Here's A Strange (long)

The Wizard · 12-24-2002, 11:09 AM

I have a M1906 W+F Swiss Luger that was heavily "MODIFIED" at some point. About anch inch of the barrel was HACKED off, the safety was GROUNDED so it is a safety in name only now and crude clear plastic grips were installed (grips are pretty ugly but the pictures under them are quite interesting!). I thought great project gun for school (Gunsmithing, Trinidad State Junior College, Trinidad, Colorado). Wrote Waffenfabrik, Bern to see if they would send me the technical drawing for the barrel, grip safety aand grip panels. They wrote back saying their rules say "We do not supply drawing". Well, there are exceptions to all rules so I wrote to Federral Councilor Samuel Schmid head of the Fereral Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports asking for "special Permission to have copies of the required drawing released to me". Got a reply from the Division for Infantry Weapons and Ammunition stating "no drawing of sensitive weapon components are passed on to private persons or third parties". Am I missing something here? The M1906 W+F Swiss Luger has not been manfactured since 1946. Its basic design is over a hundred years old. It has not been a first line pistol for the Swiss military since 1949. It's a "sensitive weapon"? I am missing some logical point here? OHHHHHHHHH, I get it. When dealing with a government, its bureaucrats and bureaucracy logic DOES NOT apply!

Comments and suggestions welcome (especially from are Swiss readers).
The Wizard

lugerholsterrepair · 12-24-2002, 01:46 PM

Wizard, Have you thought of tracking down and maiming the IDIOT who modified this pistol? Sounds like you have a challenge here.

What do you mean by the safety was ground?

What do you want drawings for? To rebuild the missing parts?

I went to the Colo. School of Trades for awhile (gunsmithing school) in Denver after I got out of the Army.

Jerry Burney

saxman · 12-24-2002, 04:28 PM

This is a facet of that government mindset that anything having to do with any weapon is simply not for public consumption. This is obviously more prevalent in Europe, but is catching on here. Why don't you just put a new barrel on it and repair/replace as needed in the safety area to make the gun functional? Maybe your students would then like to learn how to 'rust-blue' and 'straw' the pistol and fit new grips. I think most of us here on the Forum could do this job ourselves, much less a gunsmithing school.

Bernard · 12-30-2002, 12:26 PM

Greetings,
Saxman is correct. Furthermore, you are dealing with a fundamental difference between U.S. and European (read Swiss and German) attitudes.

We here believe we can obtain (almost) anything we want or need, such as the drawings. In Europe the authorities decide what you want or need! One generally does not have any "rights" as we think of them. So, in your case, the authorities decided you don't need the drawings!

This reminds of an instance when a relative visited us here in the U.S. from Germany. We drove somewhere and I parked the car. My relative asked if parking was allowed at that spot and I replied in the affirmative, since there was not a "No Parking" notice posted. My relative said: "Yes, I did not see a "No Parking" notice, but neither did I see any indication that parking was permitted. How do you know you are allowed to park here?"

12-24-2002, 11:09 AM	#1
The Wizard User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 67 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Here's A Strange (long) I have a M1906 W+F Swiss Luger that was heavily "MODIFIED" at some point. About anch inch of the barrel was HACKED off, the safety was GROUNDED so it is a safety in name only now and crude clear plastic grips were installed (grips are pretty ugly but the pictures under them are quite interesting!). I thought great project gun for school (Gunsmithing, Trinidad State Junior College, Trinidad, Colorado). Wrote Waffenfabrik, Bern to see if they would send me the technical drawing for the barrel, grip safety aand grip panels. They wrote back saying their rules say "We do not supply drawing". Well, there are exceptions to all rules so I wrote to Federral Councilor Samuel Schmid head of the Fereral Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports asking for "special Permission to have copies of the required drawing released to me". Got a reply from the Division for Infantry Weapons and Ammunition stating "no drawing of sensitive weapon components are passed on to private persons or third parties". Am I missing something here? The M1906 W+F Swiss Luger has not been manfactured since 1946. Its basic design is over a hundred years old. It has not been a first line pistol for the Swiss military since 1949. It's a "sensitive weapon"? I am missing some logical point here? OHHHHHHHHH, I get it. When dealing with a government, its bureaucrats and bureaucracy logic DOES NOT apply! Comments and suggestions welcome (especially from are Swiss readers). The Wizard __________________ The Wizard Air Dropable AND Ground Recoverable Necat omnes! Deus suos agnoscet. The application of the proper amount of high explosives can solve any problem. War is an act of force and to the application of that force there is no limit! So say the philosophers (Carl von Clausewitz b 1780 d 1831) of war.

12-24-2002, 01:46 PM	#2
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,761 Thanks: 4,857 Thanked 3,101 Times in 1,427 Posts	Wizard, Have you thought of tracking down and maiming the IDIOT who modified this pistol? Sounds like you have a challenge here. What do you mean by the safety was ground? What do you want drawings for? To rebuild the missing parts? I went to the Colo. School of Trades for awhile (gunsmithing school) in Denver after I got out of the Army. 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."

12-24-2002, 04:28 PM	#3
saxman User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 301 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This is a facet of that government mindset that anything having to do with any weapon is simply not for public consumption. This is obviously more prevalent in Europe, but is catching on here. Why don't you just put a new barrel on it and repair/replace as needed in the safety area to make the gun functional? Maybe your students would then like to learn how to 'rust-blue' and 'straw' the pistol and fit new grips. I think most of us here on the Forum could do this job ourselves, much less a gunsmithing school. __________________ You can lead 'em to the water, but you can't make 'em drink.

12-30-2002, 12:26 PM	#4
Bernard User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: San Diego Posts: 35 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Greetings, Saxman is correct. Furthermore, you are dealing with a fundamental difference between U.S. and European (read Swiss and German) attitudes. We here believe we can obtain (almost) anything we want or need, such as the drawings. In Europe the authorities decide what you want or need! One generally does not have any "rights" as we think of them. So, in your case, the authorities decided you don't need the drawings! This reminds of an instance when a relative visited us here in the U.S. from Germany. We drove somewhere and I parked the car. My relative asked if parking was allowed at that spot and I replied in the affirmative, since there was not a "No Parking" notice posted. My relative said: "Yes, I did not see a "No Parking" notice, but neither did I see any indication that parking was permitted. How do you know you are allowed to park here?"