Luger Feeding Issues?

SS109 · 04-06-2006, 06:02 PM

I bought a 1923 Commercial Luger. It went fully automatic on me, so I sent it to the Broom Closet to get refinished & the main spring replaced.

I am guessing this model was originally a .30 Luger and rebored to 9mm.
Now my P08 has trouble stripping rounds off the mag, and putting them into the chamber.

Usually the bullet stovepipes bullet up instead of going into the chamber.

Could this be because of the reboring?

Any estimate for what it would cost to fix this, or replace the 9mm barrel with a .30 Luger barrel?

This gun has been refinished twice so it is more a shooter than a collector.

stefanosg · 04-06-2006, 07:45 PM

A full auto Luger! That I would have to see! Do you have or have you tried to use any other magazines? Mine tends to be a bit on the finicky side when it comes to these.

Hugh · 04-07-2006, 01:31 AM

SS109,

I charge $75 for an original 30 L bbl in excellent condition, $100 to replace your bbl, headspace, align sights and test fire, plus return P&I, so you are looking at around $200 for the job.
Hugh

SS109 · 04-07-2006, 10:06 AM

I have tried three magazines. the original, a good Mec-gar one, and a generic replacement.
The non-original ones work the worst.

Vboy · 04-07-2006, 07:21 PM

If the top round in the mag is being stripped but isn't going all the way into the chamber, the problem might be a weak recoil spring. If the toggle isn't going back far enough to strip the round and put it into the chamber, the problem might be weak mag springs and/or a recoil spring that is a bit too strong. I would do some polishing of the feed ramp and rails, some cleaning and lubricating, and perhaps get stronger mag springs from Wolff. Of course, feeding problems can be caused by many factors and can be hard to solve. Good luck.

Vboy

Cam McCreary · 04-07-2006, 08:32 PM

Stefanosg mentioned that he would like to see a full-auto Luger. I used to make gun parts years ago for P-08, Mauser and other pistols. I saw in a book on Luger pistols a full-auto sideplate and sear bar attachment assembly which, would trip the striker upon seating of the toggle assembly in battery on the barrel extension. I built a modern version of the device I saw utilizing a small tapered roller bearing at the rear of the extended sear bar. My side plate had a small lever which looked like the safety lever and which operated the sear by sliding it in and out of position for engagement of the tapered roller bearing with the toggle knob. It worked very well though the toggle mechanism was a bit slow, it still fired the 9 rounds from the magazine in about 2 seconds. I had installed it in a Navy version of the P-08. I currently do not have the device and have no means of manufacturing one at this time.
Just thought if anyone had seen the picture of this mechanism in a Luger book and wondered if it worked. It did!!!

John Sabato · 04-07-2006, 08:48 PM

Cam, Welcome to the Lugerforum... that is quite a story... Must have been the good ole days before 1968 eh?

Cam McCreary · 04-07-2006, 09:33 PM

John, it was around 1982.

SS109 · 04-07-2006, 11:40 PM

A full auto Luger when you are not expecting it can be quite an experience.
I had fired one shot, went OK, fired the second, went OK, end then the mag emptied on the third trigger pull!
I was sure they were going to throw me out of the indoor range. I tried it one more time to see if it would repeat. It did, in the exact same way. I read somewhere that bent Luger main springs can cause this.

Lugerdoc · 04-08-2006, 08:50 AM

More likely, that your FP is slipping off the sear and one of these pieces needs to be replaced. TH

04-06-2006, 06:02 PM	#1
SS109 User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Jefferson, CO Posts: 56 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Luger Feeding Issues? I bought a 1923 Commercial Luger. It went fully automatic on me, so I sent it to the Broom Closet to get refinished & the main spring replaced. I am guessing this model was originally a .30 Luger and rebored to 9mm. Now my P08 has trouble stripping rounds off the mag, and putting them into the chamber. Usually the bullet stovepipes bullet up instead of going into the chamber. Could this be because of the reboring? Any estimate for what it would cost to fix this, or replace the 9mm barrel with a .30 Luger barrel? This gun has been refinished twice so it is more a shooter than a collector. __________________ 1916 LP08 1923 9mm P08 Commercial Import 1920 .30 Luger Commercial

04-06-2006, 07:45 PM	#2
stefanosg User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: East Central Florida Posts: 367 Thanks: 1 Thanked 7 Times in 2 Posts	A full auto Luger! That I would have to see! Do you have or have you tried to use any other magazines? Mine tends to be a bit on the finicky side when it comes to these. __________________ "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

04-07-2006, 01:31 AM	#3
Hugh RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Swamp Posts: 2,460 Thanks: 2 Thanked 166 Times in 65 Posts	SS109, I charge $75 for an original 30 L bbl in excellent condition, $100 to replace your bbl, headspace, align sights and test fire, plus return P&I, so you are looking at around $200 for the job. Hugh __________________ *TRUMP FOR PREZ IN '20!*

04-07-2006, 10:06 AM	#4
SS109 User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Jefferson, CO Posts: 56 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have tried three magazines. the original, a good Mec-gar one, and a generic replacement. The non-original ones work the worst. __________________ 1916 LP08 1923 9mm P08 Commercial Import 1920 .30 Luger Commercial

04-07-2006, 08:32 PM	#6
Cam McCreary New User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Auburn, CA Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Rebored P-08 Stefanosg mentioned that he would like to see a full-auto Luger. I used to make gun parts years ago for P-08, Mauser and other pistols. I saw in a book on Luger pistols a full-auto sideplate and sear bar attachment assembly which, would trip the striker upon seating of the toggle assembly in battery on the barrel extension. I built a modern version of the device I saw utilizing a small tapered roller bearing at the rear of the extended sear bar. My side plate had a small lever which looked like the safety lever and which operated the sear by sliding it in and out of position for engagement of the tapered roller bearing with the toggle knob. It worked very well though the toggle mechanism was a bit slow, it still fired the 9 rounds from the magazine in about 2 seconds. I had installed it in a Navy version of the P-08. I currently do not have the device and have no means of manufacturing one at this time. Just thought if anyone had seen the picture of this mechanism in a Luger book and wondered if it worked. It did!!!

04-07-2006, 07:21 PM	#5
Vboy User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 35 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	If the top round in the mag is being stripped but isn't going all the way into the chamber, the problem might be a weak recoil spring. If the toggle isn't going back far enough to strip the round and put it into the chamber, the problem might be weak mag springs and/or a recoil spring that is a bit too strong. I would do some polishing of the feed ramp and rails, some cleaning and lubricating, and perhaps get stronger mag springs from Wolff. Of course, feeding problems can be caused by many factors and can be hard to solve. Good luck. Vboy

04-07-2006, 08:48 PM	#7
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,156 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,308 Times in 1,098 Posts	Cam, Welcome to the Lugerforum... that is quite a story... Must have been the good ole days before 1968 eh? __________________ 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..."*

04-07-2006, 09:33 PM	#8
Cam McCreary New User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Auburn, CA Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Luger Feed Problems John, it was around 1982.

04-07-2006, 11:40 PM	#9
SS109 User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Jefferson, CO Posts: 56 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	A full auto Luger when you are not expecting it can be quite an experience. I had fired one shot, went OK, fired the second, went OK, end then the mag emptied on the third trigger pull! I was sure they were going to throw me out of the indoor range. I tried it one more time to see if it would repeat. It did, in the exact same way. I read somewhere that bent Luger main springs can cause this. __________________ 1916 LP08 1923 9mm P08 Commercial Import 1920 .30 Luger Commercial

04-08-2006, 08:50 AM	#10
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 737 Times in 484 Posts	More likely, that your FP is slipping off the sear and one of these pieces needs to be replaced. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

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