"Shooters" Care and Maintenance

Johnny Peppers · 07-09-2001, 01:42 PM

I have a friend that is totally mechanically declined, and he had decided to collect the M1 Carbine. After buying several he decided that it was time to learn how to field strip the carbine so that he could check for correct or incorrect parts. He took one down to the basics, but didn't dismantle the triggerhousing. When he started to go back together he couldn't remember how it all came apart. The logical thing to do was take another carbine apart and remember the sequence. Four carbines later he still couldn't get any of them back together, and called another carbine collector to come over and put them all back together.

It was never intended that a soldier in the field completely dismantle his weapon. He was taught how to field strip the weapon, but was warned not to dismantle anything past that. My point was that someone new to Lugers would be better served by only field stripping the pistol for basic cleaning rather than completely dismanteling the pistol. More than a few holdopens and ejectors have been ruined by someone not knowing the proper way to remove and install them. My local gunshop has maybe three or four Lugers a year brought in for cleaning, and virtually every one shows efforts to take it apart by force. They have the telltale screwdriver mark over the locking lever. The gunsmith only takes it down to the basic components and uses a gunscrubber and an air hose to clean all the nooks and crannies.

07-09-2001, 01:42 PM	#21
Johnny Peppers User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Calion, Arkansas Posts: 1,042 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: NOW NOW GENTLE PEOPLE I have a friend that is totally mechanically declined, and he had decided to collect the M1 Carbine. After buying several he decided that it was time to learn how to field strip the carbine so that he could check for correct or incorrect parts. He took one down to the basics, but didn't dismantle the triggerhousing. When he started to go back together he couldn't remember how it all came apart. The logical thing to do was take another carbine apart and remember the sequence. Four carbines later he still couldn't get any of them back together, and called another carbine collector to come over and put them all back together. It was never intended that a soldier in the field completely dismantle his weapon. He was taught how to field strip the weapon, but was warned not to dismantle anything past that. My point was that someone new to Lugers would be better served by only field stripping the pistol for basic cleaning rather than completely dismanteling the pistol. More than a few holdopens and ejectors have been ruined by someone not knowing the proper way to remove and install them. My local gunshop has maybe three or four Lugers a year brought in for cleaning, and virtually every one shows efforts to take it apart by force. They have the telltale screwdriver mark over the locking lever. The gunsmith only takes it down to the basic components and uses a gunscrubber and an air hose to clean all the nooks and crannies.