Need help with a stuck firing pin......

[ithacaartist]

Rich, read my post! If it pushed in with finger pressure, it should tap right out!

[DaveinTN]

I very much appreciate all the good suggestions. As I once heard, you can make something fool proof, but not damn fool proof.

I'm that damned fool..... The guide was pushed in with more than "finger" pressure.

After studying it for a long time with a 10x loupe, it appears the top of the guide is slightly off center with the edge being caught by some small protrusion inside the breech block.

I also looked at the Luger blueprints I purchased from John S. years ago to see what might be in the breech block that was keeping the spring guide from coming back out. If my breech block was made correctly, there shouldn't be anything restricting the guide rod.

On the top of the guide rod, the plans showed nothing out of the ordinary except that it is slightly oblong (see plans below).

I'm going try the hammer, punch, and soft jaw vise suggestion from the top to see if I can dislodge the rod. I've tried rapping the breech block against an oak plank, but the rod doesn't budge. Also, I don't want to hit the block too hard because I don't want to deform it.

I can use a drill press to put a small divot in the center of the screw slot on top of the rod. That will allow me to apply an oblique force to the top of the rod and possibly dislodge it from the block's grip. If successful, the divot won't affect the operation of the firing pin.

If all else fails, I may reach out to Tom Heller. I don't trust any of the local gunsmiths because they may not have very much experience working with a Luger.

As a last resort, I'll drill out the center of the guide rod and buy a replacement. The plans show that the diameter of the rod itself is only 4 mm. If I'm careful, I won't damage the firing pin or the spring.

The story continues.......

Dave in TN