Firing Range Report

[wdavid431]

I know the reasons to shoot and the ones not to shoot a prize Luger (to me all Lugers are prize). However, I could not help myself--I had to fire it. Pistol is DWM commercial, 30 cal, about 1926 year made with 90% blue. I have never fired a 30 cal Luger before. Man, this one was smooth with hardly any recoil. It cycled perfectly and was a real joy to shoot. My son and I put about 20 rounds down range, but it is now being cleaned and put away.
I cannot help but marvel at the precision of the Germans in making the Luger pistol (and P38s). It seems to be more an art instead of just firearms production. Anyone else shot a 30 cal Luger with the fear of breaking something, thus reducing its value, but had to fire it anyway?

[Pete Ebbink]

Hi Warren,

Glad you discovered the joy of shooting a .30 cal. Luger. I have 2 shooter Lugers in that caliber and take them out more than my 9 mm shooters.

The "compactness" of the shooting experience with the .30 round is addictive.

BTW...I may be somewhat of a minority-voice here, but I do shoot a few rounds through each of my collector-grade Lugers I add to my collection.

Since I focus more on Swiss Luger in .30 cal/4-3/4" barrels, I put a few round through each gun that comes home before they get cleaned up and placed in storage.

Knock-on-wood...but I have not had a part break...

This outfit has .30 ammo by Fiocchi for $ 18/box of 50. Not cheap but better than $ 25-50/box :

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=282665

[wdavid431]

Thanks for the fast reply. It is good to learn that others, with collectable pistols, also has the desire to shoot them. That is, after all what they are made for--to be fired.
And, thank you for the lead on the ammo.

[wshbrngr]

I have a commercial .30 luger that I fire.

I have the same fear as you, (breaking some part that is numbered)
Mine is all matching and I would hate to see anything happen to it....

on the other hand.... pulling it out to just look at it from time to time seems such a waste....
I figure i am going to be dead someday and why should the grandkids have all the fun with it?

[Wilhelm]

I couldn't agree more.

[MFC]

I recently brought four of my lugers to the range. Two I've shot before, and two I bought in the last year, since joining this forum. It's addictive. The more you learn the more you want a new variation.

9mm shooter w/ 8" barrel
Alphabet commercial 30 cal. (all matching #'s)

And my two new ones:
M1906 AE 9mm (all matching #'s)
M1900 commercial 30 cal. (all matching #'s)

They were all a blast to shoot, but I had mixed emotions, and was sweating a little while shooting the 1906 and 1900. The 1900 was the smoothest of them all. I may never shoot the last two again, but I'm like Pete, I have to know it's a gun.
Mike C.

[Aaron]

I have two commercials in stone cold mint condition that I don't dare shoot for fear of breaking something. To make matters worse, I have about twenty-five full boxes of vintage 7.65 Luger ammo. No, the ammo is not for sale at this time..........maybe in the future.

[Sieger]

Originally posted by Aaron
I have two commercials in stone cold mint condition that I don't dare shoot for fear of breaking something. To make matters worse, I have about twenty-five full boxes of vintage 7.65 Luger ammo. No, the ammo is not for sale at this time..........maybe in the future.

Hi:

I can see not shooting your fine pistols because you don't want to mar the blueing, but what the heck do you think is going to break?

These are some of the strongest pistols ever made, not china dolls. With factory spec. ammo, they will shoot forever. Even with the red hot stuff, they will take a lot of abuse before failure.

Sieger

[Dwight Gruber]

Sieger,

In case you haven't seen it, check this thread: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...n+parts+survey

--Dwight

[SS109]

I have 3 Lugers & haven't broke any parts shooting them. My 3 Brooms have all broken parts on the range. I think the Luger is a much tougher design.

I like shooting my .30 Commercial because it has the best sights.

[farinacci56]

I have been shooting a reblued, all matching 06 American Eagle. The ser # traces to 1907.A nice 3-4 lb trigger & almost no recoil. At 50 feet 2-4 in one hole is not unusual- even with one hand. 200 plus rounds with Fiocci soft point- ZERO malfunctions. To say the gun a a delight is an undrstatement. I'm tempted to get an extra toggle train & put a more visable adj. rear sight on it-I'd like to see what she'd do then ( anyone with experience along these lines?) best MC

[wdavid431]

I am sorry to hear about your problems with the P38s, but am glad you have such good luck shooting the Lugers.
The P38s I have fired, steel frame WWIIs and P1/P38 alloy frames have shot flawlessly for me. Wish you had the same results. I have no ideal why the P38s crack that way. My shooting has been with Winchester (Win) 115s and a few times with Win 124. I have had trouble with Remington rounds and no longer use them.

[A.Mifsin]

Hi All, I can't resist the tempetation not to shoot at leat one time any new luger that I buy. The only Luger that I never fired is the only Navy Luger I have, I do not know why, but I keep putting it off. Mind you I load my own ammo, so to keep it in a safe margine.
Regarding the P38 I have an AC 43 that I used to shoot every week until I bought a Sig Sauer P226 SL and never had any complains, it shoots well and a I had never a jam or any thing broken.
Alf

[Ron Smith]

I've shot every Luger that I own. The collectors were often fired with gritted teeth and beads of sweat, but fired at least one magazine through each before they were relegated to the safe. The only failure was the with my Finnish Luger. The first round sheared the firing pin nub. The Finns have seen a lot of use so I wasn't really surprised. It was a mismatch and easy to replace.

[Sieger]

Originally posted by tacfoley
[BMy brand-new, Walther-made P38 - all-steel and NOT alloy-framed - cracked the slide on the fifth shot out of the box. The replacement, that took seven months to acquire due to our very odd laws, lasted thirteen shots before cracking in the same place.

tac [/B]

Tac:

I didn't know that Walther made any new steel frame P-38s. Do you mean "brand new condition P-38"?

I, too, have cracked a slide on a byf 43 P-38. It cracked on the right side of the slide, just behind the locking block cut out (where the slide metal is thin). I must say that the ammo I was shooting that day was way too hot! My father had purchased it from someone at a gun show. It looked like Winchester white box, but definitely was not!!

Oh well, I could never get this gun to hold a group worth a crap anyway, so it really didn't mean a whole lot to me when it had the mechanical failure.

Sieger

[StarOfTheWest]

Over the last 30 years, I have had the opportunity to fire many fun and collectible firearms.
Of course, I have shot some of the Lugers and the P-38s, but one that was most surprising was the Red 9 Broomhandle.
I put several dozen rounds into a spot the size of a silver dollar at 50 yards with it!
Without a stock mounted!
It was a dream to fire and aim was reacquired very quickly after each shot.

The most fun I have ever had while still dressed has to have been shooting the MP-40 and Mauser 712 that belonged to a dear friend.
Something about full auto just leaves me grinning.
The sound of the 712 is unforgettable.

[A.Mifsin]

''The most fun I have ever had while still dressed has to have been shooting the MP-40 and Mauser 712 that belonged to a dear friend.
Something about full auto just leaves me grinning.
The sound of the 712 is unforgettable''

Talking about the 712, ( Schnellfeuer pistol ) I bought one years back as a full working 712, and it is registered as such, but the auto mode does not work. I think it was modified.
Maybe somebody has the inside diagram that can pass to me, so that I might find what was modified and put it back as is was in the first place. That is one gun I wish to try

Alf

[laoshi75]

"I have shot some of the Lugers and the P-38s, but one that was most surprising was the Red 9 Broomhandle"

I was still a young man (a long time ago) when I shot the Red 9 of my father. a few years later I had the opportunity to shoot the c96 model 1912 and the rare spanish MM31. Personally I find this gun much more pleasant to shoot in the 7,63 caliber than in the 9m/m.
cv

[StarOfTheWest]

I like the necked down .30 calibers very much too, they seem to have a flatter trajectory due to higher velocities.
9mm is just so much easier to acquire for fun and games at the range.