P.08 mag facts!

[G.T.]

Hi to all! Just finished up a repair that isn't necessarily uncommon, but seems so mainly because it is miss diagnosed more often that not! .. and that is, a seemingly excellent magazine that sticks or doesn't drop free when the mag release is depressed. I'm going to try and address that issue and break it down into two or three causes, and a couple of remidies to boot! First, we need to determine which component is stealing our thunder! Let's start with the magazine, and, also the mighty digital caliper.
First the magazine, from front to back should measure 1.100" plus or minus .003". It should be square and straight, as the number one cause of a tight mag is that it is loose in the seams? You can determine this by sighting down the rear flat spinde and look for an un-even twist. The good news is you might be able to insert one end of the mag shell slightly into the Luger and twist it back to straight. The bad news is, the magazine shell will never be tight in the seams again and as such cannot be used as a test item going forward. And the twist will re-occure for the future life of the mag. In other words, no good! Also, with the calipers, measure from front to back just below the feed lips. If this measuerment reads 1.105" or more, it will also stick slightly in the mag well, usually at the top, last .500" or so. Those are the most common problem with the mags, but, lets just say the mag is perfect, but still goes in tight, wont drop free, or sticks going in or out... Then we need to look toward the mag well and frame / grip area on the luger. The magazine well may look straight and square, but during manufacture and clamping and holding, the whole assembly can show deformation in select spots! They can be the web accross where the mainspring relief from rear grip strap to the rear spine area of the mag well, and also the upper end web where the mainsring butts up against at the top. You can determine of these areas are deformed simply by laying a small straight edge along the back of the mag well and see if it rocks? Where ever it does, it is a high spot and needs to be filed flat. A far less common area is the inside of the front grip strap. Sometimes they are slightly crushed from clamping or machining, and you need to take a plastic or wood dowel, wrap some diamond abrasive or a high quality 150WD around it and get to sanding the inside radius. For a test you can take a very straight mag and build/shim up the rear spine untill it measures approx. 1.120" and see if it fits snug but still moves. You 'll have to sand A LOT to make a little difference... Or, you can send it to me, and I'll get it done...
That's all for now,... good luck, best, til...lat'r.....GT