Lesson about matching Lugers

I just had the upper reciever (barrel extension) crack through on my matching except mag 1917 Artillery Luger.

It broke at the front of the sear cutout up to the top,

all the way though. The gun functioned perfectly, I

noticed it when I got home and cleaned it.

I now have to make up my mind to get another upper reciever

or part out the gun. This was the gun in the owner's corner

with the SARCO stock rig.

I had bought a missmatched Artillery Luger to shoot

that needed a new barrel, I have not got around to spending

the money on it.

A good lesson about shooting all matching guns


Mike Halbrook

[JuergenG]

Mike,


sad, what happened to your pistol.

What ammo did you use (bullet weight, velocity) ?

Juergen

[Aaron]

I NEVER NEVER shoot a collectible gun! There are plenty of trash examples around to play games with. Firearms have a finite life expectancy, and the older they are, the shorter their lifespan.

[Orv Reichert]

It can probably be repaired by someone like Gale Morgan or John Martz.......the question is how much will it cost to restore it?....and, is it worth it?


Orv Reichert

[Doug]

If I were to shoot one of my collectable Lugers I replace the extractor with a repro. I had a similar experience but the only thing I had happen was a chipped extractor. I would think that you could get the crack welded up and then refinish the upper. They do this all the time with machine guns.

I understand many collectors not wanting their guns to be shot, but it is very difficult for me, not to want to shoot all my guns...


So, I guess I should always buy a gun with a history and therefor have shooters!

[Johnny Peppers]

A very good lesson in whether to shoot a collectible or not. Depending upon the original condition of the pistol, the shot that cracked the receiver could very well have been a $1000 shot. A mismatched reblued Luger would have shot just as well, but the pain of having a really collectible pistol ruined is a lesson learned the hard way. Obviously everthing that will break on a Luger cannot be changed out just so that it can be shot. Had the artillery been a mismatch, the receiver could be changed out, and the only thing lost would be the money to have it repaired. Now the collectible has been reduced to a shooter.

Recently there was a prewar Colt Super Match in unfired condition in the original box for sale at $12,500. This pistol was definitely made to be fired and could be fired, but the first day at the range would probably knock $4000 off the value of the pistol. There are just too many lesser condition pistols to be fired rather than shooting something highly collectible.

Mike and others,

There exists a process called "Electron Beam Welding".

Which has been in existence for over 25 years in the Space Industry.

This process is so amazing that Almost any two objects of the same coeficient of expansion can be fused into a permanent welded joint.

I have seen back then Toolsteel welded without change in temper, No annealing, no Quenching,Just a slight micro- puddling of the material along the Welded Joint.

I use the term materiali in its broadest sense.

I have seen certain grades of quarts glass welded to Iron and then the iron welded to inconell, To form a High temprature thermal window for the space shuttle.

It was used to allow certain thermal instruments to look out during the re-entry phase of de-orbiting the Spacecraft.

Certainly after this long a time this process must be finding commercial applications and would be well worth looking into.

ViggoG