1918 Luger

[95Rifles]

As you may know it is virtually impossible for anybody in the UK to own a Luger or any other automatic pistol. However there are some owners that can use them under very strict conditions at Heritage Ranges such as Bisley. Some time ago I was watching a guy shoot a Luger that kept stopping. Later he complained that although the gun was cycling it failed to ****. Any ideas why. I will be seeing the guy soon as he is due to give a talk to our gun club on the development of the Luger.

Thanks from a new member

[Lugerdoc]

95R, Most likely it is cocking, or it probably would go full auto, but the disconnector (plunger in the trigger bar) is not going under the trigger lever in the side plate to allow the next shot. TH

[95Rifles]

Lugerdoc thanks for the reply, I have looked at the dissassembly diagrams, what sort of wear or tell tales do I need to look for ?

Thanks 95R

[John Sabato]

Look for a dirty plunger (disconnector) on the end of the sear bar. Perhaps it is dirty and not well lubricated. You should be able to compress it with your fingers and it should pop back out without any hesitation... this part should insert itself under the L-shaped lever in the sideplate when the trigger is released, thus making the gun ready to fire the next time.

For those of us who don't know, how about describing how some owners in the UK can manage to own functional firearms and use them? while the majority of the population is gunless?

thanks,

[95Rifles]

Thanks for the post. In the UK all handguns were banned in the 1997 Firearms Ammendment ACT, however this did not apply to Blackpowder muzzel loaders, so most handgunners moved to them I have a Ruger Old Army. New styles of handgun were produced with 12 barrels and wrist braces that took the overall length of the gun to 24 inches - these were redesignated Revolving Cylinder Carbines or less popular with the authorities Long Barrel Revolvers I have a 7 shot Taurus. Automatic Handguns such as the Luger or 1911 were banned outright except where it formed part of a bona fide collection of historic interest ie 1st World War back. Functioning firearms that fitted into this catagory could be held at a heritage centre under very strick security and fired as part of academic study ! or as in my case shipped to a club in Northern Ireland where these rules do not apply. Many shooters take cheap trips to Northern Ireland for a weekend with their favorite firearms !
I know none of this makes sense but thats the result of knee jerk politics. The latest nonsense is the banning without compensation of the air cartidge style air guns because they may be convertable to fireing live rounds. It is said that $400 will buy you a working firearm in any big city in the UK, so why risk your life firing a dubious convertion ?

If you want to know more please ask

95R

[Vlim]

95R,

Do they work with sports shooting licenses in the UK?

Over here in the Netherlands, anything that even resembles a handgun (including a non-firing repro) is outlawed. Exception are antique guns like blackpowder muzzle-loaders and some cartrigde-fed guns where cartridges can no longer be supplied.

When one joins a sports shooting club, shoots with club guns for the first year, getting at least 12 registered (yup) shooting turns and when criminal record and behaviour pattern are considered to be 'normal', one can purchase a personal weapon. Weapon must be locked up at all times, ammo separately stored from the weapon. Weapon may not be transported or carried, unless to a gun dealer or the range. After one year of single-gun ownership without problems one can own an amount limited to 5 guns.

There are basically only a few ways to own a firearm legally here:

-Sports shooting
-WW2 resistance veterans and offspring
-Hunters
-Weapons experts (very limited and nearly impossible to obtain these days, intended more for museums)
-Gunsmiths

In fact, obtaining an illegal firearm is easier than obtaining a legal one and this is the major drawback with these laws. It's made difficult for honest owners, while illegal ownership is easy. Personally, I'd prefer it the other way round

[Lugerdoc]

GVV, As we say here in the USA, "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns". If I lived in Euroland, I'd have to change my name to Jesse James. TH

[Vlim]

I don't think things will ever improve here. The 'guns are bad' way of thinking has become so embedded in common thinking here, that it is unlikely that laws will become less strict. We in the euro-zone just have to make due with what we have.

Most of these strict laws were only inforced to get the surplus arms out of people's hands after the war and were never slackened afterwards. I do think that some form of 'collector's license' should be reinstated. Usually the safest place for a gun to be is in the hands of a collector.

[Henry Bucki]

WHEN THE WORLD IS IN TROUBLE, WHO DO YOU CALL? THE BOYS WITH ALL THE GUNS. THE USA, THANK GOD

[95Rifles]

Hi GVV,Lugedoc and HB,

In the UK there are no exceptions to the rukles I outlined its habdguns are either Held a a bona fide Firearms Dealer, who can only sell to a person holding a special academic Firearms License. We too have demonised the shooter to the extent that the BBC at the Commonwealth Games failed to show one of the most exciting ends to a competion when it hung on the last shooter Mike Gault of the UK getting a V Bull (score 10.1) he won by 0.1 and you could have heard an ant fart while he was taking the shot. Most of the other Gold Medalists were invited to 10 Downing Street (Prime Ministers Home) for tea, not Mike !.

We have to live with this junk and yes at the last Firearms amnesty not a single Drug Dealer, Pimp, Robber or Nut Case was reported to have handed in a weapon. The biggest news was a Deactivated AK47, which can be legally owned anyway.
However you shoot enjoy for tommorow may not be as good as today.

95R