How many of you shoot your numbers matching Old Models? - Page 2

ithacaartist · 08-30-2016, 08:44 PM

Gentlemen (and Ladies, too),

I'm not sure this is a new idea, but it is certainly a way to break that chip off that isn't mentioned much.

Certainly, one should use caution in removing the left grip, being careful not to jack the bottom end up before the top has rotated away from the shank of the safety lever, but I think that loose grips are a major contributor to chipping that little chunk off. Here's what I'm thinking:

Loose grips will break during use, particularly if the looseness is caused by compression or wear of the raised portion on the fronts of their back sides, which runs most of the way from top to bottom. Consider that, when the gun is properly gripped firmly, the grip frame is propelled back in relation to the grips by the force of shooting. This effectively hammers that little ridge mentioned above. A slight looseness will grow, in response to this force, and when they are sufficiently loose, the proper close fit of an original grip will cause the wood behind the safety lever shank to come into play.

The data I can present, beyond this bit of reasoning, is limited to my own experience of breaking a newly-repaired chip to break right back off again. After reattaching the bit for the second time, I used a fine, round file to give it a little "breathing room", and also made sure the grip is a snug as possible. No problem since.

If suspiciously loose, the grip can be snugged--front-to-back--by laying in a bead of good, clear epoxy to fill and build up where there should be wood. O-rings behind the screws may help keep the bottom from drifting around, but will not address any front-to-back looseness effectively. What may seem tight initially will be thoroughly tested by actual shooting.

cirelaw · 08-30-2016, 08:58 PM

We are both owners of fine history!!

4 Scale · 08-30-2016, 09:20 PM

David your theory makes perfect sense. When I broke the chip via recoil, close inspection afterward indicated a slight bit of looseness in the left grip. Since then I use washers or build up any loose grip as needed with epoxy or CA to make sure the grips are tight.

spacecoast · 08-31-2016, 08:44 AM

Loose grips...

If you're too lazy to do epoxy (like I am), I've had some luck using a small amount of high temperature hot glue to build up the areas of the underside of the grip that might be chipped off. Then, if you press it into the frame before it completely cools, it will mold itself to the frame and you can get a nice tight fit.

ithacaartist · 08-31-2016, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacecoast

Loose grips...

If you're too lazy to do epoxy (like I am), I've had some luck using a small amount of high temperature hot glue to build up the areas of the underside of the grip that might be chipped off. Then, if you press it into the frame before it completely cools, it will mold itself to the frame and you can get a nice tight fit.

A good idea! I do the same thing with the epoxy when it cures enough to not be runny, but still plastic, after wrapping the frame in a layer of Handi Wrap.

Sergio Natali · 09-02-2016, 11:27 AM

I agree, I've got several all matching DWM 1900s but personally would NEVER take any of them to the range.
Vintage collectible pistols in my opinion should NEVER be shot, I don't think even delegating them as "special occasion" guns, if shot, there is a chance of probability that something could break, and when that happens one no longer has a nice vintage Luger but just a box of Luger parts, it takes only one cartridge to destroy a gun but there is no way to predict which cartridge will be the last one.
My 2 cents.

Dwight Gruber · 06-04-2018, 02:09 AM

Late to the party of very old thread.

My very first Luger was a beater twice-reblued Old Model AE which I shot occasionally with an Ideal shoulder stock--long since gone. I have a fake Old Model short-frame 9mm (I bought it for the example) which I will eventually shoot some. Everything else is safely ensafed.

--Dwight

Major Tom · 06-04-2018, 09:02 AM

I shoot my 1939 42 mauser all the time. It is all matching even the grips. Recently, a very small chip came off the left grip while firing (not the big million dollar chip). I found that little chip and glued it back on and the used 220 grit sandpaper wrapped on a dowel to relieve the grip notch.

mrerick · 06-04-2018, 11:18 AM

I have an early 1937 Mauser (rust blued and strawed) with considerable holster "rash" pitting on the left side that I use as my shooter.

It's all matching and functions flawlessly.

With this "designated marksman", I don't feel the need to fire the other Lugers.

(BTW, I'm thinking of calling these old resurrected threads "Zombie Threads"...)

HerrKaiser · 06-04-2018, 05:55 PM

I mean, I did shoot my all matching DWM 1920 commercial. But I only did it once because I didn’t have a shooter and I was too enamored with my first, highly anticipated, Luger to not shoot it. That said, now that I have a shooter, I don’t have interest in shooting my good one anymore even though it’s .30 Luger cartrige is crisp and smooth to shoot. Only desire i have now to save enough money to get an arty/Navy shooter to rig out and have some real fun with.��

Dick Herman · 06-04-2018, 07:15 PM

I have shoot my 1900 AE. I have not made a practice of shooting my 1900 Lugers because I am not comfortable with the flat spring/toggle locking system. However, I have frequently shot my later Lugers with the improved recoil spring system. Being basically lazy, my problem with shooting my collectible guns is the requirement to completely clean them. I now have shooters that do not get the same attention that the other Lugers receive.

CptCurl · 06-04-2018, 09:30 PM

Right now my oldest and most historic Luger is my 1900 AE.

Years ago I posted photos of it here: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=26591 I still have it.

I have shot this 1900 on one occasion. A few magazine loads, and that's all.

On the other hand, I have one of the "Russian capture" or VOPO Lugers. This one stays in my range bag and gets shot whenever I feel like it. It functions flawlessly. You know what? In the hand it feels just like a $10k Luger. Do the math.

My big issue right now is whether I will shoot a Model 1902 Carbine I am negotiating. That's a tough decision. Any advice?

Curl

DonVoigt · 06-04-2018, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptCurl

Right now my oldest and most historic Luger is my 1900 AE.

.....

Years ago I posted photos of it here: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=26591 I still have it.

I have shot this 1900 on one occasion. A few magazine loads, and that's all.

On the other hand, I have one of the "Russian capture" or VOPO Lugers. This one stays in my range bag and gets shot whenever I feel like it. It functions flawlessly. You know what? In the hand it feels just like a $10k Luger. Do the math.

My big issue right now is whether I will shoot a Model 1902 Carbine I am negotiating. That's a tough decision. Any advice?

Curl

Very nice 1900.
I'd have to shoot the carbine, if it were mine.

unitedcs · 06-05-2018, 07:03 AM

For what it's worth, in my opinion life is far too short. Lost a good friend last month who passed way to young. Enjoy shooting it without reservation.

Edward Tinker · 06-05-2018, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unitedcs

For what it's worth, in my opinion life is far too short. Lost a good friend last month who passed way to young. Enjoy shooting it without reservation.

that is true - lost a lot the last ten years

lugerholsterrepair · 06-05-2018, 05:16 PM

ADMIN - cape buff are not near as cuddly and perhaps a member or two were soft hearted, but they said your dead carcass was not soothing

ebt

I completely agree..I am not fond of trophy hunting or actually any kind of hunting. Or the pictures people are proud to show to any and all. A friend whipped out a photo of a black bear he had murdered..I wasn't very pleasant about it when I made him put it away and stop talking about it. No..I'm not a nut. I am aware of some hypocrisy. I eat meat. I know animals need to be harvested. I just prefer not to be forced to look at these kinds of photo's. On purpose or by accident. I like the bunny though!

Piet · 06-06-2018, 02:52 PM

Before I really understood the rules of preservation and "respect" for the 1911 Luger we did shoot it occasionally. More accurate than my Beretta 9mm because of the more comfortable grip. The recoil is also less "jumpy" than the Beretta.
After learning from this forum though, it has retired and is safely preserved for the future!

unitedcs · 06-07-2018, 10:03 AM

Right there with you. Paper doesn't suffer or bleed

08-30-2016, 08:44 PM	#21
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,283 Thanks: 7,007 Thanked 2,476 Times in 1,319 Posts	Gentlemen (and Ladies, too), I'm not sure this is a new idea, but it is certainly a way to break that chip off that isn't mentioned much. Certainly, one should use caution in removing the left grip, being careful not to jack the bottom end up before the top has rotated away from the shank of the safety lever, but I think that loose grips are a major contributor to chipping that little chunk off. Here's what I'm thinking: Loose grips will break during use, particularly if the looseness is caused by compression or wear of the raised portion on the fronts of their back sides, which runs most of the way from top to bottom. Consider that, when the gun is properly gripped firmly, the grip frame is propelled back in relation to the grips by the force of shooting. This effectively hammers that little ridge mentioned above. A slight looseness will grow, in response to this force, and when they are sufficiently loose, the proper close fit of an original grip will cause the wood behind the safety lever shank to come into play. The data I can present, beyond this bit of reasoning, is limited to my own experience of breaking a newly-repaired chip to break right back off again. After reattaching the bit for the second time, I used a fine, round file to give it a little "breathing room", and also made sure the grip is a snug as possible. No problem since. If suspiciously loose, the grip can be snugged--front-to-back--by laying in a bead of good, clear epoxy to fill and build up where there should be wood. O-rings behind the screws may help keep the bottom from drifting around, but will not address any front-to-back looseness effectively. What may seem tight initially will be thoroughly tested by actual shooting. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

09-02-2016, 11:27 AM	#26
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,082 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	I agree, I've got several all matching DWM 1900s but personally would NEVER take any of them to the range. Vintage collectible pistols in my opinion should NEVER be shot, I don't think even delegating them as "special occasion" guns, if shot, there is a chance of probability that something could break, and when that happens one no longer has a nice vintage Luger but just a box of Luger parts, it takes only one cartridge to destroy a gun but there is no way to predict which cartridge will be the last one. My 2 cents. __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.

06-04-2018, 09:02 AM	#28
Major Tom User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: S.E. Iowa Posts: 481 Thanks: 531 Thanked 226 Times in 123 Posts	I shoot my 1939 42 mauser all the time. It is all matching even the grips. Recently, a very small chip came off the left grip while firing (not the big million dollar chip). I found that little chip and glued it back on and the used 220 grit sandpaper wrapped on a dowel to relieve the grip notch. __________________ I Build Custom Pistol Boxes

06-04-2018, 11:18 AM	#29
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,900 Thanks: 1,370 Thanked 3,094 Times in 1,503 Posts	I have an early 1937 Mauser (rust blued and strawed) with considerable holster "rash" pitting on the left side that I use as my shooter. It's all matching and functions flawlessly. With this "designated marksman", I don't feel the need to fire the other Lugers. (BTW, I'm thinking of calling these old resurrected threads "Zombie Threads"...) __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

06-04-2018, 05:55 PM	#30
HerrKaiser User Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: South Carolina Posts: 800 Thanks: 750 Thanked 793 Times in 376 Posts	I mean, I did shoot my all matching DWM 1920 commercial. But I only did it once because I didn’t have a shooter and I was too enamored with my first, highly anticipated, Luger to not shoot it. That said, now that I have a shooter, I don’t have interest in shooting my good one anymore even though it’s .30 Luger cartrige is crisp and smooth to shoot. Only desire i have now to save enough money to get an arty/Navy shooter to rig out and have some real fun with.�� __________________ -QM Looking for Mauser S/42 toggle train #22

08-30-2016, 08:58 PM	#22
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,133 Times in 2,173 Posts	We are both owners of fine history!!

08-30-2016, 09:20 PM	#23
4 Scale User Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 544 Thanks: 194 Thanked 489 Times in 251 Posts	David your theory makes perfect sense. When I broke the chip via recoil, close inspection afterward indicated a slight bit of looseness in the left grip. Since then I use washers or build up any loose grip as needed with epoxy or CA to make sure the grips are tight.

08-31-2016, 08:44 AM	#24
spacecoast User Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: FL and PA Posts: 332 Thanks: 276 Thanked 243 Times in 109 Posts	Loose grips... If you're too lazy to do epoxy (like I am), I've had some luck using a small amount of high temperature hot glue to build up the areas of the underside of the grip that might be chipped off. Then, if you press it into the frame before it completely cools, it will mold itself to the frame and you can get a nice tight fit.

06-04-2018, 02:09 AM	#27
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,889 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,281 Times in 423 Posts	Late to the party of very old thread. My very first Luger was a beater twice-reblued Old Model AE which I shot occasionally with an Ideal shoulder stock--long since gone. I have a fake Old Model short-frame 9mm (I bought it for the example) which I will eventually shoot some. Everything else is safely ensafed. --Dwight

06-04-2018, 07:15 PM	#31
Dick Herman User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 302 Thanks: 496 Thanked 354 Times in 138 Posts	I have shoot my 1900 AE. I have not made a practice of shooting my 1900 Lugers because I am not comfortable with the flat spring/toggle locking system. However, I have frequently shot my later Lugers with the improved recoil spring system. Being basically lazy, my problem with shooting my collectible guns is the requirement to completely clean them. I now have shooters that do not get the same attention that the other Lugers receive.

06-04-2018, 09:30 PM	#32
CptCurl User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Botetourt County, Virginia Posts: 120 Thanks: 93 Thanked 140 Times in 46 Posts	Right now my oldest and most historic Luger is my 1900 AE. Years ago I posted photos of it here: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=26591 I still have it. I have shot this 1900 on one occasion. A few magazine loads, and that's all. On the other hand, I have one of the "Russian capture" or VOPO Lugers. This one stays in my range bag and gets shot whenever I feel like it. It functions flawlessly. You know what? In the hand it feels just like a $10k Luger. Do the math. My big issue right now is whether I will shoot a Model 1902 Carbine I am negotiating. That's a tough decision. Any advice? Curl

06-05-2018, 07:03 AM	#34
unitedcs User Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Land O Lakes, Florida Posts: 90 Thanks: 8 Thanked 30 Times in 15 Posts	For what it's worth, in my opinion life is far too short. Lost a good friend last month who passed way to young. Enjoy shooting it without reservation.

06-05-2018, 05:16 PM	#36
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,760 Thanks: 4,848 Thanked 3,099 Times in 1,426 Posts	ADMIN - cape buff are not near as cuddly and perhaps a member or two were soft hearted, but they said your dead carcass was not soothing ebt I completely agree..I am not fond of trophy hunting or actually any kind of hunting. Or the pictures people are proud to show to any and all. A friend whipped out a photo of a black bear he had murdered..I wasn't very pleasant about it when I made him put it away and stop talking about it. No..I'm not a nut. I am aware of some hypocrisy. I eat meat. I know animals need to be harvested. I just prefer not to be forced to look at these kinds of photo's. On purpose or by accident. I like the bunny though! __________________ 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."

06-06-2018, 02:52 PM	#37
Piet User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 143 Thanks: 155 Thanked 35 Times in 22 Posts	Before I really understood the rules of preservation and "respect" for the 1911 Luger we did shoot it occasionally. More accurate than my Beretta 9mm because of the more comfortable grip. The recoil is also less "jumpy" than the Beretta. After learning from this forum though, it has retired and is safely preserved for the future! Attached Thumbnails

06-07-2018, 10:03 AM	#38
unitedcs User Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Land O Lakes, Florida Posts: 90 Thanks: 8 Thanked 30 Times in 15 Posts	Right there with you. Paper doesn't suffer or bleed