Luger gunsmith

Marine 3 · 02-01-2011, 09:43 AM

I am having problems with my Luger failing to extract about 3 out of 5 shots. The extracter "hook" is not broken. I am looking for any good advice or a gunsmith
with good Luger experience and knowlege. I live in Eastern Tennesse And would prefer a smith in this area if possible.
My Luger is a DWM commercial 'shooter" in very good condition except for this problem.
Thanks for your help.
Marine 3

alanint · 02-01-2011, 11:22 AM

Welcome to the forum!
Have you tried removing the extractor and cleaning the recess in the bolt underneath it? This area is quite often filled with gunk and dry lubricants, which can affect proper extraction.
Another trick is once you have the extractor out, stretch the spring a bit with a double set of needle nose pliers, being careful not to twist or distort the spring.
If you have not already, try this first before spending money on a gunsmith.

Marine 3 · 02-01-2011, 04:21 PM

Thanks for the quick come back. I will try out your fix and let you know how it works
Marine 3

Marine 3 · 02-02-2011, 03:42 PM

I have covered the bases that you boys have sugested with no apparent improvement in the extaction function. The pistol will fire, extract and eject just fine for two to three rounds and then hang up with the empty case half out of the chamber and the bolt to the rear trying to pick up the next round out of the magazine. I thought it somehow might be the magazine, so I fired the pistol by single shot loading with no mag. It will function OK for about half the shots and then hang up as I have described. I have used two diferent mags and both 115 and 124 grain bullets. I reload so I have used both Winchester commercial loads and a hotter 124 grain bullet handload.
This pistol has been rebarreled and I wonder if that could be a factor.
Before this last test firing, I took out the extractor and cleaned under it and tried to stretch the spring a little. There was almost no dirt under the extractor to begin with. The ejector seemed to be in good shape.
I am open to any more ideas and suggestions.
Thanks for your interest
Marine 3

alanint · 02-02-2011, 04:08 PM

The only other thing that comes to mind you already have mentioned; The barrel..

Have you observed that the hang ups occur consistenly after a couple of shots or more like one works, the next does not, etc. I'm just speculating on the effect of heat on an out of spec. chamber. As the gun heats up, cases start sticking. Our own "Luger Doc" would be the man I would want looking at this issue, although I realize you prefer not to ship your gun..

Marine 3 · 02-02-2011, 06:58 PM

Again, thanks for your interest.
Concerning a possible barrel/chamber issue that might be causing the problem, when the jams occur, the fired case has been pulled out of the chamber about halfway. It is hung up there while the bolt prceeds to the rear position and tries to pick up the next cartridge. When I clear the jam, it has been necessary to push the cartridge that the bolt has started to pick up back into the magazine and then use a 1/4 dia wood dowel down the muzzle to finish pushing out the fired case.
The empty case seems to be a lot tighter in the chamber than it ought to be, but there is no sign of excessive pressure from the cartridge being fired.
Maybe the chamber needs polishing ???
I will try to get "Luger Doc" to read this thread and tell me if he thinks he can fix the problem if I ship the gun to him. It is a good condition shooter and I hate to give up on it.
Marine 3

Sieger · 02-02-2011, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marine 3

I am having problems with my Luger failing to extract about 3 out of 5 shots. The extracter "hook" is not broken. I am looking for any good advice or a gunsmith
with good Luger experience and knowlege. I live in Eastern Tennesse And would prefer a smith in this area if possible.
My Luger is a DWM commercial 'shooter" in very good condition except for this problem.
Thanks for your help.
Marine 3

Hi:

I had the same problem develop a few years ago. I think the spring in your extractor is weak and needs replacing. If you are handy, you could do this yourself in about 2 minutes. There is even a You-Tube video in how to do this.

Either Luger Doc or Thor can probably supply you with the proper spring, or check out the Wolff Spring site on the net.

Sieger

alanint · 02-02-2011, 07:55 PM

Polishing the chamber with a proper compound would not be a bad idea. The cases that have a sticking problem in the chamber are a red flag for me.

Lugerdoc · 02-03-2011, 09:57 AM

Marine, You might try the above suggestions, but if your chamber is eroded so much that a loaded round will "wiggle" around up & down or side to side, polishing will not help and it's time to replace your barrel. If the chambered round is tight and you have check out the extractor as OK, it's possible that your EJECTOR is sticking intermitenly. With the toggle assy removed, press on it from the inside to see that it moves smoothly in & out and check outside visually, that it is not too long or binding on the sides. Email sent. TH

Marine 3 · 02-03-2011, 04:00 PM

OK, I will give it a try on the ejector check. This pistol has been rebarreled and the lands and grooves are almost like new. A loaded cartridge fits in as it should and does not move around.
The fired and not ejected empties seem to stick. That is the mystery to me. But then, a lot of any Luger is a mystery to me!
Do you think a new extractor spring is called for?
Thanks for the help.
Marine 3

DavidJayUden · 02-03-2011, 06:10 PM

Regarding the fired brass sticking the chamber, is the chamber smooth or possibly rust pitted? I've never fired one with a bad extractor but would think that the brass should pull out fairly easily.
dju
PS: And don't rule out popping it in the mail to LugerDoc. Very little turn around time, and you're not going to find an experienced Luger smith in the yellow pages.

lugerholsterrepair · 02-03-2011, 07:08 PM

Don, Is there any denting or severe scratches on a fired case? Particularly on one that will not extract?
Are the primers flattened? Anything unusual about the fired brass at all? You want to be careful that the new barrel is headspaced properly.
You can usually push up on the extractor to see if the spring is weak. It should be fairly hard to push up. Tight with much resistance.
Jerry Burney

Marine 3 · 02-04-2011, 06:43 AM

Thanks for all the help. I am working on the problem.
If I don't get it fixed, I will send it to "Luger Doc"

Also, where can I buy a reproduction (read cheap) Luger shoulder stock?
Thanks, Marine 3

alanint · 02-04-2011, 07:23 AM

Remember that unless your gun is an actual Artillery or Navy model, it is illegal to place a stock on the gun, (unless the barrel is over 16").
Just want you to be careful. The legal penalties are harsh should some goverment type want to make an issue of your stocked pistol

DavidJayUden · 02-04-2011, 08:30 AM

To answer your question I'd just watch E bay for said stock, but Alanint is correct, unless your Luger is an Artillery w/artillery stock, or Navy w/Navy stock, then you are asking for BATF trouble. And it ain't worth it.
And take it from one who knows, unless you pad the back of the stock, they really are not much fun to shoot with. That 1x4" surface seems to always find a bone in the shoulder to bang against even under relatively mild 9mm recoil.
dju

Marine 3 · 02-07-2011, 09:17 AM

I have not had a chance to try any more repairs. I have ordered a set of Wolff springs including an extractor spring.
When I get that order and have the pistol apart again, I will do whatever I can to fix the problem and replace springs.
Thanks for all your advice, I will keep you updated
Marine 3

Lugerdoc · 02-07-2011, 10:44 AM

Don't forget to check that EJECTOR. The best price that I found for new repro LPO8 shoulder stocks is from Numrich. TH

Marine 3 · 02-07-2011, 12:16 PM

Thanks Doc, The more I think about it, I believe the ejector may be what is wrong.
I will check Numrich about the stock

Marine 3 · 02-07-2011, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lugerdoc

Don't forget to check that EJECTOR. The best price that I found for new repro LPO8 shoulder stocks is from Numrich. TH

Doc,
I just field stripped the Luger and checked the ejector like you said to see that it was moving freely and not binding. All looked good to me! It pushed out with firm finger pressure and went back to position under its spring action when released. It did not appear to be binding anywhere. This is my opinion, you might see something amiss because of your Luger experience.
I will put in the new springs when they come and see if the extractor action works better.
I did notice that the extractor spring was hard to pull out of the hole it was in. Also hard to get back in when I assembled it. I would think that fit should have been more loose ??
Marine 3

Marine 3 · 02-16-2011, 02:53 PM

To Luger Doc,
I got the Wollf springs and changed to the new exractor spring. I still have the same problem!
Erratic extraction with a jam up when the bolt tries to load anther cartridge. As i said in an earlier post, I don't see anything wrong with the ejector but I could be wrong.
After you get to read this, I will give you a call and arrange to send the pistol to you if you think you can fix it.
Thanks,
Marine 3

02-01-2011, 09:43 AM	#1
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	Luger gunsmith I am having problems with my Luger failing to extract about 3 out of 5 shots. The extracter "hook" is not broken. I am looking for any good advice or a gunsmith with good Luger experience and knowlege. I live in Eastern Tennesse And would prefer a smith in this area if possible. My Luger is a DWM commercial 'shooter" in very good condition except for this problem. Thanks for your help. Marine 3

02-01-2011, 04:21 PM	#3
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	Thanks Thanks for the quick come back. I will try out your fix and let you know how it works Marine 3

02-03-2011, 09:57 AM	#9
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 736 Times in 483 Posts	Marine, You might try the above suggestions, but if your chamber is eroded so much that a loaded round will "wiggle" around up & down or side to side, polishing will not help and it's time to replace your barrel. If the chambered round is tight and you have check out the extractor as OK, it's possible that your EJECTOR is sticking intermitenly. With the toggle assy removed, press on it from the inside to see that it moves smoothly in & out and check outside visually, that it is not too long or binding on the sides. Email sent. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

02-03-2011, 06:10 PM	#11
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	Regarding the fired brass sticking the chamber, is the chamber smooth or possibly rust pitted? I've never fired one with a bad extractor but would think that the brass should pull out fairly easily. dju PS: And don't rule out popping it in the mail to LugerDoc. Very little turn around time, and you're not going to find an experienced Luger smith in the yellow pages. Last edited by DavidJayUden; 02-03-2011 at 06:14 PM. Reason: after thought

02-03-2011, 07:08 PM	#12
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,771 Thanks: 4,922 Thanked 3,123 Times in 1,434 Posts	Don, Is there any denting or severe scratches on a fired case? Particularly on one that will not extract? Are the primers flattened? Anything unusual about the fired brass at all? You want to be careful that the new barrel is headspaced properly. You can usually push up on the extractor to see if the spring is weak. It should be fairly hard to push up. Tight with much resistance. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

02-01-2011, 11:22 AM	#2
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Welcome to the forum! Have you tried removing the extractor and cleaning the recess in the bolt underneath it? This area is quite often filled with gunk and dry lubricants, which can affect proper extraction. Another trick is once you have the extractor out, stretch the spring a bit with a double set of needle nose pliers, being careful not to twist or distort the spring. If you have not already, try this first before spending money on a gunsmith.

02-02-2011, 03:42 PM	#4
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	I have covered the bases that you boys have sugested with no apparent improvement in the extaction function. The pistol will fire, extract and eject just fine for two to three rounds and then hang up with the empty case half out of the chamber and the bolt to the rear trying to pick up the next round out of the magazine. I thought it somehow might be the magazine, so I fired the pistol by single shot loading with no mag. It will function OK for about half the shots and then hang up as I have described. I have used two diferent mags and both 115 and 124 grain bullets. I reload so I have used both Winchester commercial loads and a hotter 124 grain bullet handload. This pistol has been rebarreled and I wonder if that could be a factor. Before this last test firing, I took out the extractor and cleaned under it and tried to stretch the spring a little. There was almost no dirt under the extractor to begin with. The ejector seemed to be in good shape. I am open to any more ideas and suggestions. Thanks for your interest Marine 3

02-02-2011, 04:08 PM	#5
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	The only other thing that comes to mind you already have mentioned; The barrel.. Have you observed that the hang ups occur consistenly after a couple of shots or more like one works, the next does not, etc. I'm just speculating on the effect of heat on an out of spec. chamber. As the gun heats up, cases start sticking. Our own "Luger Doc" would be the man I would want looking at this issue, although I realize you prefer not to ship your gun..

02-02-2011, 06:58 PM	#6
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	Again, thanks for your interest. Concerning a possible barrel/chamber issue that might be causing the problem, when the jams occur, the fired case has been pulled out of the chamber about halfway. It is hung up there while the bolt prceeds to the rear position and tries to pick up the next cartridge. When I clear the jam, it has been necessary to push the cartridge that the bolt has started to pick up back into the magazine and then use a 1/4 dia wood dowel down the muzzle to finish pushing out the fired case. The empty case seems to be a lot tighter in the chamber than it ought to be, but there is no sign of excessive pressure from the cartridge being fired. Maybe the chamber needs polishing ??? I will try to get "Luger Doc" to read this thread and tell me if he thinks he can fix the problem if I ship the gun to him. It is a good condition shooter and I hate to give up on it. Marine 3

02-02-2011, 07:55 PM	#8
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Polishing the chamber with a proper compound would not be a bad idea. The cases that have a sticking problem in the chamber are a red flag for me.

02-03-2011, 04:00 PM	#10
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	OK, I will give it a try on the ejector check. This pistol has been rebarreled and the lands and grooves are almost like new. A loaded cartridge fits in as it should and does not move around. The fired and not ejected empties seem to stick. That is the mystery to me. But then, a lot of any Luger is a mystery to me! Do you think a new extractor spring is called for? Thanks for the help. Marine 3

02-04-2011, 06:43 AM	#13
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	Thanks for all the help. I am working on the problem. If I don't get it fixed, I will send it to "Luger Doc" Also, where can I buy a reproduction (read cheap) Luger shoulder stock? Thanks, Marine 3

02-04-2011, 07:23 AM	#14
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Remember that unless your gun is an actual Artillery or Navy model, it is illegal to place a stock on the gun, (unless the barrel is over 16"). Just want you to be careful. The legal penalties are harsh should some goverment type want to make an issue of your stocked pistol

02-04-2011, 08:30 AM	#15
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	To answer your question I'd just watch E bay for said stock, but Alanint is correct, unless your Luger is an Artillery w/artillery stock, or Navy w/Navy stock, then you are asking for BATF trouble. And it ain't worth it. And take it from one who knows, unless you pad the back of the stock, they really are not much fun to shoot with. That 1x4" surface seems to always find a bone in the shoulder to bang against even under relatively mild 9mm recoil. dju

02-07-2011, 09:17 AM	#16
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	I have not had a chance to try any more repairs. I have ordered a set of Wolff springs including an extractor spring. When I get that order and have the pistol apart again, I will do whatever I can to fix the problem and replace springs. Thanks for all your advice, I will keep you updated Marine 3

02-07-2011, 10:44 AM	#17
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 736 Times in 483 Posts	Don't forget to check that EJECTOR. The best price that I found for new repro LPO8 shoulder stocks is from Numrich. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

02-07-2011, 12:16 PM	#18
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	Thanks Doc, The more I think about it, I believe the ejector may be what is wrong. I will check Numrich about the stock

02-16-2011, 02:53 PM	#20
Marine 3 User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	To Luger Doc, I got the Wollf springs and changed to the new exractor spring. I still have the same problem! Erratic extraction with a jam up when the bolt tries to load anther cartridge. As i said in an earlier post, I don't see anything wrong with the ejector but I could be wrong. After you get to read this, I will give you a call and arrange to send the pistol to you if you think you can fix it. Thanks, Marine 3