How to fix trigger pull?

[sutureman]

I am new to this forum and was wondering if anyone could suggest a method to improve the trigger pull on my luger. I have to pull the trigger all the way back in order for it to fire. Any suggestions will be appreciated!

[John Sabato]

Welcome to the Lugerforum Jim.

Luger trigger pulls can be a mystery to most new Luger owners because the trigger/sear linkage appears quite complex to the casual observer.

The first question I have is, Is your Luger all matching parts? If it is a gun that has mixed parts, especially in the trigger linkage, this could be one of the problems... the parts were not hand fitted to each other. Do the two digits stamped into the trigger match the last two digits of the gun's serial number? How about the sear bar? and finally the firing pin? Any differences here can be the root of your problem...

A second issue might be that the gun is very worn and there are tolerances necessary for firing the gun that are somewhat out of specifications.

A third issue could be the extent of sear engagement may be less than ideal due to some previous owner attempting to improve the trigger pull and the surfaces for sear engagement may have been stoned improperly.

All of these issues can be remedied. My furst suggestion would be to disassemble the gun and make sure that the firing pin, sear bar, and sideplate are really clean and well lubricated. Make sure that the spring loaded pin on the end of the sear bar moves easily and is not sticking. And make sure that the surfaces of the L-shaped lever in the sideplate are clean and have no burrs or deep scratches. Then reassemble it and test the trigger...

I remember that one of our members who is a practicing gunsmith once posted the procedure that he uses to improve trigger pull on Lugers... but I don't remember if he actually posted it on the forum or emailed to members who had an interest...

His name is Hugh Clark and he posts under the name of Hugh (member 15). Perhaps he will see this and post some suggestions.

Please tell us about your Luger... and post photos if you can.

Once again welcome to the forum.

[Hugh]

Sutureman,

<img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" /> I have an old magazine aticle on Luger trigger tuning that I will be happy to scan and email to anyone requesting it. My email is hhclark@academicplanet.com
<img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

[Ron Wood]

Hugh,
If that is the article by Mike Gorman in the 1974 Shooting Times, I have it in jpeg format. It is 3 pages and each page is about 235 Kbytes. That is as compressed as I could make it and still be reasonably easy to read.

It is not a modification that you would want to do to a collectable Luger because it involves drilling and tapping the trigger and honing the surfaces on the trigger lever, sear bar and firing pin. According to the article if done correctly it will result in a 2 pound trigger pull with 1/16" travel without going full auto or doubling.

I would think that the article is old enough that there shouldn't be a copyright problem with posting it in the members gallery, but I will let John D. advise me if this is OK.

I would be glad to e-mail a few, but I really don't have a lot of time right now to sit down and send out a bunch. If someone wants a copy and then take over the job of further distribution that would be great. Volunteers?

[Hugh]

Ron,

That's the one. I have it in pdf format @1.16MB, takes a few minutes to email.

[Edward Tinker]

Oh, heavens no. Takes about 8 seconds for such a small file! <img border="0" alt="[oops]" title="" src="graemlins/oops.gif" />

I do try to remember that everyone else isn't on broadband, as the last six months are the ONLY time I ever have been on it... If you can get it, it makes a huge difference! I could not get it in our "old" house...

Ed

[jamese]

Ron,
If it can't be posted on the board (copyrights)

send me the files and I'll send them out

Jim

jamesegg@bellsouth.net

[Johnny C. Kitchens]

I posted this before, but if you want to know how long a copyright last, just go here...

http://www.itts.ttu.edu/documentation/laws/copy07.html

[Ron Wood]

Thanks Johnny. The way I read it, the article is not yet in the public domain, so I will ship it off to James.

James, thanks for taking on the distribution...much appreciated. I will have the pages to you shortly. Hope they are useful to some folks.

[HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr]

It's quite simple.

The firing pin and the sear should be blueprinted. And as those parts often have been filed on I suggest that you weld them up with a weldingrod that hardens when it cools down.
After they are welded up, they should be grinded or milled to the ORIGINAL specifications and nothing else.
The hook surfaces should be poliched very smoth and in the direction of the travel.

When this is done check up if the connector is untoched, is it filed on , change it to a new part.

When this is done all work should be done on the trigger, by bending and filing slightly on the sheetmetal plate on the top of the trigger.
Most likely will the triggerpull be improved by switching out the triggerspring, and adjustments also have to be made on the searspring.
No work should be done on the mainspring, and it should be as strong as possible.

If this description is followed accurately togheter with some polishing work on some bearing surfaces the trigger should be almost as good as a SIG P210 or a custom 1911 triggerpull.

And don't forget the ABSOLLUTELY most important thing, don't mess around with the hook surfaces on the firing pin and the sear, they should just be blueprinted and NOTHING else.

IF the hook surfaces and kept to anything else than specified there is a good chance that you sooner or later have an illigal machinegun.

Regards HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr

[John Sabato]

welcome back HÃ?Â¥kan ! It has been a long time since you posted.

Please check the link information for your Luger services in the Links & Resources page... I think they need to be updated. Post the information here and I will make any necessary corrections.