Damaged frame

G.T. · 12-09-2017, 01:58 PM

I recently had a customer that needed a new breechblock in a WW1 Erfurt. I installed the breechblock and out to the range we went.. The Luger worked well, but felt weird and was very erratic on ejection? But, it worked so out the door it went. A few days later the fellow said, after about 100 rounds, he broke a rear toggle pin and needed a new one, so I installed it and queried as to how this might happen? He then informed me this was the SECOND rear toggle pin he had broken in this very same Erfurt, along now with a breechblock?....

.... I said, OK, that's enough for me, lets dig into this old war horse and see what gives... Upon disassembly, I found a mainspring for a .30 had been installed long ago.. and you could see some evidence of it all hammering back onto the coupling link and associated reliefs in the rear toggle link and frame... New old stock 1916 DWM 9mm mainspring and the unit now runs as new!!! Another Luger lesson learned the hard way.. And I take nothing for granted on these old beasts! Not all of them set in dresser drawers their whole life.. Best to all, til...lat'r....GT

12-09-2017, 01:58 PM	#11
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,528 Thanks: 1,334 Thanked 3,711 Times in 1,014 Posts	Mainspring FYI I recently had a customer that needed a new breechblock in a WW1 Erfurt. I installed the breechblock and out to the range we went.. The Luger worked well, but felt weird and was very erratic on ejection? But, it worked so out the door it went. A few days later the fellow said, after about 100 rounds, he broke a rear toggle pin and needed a new one, so I installed it and queried as to how this might happen? He then informed me this was the SECOND rear toggle pin he had broken in this very same Erfurt, along now with a breechblock?........ I said, OK, that's enough for me, lets dig into this old war horse and see what gives... Upon disassembly, I found a mainspring for a .30 had been installed long ago.. and you could see some evidence of it all hammering back onto the coupling link and associated reliefs in the rear toggle link and frame... New old stock 1916 DWM 9mm mainspring and the unit now runs as new!!! Another Luger lesson learned the hard way.. And I take nothing for granted on these old beasts! Not all of them set in dresser drawers their whole life.. Best to all, til...lat'r....GT