Help! P-08 Luger problem..
The Werewolf of London
Hi All....
I recently purchased a 1941-dated German P-08 Luger and I have been
having some problems with it. When I load it and manually chamber the
first round,
it chambers just fine and will fire the first round without problem.
Then, it will eject the casing and chamber the second round just fine.
However, it won't fire the second round, even though it is chambered and
seated properly. A squeeze of the trigger results in nothing, no tension,
no hammer drop, just a dead trigger. It's like the weapon doesn't have
enough strength to eject, rechamber and recock itself, so it skips the
"recock" part of the process. Any ideas? Maybe a part is worn out? Please
email directly as I don't
check this newsgroup regularly. thanks a bunch! :)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please find out about rec.guns at http://doubletap.cs.umd.edu/rec.guns
Bernie Hunt
Please reply to the newsgroup also, as I don't check his email regularly.
Some of us would like to hear to answers also!
OK, I'm done ranting now, it just annoys my that people take from the group
and then don't give anything back!
Bernie
The Werewolf of London <bae...@prairie.NoDak.edu> wrote in message
news:7jge33$ch7$1...@xring.cs.umd.edu...
> ...
viczena
on the problem. As soon as it is solved, i will send a reply to this group.
peter
David St. Hubbins
John Payson
In article <7jge33$ch7$1...@xring.cs.umd.edu>,
The Werewolf of London <bae...@prairie.NoDak.edu> wrote:
#However, it won't fire the second round, even though it is chambered and
#seated properly. A squeeze of the trigger results in nothing, no tension,
#no hammer drop, just a dead trigger. It's like the weapon doesn't have
#enough strength to eject, rechamber and recock itself, so it skips the
#"recock" part of the process. Any ideas? Maybe a part is worn out? Please
#email directly as I don't
#check this newsgroup regularly. thanks a bunch! :)
After checking to ensure that the gun is unloaded, I would suggest cycling
the action while holding the trigger. My guess is that this will result in
the gun being decocked rather than cocked. Since that's what happens when
you fire a round, that would explain the behavior.
As to WHY it's doing that, I'd suggest you take a look at the mechanism on
the left side of the pistol. To do this, lock the action open (insert empty
magazine), flip down the takedown lever on the left-front of the frame,
remove the magazine and left cover plate (which was held in place by the
takedown lever), then pull back and let forward the toggle bolt. This will
allow the receiver to slide off the front of the pistol.
Near the front of the receiver, in the part that was covered by the plate,
you'll observe a spring-loaded "lever" a couple inches long which normally
sits flush with the edge of the receiver, and which pushes in at the front
and comes out at the rear. This is the sear. After checking again that
the chamber is unloaded, cycle the action (on the receiver, while it's not
on the frame) and push in on the front of the lever. You'll observe the
weapon dry-fires.
If you look in somewhat closer detail at the sear, you'll notice a small
plunger at the front end which pushes toward the rear. What is supposed
to happen is that the trigger lever actually pushes inward on that plunger
(effectively pushing inward on the sear, firing the weapon). When the
receiver recoils back, the end of the plunger is carried back far enough
to slip off the trigger lever, allowing the sear to snap back into its
normal position. When the receiver slides forward again, the plunger should
get pushed rearward by the back of the trigger lever (rather than being
pushed inward); when the trigger is released, the plunger will return for-
ward to its spot "under" the trigger lever so it can be activated again.
A cute mechanism, though to me it seems a bit excessively complicated. I
suspect that one of the following failure modes is occurring:
[1] The plunger is sticking out too far and, as a consequence, the end of
it is still pushed in even when the receiver is at its far rearward
position.
[2] The trigger lever has somehow gotten bent rearward, so that it continues
to push the plunger inward even when the receiver is at its far rearward
position.
[3] The plunger has managed to develop an inward angle, such that it "sub-
marines" under the trigger lever when the receiver slides forward. This
mode of failure could be distinguished from the above two by watching
the sear when the weapon is cycled with the trigger pulled. If the rear
part of the sear goes inward when the receiver moves back, but goes back
out when the receiver slides forward, this is the failure that's occuring.
My guess would be that #3 might be caused by trying too hard to pull the trig-
ger when the safety is engaged. The design of the Luger is such that the
safety is going to win, but forcing the trigger could damage the mechanism.
Note, by the way, that if the safety is engaged, the bolt is closed, and the
action is not cocked, you must release the safety to open the bolt. If the
action is cocked, this is not necessary.