably because the customer was paying the premium cost for the additional process.

IMHO, I don't think that their military would have intentionally changed the finishing process if it would have meant more parts breakage in the field on high impact parts what were not strawed...

Is my logic flawed here? Your opinions please.

Vlim · 03-29-2006, 02:14 PM

Hi,

Most failed ejectors I've seen, failed the same way. The metal just behind the ejecting triangle will become fatigued and will slowly crack, pushing the ejecting triangle slightly inwards. Which is a bit surprising, really.

The Germans must've had tons of replacement ejectors for them and I dare to say that there are very, very few lugers still have the ejector they left the factory with.

Some broken ejectors I save, along with a firing pin retainer:

03-21-2006, 04:59 PM	#1
Aaron Banned Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,008 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	Durability of Post War Mauser Luger I have a collection of post war Mauser Lugers, but I must confess that I have never fired one, since I regard them as collector guns only. I am curious to know if any forum members fire any of these pistols on a regular basis and can comment on their reliability, accuracy, and durability.

03-21-2006, 06:01 PM	#3
mauro FIREARM HISTORIAN AND AUT Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,535 Thanks: 106 Thanked 350 Times in 129 Posts	Aaron, As far as I know the Mauser Parabellum are absolutely very accurate. I know people that are used to fire with and the comments are enthusiastic. __________________ Mauro Baudino - www.lugerlp08.com www.paul-mauser-archive.com Mauser Company and Firearm Historian - Mauser Parabellum Certification Service.

03-21-2006, 10:23 PM	#6
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,040 Thanks: 1,106 Thanked 5,256 Times in 1,724 Posts	Aaron, Thank you for the magazine photo. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

03-21-2006, 11:15 PM	#7
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,775 Thanks: 4,995 Thanked 3,133 Times in 1,439 Posts	Aaron, I do not have one of these but it is odd that both the extractor and the toggle pin are what has broken on my original P-08's. Of course I fire many thousands of rounds...Something is bound to break. Tracy, do you really mean the ejector and not the extractor? I cannot emagine an ejector breaking, it has almost no stress. Whearas the extractor is inheriantly weak in it's design. Very thin in an important area. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

03-28-2006, 09:29 PM	#12
Ponyman User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Atlantic County, NJ, USA Posts: 138 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	The process commonly referred to as "strawing" is actually a mild form of temperring, which improves the elastic response of the metal. Of the small parts that fall in the straw category, only the ejector and the extractor are likely to be significantly distorted in the firing cycle. Strawing of the extractor was terminated early in the program. The high breakage rate of ejectors reported by Dwight may be an indication that - at least in the case of the ejector - strawing was not just cosmetic, but intended to prolong the life of the part. Is there any way to find out the straw condition of the parts reported as broken? __________________ "The Constitution is intended for use by a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other." ~ John Quincy Adams

03-21-2006, 05:08 PM	#2
tracyp User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Peoples Republic of Kalifornia Posts: 391 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	I have a 70's Mauser Luger that I fire all of the time. It's extremely accurate. It has the Swiss style grips which I don't like as much as the P08. As for durability, I've had the ejector and rear axle pin break. Other thank that it's been great.

03-21-2006, 06:57 PM	#4
Rod WMG User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The Edge of Texas Posts: 514 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have fired mine on two outings. It was very accurate, though it was a navy and 40 yards was the only range I had to try. It was about two feet high at that point with a variety of 115 gr. factory ammo. On the second trip the ejector left for parts unknown.

03-21-2006, 09:55 PM	#5
Aaron Banned Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,008 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	As requested, left side photo of Cartridge Counter magazine: http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/dsc02453.jpg

03-22-2006, 12:33 PM	#8
tracyp User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Peoples Republic of Kalifornia Posts: 391 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Jerry, It was the ejector. I don't know how it happened, but it didn't eject the next round. It must have caught on something. Anyway, I bought another one from Tom Heller ($50). I also bought the toggle pin from him. If you need parts for these, Tom's the guy. Tracy

03-22-2006, 12:53 PM	#9
Rod WMG User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The Edge of Texas Posts: 514 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I wrote "ejector" when I meant "extractor." Can't believe it; I just replaced it.

03-22-2006, 02:28 PM	#11
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	Remember the broken parts shooting survey http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...n+parts+survey ? The ejector was the most-reported part failure, by a significant amount. --Dwight

03-29-2006, 09:27 AM	#14
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,155 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,308 Times in 1,098 Posts	Gentlemen, I agree with Dwight's last statement... in 1937, the German war machine dropped strawing as a firearm finish because it was too expensive a process and went to salt bluing of all the parts. Mauser's only exception to this are the commercial or contract pistols sold after 1937, where standard civilian finish was used, presumeably because the customer was paying the premium cost for the additional process. IMHO, I don't think that their military would have intentionally changed the finishing process if it would have meant more parts breakage in the field on high impact parts what were not strawed... Is my logic flawed here? Your opinions please. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

03-29-2006, 02:14 PM	#15
Vlim Moderator Lifetime LugerForum Patron Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 5,053 Thanks: 1,036 Thanked 3,990 Times in 1,205 Posts	Hi, Most failed ejectors I've seen, failed the same way. The metal just behind the ejecting triangle will become fatigued and will slowly crack, pushing the ejecting triangle slightly inwards. Which is a bit surprising, really. The Germans must've had tons of replacement ejectors for them and I dare to say that there are very, very few lugers still have the ejector they left the factory with. Some broken ejectors I save, along with a firing pin retainer: