.30 Luger load, ....opinions wanted!

Doubs · 07-03-2002, 02:58 PM

GT,

The NRA handloading book shows manufacturing specs for the .30 Luger and, IIRC, the groove diameter runs a nominal .310 - .311". Norma bullets that I bought back in the late 1960's were 93 grain, .309" in diameter and made especially for the Luger.

I also own a browning Hi-Power and a Benelli B-80 in .30 Luger and both have tighter chambers than any of my Lugers. Both have groove diameters of .308".

For years I had a commercial DWM Luger from the same time period in which the Finn Contract Lugers were made. I paid $70 for it in 1967 from a Seattle pawn shop and it was perfect except for the stock lug being ground. After the Norma bullets were gone, I used 100 grain Speer "Plinker" bullets that measured .308". Neck tension of the case was all-important because there isn't a crimping groove (cannelure) in the half-jacketed Plinker. The Plinker worked fine and was very accurate. Feeding was positive and reliable.

In more recent years I've come to own several other Lugers in .30 caliber. One, a short barreled Erfurt (no date), belonged to my father. For it I've loaded both exposed lead hollow points and jacketed hollow points that I reduced in diameter from .312" to .310" by running through a sizing die. I also had a custom mold made that drops a nominal 90 grain truncated cone bullet. I should have made the meplat (flat part of the nose) larger but it feeds and shoots as reliably as is possible. The all-matching - except the replacement barrel - Erfurt is my .30 "shooter" at the moment. I've put a very few rounds through my 1906 AE but haven't shot my 1906 Frankenschloss rebuilt Navy with normal toggle train and short barrel. Nor have I shot my 1906 Portugese Army (M2 over the chamber).

I'll have to wait until I get home to verify my powder charges but I believe 5.6 grains of WW-231 is an excellent propellent. Unique is an outstanding powder for the Luger but doesn't meter well so I like to use WW-231. I've seen reports that Vectan, a French powder, is being imported into the US now and I used it for many, many thousands of rounds of 9mm while stationed in England. It's an excellent and clean-burning powder if you can find it. I used BA-9, IIRC.

7.65mm Luger cases were difficult to find at one time and I made them from .223 cases. If you can't find new cases, they're easily made from 9mm Magnum cases or .30 Mauser/Tokarev cases. The case has a rather short neck but even so, the 9x19 Luger case is too short to form .30 Luger cases. Another option may be the 9x23 Winchester or 9mm Largo cases. I haven't tried either but they should work. Just be careful of neck thickness. I have an old take-off Portugese barrel that I use to check chambering of all rounds I plan to use in my Lugers.

The .30 is not difficult to load and is an accurate, reliable round in the Luger. I have a long-time love affair with it and it's one of my favorite cartridges.

07-03-2002, 02:58 PM	#5
Doubs User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Byron, Georgia Posts: 1,736 Thanks: 819 Thanked 1,769 Times in 586 Posts	GT, The NRA handloading book shows manufacturing specs for the .30 Luger and, IIRC, the groove diameter runs a nominal .310 - .311". Norma bullets that I bought back in the late 1960's were 93 grain, .309" in diameter and made especially for the Luger. I also own a browning Hi-Power and a Benelli B-80 in .30 Luger and both have tighter chambers than any of my Lugers. Both have groove diameters of .308". For years I had a commercial DWM Luger from the same time period in which the Finn Contract Lugers were made. I paid $70 for it in 1967 from a Seattle pawn shop and it was perfect except for the stock lug being ground. After the Norma bullets were gone, I used 100 grain Speer "Plinker" bullets that measured .308". Neck tension of the case was all-important because there isn't a crimping groove (cannelure) in the half-jacketed Plinker. The Plinker worked fine and was very accurate. Feeding was positive and reliable. In more recent years I've come to own several other Lugers in .30 caliber. One, a short barreled Erfurt (no date), belonged to my father. For it I've loaded both exposed lead hollow points and jacketed hollow points that I reduced in diameter from .312" to .310" by running through a sizing die. I also had a custom mold made that drops a nominal 90 grain truncated cone bullet. I should have made the meplat (flat part of the nose) larger but it feeds and shoots as reliably as is possible. The all-matching - except the replacement barrel - Erfurt is my .30 "shooter" at the moment. I've put a very few rounds through my 1906 AE but haven't shot my 1906 Frankenschloss rebuilt Navy with normal toggle train and short barrel. Nor have I shot my 1906 Portugese Army (M2 over the chamber). I'll have to wait until I get home to verify my powder charges but I believe 5.6 grains of WW-231 is an excellent propellent. Unique is an outstanding powder for the Luger but doesn't meter well so I like to use WW-231. I've seen reports that Vectan, a French powder, is being imported into the US now and I used it for many, many thousands of rounds of 9mm while stationed in England. It's an excellent and clean-burning powder if you can find it. I used BA-9, IIRC. 7.65mm Luger cases were difficult to find at one time and I made them from .223 cases. If you can't find new cases, they're easily made from 9mm Magnum cases or .30 Mauser/Tokarev cases. The case has a rather short neck but even so, the 9x19 Luger case is too short to form .30 Luger cases. Another option may be the 9x23 Winchester or 9mm Largo cases. I haven't tried either but they should work. Just be careful of neck thickness. I have an old take-off Portugese barrel that I use to check chambering of all rounds I plan to use in my Lugers. The .30 is not difficult to load and is an accurate, reliable round in the Luger. I have a long-time love affair with it and it's one of my favorite cartridges.