Luger problem

P

paleod

Inactive
I have a DWM luger with a problem. The gun is a shooter which does not shoot. The gun will not cock. I have swapped out the trigger bar and spring assembly with other parts I have, yet the problem persists. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
 
I assume you mean the gun can't be cocked even when loaded manually, and that it has worked in the past. If that is true, the obvious possibility is that the firing pin cocking projection is broken or worn, or that the sear is broken or worn.

If the gun won't recock after being fired, the most common cause is ammo that is too weak to bring the breechblock back far enough.

If the gun is new to you and has never worked for you, there is the possibility that the firing pin, firing pin spring, sear or all three are missing or broken.

Jim
 
Basically the gun does not "click" when the trigger is pulled after cocking. The slide is free and smooth, just does not cock back the pin. The toggle works fine in another gun so I think that would rule out the firing pin. I figure it must be something else.
 
Basically the gun does not "click" when the trigger is pulled after cocking. The slide is free and smooth, just does not cock back the pin. The toggle works fine in another gun so I think that would rule out the firing pin. I figure it must be something else
Click to expand...
Take the upper half off the lower half. Make sure the gun is empty of ammunition. With the the bolt closed and the upper together; press the sear, it should fire. It could just be that plunger(on the sear) is stuck.
http://e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=3230zP-08
press part #8
Part#10 is most likely stuck
 
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w_houle is right on about checking the top half of the Luger separately (so you can see what's going on). If you lift up on the toggle and pull back slightly then push it back forward the sear should "cock" the action and pressing the trigger bar/sear should release the firing pin. A functioning Luger will actually fire a round this way (with no frame attached). If yours won't cock you should be able to see what's wrong.

Of course you have experience with Lugers so already know most of this. Kind of brainstorming and trying to eliminate the frame and sideplate as issues.
 
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Some models of Luger have a sear safety

Which is supposed to prevent the sear from firing the gun with the sideplate removed. This was done due to German police concerns about the possibility of the gun firing during disassembly. (info from the Standard Catalogue of Luger {Davis, 2006}).

It might be, if your gun has this device, that it is malfunctioning somehow, causing your problem?
 
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OK, the top section of the gun will not cock. Since the trigger block has been replaced is everyone thinking that it is the firing pin housing not catching the sear?
 
Nope I was wrong the gun is cocking. The side plate is worn and is not pushing on the sear hard enough. Thanks for the input everyone. Now I just need to find a replacement plate and probably the plate pin too.
 
If the side plate doesn't slop around you might just need to put a new trigger lever in the side plate. I've even heard of people bending the lever slightly to contact the plunger better. I've wondered about that though, if it's hardened that might not be a good idea. Anyway, good luck getting it fixed.

So right now you have a single shot zip gun! :D
 
I had one like that (a Luger built from various Luger parts, which refused to fire after assembly). Since the barrel and toggle assemblies worked just fine away from the frame (i.e., pressing the sear fired the firing pin) my solution was to just add a dollop of weld metal onto the part of the trigger lever that is supposed to press the sear in, then stone it flat. Thus modified the trigger lever (and the gun) worked just fine.
 
Double check the position of the pin/spring in the side plate. I had a shooter that was finaky as to that pins position and would exhibit the same symptoms that you are experiencing. Once I made an adjustment to that spring holding the lever, it worked fine.
 
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