jErfurt Luger, new to me...

[Ramguy]

Hey Folks, after 50+ years of collecting pieces (and shooting them) I have finally purchased an Erfurt Luger matching numbered piece from a guy that i would trust with my life. I can't wait to get it but I am sure it will be 10 days before that little thing finds it's way into my hands. My question is the ammo. This is not NOT a museum piece but a very nice example of the 1918 4" Erfurts. I will be shooting this piece. I have read that HOT ammo is not recommended as it can be abusive to the toggle action on the 100+ year old gun. Any of you have a favorite plinking load. Maybe 3.2 of BE with a 115gr bullet? I just don't want to shoot any Rhino rollers through this piece of history, but I have had the hots for 1 since i was about 7-8 years old.
Thanks guys/Gals!

[rintinglen]

My 1938 Mauser does not like powder puff loads. If I want it to go bang every time and chamber and feed each time, I have to run warmish loads. I don't use Bullseye but I suppose I could. YMMV, but I would load up a ladder, 10 cartridges each step, starting at 3.5 grains of BE, and increasing .2 grains at a time until I got good function or ran out of room by exceeding the Max load listed in my manual for my 115 grain projectile (~4.8-4.9, depending on the manual.) I use 5.6 grains of Power Pistol with a Lyman 356-242 120~ish grain RN boolit. I have an NOE mold for a 124 (?) grain TC but I have never tried it in the Luger--too many molds and guns, too little time.

[gwpercle]

I don't have a P-08 but my P-38's all time pet load is :

Lee 358-105-SWC , sized .357 (lithium-beeswax), 4.7 grs. Unique .
The light boolit and midrange powder charge give 100% reliability & shoot accurately to the P-38's sights ( the sights can be moved but not easily) . This load doesn't batter the old war horse.

The following loads are it's favorites with the NOE 357 - 124 - Truncated Cone - Gas Check
sized .357 , lithium-beeswax lubricant . The 124 TC was the original bullet shape and weight design for the P-08 . My P-38 feeds the TC like a champ and the NOE mould is a 4 cavity I can cast more than the 2 cavity Lee . The gas check helps with seating and no leading at higher velocities.
The following loads also work well with the plain base Lee 356 - 120 - TC boolit .

3.8 grs. 700X
3.9 grs. Bullseye
4.6 grs. Red Dot
4.7 grs. Unique
5.5 grs. Accurate Arms #5

All of the above loads are right at or slightly above 1000 - 1100 feet per second .
This seems to be what it takes in my P-38 to get reliable functioning .
Going lighter just encouraged stoppages...usually a failure to completely chamber a round.
I'm sure the P-08 like the P-38 doesn't like light loads...they are just not designed for that.
Starting too low just wastes time and components .

From my experience with 115 gr TC boolits and Bullseye I didn't get reliable functioning with my starting load of 3.5 grs. Bullseye . I had to bump it all the way up to 4.0 grs. Bullseye to almost get 100% functioning then settled on 4.2 grs Bullseye / 115 gr. Lyman #358345 sized .357.
Most manuals give 5.0 grs as a max load so 4.2 is mid range .

Hope some of this helps...be warned , reloading cast boolits in 9mm will test your soul!
Good Luck,
Gary

[Der Gebirgsjager]

All the conventional wisdom is pretty much mentioned in the above posts as concerns Luger loads. Some are happy with normal level loads, and some like 'em hot. But not +P level hot. 124 gr. will often work better than 115 gr., as the 124 gr. was an early loading. On the rare occasions anymore when I take mine out and shoot them I usually use either CCI Blazer or GECO 124 gr. FMJ ammo, and never experience a jam. They're all at least senior citizens of advanced age, and you may wish to replace the springs.

249582

Click to enlarge.

DG

[Ramguy]

Thanks for the input folks!! At'sa nice pair too DG! I don't think mine is gonna be quite that shiny.....