45collector
NES Member
As promised, here is the thread of my 1917 DWM Luger semi-restoration. The gun came into my hands years back for dirt cheap. All the accessories it came with are WWII era. Both magazines, the holster (no markings on it) and the takedown tool.
When I first removed the gun from it's holster (where it had likely been sitting, in some dank basement, for many decades) The action would not budge, and the magazine would not come out. Everything was seized tight with rust and verdigris. I removed the grips (numbered to the serial # and "RLA" carved into the inside of one of them) and soaked the gun in Kroil for a day. The magazine eventually worked free and the toggle started to move. Once I got everything apart, the guts proved to be a challenge too. The firing pin/spring/retainer were seized in the breech. Another soak in Kroil and some persuading with a screwdriver worked it free. Everything else was able to be disassembled but it was all covered in rust, old grease, and grime. I spent a few days soaking parts and cleaning and then took it to the range. I fired 4 magazines through it, 32 rounds, without any issues. 100% reliable and surprisingly accurate. I had at least 20 more photos I had taken of the process of cleaning up the gun initially, but I can only find these:
When I first removed the gun from it's holster (where it had likely been sitting, in some dank basement, for many decades) The action would not budge, and the magazine would not come out. Everything was seized tight with rust and verdigris. I removed the grips (numbered to the serial # and "RLA" carved into the inside of one of them) and soaked the gun in Kroil for a day. The magazine eventually worked free and the toggle started to move. Once I got everything apart, the guts proved to be a challenge too. The firing pin/spring/retainer were seized in the breech. Another soak in Kroil and some persuading with a screwdriver worked it free. Everything else was able to be disassembled but it was all covered in rust, old grease, and grime. I spent a few days soaking parts and cleaning and then took it to the range. I fired 4 magazines through it, 32 rounds, without any issues. 100% reliable and surprisingly accurate. I had at least 20 more photos I had taken of the process of cleaning up the gun initially, but I can only find these: