"Slipping" safety lever

renaissance7697 · 07-09-2007, 10:12 AM

The Safety lever on my 1943 "42" is "Slipping"
It does not "Snap into Place" in the safety Off = Fire position.
and
Often "Slips" to a "NOT on Fire" position while firing a string of rounds
Just slightly off "Fire" but enough to cause the safety mechanism to be engaged and the pistol NOT fire.

I have heard that one can sometimes "bend" the safety lever enough to cause it to "snap into place" in the "Fire" position.
How dangerous ( breaking insted of bending ) is it to "bend" the safety lever.
Is there another solution ?

renaissance@renman.cnc.net

Ron Smith · 07-09-2007, 10:28 PM

Philip,

I have several times in the past, clamped them firmly in a vice, padded with a piece of leather.

With about 2/3 of the lever sticking above the vice jaws. I then take a light plastic mallet and lightly tap them allowing the mallet to bounce or spring back. One tap at a time and try it for fit. This has worked every time for me. It will bend them just enough to create tension.

Let me stress that I do not recommend it for anyone else. It takes a certain touch to do it and I would never do it with anyone else's safety. All I can say is that it has been successful several times and I have never broken one...yet.

It's your decision to make, and I will not assume any responsibility for a failure.

Ron

LugerVern · 07-09-2007, 10:54 PM

You can break the lever by bending it, it sounds like all you need is a slight amount of more pressure, it might be worth looking at the pivot point where the safety lever and safety bar meet. This can easily get bent during take down and cause weak latching. Try applying slight upward pressure here with a flat head screwdriver and cycle your lever to see if latching is improved.

TooTech · 04-11-2008, 12:20 AM

I had a 1920 commercial Luger with a loose safety lever. I pulled the safety out to look it over, and when reinstalling it noticed that the position of the locking pin affected the tightness of the safety.

So before doing any bending, try tapping the pin up or down just a fraction within the frame. If the pin is worn but still tight in the frame, you might get lucky and find that the safety now bears against an unworn portion of the pin and the safety is now tighter. I might also suggest removing the pin that locks the safety into the frame and swapping it end-over-end and reinstalling it.

If this doesn't work, someone on this or Jan Still's forum suggested placing a small diameter drill bit (1/16" or smaller) on a hard surface, and then placing the back side of the safety lever (the portion that's against the frame when installed) on the bit and applying a bit of pressure to increase the bend in the exposed portion of the safety lever.

Rolling the safety back and forth slightly across the drill bit as you press down should help spread the area being bent.

You are looking for a VERY small increase in the amount of bend, do NOT be a gorilla and bend the safety across the drill bit so that both ends touch the hard surface. Press lightly and then try for fit. The amount of increase in the bend you're looking for is infinitesimal and will not be visible to the eye. If you lack patience send your gun to someone who does have it!

I like this method because it strikes me as being more controlled than using a hammer and vise.

Between moving the locking pin and a bit of judicious bending the safety lever is now tight on my commercial Luger.

07-09-2007, 10:12 AM	#1
renaissance7697 User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Nothern VA. Posts: 21 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	"Slipping" safety lever The Safety lever on my 1943 "42" is "Slipping" It does not "Snap into Place" in the safety Off = Fire position. and Often "Slips" to a "NOT on Fire" position while firing a string of rounds Just slightly off "Fire" but enough to cause the safety mechanism to be engaged and the pistol NOT fire. I have heard that one can sometimes "bend" the safety lever enough to cause it to "snap into place" in the "Fire" position. How dangerous ( breaking insted of bending ) is it to "bend" the safety lever. Is there another solution ? renaissance@renman.cnc.net

07-09-2007, 10:28 PM	#2
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Philip, I have several times in the past, clamped them firmly in a vice, padded with a piece of leather. With about 2/3 of the lever sticking above the vice jaws. I then take a light plastic mallet and lightly tap them allowing the mallet to bounce or spring back. One tap at a time and try it for fit. This has worked every time for me. It will bend them just enough to create tension. Let me stress that I do not recommend it for anyone else. It takes a certain touch to do it and I would never do it with anyone else's safety. All I can say is that it has been successful several times and I have never broken one...yet. It's your decision to make, and I will not assume any responsibility for a failure. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

07-09-2007, 10:54 PM	#3
LugerVern User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 563 Thanks: 1 Thanked 34 Times in 27 Posts	You can break the lever by bending it, it sounds like all you need is a slight amount of more pressure, it might be worth looking at the pivot point where the safety lever and safety bar meet. This can easily get bent during take down and cause weak latching. Try applying slight upward pressure here with a flat head screwdriver and cycle your lever to see if latching is improved.

04-11-2008, 12:20 AM	#4
TooTech User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I had a 1920 commercial Luger with a loose safety lever. I pulled the safety out to look it over, and when reinstalling it noticed that the position of the locking pin affected the tightness of the safety. So before doing any bending, try tapping the pin up or down just a fraction within the frame. If the pin is worn but still tight in the frame, you might get lucky and find that the safety now bears against an unworn portion of the pin and the safety is now tighter. I might also suggest removing the pin that locks the safety into the frame and swapping it end-over-end and reinstalling it. If this doesn't work, someone on this or Jan Still's forum suggested placing a small diameter drill bit (1/16" or smaller) on a hard surface, and then placing the back side of the safety lever (the portion that's against the frame when installed) on the bit and applying a bit of pressure to increase the bend in the exposed portion of the safety lever. Rolling the safety back and forth slightly across the drill bit as you press down should help spread the area being bent. You are looking for a VERY small increase in the amount of bend, do NOT be a gorilla and bend the safety across the drill bit so that both ends touch the hard surface. Press lightly and then try for fit. The amount of increase in the bend you're looking for is infinitesimal and will not be visible to the eye. If you lack patience send your gun to someone who does have it! I like this method because it strikes me as being more controlled than using a hammer and vise. Between moving the locking pin and a bit of judicious bending the safety lever is now tight on my commercial Luger.