Magazine Malfunction?

uscavman · 08-08-2012, 11:33 PM

I have a new original wood bottom magazine that I am having a little problem and need to seek some higher knowledge. I am fairly new to Luger collecting so I will try an explain my problem the best I can. The mag locks into the Luger but gets stuck it does not pop back a little like my other mags. The mag will not release If I snap it in and pull it out manually until it clicks again it will release. Just wondering if there is something wrong with the mag or release (other mags work fine) and if it is fixable. Any help is appreciated.

mrerick · 08-09-2012, 11:12 AM

G. T. (Gerald) on this board is an international class expert on Luger magazines and their restoration.

He has the special tools needed to properly conform the magazine to factory specification measurements. He regularly does restoration services.

Marc

lugerholsterrepair · 08-09-2012, 11:17 AM

Original wood bottom mags are not all the same size. I have handfulls of the things and some are quite sticky or won't even go into a pistol while others slide right in. I think you just have one that is slightly oversize for your pistol. It will likely fit in another! Why this is so I cannot say..I know it to be true however. I guess that's why the Germans serial numbered the bottoms!

uscavman · 08-10-2012, 07:30 AM

Got it out last night after work and put in a couple of times and released and now is working fine now. It did that earlier worked the first few after I got the magazine but then started sticking. Strange.

G.T. · 08-10-2012, 11:44 PM

Hi to all, Original luger mags are really a masterpiece of work... still, all in all, never really perfected.. That's because they asked more from the materials and design, then it could stand up to with repeated use.. For example, in order to form the folded sheet metal shell, they had to use dead soft, or maybe at most quaterhard steel sheet, to form the severe bends and crimped seams necessary to make the shell... To give you an example you can easily bend a small amount by hand..And, it is less than .020" thick. This means no heat treat, or very little, probably most of the spring in the steel was just from work hardening.. so now, you have a thin skinned soft steel container, with a small seam running the length... Pretty much an old campbells soup can would have been stronger... Now, lets put in a grossly overworked coil spring that goes to solid evey time you fully depress the follower! No modern designer in his right mind would design such a monster... So, we have a soft steel mag, overtaxed spring, and just for grins and smiles, lets tilt it 60 degrees and see what happens... Remarkably, they really do work quite well! Which amazes me every day... But, whether they are numbered to the gun or not, nice nickel plate or plain steel finish... they simply will not last with continued use... The first problem to show up is spreading at the magazine top, especially the feed lips.. This is usually the beginning of feed issues and the end of the drop free provision of the magazine.. The same issues that cause the mag to spread at the top, also start affecting the bottom also, and you get expansion at both ends. About the time you realize what is occuring, the mag starts failing in the seam, at best it'll grow a few thousands from front to back, at worst, the seam will fail to the point to where the mag shell twists and cannot be made stable... looks perfect, but will never consistantly fit correctly.. And then, just to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, lets put a wood bottom on it in various degrees of quality... pin it at the bottom back edge and see what happens???... All of the above is why the hardened MEC-GAR replacement mag is better then an original pre Mauser magazine in just about every respect... Gott'a love those Germans though... They just make really neat intricate stuff! ...

... best to all, til...lat'r...GT

padredan · 08-11-2012, 09:29 AM

outstanding , gt thanks, even i could understand it.

lugerholsterrepair · 08-11-2012, 10:46 AM

GT..Thanks! Great explanation!~ Appreciated by all I am sure..
Jerry

G.T. · 08-11-2012, 05:45 PM

Thanks Dan & Jerry, but...I almost forgot what i was leading to?? Anyway... just a little more... when Haneal (sp.??) got the idea to improve the Luger mag.. they did a pretty good job right off the start by eliminating the seam... Got rid of a bunch of issues right there... But, still soft steel, still over worked spring, although not quite as bad with the box design .. and still a bad angle for any mag to work at... just the nature of the beast.. Now, that being said, you take a crisp as new Luger, and an as new mag... and the right ammo, I would bet you'd have one hell of a time making it quit???!!!! The Luger can run right with the best of them... as a case in point, we came pretty close to just that in the 1907 tests for the .45 cal 1911....

..Best to all, til...lat'r...GT

padredan · 08-11-2012, 07:39 PM

Gt, take a look at the FXO mag thread please, it kinda follows along this one now with a few question i asked there, thanks

08-08-2012, 11:33 PM	#1
uscavman User Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 36 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Magazine Malfunction? I have a new original wood bottom magazine that I am having a little problem and need to seek some higher knowledge. I am fairly new to Luger collecting so I will try an explain my problem the best I can. The mag locks into the Luger but gets stuck it does not pop back a little like my other mags. The mag will not release If I snap it in and pull it out manually until it clicks again it will release. Just wondering if there is something wrong with the mag or release (other mags work fine) and if it is fixable. Any help is appreciated. Last edited by uscavman; 08-09-2012 at 09:48 AM.

08-09-2012, 11:12 AM	#2
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,900 Thanks: 1,372 Thanked 3,094 Times in 1,503 Posts	G. T. (Gerald) on this board is an international class expert on Luger magazines and their restoration. He has the special tools needed to properly conform the magazine to factory specification measurements. He regularly does restoration services. Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

08-09-2012, 11:17 AM	#3
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,763 Thanks: 4,865 Thanked 3,105 Times in 1,429 Posts	Original wood bottom mags are not all the same size. I have handfulls of the things and some are quite sticky or won't even go into a pistol while others slide right in. I think you just have one that is slightly oversize for your pistol. It will likely fit in another! Why this is so I cannot say..I know it to be true however. I guess that's why the Germans serial numbered the bottoms! __________________ 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."

08-10-2012, 11:44 PM	#5
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,486 Thanks: 1,284 Thanked 3,583 Times in 989 Posts	Some Luger magazine facts of life.... Hi to all, Original luger mags are really a masterpiece of work... still, all in all, never really perfected.. That's because they asked more from the materials and design, then it could stand up to with repeated use.. For example, in order to form the folded sheet metal shell, they had to use dead soft, or maybe at most quaterhard steel sheet, to form the severe bends and crimped seams necessary to make the shell... To give you an example you can easily bend a small amount by hand..And, it is less than .020" thick. This means no heat treat, or very little, probably most of the spring in the steel was just from work hardening.. so now, you have a thin skinned soft steel container, with a small seam running the length... Pretty much an old campbells soup can would have been stronger... Now, lets put in a grossly overworked coil spring that goes to solid evey time you fully depress the follower! No modern designer in his right mind would design such a monster... So, we have a soft steel mag, overtaxed spring, and just for grins and smiles, lets tilt it 60 degrees and see what happens... Remarkably, they really do work quite well! Which amazes me every day... But, whether they are numbered to the gun or not, nice nickel plate or plain steel finish... they simply will not last with continued use... The first problem to show up is spreading at the magazine top, especially the feed lips.. This is usually the beginning of feed issues and the end of the drop free provision of the magazine.. The same issues that cause the mag to spread at the top, also start affecting the bottom also, and you get expansion at both ends. About the time you realize what is occuring, the mag starts failing in the seam, at best it'll grow a few thousands from front to back, at worst, the seam will fail to the point to where the mag shell twists and cannot be made stable... looks perfect, but will never consistantly fit correctly.. And then, just to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, lets put a wood bottom on it in various degrees of quality... pin it at the bottom back edge and see what happens???... All of the above is why the hardened MEC-GAR replacement mag is better then an original pre Mauser magazine in just about every respect... Gott'a love those Germans though... They just make really neat intricate stuff! ...... best to all, til...lat'r...GT

08-11-2012, 09:29 AM	#6
padredan User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: louisiana Now, but from the Rebublic of Texas Posts: 937 Thanks: 429 Thanked 316 Times in 182 Posts	outstanding , gt thanks, even i could understand it. __________________ In this world nothing is free, except the grace of God

08-10-2012, 07:30 AM	#4
uscavman User Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 36 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Got it out last night after work and put in a couple of times and released and now is working fine now. It did that earlier worked the first few after I got the magazine but then started sticking. Strange.

08-11-2012, 10:46 AM	#7
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,763 Thanks: 4,865 Thanked 3,105 Times in 1,429 Posts	GT..Thanks! Great explanation!~ Appreciated by all I am sure.. Jerry __________________ 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."

08-11-2012, 05:45 PM	#8
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,486 Thanks: 1,284 Thanked 3,583 Times in 989 Posts	and then!!! Thanks Dan & Jerry, but...I almost forgot what i was leading to?? Anyway... just a little more... when Haneal (sp.??) got the idea to improve the Luger mag.. they did a pretty good job right off the start by eliminating the seam... Got rid of a bunch of issues right there... But, still soft steel, still over worked spring, although not quite as bad with the box design .. and still a bad angle for any mag to work at... just the nature of the beast.. Now, that being said, you take a crisp as new Luger, and an as new mag... and the right ammo, I would bet you'd have one hell of a time making it quit???!!!! The Luger can run right with the best of them... as a case in point, we came pretty close to just that in the 1907 tests for the .45 cal 1911......Best to all, til...lat'r...GT

08-11-2012, 07:39 PM	#9
padredan User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: louisiana Now, but from the Rebublic of Texas Posts: 937 Thanks: 429 Thanked 316 Times in 182 Posts	Gt, take a look at the FXO mag thread please, it kinda follows along this one now with a few question i asked there, thanks __________________ In this world nothing is free, except the grace of God