rear toggle weak point?

[G.T.]

Hello to all, I've seen several broken rear toggles over the last 20 years or so.. and they have alway been broken at the knob side area, mostly left hand side.. Has anyone ever seen a rear pin faliure? Or a break at this pivot? I would think a failure like this could be catastrophic... best to all, til...lat'r..GT

[John Sabato]

Hey GT!

I like you have seen just a few broken rear toggles... mostly in the last ten years in parts sold on ebay (back when that was allowed)... they usually were included in a batch of other parts... I imagine that a consistant diet of strong reloads or sub-machinegun ammo, might eventually fatigue one of the toggle knobs and break it off... but I have never witnessed such a failure personally.

As far as a rear toggle pin hole fracture, I believe that I have only seen one in my whole life, and if memory serves me correctly, it was in a photo that someone posted on this forum five or six years ago. It was a hairline fracture that someone picked up on, and warned the owner about.

Such a damaged receiver could still be useful (IMHO) by using it strictly for a .22 conversion unit... but I would silver-solder or braze the fracture before using it for that.

While the thought of such a failure would be alarming if it happened while you were shooting,... reflections on the possible result would likely just be a very damaged gun. Should it happen on firing, the recoil would still be moderated by the toggles striking the ramps on the ear, and additionally, the breechblock would ultimately strike the rear frame... which would also have to fail for the shooter to be harmed. At least that is how I picture the engineering of the mechanism handling the initial failure...

Anyone else care to speculate???

[Lugerdoc]

GT & John, I too have seen a few cracked receivers in the area below the rear axel, but have never seen a rear toggle link fail in this area. Usually they crack in the thinnest area where the "knobs" hit the frame on recoil. TH

[G.T.]

Thanks Tom and John, I certainly can understand the receiver crack, I was just wondering about the toggle integrity, if one was to modify it for a rear sight attachment? I would certainly not want to alter a part that was inherently weak already... I have seen many a sight just bolted on, sometimes dovetailed in, and sometimes in the real custom jobs, built up and machined in... Anyones thoughts on this?? Best to all, til...lat'r....GT

[Vlim]

Well, there was a reason why DWM designed it's LP08 rear sight to go on the barrel

I don't think it's a good idea to bolt too many things onto the rear toggle. Because of it's rather violent movement it will create stresses and it will be hard to keep rear sight attachments at the position you want them to be.

[G.T.]

Hi Gerban, You are correct in that it is certainly a violent spot for bolt on parts... But, ever since the Mauser Sport parabellums, I have been curious as to the practical application of a rear mounted target sight ... I have some ideas, and have looked at the pics of Hughs armadillo (sp?) guns... Navy rear sights have always held a special fasination for me also... best to all, til...lat'r...GT

[Lugerdoc]

GT, I do have a couple of German made milled repro Navy rear sight assemblies in stock @$400 each + S&H, but if you want to make a custom one, I'd lean toward the elison type that I sold Hugh for his Armadilo gun. Tom