Vihtavuori powder & 30 Luger

GIFFROY · 12-19-2011, 05:50 AM

Hello covert and rhuff,

Maybe I have not explained clearly enough : I have no problem with the setback of the bullets left in the magazine. Without crimp (or with a very light crimp) the lenght of 2 dummy cartridges remained unchanged during more than 20 shots.
I have just the problem to find a powder load giving a reasonable pressure AND strong enough to make the pistol operate. I will try 4,1 or 4,2 grains of N-320 ith my 86 grains bullets.
Anyway thank you very much for the help.

giffroy

rhuff · 12-19-2011, 04:39 PM

Giffroy,

One would not expect to have set back in the magazine from firing the pistol. If anything, one would expect the bullet to be "pulled" (increase the OAL) from firing as is sometimes seen in high caliber centerfire revolvers, and the locking the cylinder. The main problem with set back in a semi-auto is when the bullet strikes the feed ramp. If it does set back the bullet, and you are near/at max powder charge, then the chamber pressures can go quite high, and cause a problem/kaboom!!

If you are near/at max powder load, and not getting reliable toggle function, perhaps you might consider installing a lighter weight recoil spring.....Just a thought.

P. Octo · 04-09-2015, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GIFFROY

Hello covert and rhuff,

Maybe I have not explained clearly enough : I have no problem with the setback of the bullets left in the magazine. Without crimp (or with a very light crimp) the lenght of 2 dummy cartridges remained unchanged during more than 20 shots.
I have just the problem to find a powder load giving a reasonable pressure AND strong enough to make the pistol operate. I will try 4,1 or 4,2 grains of N-320 ith my 86 grains bullets.
Anyway thank you very much for the help.

giffroy

This is for a 1906 .30, Swiss, made by DWM in excellent condition:
Bullets: 93 gr Fiocchi
Cases: Fiocchi
Primers: CCI
Powder: V 340: started at 0.29g (4.47gr, call it 4.5gr) but that proved too low in my Luger and caused ejection problems, no locking upon an empty magazine. Went up to 0.31g (4.78gr, call it 4.8gr) and no more problems, good accuracy: most bullets stayed inside the 8 ring on a 25 m target. Very clean burning.
I am going to try lead bullets plated with 100 microns of copper, .309 that can be obtained in Italy at the very reasonable price of € 75 per 1000 ($80.80 at today's rate). I am going there for a competion next week and hopefully will pick them up and report after testing.
Around my club, Luger afficionados favour the V 340 over the 320 for the .30; these old ladies need to be treated gently and with respect if we want to hand them over to the next generation... V 320 would be good for a 9 mm, though.
Please, add the usual disclaimer: proceed with caution, works in my gun etc.

sheepherder · 04-09-2015, 11:01 AM

I was poking around last week and found this listing for VV N340 at Handloads.com for the 30 Luger.

Haven't tried it; have never seen the powder in my area.

P. Octo · 04-09-2015, 01:26 PM

Yes, I also have the 5.4 gr listed, but as a maximum load. I have just started playing with the Luger so I am loath to submiy it to such pressure. I will chronograph so as to stay around 1180 ft/s max, which should be enough to punch holes in paper at 25 m. Speaking of which, I must aim well under the black with the 4.8 gr load to keep them Inside. I guess that with a hotter load I'll need to aim slightly higher, probably just at the 6 o'clock of the black. I remember reading somewhere that they were tuned to be point of aim at 50 m.

12-19-2011, 05:50 AM	#1
GIFFROY User Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 19 Thanks: 11 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Hello covert and rhuff, Maybe I have not explained clearly enough : I have no problem with the setback of the bullets left in the magazine. Without crimp (or with a very light crimp) the lenght of 2 dummy cartridges remained unchanged during more than 20 shots. I have just the problem to find a powder load giving a reasonable pressure AND strong enough to make the pistol operate. I will try 4,1 or 4,2 grains of N-320 ith my 86 grains bullets. Anyway thank you very much for the help. giffroy

12-19-2011, 04:39 PM	#2
rhuff Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Az. Posts: 2,315 Thanks: 2,748 Thanked 998 Times in 733 Posts	Giffroy, One would not expect to have set back in the magazine from firing the pistol. If anything, one would expect the bullet to be "pulled" (increase the OAL) from firing as is sometimes seen in high caliber centerfire revolvers, and the locking the cylinder. The main problem with set back in a semi-auto is when the bullet strikes the feed ramp. If it does set back the bullet, and you are near/at max powder charge, then the chamber pressures can go quite high, and cause a problem/kaboom!! If you are near/at max powder load, and not getting reliable toggle function, perhaps you might consider installing a lighter weight recoil spring.....Just a thought.

04-09-2015, 01:26 PM	#5
P. Octo User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Cannes, France Posts: 32 Thanks: 20 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Yes, I also have the 5.4 gr listed, but as a maximum load. I have just started playing with the Luger so I am loath to submiy it to such pressure. I will chronograph so as to stay around 1180 ft/s max, which should be enough to punch holes in paper at 25 m. Speaking of which, I must aim well under the black with the 4.8 gr load to keep them Inside. I guess that with a hotter load I'll need to aim slightly higher, probably just at the 6 o'clock of the black. I remember reading somewhere that they were tuned to be point of aim at 50 m.