A little note on follower button installation!

G.T. · 12-09-2004, 04:25 PM

Hi to all! In every part on a Luger, there are some subtle little items that have to be addressed to make them fit and operate as they were intended... At the turn of the century, during manufacturing, commonality was tough to come by, and hand fitting was a necessary part of the assembly process... some of the crudest parts on the Luger, are in the magazine... probably the best most accurate part was the tube or shell... but, the follower, follower button, and the magazine bottoms ran from perfect to spec., to unbelievably crude!!! So, there is quite a bit of freedom taken within the spec ranges to allow for the assembly of these less then perfect parts... The follower button tang, or rivit end is one of these areas... Most of the originals are plenty short... and when expanded, hold tight in the relief hole in the follower.. but they come a bit short of going all the way thru the hole.. This is fine, and correct. But, thru the years, with the different wall thickness of the many different followers made, most after market follower buttons have a little longer tang availabile to rivit over! I've even done this myself and upon request, made the rivit end, at the top end of the spec., so you definitly have something protruding thru the followers side to whack at!!! The correct proceedure, is to pre-fit the follower button to the follower, by inserting it in the follower while outside the shell, and then, trim the rivit end tip flush with the edge of the follower. The end of the follower button should be flush, or slightly below, when reassembled in the shell and rivited!! If not, it will drag on the side of the shell, and definitly cause the mag. to be difficult to load...and perhaps, affect feeding, although I've not been able to determine this for sure?? Anyway, a little tip for the home Luger enthusiast!! <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> Best to all, Merry Christmas! Til...lat'r....GT

Luke · 12-09-2004, 05:02 PM

Hi GT,

Thank you for the excellent tip. Wonder how many magazines have been ruined by novices such as I when trying to do this procedure.

Luke

G.T. · 12-09-2004, 07:27 PM

Thanks Luke! I like to help if I can!!

BTW... I forgot to add, ...The best tool I've found so far, to rivit the follower button end, is a 1/32" STANLY nail set part number 58-111 ..find'em anywhere/everywhere! Cheap, and works perfect, end result looks just like 100 year old factory! best to all, til...lat'r...GT <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

Frank · 12-09-2004, 09:21 PM

GT, thanks for the info!! Fortunately for me, if I ever had to make that repair, I know someone that would do it for me if I brought over a new Luger to look at and a 6 pack of Coors Light!!

G.T. · 12-09-2004, 10:29 PM

Frank! Sorry, but I have to correct you.... I have never charged you more then one 12oz can!!!

Best to you, and Merry Christmas.. til...lat'r...GT <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

Frank · 12-10-2004, 09:01 AM

GT, sort of selfish!! I was thinking about me too!! Remember, I have to do something while you repair the magazine!!!

G.T. · 12-10-2004, 09:07 AM

Hi Frank! Well you'd better have/find something that needs fix'en so we can get to that 6 pack before Christmas!

Best to you Frank! til...lat'r...GT

Frank · 12-10-2004, 11:17 AM

Okay GT, I'll try my best. If I can't find anything to fix, how about just fixin the beers???

<img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Ron Smith · 12-10-2004, 01:32 PM

Hell Frank, Don't just sit there, break something!(something cheap, that is.) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

Ron

G.T. · 12-10-2004, 01:48 PM

I can remember when I was just a kid, 8 or 9 years old, in the late 50's early 60's... my father owned an old sporting goods shop on main street... lot'sa guns, ammo, and atmosphere... His old wartime buddies would come in once and awhile during the holiday seasons and they'd sit around the office after work and have a "bump" or two!! Which usually ment each bump was made up with some Lord Calvert and bottle of 7up... some great hunting stories and great jokes, they were a real good bunch of guys, close knit too... I can remember my father holding up his drink and saying,"Yup, there's only two times that I drink, and that's alone or with somebody!" "Cheers!" He had a glass display case full of Lugers and single action army Colts that nobody wanted... antiques and collectiables were precussion Colts and flintlocks and such... best to all! til...lat'r...GT

Frank · 12-10-2004, 02:36 PM

Hey Ron, thanks for the encouragement!! I'll try to find something not too expensive, but have you been collecting Lugers long?? Not too expensive just doesn't exist!!!

12-09-2004, 04:25 PM	#1
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,507 Thanks: 1,318 Thanked 3,653 Times in 1,004 Posts	A little note on follower button installation! Hi to all! In every part on a Luger, there are some subtle little items that have to be addressed to make them fit and operate as they were intended... At the turn of the century, during manufacturing, commonality was tough to come by, and hand fitting was a necessary part of the assembly process... some of the crudest parts on the Luger, are in the magazine... probably the best most accurate part was the tube or shell... but, the follower, follower button, and the magazine bottoms ran from perfect to spec., to unbelievably crude!!! So, there is quite a bit of freedom taken within the spec ranges to allow for the assembly of these less then perfect parts... The follower button tang, or rivit end is one of these areas... Most of the originals are plenty short... and when expanded, hold tight in the relief hole in the follower.. but they come a bit short of going all the way thru the hole.. This is fine, and correct. But, thru the years, with the different wall thickness of the many different followers made, most after market follower buttons have a little longer tang availabile to rivit over! I've even done this myself and upon request, made the rivit end, at the top end of the spec., so you definitly have something protruding thru the followers side to whack at!!! The correct proceedure, is to pre-fit the follower button to the follower, by inserting it in the follower while outside the shell, and then, trim the rivit end tip flush with the edge of the follower. The end of the follower button should be flush, or slightly below, when reassembled in the shell and rivited!! If not, it will drag on the side of the shell, and definitly cause the mag. to be difficult to load...and perhaps, affect feeding, although I've not been able to determine this for sure?? Anyway, a little tip for the home Luger enthusiast!! <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> Best to all, Merry Christmas! Til...lat'r....GT

12-09-2004, 05:02 PM	#2
Luke User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: NC - USA Posts: 1,239 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 6 Posts	Hi GT, Thank you for the excellent tip. Wonder how many magazines have been ruined by novices such as I when trying to do this procedure. Luke __________________ "Peace, if possible; truth, at any cost." . . . Martin Luther

12-10-2004, 01:32 PM	#9
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Hell Frank, Don't just sit there, break something!(something cheap, that is.) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

12-09-2004, 07:27 PM	#3
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,507 Thanks: 1,318 Thanked 3,653 Times in 1,004 Posts	Thanks Luke! I like to help if I can!! BTW... I forgot to add, ...The best tool I've found so far, to rivit the follower button end, is a 1/32" STANLY nail set part number 58-111 ..find'em anywhere/everywhere! Cheap, and works perfect, end result looks just like 100 year old factory! best to all, til...lat'r...GT <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

12-09-2004, 09:21 PM	#4
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	GT, thanks for the info!! Fortunately for me, if I ever had to make that repair, I know someone that would do it for me if I brought over a new Luger to look at and a 6 pack of Coors Light!!

12-09-2004, 10:29 PM	#5
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,507 Thanks: 1,318 Thanked 3,653 Times in 1,004 Posts	Frank! Sorry, but I have to correct you.... I have never charged you more then one 12oz can!!! Best to you, and Merry Christmas.. til...lat'r...GT <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

12-10-2004, 09:01 AM	#6
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	GT, sort of selfish!! I was thinking about me too!! Remember, I have to do something while you repair the magazine!!!

12-10-2004, 09:07 AM	#7
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,507 Thanks: 1,318 Thanked 3,653 Times in 1,004 Posts	Hi Frank! Well you'd better have/find something that needs fix'en so we can get to that 6 pack before Christmas! Best to you Frank! til...lat'r...GT

12-10-2004, 11:17 AM	#8
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Okay GT, I'll try my best. If I can't find anything to fix, how about just fixin the beers??? <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

12-10-2004, 01:48 PM	#10
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,507 Thanks: 1,318 Thanked 3,653 Times in 1,004 Posts	I can remember when I was just a kid, 8 or 9 years old, in the late 50's early 60's... my father owned an old sporting goods shop on main street... lot'sa guns, ammo, and atmosphere... His old wartime buddies would come in once and awhile during the holiday seasons and they'd sit around the office after work and have a "bump" or two!! Which usually ment each bump was made up with some Lord Calvert and bottle of 7up... some great hunting stories and great jokes, they were a real good bunch of guys, close knit too... I can remember my father holding up his drink and saying,"Yup, there's only two times that I drink, and that's alone or with somebody!" "Cheers!" He had a glass display case full of Lugers and single action army Colts that nobody wanted... antiques and collectiables were precussion Colts and flintlocks and such... best to all! til...lat'r...GT

12-10-2004, 02:36 PM	#11
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Hey Ron, thanks for the encouragement!! I'll try to find something not too expensive, but have you been collecting Lugers long?? Not too expensive just doesn't exist!!!