Magazine springs for new Mauser P.08's

[Sieger]

Hi G.T.:

As per our earlier discussions, I have found the Mauser Parabellum Spring (9mm) to be an outstanding all around spring for all of my Lugers, 1917, 1941 and 1970s production.

With the right load, this spring functions without fail!! This spring has been nicknamed by me the "Ball Buster" spring as it is certainly strong!! Note that the 7.65 Mauser Parabellum Springs are not the same as the 9mm, per my personal observation.

The Mec Gar springs will function well with a light to medium load, but the Parabellum springs will function well even with a hot load.

My vote goes to the 9mm Parabellum Magazine spring as the all around best you can use in any Luger (including the 7.65mm).

I may have a spare in Florida, but I will have to go down there and loacate it.

Sieger

[G.T.]

OK, here's how it pans out so far.... Mag follower springs in the original post war Mauser Parabellum mags is/are about 40 to 50% stronger then the original pre-45 P.08 luger mag follower springs... They (Mauser Post war mag's & springs) will, & should, work in any, and all, P.08's ever made.... I'm still testing, but preliminary test seem to show that sieger is correct in that a stronger spring is far more desirable then a weak one for a high percentage function... BUT, and this is a big but..... You can't load the damn things!!!! Not even with a tool! 5 rounds, and maybe even 6 ... 7 & 8 rounds and you are for sure going to get a thumb blister! Standard MEC-GAR mags have a spring that is the same as an original mag, although my earlier testing showed that they continuely take a set and as a result eventually drag on the shell itself... but as I go on, I'm more and more impressed by the effort MEC-GAR makes in their mag... for the price, it's a great mag!! My GTHQ spring are an answer to this condition and are designed to function correctly over hundreds, if not thousands of cycles... but, only as a replacement to the original pre 1945 coil spring magazine follower springs... The Mauser Parabellum will take a bit more testing I'm afraid! Best to all, til...lat'r...GT

[Sieger]

[QUOTE=G.T.;158100

You can't load the damn things!!!! Not even with a tool! 5 rounds, and maybe even 6 ... 7 & 8 rounds and you are for sure going to get a thumb blister! [/QUOTE]

Dear GT:

I've never had a problem loading 8 full rounds into an Interarms' Parabellum magazine. You must use the loading tool, however.

The MecGar weight spring is ok for the medium and light strength ammo, but for modern ammo, like the Interarms' pistols were designed to shoot, they are too weak to function reliably.

Sieger

[G.T.]

hi Sieger, When measuring the MP mag follower springs... I had two that were as new, no set, full tension... and 2 that had appearantly taken a full set... probably 10% less then the "as new" springs... and finally, 1 in-between the two sets... The two as new springs were tough to load under even the best of circumstances... and the other three, just slightly less so... I used a tool, but with the extreme tension, it was a clumsy, drop your items type of exercise!! The plastic based mags can't stand too much clumsy.... but, all 5 worked well whether new or old "strong" springs... which leads me to believe a slightly less strength spring, (yet stronger then pre 45 P.08's) would possibly be sufficient to allow for 100% function, and, still be enjoyable to shoot... Now, that being said, I had a 1970's Mauser parabellum in the P.08 style, 4" bbl.. and it worked equally well with any & all mags I put thru it?? But If I have to have that strong of a mag spring to make my luger work, I'm look'en for a different luger!! best to all, til...lat'r....GT

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by G.T.

...which leads me to believe a slightly less strength spring, (yet stronger then pre 45 P.08's) would possibly be sufficient to allow for 100% function, and, still be enjoyable to shoot...

Hi GT:

The hottest ammo I've fired through my byf 41 was the commercailly available Chinese 9mm. This stuff is red hot, hot, hot, and I don't suggest anyone shooting it through their Lugers.

The MecGar would jam with this ammo, the Interarms' wouldn't.

As part of our project, we should settle on a commercial brand of ammo of 124 grains, perhaps pull and reseat the bullets to proper length and test the spring you are developing against it. In this way, ammo of that "heat" and lower should function through the Luger (given a proper recoil spring that matches).

I would probably suggest the S&B 124 FMJ (Brass Case) ammo, as it is about as hot as I feel should be shot through a Luger on a regular basis. The U.S. military load is loaded hotter than 1,200 fps with a 124 grainer, but to me, this is just too hot for regular use in a pistol designed to shoot 123 gr at 1076 fps (the original DWM load listed through the 1930s).

The way I load the Interarms' magazine (mine is probably set by now, with one hundred or so full magazines shot through it), is to set the base of the mag. on the firing bench and then pull down on the loading tool, accordingly. In this way, there is little chance of a slip out of your hand.

I'm sure the Interarms' magazines were designed to function with the commercial German ammo of the 1970s. GECO ammo, for instance, is pretty hot stuff compared to what we were producing, here, during that period.

All the best!


Sieger