What Is The Weekest Part Of A Luger!

[cirelaw]

I ask because in field if one of forty parts fails a life may be lost! Did units have a luger Doc like us whose resurrects a damage luger back to life? Were there luger part kits or did they salvage parts from other dead warriors? What part was most prone to failure? Are all parts from DWM and Erfurt interchangeable? Respectively submitted, Eric

[kurusu]

The weekest part is generally the shooter.

Most of the shooters are gone and the Lugers remain.

[cirelaw]

What about loss of a little triggger spring? It appears so small, vulnerable and vital!!

[DavidJayUden]

I wonder if disassembly beyond a certain point may not have been discouraged? Seems like a bad plan to have the 15 year-olds completely disassembling these weapons in the trenches. I mean what could possibly go wrong?
dju

[Chickenthief]

I would say that the cartridge loaded in the gun is the weakest part.
All of mine only work once ;-)

[cirelaw]

Interesting~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_IeAaR5AmU

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by cirelaw

What about loss of a little triggger spring? It appears so small, vulnerable and vital!!

That little trigger spring is tuff as nails and overbuilt, It always gets replaced in a "shooter" ). Besides it's not vital, because of the crescent moon design of the trigger you can easily reset it even if the spring is not there.

[cirelaw]

Are you saying you can opererate a luger fine without it?

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by cirelaw

Are you saying you can operate a luger fine without it?

Depends on your definition of "fine"; but yes, you can fire your luger without the trigger return spring as kurusu said.

Yes, "they" had repair parts and spare mags and grips and could make simple repairs behind the lines, but maybe not "in the trenches".

I don't think 15 year olds were drafted into the German army in WWI; but it is not a good idea to take your pistol apart in a trench no matter how old you are, JMHO.

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by DavidJayUden

I wonder if disassembly beyond a certain point may not have been discouraged? Seems like a bad plan to have the 15 year-olds completely disassembling these weapons in the trenches. I mean what could possibly go wrong?
dju

A complete disassembly of the Luger is better left for an expert or a talented amateur.

But the fieldstrip can be made by a 5 year old.

"Someone get me a 5 year old"

Groucho Marx

[4 Scale]

Post #25 in this thread http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...t=37272&page=2
suggests the ejector is the weakest part.

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by 4 Scale

Post #25 in this thread http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...t=37272&page=2
suggests the extractor is the weakest part.

I've personally seen other parts give the ghost before the extractor. The holdopen being # 1

[cirelaw]

Back to my original, was there anyone who was the repair/parts guy! The certainly learned how in the reuse left over parts in the Weimar period!

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by cirelaw

Back to my original, was there anyone who was the repair/parts guy! The certainly learned how in the reuse left over parts in the Weimar period!

There were field armourers that had spare parts and could make repairs "in situ". The more desperate cases would have to go back for arsenal rebuild.

[Dwight Gruber]

Originally Posted by 4 Scale

Post #25 in this thread http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...t=37272&page=2
suggests the extractor is the weakest part.

Actually that was ejector...

--Dwight

[4 Scale]

Gortz & Sturgess has a good bit of information on repair for WWI era P08s. Enlisted personnel could only field strip pistols with the stipulation that removal of the firing pin/spring/guide was a task for corporals. Disassembly beyond field strip could only be done by Armorers.

Assistant Armorers existed at the Company or Battery level for simple repairs with more extensive capability at Regimental or Battalion level via Master Armorers. Master Armorers were Sergeants and Assistant Armorers could be any rank below that. Armorers were trained to fix multiple weapon types.

G&S doesn't discuss Armorers in WWII, so who knows but my guess is it stayed substantially the same. If you want to search G&S, note they spell it "Armourer".

Thanks Dwight I constantly say one but mean the other.

[Dwight Gruber]

Originally Posted by 4 Scale

Thanks Dwight I constantly say one but mean the other.

I understand, actually I do that a lot, too!

--Dwight

[mrerick]

Extractor? Ejector?

Distractor? Dejector?

"Let's call the whole thing off" (Attributed to Cole Porter, but soon disavowed!)

[DonVoigt]

I would consider the ejector(a spring" and the other springs in a luger or any pistol to be consumable/expendable and require replacement at some interval, JMHO. Of course my opinion is based on my poor ability to make leaf springs, I've tried for over 50 years and they are tough to make under a shade tree.

To hear so many whine about breaking an extractor, you'd think that was the weakest link.
It is small and complicated, and occasionally breaks from internal flaws or misuse for sure; but it is actually pretty sturdy for its intended purpose.

If I had to pick a part or design flaw, it would be the small tab that holds the striker spring guide in the breech bolt and/or its recess. With a little(or maybe a lot) of thought it could have been designed or re-designed to have two tabs, and likely double the life of the assembly. JMHO.

[mrerick]

I agree with Don. Something more like a short lug layered cannon breech lock would have been much more robust:



A slightly shorter striker with a thicker multi-lug support in the spring guide would have been a better design. Alas, we were not in the design meetings with Georg...

The ejector spring must have been complex to manufacture. We know that it was hardened prior to strawing. I wonder if the forward triangular ejector tab and mount were extruded from a single stock piece of metal?

Here's the patent. DRP 227078