Did I break this Luger? Bolt stuck open

mattnashbrowns · 07-08-2009, 04:45 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm afraid I made an overconfident-newbie mistake with this Luger.

It appears to be a 1917 DWM police model. Frame and receiver serial numbers match, but none of the others do.

The bolt hold-open wasn't working, and the previous owner's effects included a receipt for a "hold open latch w/spring", so I decided to follow the disassembly instructions in the hilariously-translated Parabellum manual.

I did this successfully, and reassembled it successfully too. I decided to count myself lucky and rest my aching fingers for a few hours.

On returning to the pistol, I asked myself "Why didn't you inspect the hold-open while you had the thing apart, like you were going to?"

"Now is not the time to start pointing fingers," I replied. "Let's not argue. Besides, taking it apart and putting it back together is fun!"

So, I got it back apart and identified the hold open latch w/spring. Manipulating it a little bit caused it to pop right out, and I saw that it was supposed to clamp onto an axle in its little groove, which I did. I put the magazine into the "bifurcated stock" and the little hold-open popped up, just like it wasn't doing before I got started.

I did a little chair dance. Success!

But I guess I was too eager to try it out, and put the whole mess back together wrong. As soon as I pulled the toggle back, the whole receiver assembly shifted backwards, so that now the front of the receiver is about 3/8" back from the point where it would be flush with the stock.

I am able to work the bolt release lever and remove and replace the trigger guard. I can pull the toggle back just a hair, but nothing seems to release it.

I found a previous thread with what sounds like a similar problem, and the poster eventually got the thing apart well enough to fix the spring on the hold open, but I can't see how to get it back apart. The hold open release latch inside the chamber that is referenced in that post is not visible in my gun's chamber.

Any ideas? I am happy to supply pictures, some of which may include circles and arrows. I will supply the paragraph to go on the back of each one to explain what each one is.

Thanks in advance,
Matt

07-08-2009, 04:45 PM	#1
mattnashbrowns User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Did I break this Luger? Bolt stuck open Hello everyone, I'm afraid I made an overconfident-newbie mistake with this Luger. It appears to be a 1917 DWM police model. Frame and receiver serial numbers match, but none of the others do. The bolt hold-open wasn't working, and the previous owner's effects included a receipt for a "hold open latch w/spring", so I decided to follow the disassembly instructions in the hilariously-translated Parabellum manual. I did this successfully, and reassembled it successfully too. I decided to count myself lucky and rest my aching fingers for a few hours. On returning to the pistol, I asked myself "Why didn't you inspect the hold-open while you had the thing apart, like you were going to?" "Now is not the time to start pointing fingers," I replied. "Let's not argue. Besides, taking it apart and putting it back together is fun!" So, I got it back apart and identified the hold open latch w/spring. Manipulating it a little bit caused it to pop right out, and I saw that it was supposed to clamp onto an axle in its little groove, which I did. I put the magazine into the "bifurcated stock" and the little hold-open popped up, just like it wasn't doing before I got started. I did a little chair dance. Success! But I guess I was too eager to try it out, and put the whole mess back together wrong. As soon as I pulled the toggle back, the whole receiver assembly shifted backwards, so that now the front of the receiver is about 3/8" back from the point where it would be flush with the stock. I am able to work the bolt release lever and remove and replace the trigger guard. I can pull the toggle back just a hair, but nothing seems to release it. I found a previous thread with what sounds like a similar problem, and the poster eventually got the thing apart well enough to fix the spring on the hold open, but I can't see how to get it back apart. The hold open release latch inside the chamber that is referenced in that post is not visible in my gun's chamber. Any ideas? I am happy to supply pictures, some of which may include circles and arrows. I will supply the paragraph to go on the back of each one to explain what each one is. Thanks in advance, Matt