'06 AE woes

[ithacaartist]

At the next to last RIAC, I won a 1906 American Eagle 7.65. I knew about a couple of issues it has, but think I did OK, as one I was able to fix, and the other sort of doesn't matter that much.

In the course of replacing the grip safety spring, I noticed that the safety lever's retaining pin was loose, explaining the slight floppiness in the operation of the lever itself.


I used a short segment of 3/32" bronze rod to attempt to tap the retaining pin into proper position. The pin slips in from the front side of the lever and bottoms out in its hole, but it falls right out with the pistol upright and left grip removed. The lever's nub clicks into the upper position just fine, but when moved off safe, it becomes sloppy/loose, to the extent that while pointing the pistol at the ground, it flops toward the safe position enough to block the sear with the safety's tip, also enough to block motion of the grip safety paddle. The nub is not tight in the detent. The play in this setup seems to arise from the retention pin's looseness. My estimation is that the play is due to wear of the slot in the shaft of the safety lever, through which the pin passes, or from wear of the lever's fit within its hole/well. I see how the pin should act to retain the shaft in its well, also appearing to me to act as a stop for the lever's lower position; and this arrangement has a lot of play. While considering the possibility of tweeking the lever until the nub settles more positively into its lower detent, I noticed that the lever, at a side view, already has a slight crown to it--as if someone has already tried this maneuver.

So, my dear Lugerholics, my question is, Have any of you run into this issue before, and if so, what needs to be addressed, and how? Replace pin, lever, or both? Bend the lever a little more? Loctite the pin into position? Bush the hole for the lever's shaft?

I already have an email sent to Lugerdoc concerning this, but would certainly appreciate discerning and creative suggestions or observations from other mechanically inclined members...

David Parker

[Ron Wood]

Sounds like an undersized pin. Maybe a replacement/bubba fix?

[ithacaartist]

Omigawd! I read your response, Ron, and got out my other, better condition '06 AE for a look-see at its lever and pin and found a surprise issue(s)! I had not had the grips off since I picked it up from auction at my FFL guy's week before last--just the top end. To my delight, they were numbered to match. To my dismay, Bubba's already been at work under the hood, so to speak, welding the grip safety spine just below the safety lever lug, with a gnarly reinforcing patch on the back side, and he created an ill-fitting/working spring for it, to boot. Wonder what happened here...

Looks like I'd best fire up the huge searchlight that projects a giant Luger/stethoscope combination on the clouds over Mecklenburg. Dang, and I coulda had a price break if I'd bought more of those springs. Wish me luck on the replacement bar. (That's not a numbered part on an '06 AE, is it, Ron?) I might be able to smooth out the existing one, in the meantime.

[Lugerdoc]

David, You are correct; the safety lever on an O6 commerical should be unnumbered. I do have a few unmodifed ones, in need of refinishing, available if needed. TH

[ithacaartist]

I'll give a larger pin a try, but I'm more worried about finding a correct replacement for the grip safety body for my other, better shape '06 AE. Posted in the WTB section of both forums, and burned thru every seller, auction, or parts source I could dredge up from my bookmarks or google, but alas no luck today. What will be, will be, so I'm mustering up the resolve to be patient on this one.

My last question, at this point, is just what sort of price should I view as reasonable for an '06 style grip safety?

(Good thing I acquired this pistol by bidding as if I did NOT have X-ray vision. I suppose now that the heavy hitters on site at the auction found these issues during preview examinations; this might explain how I got it for $700 under low estimate. Bottom line is that she'll be pretty nice when I get her fixed up and I know I'm gonna be swimming in happiness and satisfaction!)

[Lugerdoc]

David, It's possible that your current grip safety has been altered for a later Navy luger where the safety is on in the lower position, rather than when in the upper location. TH

[ithacaartist]

In comparing the two grip safeties from my '06 AEs, they are the same shape and function. I think there is no connection to anything Navy since the part is numbered to the gun, #48, and the work is so obviously a repair. There is a bronze/brass cast to the area of the repair's joint., which is located just below the lug on the grip lever that is engaged by the little lug on the back side of the internal end of the safety lever. The safety lever side of the frame ears is correctly milled white. The top surface of the repaired part, exposed when it is in place and the left grip is off, presents porosity and the yellow brazing line/joint. The back side, facing the frame, has a reinforcing patch straddling the repair. The patch is thin, but still presents enough dimension to be a problem for the spine of the safety, which must slide between the frame and grips--it scrubs in a couple of spots as it travels. An edge view of the part reveals that it is not straight and true: From the pivot at the bottom, it rises slightly out of parallel with the frame. Then the patch on the back starts, at the apex of this rise. Above that point, the back patch is tapered to allow the surface of the grip's spine to go back downhill, to the place where its front lug engages the safety lever. Then it straightens out to almost parallel with the frame again, and rides at about the distance parallel to the frame as it did at the start. So, looking at on edge, the spine has a slight serpentine offset and recovery. It is straight when the view is of the part's broad dimension.
I theorize that it was broken when the safety lever was applied and either the pistol was dropped, to impact the beaver tail, or forced mightily.

Tell ya what, I'll try to get some pics of it on here. Then perhaps the technical writing about it might not rise to the level of obfuscation! To tell the truth, it gets a little confusing, trying to be accurate and coherent in my descriptions.

David Parker