Right now I have 3 Lugers - an American Eagle 30, a “Plain Jane” short barrel 9mm, and an Artillery in 9mm.
So far the .30 has been the best shooter. With a slower rifling twist, it shoots a 93 grain cast Lyman bullet pretty much to point of aim, and minute of beer can, out to 40 yards or so. I'm using wheel weight metal, and usually LBT Blue lube. Unique powder. I don't recall the charge weight. One small trick I have discovered on this gat anyway is that loading to longer than “book” max cartridge length seems to improve accuracy. I should measure a few rounds and post up the “outlaw” OAL. My impression is that “long loading” a cartridge can't hurt anything, so long as the bullet is securely supported so it does not push back on feeding. The usual test for this is if you can push the bullet back in the case by pushing it against the edge of the loading bench, using more or less normal “regular guy” hand strength.
The 9's have been a bit harder to get to shoot without leading. Either one will go through 50 rounds roughly before leading starts to hurt accuracy. I'm mostly shooting the truncated cone Lyman bullet, I think 124 grain but need to check that. I have some old CF Ventures wax gas check material and have used that under the 9mm bullet, maybe it helps with leading a bit. Whatever happened to CF Ventures anyway? Shows how far I go back with shooting cast. I tend to blame the leading on the 10” twist of the 9's. Until the leading spoils the party, these 2 will stay on a beer can out to 40 yards as well. I'm using Unique in the 9 as well as the 30. Unique has become my “go to” powder for oddball, small pistol cartridges.
The ergonomics of the Luger are quite different from say a Gold Cup. The center of gravity is more or less right in your hand, not front heavy like most shooters are used to. The Barleycorn sights are not as user friendly as Patridge sights, but if you concentrate on the front sight, they can give as I said minute of beer can to 40 or even 50 yards. The trigger action is also unique to Lugers and frankly takes some getting used to. Like I say this thing ain't a Gold Cup. But with a positive attitude, and some willingness to work with it, the Luger can be a very satisfying plinker. As a devout Cooperite, since neither the 30 nor the 9 can really “make major” I don't suggest their use against 2-legged varmints, unless you are caught with only your Luger available!
Who else shoots an original Luger?
