Old Model

[Rugger]

Just received Old Model S/N 17590. Finish is gone, mainspring has been substituted for a blacksmith's fabrication and firing pin, also a blacksmith's fabrication, is broken. All numbers matching including grips, which are very thinned with no checkering left (although its remnants can still be seen) and have been tinted black.

Other than this, the pistol is in great shape. I would appreciate your opinions. I would also appreciate your recomendations on (i) whether I could/should restore the grips (with an expert you could recommend) or try to find original used grips to substitute the originals, (ii) should I reblue?, (iii) what is the correct original thickness of the mainspring blades, (iv) can an original mainspring be found?, (v) can an original firing pin be found? and (vi) can an original used magazine with unmarked wooden bottom be found? I have already written to Mr. Heller for help.

Thanks and best regards,

[padredan]

stlll a nice one, thanks for posting

[Ron Wood]

Pretty nice gun. I have an original mainspring for $100 unless you can find a better deal. Send me a private message if you are interested. Hugh Clark can work miracles with your grips. Probably should hold off on refinishing the gun...it looks fairly appropriate for its age and I doubt that a restoration would increase its value all that much. I bet Tom Heller will come up with an appropriate magazine...it should have a wooden base without any markings. Good luck.
Ron

[alanint]

Nice gun. You might also want to replace the missing Toggle Latch Catch

[Ron Wood]

Originally Posted by alanint

Nice gun. You might also want to replace the missing Toggle Latch Catch

Tom Heller has had those for sale also.

[Edward Tinker]

i would not refinish it - grips yes or some other grips

Ed

[Rugger]

Thanks to all! Ron: I may very well thankfuly accept your offer on the mainspring. I will be back to you. Alanint: Can you clarify/teach me what the Toggle Latch Catch is and where I can get one?

[alanint]

My pleasure.
If you look at photograph number eight that you posted, (full right side view of the gun), look just below the knurled, dished toggle handle. The toggle handle has a spring loaded latch, which should hook into a corresponding catch in the frame. That empty slot in your frame just below the toggle latch once held this catch. Yours is missing and needs to be replaced in order for the gun to be correct and complete.

[Rugger]

Thanks! I will ask Tom Heller. Does anyone know of other possible sources in case Tom does not have one available?

Best regards,

[lugersrkewl]

thanks for posting- since the numbers are so close it shoudnt be reblued imho.
nice 01

[Douglas Jr.]

Rugger,
First of all, congratulations for your Luger.
Well, the people said everything on the previous postos: get a new pair of grips (or have them sent to Hugh Clark), a correct magazine (wood bottom) and Ron's mainspring and DO NOT REFINISHED the gun. Its finish turned into an attractive (at least to me) gray patina, and any work on it won't improve its value. You'll see that it will lokks fine with the new/refurbished grips and new mag.

Douglas.

[Ben M.]

old main springs on eBay as well :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EARLY-GERMAN...item256fbbfaa1

[rhuff]

Originally Posted by Ben M.

old main springs on eBay as well :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EARLY-GERMAN...item256fbbfaa1

The seller will only ship in America according to his ad.

[ithacaartist]

iHola, Miguel!

I checked out this eBay listing and, according to Ron's guidelines for thickness, what is offered seems to be a spring for the 7.65 mm--both leaves appear to be the same in thickness.

Originally Posted by rhuff

The seller will only ship in America according to his ad.

Week before last, I had a similar problem. The German seller of parts for Erma .22's I have, replied that they do not ship to the U.S. I posted my woes, and our very own Gerben PMed me, offering one of his contacts, a gentlemen/gun dealer who could probably buy the parts there and send them to me (It's more easily done with parts than an entire gun.). I certainly plan to repay this kindness directly if the occasion ever arises! But, in the meantime, I could do the same for you, in the event you choose to acquire this eBay offering; simply PM me if the need presents itself. I'm not trying to put our Lugerdoc out of business, of course! And his price is better than the listing, regardless.

Well, heck, this could go for any other forum member with such a dilemma. Just give a holler.

p.s. It irks me that such regulations exist. Lack of universality in this realm smacks of what's called Tribal Thinking--basically an "us versus them" approach to life and society., in which our fellow humans are regarded as something else by a localized group which could be of any size. It leads to imperialism, oppression, and war--none of which is really regarded as a good thing by most of us, save the perpetrators and profiteers of this mindset. It is parochial and closed-minded and selfish.

Better, a global community in which ALL individuals share identical rights and responsibilities, are able to pursue thier happinesses, apply themselves, and prosper anywhere on this planet. I have no problem with expressions of the multitude of separate cultures in an historical sense because we all need to know our heritages and their histories--not to divide us, but to give us each a perspective of who and what we are. As citizens of the world, we could go where we want to go, see what we want to see, and do what we want to do while fearing no reasonable man based on the geographical or cultural accident of birth.

DP

[Rugger]

Thanks to all for your views and kind assistance. The pistol will remain as is. I will only substitute/obtain firing pin, togle latch magazine and mainspring for/with original parts (which I have already secured). Could anyone provide contact information for Mr. Clark?

Best regards,

[mlmahon]

Originally Posted by Rugger

Thanks to all for your views and kind assistance. The pistol will remain as is. I will only substitute/obtain firing pin, togle latch magazine and mainspring for/with original parts (which I have already secured). Could anyone provide contact information for Mr. Clark?

Best regards,

You can send Hugh Clark a PM or email him at hhclark@wildblue.net.

-ML

[alvin]

The main spring is a rare item.

Do 9m/m "fat barrel" and 7,65m/m "pencil barrel" share the same main spring? They are supposed to have different spring constants....

[Ron Wood]

Originally Posted by alvin

The main spring is a rare item.

Do 9m/m "fat barrel" and 7,65m/m "pencil barrel" share the same main spring? They are supposed to have different spring constants....

Both parts of the 7.65mm laminated leaf spring are the same thickness. The front leaf on a 9mm spring (the longer one with the hook on the end) is 50% thicker than the rear spring, which is the same thickness as a 7.65mm spring.

[CJS57]

Restraw it and then antique the new straw back to about 40%. It will look right at that level. The grips can be recheckered.

[alvin]

No.. the straw and grip match the overall condition well. "Enhance" them would make this one unbalanced. Unless redo everything, it's better just replacing broken & missing parts to make it serviceable. The wrong left panel screw and magazine bottom are less important from functional point of view, probably can be left alone.