Do Lugers get better with use

[EOC Bob]

or do they just wear out? Answer may be both, but my S/42 seems to get better everytime I take it to the range. Today 50 rounds 1 jam, 1 fail to load a cartridge. Best performance yet, and at 25 yards almost every round in the black. I figure a few more times out, I will have a flawless Luger. This is a "Russian Capture/rebuild" and a legitimate question, is it just "wearing in?"

[John Sabato]

Hi Bob,


You are correct on both counts. They do wear in while they are wearing out.


Just like any fine piece of machinery, they perform best when used often and kept properly lubricated. Just keep the lube out of the chamber...


I figure that the Russian capture Lugers got very little actual use other than being worn as a badge of office. They were probably seldom cleaned or exercised. Polish the moving parts carefully and keep it lubed and it will work as flawlessly as any pistol with the correct ammunition.


(BTW, My wife and I still haven't managed to run into your daughter while shopping, but we check to see if she is working every time we go there...)


regards,


John

John,


I doubt that any of the Russian imports saw any use in the hands of the Russians (at least after re-work). The East-German imports probably did but I have never seen a Russian import with ANY holster wear ( I don't claim to be the last word but I have examined about 75 of these pistols so I guess this is considered a sample). They are all 100% blue. As I have stated before, I think that they were reworked in the late 40's or early 50's and put into storage for a reserve stock and a Soviet version of "lend lease" at the height of the Cold War. It is a fact some of these reconditioned, X marked Lugers were brought out of Vietnam, apparently examples of Soviet "good will" toward the North Vietnam Govt.