Stainless Steel American Eagle

[padredan]

Ty, it has become my shooter. Less risk of breaking a rare part.

[el_loco]

sorry padre, i dont see a "less risk".

when something brokes here, you have to get replacement parts, what are produced by just one company and, when i remember right, in another thread was told, that getting parts from there isnt easy.
export-restrictions for replacement parts would be also a problem (for me, not for you),
so all together, i decided, not to use them too often.

i would recommend to use one of these old, so called "shooters", where you can be sure, that original or new made parts will fit and will be available at every corner.

best regards
klaus

[padredan]

Klaus, i see your point, but to me a 1993 ss american eagle should be a bit more stronger than the older p08's ,not that it's true . I still shoot the winchester white box to be sure of not over stressing the gun.

[padredan]

To me the ss american eagle is one of the nicest looking modern lugers ever produced

[padredan]

a few pics

[el_loco]

padre, i am the same opinion.

[glock30]

A regular mag will work with a stainless, get a Mec-Gar or Pre WW1 magazine.

[zombeer]

Didn't even know these existed. Pretty neat! Thanks for sharing!

[bambi]

I bought my 4" Stoeger 9/15/95 according to my warranty card. I don't remember what I paid for it. I had a bright green Luger squirt gun when I was a kid, and always wanted a "real one", lol. I remember that when I got it, it wouldn't strip the round off the magazine, sent it back, had the same problem. So I cleaned it and put it back in the storage case. I bet it doesn't even have 20 rounds thru it. I have no idea what ammo I used. Time to go back out and shoot it! I'm glad I found this site. The tips on where to get extra magazines are great! Thanks everybody!

[HisSoldier]

I've always wanted one of those, possibly the nicest looking handgun ever made, a total shame about all the bad press which I assume is well deserved.
Does anyone know what alloy they are using? I make gun parts of 416 stainless, which is a hardenable alloy. The alloy is one of the nicest machining steels I've ever worked with, much nicer than 303 stainless and much better suited to gun parts. If the guns are made of 416 it may be possible to have certain parts hardened, it's been mentioned that the area that cams the toggle up gets peened pretty badly.

That sounds like the barrel extension is too soft. The question then becomes would hardening after machining cause warpage that couldn't be straightened. If it worked it would be worthwhile, but it's hard to believe they would use annealed 416 when the prehardened alloy is so easy to machine. Prehardened comes in at about 28-32 RC, maybe too soft still?

[John Sabato]

The initial production of the Stainless Steel Lugers were compatible with standard Luger magazines. I do not know why, but during the course of multiple company names and production, they changed the magazine design, and the body of the magazine is somewhat larger than the original type. These later examples are NOT compatible with original Luger magazines. An orginal style mag will be too small to fit properly and conversely, the new style magazine will not insert into the grip of an original Luger.

The new model magazines have smooth sides and no fold crimp such as the example above. If you want extra magazines for these later model Stainless Lugers, you better buy them when you see them... cause I don't think anyone will be making any more of them.

Ed, if you still want to own one of these Stainless guns, I recommend you only consider the type that use original Luger mags...

This is the new type mag:

[K.Wilhelm]

John,

I've read that Stoeger was planning to come out with a .40S&W version of the SS Luger (never materialized), and that is why the mags are different. Don't know whether that story is true or not. Bill

[S.B.]

Hope you've solved your own problem, good luck with this. Wish I'd of bought one when they first came out?
Steve

[Lugerdoc]

I have one new Stoeger smooth sided stainless mag left in stock @$75 and plenty of the earlier stainless, PO8 interchangeable mags @$35 each. TH

[S.B.]

Wheww, I'm more confused now than before about stainless(American built) Lugers? Seems as if most repiers talked more about other things than actually about stainless Lugers?

Steve

[CAP Black]

Tom:
What is a stainless, smooth sided Stoeger Mag? Can you tell me more of what it mates up with?

[John Sabato]

FACT: late manufactured models of the stainless steel lugers (regardless of the name brand on the receiver or toggle, were all made in the same production facility) were made to be used with a new magazine design with flat sides and no side seams. IIRC, they are not interchangeable with the earlier magazines which could be used in both stainless and original Lugers. The tube looks smooth on both sides much like the magazines for Colt 1911 type pistols.

FICTION?? ...I have heard two rumors over the years on why they changed the design... the first and most likely was for simplicity of manufacture... (Original design Luger mags ain't easy to make!)
...and the second story is that the manufacturer had planned to produce a .40 Cal S&W version of the pistol which would have required a different magazine design.

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

...the manufacturer had planned to produce a .40 Cal S&W version of the pistol which would have required a different magazine design.

First time I've heard this, John! Rather ambitious aspirations, I must say--particularly since there were so many problems in fit and function with the original calibers for these.

Something I've noticed about this series is that the extractors went through 3 different designs. The pistol I have has an extractor that is like the P.08, but without the "ears" on the sides. I think there's an album by someone on the site which shows these variations in extractor design, discernible in the range of stainless guns documented and posted...

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

First time I've heard this, John! Rather ambitious aspirations, I must say--particularly since there were so many problems in fit and function with the original calibers for these.

...

True David... but recreation of the P.08 in stainless steel could also have been termed a rather ambitious aspiration, eh? ...

[Johnny C. Kitchens]

The Mitchell versions are interchangeable with the originals. It is the Stoeger and following models that are different. Stoeger had a number of parts changed so that interchangeability would not be an option. Mitchell wanted a stainless steel copy, and the parts do swap out.