Interesting .22lr custom luger

[DonVoigt]

This luger is a collection of parts, put together to make an 8" barreled .22lr shooter.
I bought this hodgepodge on auction, with intentions of using the lugless frame for an early 1908 military upper I have.
Had to give that idea up when the upper was just too tight a fit on the lower.

This was sold as a non-functioning piece and it was. The side plate was not fit well and had no trigger lever installed. Also the magazine would not feed into the chamber of the really well executed new made 8" .22 barrel. There is an integral dovetail base on the barrel, that could be used for an optic. The dovetail is 1mm under 3/8" but a mount could probably be modified to fit; though I doubt the action would function well as a semi-auto, due to added mass.

Who ever turned and installed the barrel did a great job, but I guess just ran out of time, know how, or interest in finishing the project to make a shootable pistol. A "script T" is engraved on the chamber top; it is not too deep and could be fairly easily removed.

As is evident the bbl, receiver, and frame are in the white. The .22 mechanism is a post war Erma unit "made in West Germany".

The receiver is from a Brazilian contract commercial DWM luger, the frame is a 1914 DWM military that has had the lug removed, the side plate is Swiss!

Grips were new made and did not fit well at all; they are now fitted to the contour of the grip frame and left unfinished walnut.

It took a few hours to fit the side plate and get it functioning properly, along with slightly modifying the magazine so it would feed. This post war Erma kit normally used an inset barrel into the existing 9mm barrel; it also used a later type magazine and a separate ejector that installed through the ejector cut out.

The magazine with this unit is of the old type, circa 1920 to 1945 as used by German military and police for sub-caliber firing. It has the ejector built into the very heavy walled magazine.

Once assembled and tweaked the pistol shoots quite well; but does require hi-speed ammo, CCI mini mags work fine. This was also true of the earlier issue kits- which needed the long barrel to create sufficient recoil to operate.

In one of the pictures, you can see the tail of the striker that extends from the rear of the action- indicating it is cocked; this can be grasped with your fingers to de-kock without the firing pin striking the chamber, always a potential issue with rimfire barrels/chambers/firing pins.

I think the "two tone" finish is pretty striking, but it is essentially ready for a nice coat of rust blue.

This "project" shows what a versatile platform the basic luger pistol is; anything from .22 to .45!

I've had my fun with this "challenge" and am ready to move it on.
Check the WTS subform for it.