Luger trigger

k38 · 09-06-2021, 05:56 PM

Hello,

Despite having owned dozens of handguns over the last half century, I never had a Luger until about five or six years ago when I bought what I believe collectors call an "alphabet" Luger, i.e. a 1920s commercial in the somewhat fascinating caliber .30 Luger.

This is a beautiful gun, in high condition and I shoot it now and then. It has been absolutely reliable with factory ammo (this is one of the few cf cartridges I do not reload, since bullets seem hard to find).

At any rate, the trigger: I've read that Luger triggers are proverbially creepy. That ain't the problem with mine; it's the weight. It's a good eleven pounds, the heaviest trigger I've ever had on a handgun. It reminds me of a WW2 Arisaka I once had, except I think the Arisaka was lighter. Is this normal?

I should mention that despite the awful trigger, I can shoot the thing reasonably well, the ergonomics of the pistol being so good.

lugerholsterrepair · 09-06-2021, 07:46 PM

You might want to try putting in a lighter trigger spring. I once had a shooter with the sweetest trigger pull..Taking it down for cleaning I found someone had replaced the original with a ball point pen spring! Someone might have replaced yours with a much stronger spring.

4 Scale · 09-10-2021, 10:15 AM

I have found Luger trigger operation to be quite variable. Trigger operation on shooters can be improved but it is sometimes not a simple matter and there is a safety consideration anytime one attempts to improve trigger action. I enjoy tinkering with shooters and have improved trigger function on several. Sometimes the improvement is easy (a little polish or filing on on a part) and sometime it is more involved (tig weld, parts replacement, heating/bending/re-tempering etc). As a starting point, I would suggest disassemble the pistol into upper and lower sections, get a dummy round and carefully inspect each and every part involved in the firing pin release train to determine what is causing the heavy pull. As with many things on Lugers, it is most helpful to have a second pistol handy as a reference for function.

09-06-2021, 05:56 PM	#1
k38 User Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 36 Thanks: 16 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Luger trigger Hello, Despite having owned dozens of handguns over the last half century, I never had a Luger until about five or six years ago when I bought what I believe collectors call an "alphabet" Luger, i.e. a 1920s commercial in the somewhat fascinating caliber .30 Luger. This is a beautiful gun, in high condition and I shoot it now and then. It has been absolutely reliable with factory ammo (this is one of the few cf cartridges I do not reload, since bullets seem hard to find). At any rate, the trigger: I've read that Luger triggers are proverbially creepy. That ain't the problem with mine; it's the weight. It's a good eleven pounds, the heaviest trigger I've ever had on a handgun. It reminds me of a WW2 Arisaka I once had, except I think the Arisaka was lighter. Is this normal? I should mention that despite the awful trigger, I can shoot the thing reasonably well, the ergonomics of the pistol being so good.

09-06-2021, 07:46 PM	#2
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,771 Thanks: 4,928 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	You might want to try putting in a lighter trigger spring. I once had a shooter with the sweetest trigger pull..Taking it down for cleaning I found someone had replaced the original with a ball point pen spring! Someone might have replaced yours with a much stronger spring. __________________ 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."

09-10-2021, 10:15 AM	#3
4 Scale User Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 544 Thanks: 194 Thanked 489 Times in 251 Posts	I have found Luger trigger operation to be quite variable. Trigger operation on shooters can be improved but it is sometimes not a simple matter and there is a safety consideration anytime one attempts to improve trigger action. I enjoy tinkering with shooters and have improved trigger function on several. Sometimes the improvement is easy (a little polish or filing on on a part) and sometime it is more involved (tig weld, parts replacement, heating/bending/re-tempering etc). As a starting point, I would suggest disassemble the pistol into upper and lower sections, get a dummy round and carefully inspect each and every part involved in the firing pin release train to determine what is causing the heavy pull. As with many things on Lugers, it is most helpful to have a second pistol handy as a reference for function.