FEEDING

I am new to Lugers. I have one that I bought many years ago( more than ten ) from J& G sales. It has been sitting around all of that time. Now that I am intrested in shooting it I am having trouble. I have four magazines for this pistol, two came with it and two are from GPC. I have not been able to get reliable feeding from any of them. I think the gun is intermittently short stroking. That is to say the breach block is not quite traveling back far enough to properly pick up the next cartridge. what I wind up with is the block riding over the cartridge base and the caridge tilted up at a high angle with the whole thing locked up. I am using some 124 grain bulleted ammunition from 3-D cartrige company, but do not know the powder charge or MV. Any suggestions? Can anyone suggest a good luger specialist if I send it out to get it working?

All help appreciated.

[Johnny Peppers]

I don't know whether it is the same 3-D or not, but they use to offer a line of reloaded ammunition. Your ammo may be down on velocity as I suspect that they would err on the side of being down on pressure rather than vice versa. It was not 3-D ammo, but our local gunshop was selling 9mm reloads, and had several pistols brought back with rounds jammed in the chamber. I looked over one of the pistols that had a round that was approximately.05 inch short of fully chambering, and then opened about ten boxes of the ammo. Scattered in the reloads were cases that had obviously been fired in a full auto weapon with a loose chamber. The dies were not pulling the cartridge base back down to specs, and the rounds were hanging in a standard pistol chamber.

I agree with J.P. that reloads don't usually work well in a luger. Please try several brands of new factory ammo, before having to ship it to me or someone else to fix. Tom

[Thor]

Glocks are know to have oversized chambers to assist in feeding, hence the term KABOOM when cases fail, but usually these havebeen reloaded a few times! THOR

I know that 3-D makes remanufactured ammo, however I think that this stuff is new just from the over all looks and the lack of any labeling as remanufactured. However, the comments about light loading may be valid since they may be trying to economize on powder. I see from my searches that even 115 grain loads will function this pistol reliably. So I am wondering if ammo is the whole story. I would like to try some good hand loads. Does anyone have any suggestions for good reliable hand loads? I can als try a new Wolf spring set. If I still can't get this gun to work I may have to send it off for work, any one want to recommend a good gunsmith for luger work?

[Johnny Peppers]

Rick,

Some of the full auto weapons have way oversize chambers to aid in function and feeding. The Macs were notoriously oversized. Most people just chunk the brass fired in one of the weapons with oversized chambers, but this may have gotten mixed in with the regular brass. At any rate, it was not sized to anywhere nears specs. After I figured out what had happened it was no problem to pour out a box of the reloads and spot the cases that were expanded well into the web.

[Paul R.]

Farris, Have had this problem on occasion when using different makes of amunition. I have excellent results using Federals inexpensive "American Eagle" 124 grain ammuniton. Works good in five different Lugers 4inch and 6 inch barrels. It is full metal jacketed, costs about $10.00 for fifty rounds, comes in a red and blue box. If this dosen't fix my problem I replace the magazine spring with a Wolf or other good spring.

[Jesse]

I have never had a problem with jams (with my Lugers anyway) I use a set of wolf dbl. Springs and somewhat hot ammo (more like the hot 134gr @ 1300fps SMG loads that the P-08s used in WWII era) I don't think you should use anything like p+ ammo but you might want to try something with more power than the NATO std. loads. These gun where made for hot loads but don't be too harsh to the old timers

Jesse, I agree that the WW2 era PO8s were built with a stronger recoil spring (2 extra coils) than the WW1 versions, so that they could handle the MP40 SMG ammo. If desired, most lugers can have a WW1 or softer recoil spring installed to function consistently with cheap down loaded ammo, but rather than spend $50 to $100 on this, I'd advise finding a brand of ammo that works and stick with it.

I have the same problem as Rick, with a 1917 DWM. It has been reworked, and is beautiful, but it stovepipes all the time. It either jams a round the way Rick described or fails to eject, with the spent case sticking straight up and pinned between the breech and the breechblock. I have tried 124 gr. Winchester, PMC, and Federal American Eagle, plus 15 gr. Winchester. (I buy the 115 gr. Winchester by the case because it usually works well with my other guns.)


I swapped out extractor springs among my guns to install the stiffest one available. That didn't stop the jamming & stovepiping, and now the gun will occasionally extract & eject but fail to strip off and chamber a new round. The breech closes, and I squeeze the trigger on an empty chamber.


Last night, I was showing the "problem child" to the range officer at my gun range, and he said he could tell just by feel that the recoil spring was way too stiff. Suggested storing the gun for a couple of days with the toggle locked open, and polishing the loading ramp, or whatever you call it-- the incline just below the chamber that guides the round into the chamber. I'm trying this, but I have feeling I'm probably gonna just have to take the plunge & change out the spring.

[HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr]

On 1911 its recomended to change recoilspring every 5000 round.

But noone is recomending to change the recoilspring on a luger.

Don, I don't belive that your luger will ever function with the low power ammo you shhot and I recomend you to change spring instead.


I don't belive that can be done to often, and a wolf spring doenst cost very much



http://www.vapensmedjan.com

Thanks, Hakan, I guess I'm just intimidated by the job itself. I'm not much of a gunsmith, and reading Thor's instructions makes me wonder it I can pull it off.

[Thor]

If you dont have a jig to do this, all you need is a nice long punch that fits the bottom of the retainer pin, safety glasses, a paded vice (an option I dont need anymore), moderate hand/arm strength, go good vocabulary of cuss words, and the will to do it! Thor

Thanks, for the encouragement, if that's what you'd call it (I've gutted up and placed an order with Wolff)

[Thor]

Don, when you get it I can put one in too at the same time and I can get on the phone and talk you through it if you have problems! I will help you! Thor

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I will be trying some other ammo as well as some hand loads. I am also going to try some new springs (especilly magazine). I will report back when I am done. However that will probably be several months from now since I have to fit this in with all of my other activities. Two final questions: What is best way to get some more magazines that are good qualiy without selling one of my children? I have removed and replaced the recoil spring before. This was a difficult task. Does any one know a simple method of doing this job or of buying/making a tool or jig to make this job easyer?

[Thor]

check the FAQ section for my method

[HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr]

The best cheapest mags i have used is new manufactured TrippleK in STAINLESS steel.


Regards HÃ?Â¥kan



http://www.vapensmedjan.com

Tomsguns.com is the first place in a long time to carry Mec-Gar mags, which are considered the best of the aftermarkets. I bought a couple at @20 each, but only ordered them a couple of days ago, so can't tell you about service. Ammoclip.com has SS Mitchell Arms w/wood bases at $30. From the picture. they look nice. Ammoclip is also listing Orginal Eagle N proofs at $85 apiece. I brought a couple of no names from Marstar. They literally jammed in the mag well. I had to move heaven and earth to get them out. I will say that Marstar took them back w/out any hassle. Finally, you might contact Tom Heller. I brought a couple of 122/FXO that work just fine from him. Tom's el cheapos usually run in the $50 to$75 range. Hope this helps.