My 1936 Luger

[Ron B.]

Good morning Gang!
I bought this little Luger several months ago; on a whim. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me much about it; as I really don't know much about Luger's history. I do know it's a fine shooting pistol. The party I'd purchased it from disclosed a possible reblue; but the markings are sharp and clear? I was also told, he acquired it from an estate sale.

Here's a couple of photos.

Thanks!
GRB

[Throwback]

That's definitely a reblue but it is a handsome pistol even so. Lugers make excellent shooters provided you slug your barrel. They are all over the place. In my limited experience the advice to use hotter loads is spot-on. In the field, the front sight is easy to find quickly but the rear "sight" is as bad as they come. Once in a while you may find a trigger that is light enough but all are in a word - spongy.

I can't quote Luger info off the top of my head like afficionados and collectors can - I have to do my research with them so I will let the experts tell you what you have. I seem to recall that S/42 was an early code for Mauser and not uncommon. The rebluing significantly affects its value but helps remove any guilt about shooting the hell out of it. I don't know about these things but I suspect the grips may not be original to the gun. The border has a commercial look to it.

[7x57]

It's definitely a re-blue, original Lugers were not polished like that. But its still a nice gun, and has good value as a shooter. Even shooter Lugers aren't cheap. S/42 is the code for the Mauser factory in Obendorf, Germany. I also have a S/42 1936 dated Luger, and enjoy shooting it.

[Ron B.]

Hello TB!
Thanks for commenting!

You know, I've only shot this little jewel about 20 times, using Federals. It was both accurate, and feed problem free. I agree; the rear site leaves a lot to be desired. I too think the grips are aftermarket. Ever who did the re-blue, IMO did an excellent job. I've had reblues; not one had crisp letterings/numbers like this one.

Thanks again!
GRB

[twotrees]

An S42 is a good Luger and yours is a reblue. The trigger and saftey would be straw colored, on originals.

Do all the parts, including the side plate (Above the trigger) have the same Numbers on them?? The small parts will only have the last 2 numbers on them. If ALL parts aren't numbered, you may have one that some one made up from parts.

I had a Rare one that had the worst set of numbers on it, hand stamped. It was sold to the guy I bought it from, in a PX in Germany. He was in water purification, after the war and the parts left over from all the factories were collected and these "PX" guns were assembled, for sale to GI's that wanted a "War Trophy" home.

The polish and blue on yours is a mile ahead of that example and I'd say you have a great shooter.

Your right them sights ain't worth much are they?? LoL. Try point shooting it sometime and see how it does for you, those were made to be an extension of your arm.

Good Shooting,

[KCSO]

I've heard a lot about Lugers being unreliable, but if yo have a good magazine and good ammo they work just fine. I shot one a lot with the Lee 124 TC bullet and 4.2 of Bullseye powder and the gun never missed a lick. I shot my first Luger in 1971 and am looking for another now. The sights as BATTLE sights are about as good as any combat pistol of the era and are preferable to some of the really fine sights on the early S and W revolvers. They don't make the grade as target sights though. IMHO the P38 had the best issue sights of the era. The square post shows and centers well.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The one I have is a DWM and I am fortunate that it has all matching numbers. It has a hard trigger pull and ejects fast and straight up so I have had my share of dancing with hot cases down my collar. I have tried to use it for target, but the dual combination of trigger pull and sights don't help much to that end. With a lot of working on the loadings I have been able to keep the grouping in a 4-5 inch circle at 25 meters and thats about the best that I have been able to do. I have used 115-120 grain conical bullets, round nose bullets and truncated cone bullets and all feed reliably. I've kept the velocity just under 1000fps to avoid battering the gun. I've used Red Dot and 700x in reasonable/moderate charges with success and keep an eye on the neck tension of the brass to avoid the possibility of bullet seating depth being increased as pressure in 9mm can really go higher quickly if it happens. I use a slight taper crimp to help avoid that. Replacement parts for Lugers live in the high rent district so its best to avoid undue stress on them. A nice luger is a joy to have and shoot. LLS

[StarMetal]

Seems you fellows aren't Luger shooters :kidding:

I have a DWM 1920 commercial Luger in 30 Luger caliber. I load the Lee 100 grain round nose for it over a charge of various powder, Unique and WW231 being my favorites. I've also shot TC nose bullets, that I've made a mould for, out of it with no problems at all. I too heard the stories how a Luger can be finicky, you have to shoot full power loads to make it functions fully, and nothing but roundnose bullets will feed out of it. Not so with mine. I've found it feed every bullet style I've fed it and it also fully functioned with some really light target loads. Now for the sights. My best group with that Lee 100 grain roundnose is 3/4 inch five shot group at 25 yards. Once you master that V and inverted V sight they are plenty accurate. Knocking popcans off fence posts at 75 yards is not problem at all with my Luger. I put new springs in it and bought Meggar magazines (which by the way fit and function I think better then the originals) for it. My Luger may feed like it does because the 30 Luger is a bottleneck cartridge. I suspect that if it was a 9mm it might be a tad less reliable in feeding the bullets that aren't roundnoses. Aside from that the only difference in the 9mm and 30 Luger is the barrel. Springs and magazines are the same. My groove mikes out at .311 so I size to .313 and they shoot the best. I really like the Luger alot and the only thing negative I can say about them are they are very dangerous if you're not very safe with them. I would never carry one chambered and loaded and now I know why watching all those old WWII movies where the German officer draw their pistol from their holster and rack the toggle on it to load it. If I get a little grit or unburned powder kernels on the sear mine will tend to double or triple at times. I will more then likely have to replace the parts involved with the sear arrangement. By the way mine has the 3 5/8 inch barrel and I wonder how much more better it would be with the six inch barrel.

Joe

[Bret4207]

I grew up around a lot of WW2 vets that had Lugers. For some reason I just never got the Luger bug. A friend has a mess of them he's gotten in trade over the years, I hold them and still don't get the bug. Must be I picked up the anti-virus in my youth.

Now, show me a nasty old 455 Webley or a Triple Lock Smiff.......wooooooo boy!!! We gots us sumthin' to FONDLE!!!!

[StarMetal]

That's unusual Bret. I can't think of another pistol that points so natural. That saying "there's just something about a Luger" I find so true. I too never had one in my younger days simply because I couldn't afford the things. My best friend has a bunch of them. He had an interesting one that had many European city names professionally engraved and gold inlaid on it. No doubt a GI carried it through all those towns and cities. Unfortunately it was stolen. I would love to have one of the artillery models.

Joe

[ebner glocken]

I bought a 1940 a number of months ago, haven't had much chance to shoot it. It seemed to do ok with lee 124 TCs and ww231. Interesting little guns, definatly unique. That sums up about all I know about them. Any experts here with more info would be read with enthusiasim.

Ebner

[missionary5155]

Hello TB!
Thanks for commenting!

You know, I've only shot this little jewel about 20 times, using Federals. It was both accurate, and feed problem free. I agree; the rear site leaves a lot to be desired. I too think the grips are aftermarket. Ever who did the re-blue, IMO did an excellent job. I've had reblues; not one had crisp letterings/numbers like this one.

Thanks again!
GRB

Greetings Sights are really not for target practice. Most handguns (military) were designed to give the user a last ditch protection tool. I was in armor and we were armed with M1911a1 caliber.45 Colts... The sights were near impossible to see and we all new the drill... If you had to dismount you took a machine gun in arms for protection. Our .45´s were for trapped crewmen in a burning vehicle.
The german crews I met had the same basic out look on issue pistols so I imagine they got it passed down from the old Lifers like we did.
Mike in Peru

[wiljen]

The other tip-off to a reblue is that the small parts (trigger, levers) are the same color as the frame. These parts were originally straw colored.

The other thing to know about shooter lugers is not to use reduced loads or anything other than a RN boolit that matches the original profile. They tend to jam when fed light loads or other profiles.

[Silicon Wolverine]

Nice luger! the above posters all post good info. you have a nice shooter there, no real large collector value. Shoot it, enjoy it and maybe pass it on to another.

SW

[StarMetal]

The other tip-off to a reblue is that the small parts (trigger, levers) are the same color as the frame. These parts were originally straw colored.

The other thing to know about shooter lugers is not to use reduced loads or anything other than a RN boolit that matches the original profile. They tend to jam when fed light loads or other profiles.

Wil,

Tell that to my 30 Luger...works perfect with any kind of bullet style and many really reduced loads. Before you say it must have worn springs I respringed the whole pistol. I think lots of that are just Luger myths.

Joe

[wiljen]

Wil,

Tell that to my 30 Luger...works perfect with any kind of bullet style and many really reduced loads. Before you say it must have worn springs I respringed the whole pistol. I think lots of that are just Luger myths.

Joe

I don't have a 30 so cant make comment on that one at all. I know on my 9mms, both of the statements are true - standard pressure w231 loads wont cycle reliably and anything but an RN jams. Even the TC style 124gr boolits tend to jam.

Again, mileage may vary but my experience with 3 different 9mm models has been that the advice I gave holds true.

[TCLouis]

Someone at the range has one. His claim is that they should be shot with full power loads only. Said that most folks said they were not accurate, and jammed, but that was because they did not fire proper ammo in them

Watched him shoot a clay pigeon at about 110 yards it broke into two pieces about 1/2 of the caly. Then break both of the pieces in a total of 3 shots.
Convinced me that he knew something!

[StarMetal]

I don't have a 30 so cant make comment on that one at all. I know on my 9mms, both of the statements are true - standard pressure w231 loads wont cycle reliably and anything but an RN jams. Even the TC style 124gr boolits tend to jam.

Again, mileage may vary but my experience with 3 different 9mm models has been that the advice I gave holds true.

It may be because the 30 Luger is a bottleneck that it feeds really well. That doesn't explain functioning the action when the pistols are exactly the same except for the barrel. The 30 L doesn't operate at any higher pressure then the 9mm. Less bullet weight, less oomph to push that toggle back. I also have no problems with very light loads in the 7.62x25 Tokarev either in two different pistols...the Russian Tokarev and the CZ 52. Anemic target loads function those too and the original round is really loaded hot. Back to the 9mm my WWII P38 Walther functions on target loads and will feed the RCBS 150 gr SWC meant for the 38 Spcl and 357 Mag, grant you they have a better feed angle then the Lugers. I call myself lucky then that my pistols function different bullet styles and loads.

Joe

[Dutchman]

1936 was a good year at Mauser Oberndorf. This one is also an S/42. The Olympics were happening in Berlin!!

Mine has the strawed parts and is mostly matching except it didn't come with any magazines so I have one TripleK and one Meggar. The grips are Vintage Industries for the BYF42.

This is my first and only Luger. Its been a learning experience. They definitely aren't your garden variety auto pistol. Very fast and smooth with less felt recoil than either the Browning HP or Star B. Only problem is the magazine empties too quick.

I bought this at the dealer outlet store at SOG in Lebanon, Ohio in about 1999 for $275. The tail of the extractor had never been fitted so I had to learn about that. It functions perfectly with my 9x19mm handloads using 124 gr FMJ and some load of Unique.. don't recall.

There was a tiny pin missing from the middle toggle. It was a keeper pin to prevent the middle toggle pin from falling out. About .052" diameter. When the toggle pin starts to walk out it bangs on the frame. This one had a bugger there that I stoned out and lathe turned the dinky little pin. When you buy a Beemer you try and make friends with the Beemer mechanic. With a Luger they're mostly all dead so you have to feel your way through the darkness crawling very slow. Its a neat gun.

http://images38.fotki.com/v1216/photos/2/28344/157842/007-vi.jpg


Dutch

[Throwback]

Someone at the range has one. His claim is that they should be shot with full power loads only. Said that most folks said they were not accurate, and jammed, but that was because they did not fire proper ammo in them

Watched him shoot a clay pigeon at about 110 yards it broke into two pieces about 1/2 of the caly. Then break both of the pieces in a total of 3 shots.
Convinced me that he knew something!

As much as I hate the rear sight I must agree - Lugers are unbelievably accurate if you buckle down and do everything right. They are also quite reliable when they are fed good ammo. The chambering stroke is where the problem lies. Mine would eject anything but it would not put the next round into the chamber unless the bolt had its full head of steam. I suspect that this is why the .30s are so trouble free.

Incidentally, I never found a bullet that would not feed in mine as long as I loaded it up near max. It shot 124 LTC extremely well.

I shoot Lugers & High Standards with similar grip angles well but I am underwhelmed by their pointing qualities (same for Glocks). Give me a 1911, or a SIG grip angle any day and I can shoot it in my sleep (figuratively).

IMO the biggest drawback to the Luger as a military/combat weapon is the absence of a manually accessable lever to hold the bolt back. Clearing jams in a luger is a challenge that could get you killed when the chips are down! And Lugers will jam when they get dirt in the mechanism. Like the Krag they are elegant icons of their time but they are better fits in the sporting arena than on the battlefield.

[lathesmith]

I once read that the Luger had to undergo something like 600 different machining operations to manufacture. And then had to be hand-fitted to boot! They are beautiful pistols, I had one several years ago and sold it in a fit of stupidity. Wish I still had the darn thing! I recall it had a very distinctive recoil, and flipped the cases straight-up, which was interesting. Great find Roy, I think it's a keeper!
lathesmith

[Ron B.]

Thanks for all the comments Guys! :holysheep
I actually have three Lugers. The others; an Interarms; in th box and a Mitchell. I'll get them out later today, if I find the time and take some pictures for you!

I'm not a huge 9mm fan; but the Luger is definitely a fun gun to pop !:Fire:

*Sorry about the quality of the photo!
I'm not a great shot either! :killingpc

GRB

[oleycow]

I once read that the Luger had to undergo something like 600 different machining operations to manufacture. And then had to be hand-fitted to boot! They are beautiful pistols, I had one several years ago and sold it in a fit of stupidity. Wish I still had the darn thing! I recall it had a very distinctive recoil, and flipped the cases straight-up, which was interesting. Great find Roy, I think it's a keeper!
lathesmith


My Father in Law has a WWII Service Issued Luger with Holster, All the numbers Matched until he was shooting broke the small slide arm on the top.

It took him some time to find a replacement arm that fit. These things were so tightly toleranced they had to be hand fitted.

Problem was with that tight of tolerancing one piece of sand could and often times did spell disaster.

Thus the 1911 in combat proved to be a superior weapon in the area of reliability.

[StarMetal]

As much as I hate the rear sight I must agree - Lugers are unbelievably accurate if you buckle down and do everything right. They are also quite reliable when they are fed good ammo. The chambering stroke is where the problem lies. Mine would eject anything but it would not put the next round into the chamber unless the bolt had its full head of steam. I suspect that this is why the .30s are so trouble free.

Incidentally, I never found a bullet that would not feed in mine as long as I loaded it up near max. It shot 124 LTC extremely well.

I shoot Lugers & High Standards with similar grip angles well but I am underwhelmed by their pointing qualities (same for Glocks). Give me a 1911, or a SIG grip angle any day and I can shoot it in my sleep (figuratively).

IMO the biggest drawback to the Luger as a military/combat weapon is the absence of a manually accessable lever to hold the bolt back. Clearing jams in a luger is a challenge that could get you killed when the chips are down! And Lugers will jam when they get dirt in the mechanism. Like the Krag they are elegant icons of their time but they are better fits in the sporting arena than on the battlefield.

They actually have a lever (internal) that locks the bolt back when the magazine is emtpy. Unfortunately it doesn't have an external trip lever. Fewer parts, fewer things to go wrong.

Joe

[StarMetal]

My Father in Law has a WWII Service Issued Luger with Holster, All the numbers Matched until he was shooting broke the small slide arm on the top.

It took him some time to find a replacement arm that fit. These things were so tightly toleranced they had to be hand fitted.

Problem was with that tight of tolerancing one piece of sand could and often times did spell disaster.

Thus the 1911 in combat proved to be a superior weapon in the area of reliability.

Please describe this small slide arm on top.

Joe

[oleycow]

It's a small thin (numbered) arm, only about 1-1 1/2 inches long by less than 1/4 in wide. It sits directly attop the gun in front of the rear site. I am going off of memory as to not having the gun with me but I think if my memory serves me correclty that should be semi accurate.

What is not accurate is my name for the piece as to having to name it something that I felt would best describe it. Because I don't officially know what that piece is "called"

His (my father in law) broke his shortly after aquiring the gun and I don't think he has shot it much if at all since he had it replace for fear of it happening again. Which I doubt would happen with the quality of manufacturing that the Germans put into these guns.

[StarMetal]

It's a small thin (numbered) arm, only about 1-1 1/2 inches long by less than 1/4 in wide. It sits directly attop the gun in front of the rear site. I am going off of memory as to not having the gun with me but I think if my memory serves me correclty that should be semi accurate.

What is not accurate is my name for the piece as to having to name it something that I felt would best describe it. Because I don't officially know what that piece is "called"

His (my father in law) broke his shortly after aquiring the gun and I don't think he has shot it much if at all since he had it replace for fear of it happening again. Which I doubt would happen with the quality of manufacturing that the Germans put into these guns.

That's called the trigger bar. I wouldn't think that they are hand fitted. Don't forget Lugers weren't made on CNC machinery and the tolerances vary.

Joe

[StarMetal]

1936 was a good year at Mauser Oberndorf. This one is also an S/42. The Olympics were happening in Berlin!!

Mine has the strawed parts and is mostly matching except it didn't come with any magazines so I have one TripleK and one Meggar. The grips are Vintage Industries for the BYF42.

This is my first and only Luger. Its been a learning experience. They definitely aren't your garden variety auto pistol. Very fast and smooth with less felt recoil than either the Browning HP or Star B. Only problem is the magazine empties too quick.

I bought this at the dealer outlet store at SOG in Lebanon, Ohio in about 1999 for $275. The tail of the extractor had never been fitted so I had to learn about that. It functions perfectly with my 9x19mm handloads using 124 gr FMJ and some load of Unique.. don't recall.

There was a tiny pin missing from the middle toggle. It was a keeper pin to prevent the middle toggle pin from falling out. About .052" diameter. When the toggle pin starts to walk out it bangs on the frame. This one had a bugger there that I stoned out and lathe turned the dinky little pin. When you buy a Beemer you try and make friends with the Beemer mechanic. With a Luger they're mostly all dead so you have to feel your way through the darkness crawling very slow. Its a neat gun.

http://images38.fotki.com/v1216/photos/2/28344/157842/007-vi.jpg


Dutch

You said the magazine empties out too fast. Wait until you've had one that goes full auto. Quite fun!!!

Joe

[dubber123]

You said the magazine empties out too fast. Wait until you've had one that goes full auto. Quite fun!!!

Joe

Joe, my "parts box" Luger went full auto on me the first time I fired it. Quite a fast cyclic rate! [smilie=1: A tweeked sear spring was the culprit.

[StarMetal]

Joe, my "parts box" Luger went full auto on me the first time I fired it. Quite a fast cyclic rate! [smilie=1: A tweeked sear spring was the culprit.

I don't think I would be so lucky. I tweated the sear spring and no good. I noticed the sear angle on the trigger bar didn't look quite right so stoned that to a better fit. The firing pin sear looked fine. So of the "experts" I talked with said put all new springs in the pistol I done that, still no good. It usually only does it after a long shooting stretch and I really think it's powder crud getting between the two sears. There's nothing more nerve racking for me then to rack the toggle back and let it go wondering if it's going to fire and come up and bash my fingers. This pistol I REALLY keep pointed in a safe direction when charging the chamber. Like I mentioned before I think the Luger is one of the dangerous pistols out there to the user. Yet I love them.

Joe

[oleycow]

That's called the trigger bar. I wouldn't think that they are hand fitted. Don't forget Lugers weren't made on CNC machinery and the tolerances vary.

Joe

That was my point in a way.

I was however under the assumption that most if not all parts to the Lugers were hand fitted.

Is that wrong?

My understanding was that as each piece was made and machined there were indeed variances between pieces thus forcing the need to be hand fitted.

There at the time was no universal GDT (Geometric Design Tollerance) language or specs out there thus never ensuring that the piece machined would fit with every other piece machined.

Correct me if I am in error.

I am not an engeneer, but I play one in my mind sometimes

[StarMetal]

That was my point in a way.

I was however under the assumption that most if not all parts to the Lugers were hand fitted.

Is that wrong?

My understanding was that as each piece was made and machined there were indeed variances between pieces thus forcing the need to be hand fitted.

There at the time was no universal GDT (Geometric Design Tollerance) language or specs out there thus never ensuring that the piece machined would fit with every other piece machined.

Correct me if I am in error.

I am not an engeneer, but I play one in my mind sometimes

I feel you are right. I believe the machines were operated by a person and the pistols were put together by hand. What I was saying are many of the parts are interchangeable.

By the way that trigger bars costs lots of money.

Joe