Lugers for Self Defense? - Page 5

FNorm · 08-31-2009, 08:24 PM

YUP! I still have the original box. Only problem I've ever had with it is getting the firing pin assembly back in. Worse than a 1911.

FN

PhilOhio · 09-02-2009, 01:34 PM

FN,

That's interesting. My experience has been exactly the opposite. You just have to be sure it is cocked when you take out the firing pin assembly. Squeeze the trigger part way to **** it, then remove with fingers. No tools required.

...and I still can't figure out exactly how that works.

But I love the thing.

suum cuique · 10-12-2009, 03:37 PM

A happy end.
I brought the 1911 Champion to my local gun smith, but he could not resolve the problem. He sent the gun back to the factory for repair.
Last week it came back and I took the 1911 Champion last Saturday to the range. I shot 150 rounds, (50 Remington and 100 Wolf steel cased rounds).
The gun worked flawless without ANY problem at all. Just like my regular 1911A1 Springfield from 1989.

(I used up my last Wolf leftovers, but I'll not buy them again).

I do not know what exactly they have fixed in the factory, but I noticed a new extractor installed by the factory's gun smith. I guess, the extractor could not cause the problem, because I exchanged the original extractor for another original factory replacement extractor and I had still the same problems.
(I kept the replacement extractor and brought the gun with the original extractor to the gun smith. The gun was sent with the original extractor to the factory)

PhilOhio · 10-14-2009, 12:19 PM

Andy,

Glad to hear the problem is gone. After a little more test firing, you should be able to trust the gun for self defense and concealed carry.

Last week my fiance sent me a seriously damaged and very deeply pitted late WW-II Remington Rand ex-Army 1911A1. It was completely nonfunctional. It had been in a city flood and had sat underwater for weeks or perhaps months. It looked (to the layman) like something which could only be mounted on a wall plaque, a piece of rusted junk. I found the situation to be very different.

Post-war, somebody had thought it would be nice to remove all that exterior parkerizing and professionally reblue it; very bad idea. This exposed the outside to the worst effects of the flood water and salts. But everything inside was still protected by the manganese phosphate coating, without so much as a single spot of rust. And a stainless steel barrel and bushing had been installed; they survived in pristine condition

I ground, filed, sanded, and bead blasted. And I checked and adjusted all tolerances. Then I reparkerized it and installed replacement grips. On the first trip to our range, the gun functioned flawlessly and shot right to point of aim. I would now trust my life to it. The model 1911 is a wonderful thing, once you know it is within specifications and is used with good ammunition. That excludes Wolf brand steel case ammo.

suum cuique · 10-14-2009, 09:42 PM

Phil,
I shot exactly 150 rounds last Saturday with my 1911, now my 1911 champion works flawless. The problem is gone.
I shot 50 rounds Remington UMC 230 gr and 100 rounds of my Wolf leftovers. I'll not buy Wolf ammo anymore, I don't like the steel cases. (I used those green (Chinese?) steel cased ammo years ago in my SKS and my VZ 52/57 without any problems.

I shot my Luger last Saturday, too. 80 rounds without any problem.
(Remington UMC and American Eagle ammo)
They only had AE 9mm ammo at this time for sale at the NRA range in Fairfax. For my opinion the AE ammo is a little bit too hot for the Luger, am I wrong?
I get the best results a with Remington UMC 115gr ammo, yet. I've ordered Winchester White Box a while ago at Cabela's, but they will not deliver yet, maybe in mid November.

I 've tried to find Winchester White Box somewhere else, but could not find it. (Sold out everywhere).
I have already shot 480 rounds with my Luger since I have this gun, and I just hat 3 times a case on the top of the mag after the last shot was fired, I had never a real misfunction, yet.

You did a nice job on your 1911! I'm looking forward to see some pics.

PhilOhio · 10-15-2009, 01:15 PM

Andy,

Congrats again on getting everything working. I haven't shot commercially loaded centerfire ammo for so many years that I can't guess what is hot enough, but not too hot, for a Luger or anything else. I reload and use only my own cast bullets or jacketed bullets I swage...sometimes with dies I make.

You really need to get your feet wet, with reloading. Poke around in the Snyder brothers' shop, Atlantic Arms, up in Rockville, or some of the excellent Northern VA guns stores, and ask what's available and moderately priced for getting started. Reloading is safe and opens up a new world for you.

Contrary to what I believed as a kid, Lugers will run just fine on ammunition with a moderate recoil impulse. And properly lubricated and sized lead bullets put virtually no wear on the bore. So you can have the best of all worlds; reliable function, excellent accuracy, and virtually no wear on the bore or parts of the frame absorbing recoil and stopping the rear toggle link.

As far as I know, the benevolent paternalistic leadership of the Peoples Republic of Montgomery has not yet instituted an outright ban on reloading, or breathing, or travel between counties and states, or any of that pesky stuff the vast unwashed herd always seems to want to do, just because the Constitution says they can.

Ah, how I miss that place.

Take a C&O Canal walk for me sometime. You live in a beautiful area, my home base for 31 years...and now only 7 miles from the Obama Throne. I think I may weep now.

suum cuique · 10-15-2009, 04:22 PM

Phil,
I stop by at Atlantic Arms in Rockville frequently and buy some ammo or other stuff. They have a very friendly and helpful staff there and it is always a pleasure to deal with them.
I've never been at Snyder's , yet. I got to check them out. Sometimes I buy ammo at Dick's.
Can you recommend a good Luger-gunsmith in this area, or in Northern Virginia?
Indeed, this area is really beautiful and I enjoy to live in this area. I like the canal, too. Especially my kids.

PhilOhio · 10-21-2009, 04:42 PM

Andy,

I've been away from there for almost 15 years, so I can't suggest a gunsmith for you. Those who know about Lugers are rare.

The Snyder family owns/runs the several Atlantic stores. You have probably been talking with them and didn't know it. Good folks.

10-12-2009, 03:37 PM	#83
suum cuique User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: MD / Currently about 9000 klicks east of the Potomac Posts: 497 Thanks: 100 Thanked 47 Times in 35 Posts	The outcome of the 1911 problem A happy end. I brought the 1911 Champion to my local gun smith, but he could not resolve the problem. He sent the gun back to the factory for repair. Last week it came back and I took the 1911 Champion last Saturday to the range. I shot 150 rounds, (50 Remington and 100 Wolf steel cased rounds). The gun worked flawless without ANY problem at all. Just like my regular 1911A1 Springfield from 1989. (I used up my last Wolf leftovers, but I'll not buy them again). I do not know what exactly they have fixed in the factory, but I noticed a new extractor installed by the factory's gun smith. I guess, the extractor could not cause the problem, because I exchanged the original extractor for another original factory replacement extractor and I had still the same problems. (I kept the replacement extractor and brought the gun with the original extractor to the gun smith. The gun was sent with the original extractor to the factory) __________________ Regards, Andy There's No Place Like Home (Wizard Of Oz)

10-14-2009, 09:42 PM	#85
suum cuique User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: MD / Currently about 9000 klicks east of the Potomac Posts: 497 Thanks: 100 Thanked 47 Times in 35 Posts	Phil, I shot exactly 150 rounds last Saturday with my 1911, now my 1911 champion works flawless. The problem is gone. I shot 50 rounds Remington UMC 230 gr and 100 rounds of my Wolf leftovers. I'll not buy Wolf ammo anymore, I don't like the steel cases. (I used those green (Chinese?) steel cased ammo years ago in my SKS and my VZ 52/57 without any problems. I shot my Luger last Saturday, too. 80 rounds without any problem. (Remington UMC and American Eagle ammo) They only had AE 9mm ammo at this time for sale at the NRA range in Fairfax. For my opinion the AE ammo is a little bit too hot for the Luger, am I wrong? I get the best results a with Remington UMC 115gr ammo, yet. I've ordered Winchester White Box a while ago at Cabela's, but they will not deliver yet, maybe in mid November. I 've tried to find Winchester White Box somewhere else, but could not find it. (Sold out everywhere). I have already shot 480 rounds with my Luger since I have this gun, and I just hat 3 times a case on the top of the mag after the last shot was fired, I had never a real misfunction, yet. You did a nice job on your 1911! I'm looking forward to see some pics. __________________ Regards, Andy There's No Place Like Home (Wizard Of Oz)

10-15-2009, 04:22 PM	#87
suum cuique User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: MD / Currently about 9000 klicks east of the Potomac Posts: 497 Thanks: 100 Thanked 47 Times in 35 Posts	Phil, I stop by at Atlantic Arms in Rockville frequently and buy some ammo or other stuff. They have a very friendly and helpful staff there and it is always a pleasure to deal with them. I've never been at Snyder's , yet. I got to check them out. Sometimes I buy ammo at Dick's. Can you recommend a good Luger-gunsmith in this area, or in Northern Virginia? Indeed, this area is really beautiful and I enjoy to live in this area. I like the canal, too. Especially my kids. __________________ Regards, Andy There's No Place Like Home (Wizard Of Oz)

08-31-2009, 08:24 PM	#81
FNorm Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 978 Thanks: 68 Thanked 127 Times in 108 Posts	YUP! I still have the original box. Only problem I've ever had with it is getting the firing pin assembly back in. Worse than a 1911. FN

09-02-2009, 01:34 PM	#82
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	FN, That's interesting. My experience has been exactly the opposite. You just have to be sure it is cocked when you take out the firing pin assembly. Squeeze the trigger part way to **** it, then remove with fingers. No tools required. ...and I still can't figure out exactly how that works. But I love the thing.

10-14-2009, 12:19 PM	#84
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Andy, Glad to hear the problem is gone. After a little more test firing, you should be able to trust the gun for self defense and concealed carry. Last week my fiance sent me a seriously damaged and very deeply pitted late WW-II Remington Rand ex-Army 1911A1. It was completely nonfunctional. It had been in a city flood and had sat underwater for weeks or perhaps months. It looked (to the layman) like something which could only be mounted on a wall plaque, a piece of rusted junk. I found the situation to be very different. Post-war, somebody had thought it would be nice to remove all that exterior parkerizing and professionally reblue it; very bad idea. This exposed the outside to the worst effects of the flood water and salts. But everything inside was still protected by the manganese phosphate coating, without so much as a single spot of rust. And a stainless steel barrel and bushing had been installed; they survived in pristine condition I ground, filed, sanded, and bead blasted. And I checked and adjusted all tolerances. Then I reparkerized it and installed replacement grips. On the first trip to our range, the gun functioned flawlessly and shot right to point of aim. I would now trust my life to it. The model 1911 is a wonderful thing, once you know it is within specifications and is used with good ammunition. That excludes Wolf brand steel case ammo.

10-15-2009, 01:15 PM	#86
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Andy, Congrats again on getting everything working. I haven't shot commercially loaded centerfire ammo for so many years that I can't guess what is hot enough, but not too hot, for a Luger or anything else. I reload and use only my own cast bullets or jacketed bullets I swage...sometimes with dies I make. You really need to get your feet wet, with reloading. Poke around in the Snyder brothers' shop, Atlantic Arms, up in Rockville, or some of the excellent Northern VA guns stores, and ask what's available and moderately priced for getting started. Reloading is safe and opens up a new world for you. Contrary to what I believed as a kid, Lugers will run just fine on ammunition with a moderate recoil impulse. And properly lubricated and sized lead bullets put virtually no wear on the bore. So you can have the best of all worlds; reliable function, excellent accuracy, and virtually no wear on the bore or parts of the frame absorbing recoil and stopping the rear toggle link. As far as I know, the benevolent paternalistic leadership of the Peoples Republic of Montgomery has not yet instituted an outright ban on reloading, or breathing, or travel between counties and states, or any of that pesky stuff the vast unwashed herd always seems to want to do, just because the Constitution says they can. Ah, how I miss that place. Take a C&O Canal walk for me sometime. You live in a beautiful area, my home base for 31 years...and now only 7 miles from the Obama Throne. I think I may weep now.

10-21-2009, 04:42 PM	#88
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Andy, I've been away from there for almost 15 years, so I can't suggest a gunsmith for you. Those who know about Lugers are rare. The Snyder family owns/runs the several Atlantic stores. You have probably been talking with them and didn't know it. Good folks.