Refurbishing an old MGC (RMI) P08 Luger

REFURBISHING A RMI (MGC) P-08 LUGER


THE LUGER AS IT ARRIVED - MAGAZINE & TRIGGER PARTS MISSING

This P08 was a “steal” on a local internet, auction. I knew that some parts were obviously missing, and bought as a winter project.
I contacted Richard Jones on this forum and he has most of what I need. And while waiting for the parts to arrive I got hold of a second RMI P08 with most parts intact.
I knew the rectangular side plate from Richard was sending me did not include the “L” shaped trigger bar; and the L-bar on the borrowed Luger was likewise missing.
Using the cover-plate and photos from a REAL P08 as a guide I decided to fabricate one.
First, being naturally lazy, I made an L-bar from a piece of 2.5mm aluminium (aluminum to Americans) angle. Easier to work with, and quick to shape.


CUTTING AND FITTING



SHAPING AND TRIMMING TO FIT

Of course it was too soft and gave way near the hinge hole after several plays. But I got the basic dimensions right and it worked OK for a while. However the aluminium bar made a good template for the steel version (cut from a 4mm steel bracked in my junk box). The photos tell the story.
STEP1


STEP 2


STEP3


STEP 4


STEP 5


STEP 6


STEP 7


STEP 8


BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
But then I discovered more bits were missing, by comparing my WE P08 GBB BB pistol. The L-bar striker normally strikes a steel spring-loaded plunger on the actuator bar of the P08. These parts were missing on both my and my friend’s Luger.




I cut one each out of some galvanised steel clouts from my tool box. I have yet to make some springs, but by cutting the clouts longer than required, they sit adequately in to recessed hole and seem to work OK for now; I'll make some springs when I find some spring wire.....must be some here somewhere!

AND YET -----MORE! THE FIRING PIN/BAR
Next, the actual firing pin/bar (dummy version) in both our P08’s had warped over time.


I wonder if ANYONE has some ideas about how to straighten them. Made of zinc, it may be a difficult process – but I am open to ideas. Richard has some straight ones (not yet here in NZ), but it might be good to have a spare anyway.



THE MISSING MAGAZINE PROBLEM SOLVES EASILY!
Finally, the P08 had no magazine. I measured the dimensions and got hold of Francky.
After some discussion I ordered a Marushin P08 mag from him – and it didn’t take much to make it fit easily. Just a fraction of a mil filed off the Luger where the mag rib goes into it; and a fraction at the base of the pistol grip where the mag finger grips rest.



And it's perfect as the dummy rounds cycled just fine!

RMI P08's fall apart!
My friend’s P08 will, like mine, work once the firing pin/bar is fixed – but a word of caution.
The MGC RMI Luger falls apart easily if the latching bar is not secured! Maybe due to time, or wear, it comes loose and drops out with relative ease, whereupon out drops and square cover-plate and associated bits and bobs. Not very useful in a theatrical or demonstration setting - unless you want a comedy show!

At the very least it’s been a great exercise in familiarity with the P08 and at best a load of fun trying to solve the various issues.
But like I said, if we could straighten out the warped zinc - that would be a bonus.

THE FINAL PRODUCT!
(My mate's P08. Mine will be completed when the parts arrive!)

Whoa! great job mate!
I appreciate that you took time to write it all down and take notes for use :-) Annotated photos are a great idea - clear and get the message across without searching in the text.

I often see these Lugers missing the same parts. I did not understand why people would lose it so easily, but as you wrote it must be a problem of the latching part.

What tools did you use for making spare parts? I suppose you have a workshop and you are not stranger to such modifications

Superb write up and a superb job done

Thanks very much for taking time to photograph each stage, I know how long that takes Articles like this make great reading and will be of immense help to many

Great stuff

Thanks Cerwyn - I hope members do find it useful. I think there must be a lot of these models with side-plate bits missing! So I hope it will help motivate them to give refurbishing a go. The MGC P08 is a fine example of a Luger.

Smootik thanks also - it does take a while to write it up. But it's something I enjoy - after all I'm new to the forum and so many members have written great stuff here to help solve my challenges, I hope I can follow their example with my experiences!

Re tools: I just used a hack-saw, sand paper, an electric hand-held metal grinder and a decent metal file. Of course a vice and set of calipers helps!And my workshop is just a wood bench under my house!

I've always like P08-Lugers since I was a kid. I was born & brought up on the island of Jersey, which was occupied by German forces during WW2.
Heavily fortified as part of the Atlantic Wall these concrete bunkers were my childhood play-ground. Instead of Cowboys and Indians we played French Resistance and Germans!!! And sometimes we'd find an old German helmet, clean it up and sell it to some tourists for a few Pounds!
Never found a Luger, though I was always looking!
Now my childhood dreams are being fulfilled with my Modelgun Collection! Which is growing weekly as my bank balance diminishes!

I just added a photo of the magazine finger grip, and where to file to make it fit.

Wood bench definitely counts as a workshop ;-)

As a kid I only found German coins and buttons, nothing larger came up. Definitely not a Luger, so I also needed to make up for it now when I'm grown up ;-D

Excellent repair some of those Luger parts are tricky to make and fit

8ace

RMI (MGC) ARTILLERY LUGER P08

Last year I bought a Luger P08 with an 8” barrel an MGC Snail drum magazine of a forum member (jersey german). What I really wanted was an Artillery model or a Naval P08 to display with the Trommel magazine.

Last week (May 2012) an Artillery mode P08l came up for auction on Trademe (NZ) which bid on and won, knowing that it had at least one problem (non-working take-down lever).

On arrival I stripped it down and found a few more issues:

1. missing “L” bar that operates the firing mechanism;
2. missing trigger spring;
3. missing spring and transfer bar plunger;
4. the transfer bar itself had been installed back-to-front (i.e. flipped over) so that the Safety lever would not engage;
5. the firing “pin” bar and spring were also missing.




I soon fixed the take-down lever (installed a small spring ball bearing), then cut and fitted a new trigger spring; re-installed the transfer bar the correct way plus installed the spring and plunger bar.

This week I plan to make a replacement “L” bar similar to the one made previously (posted here)
https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t2417-refurbishing-an-old-mgc-rmi-p08-luger.

All that will leave is the missing firing “Pin” bar – which I hope forum member Richard Jones still has some in stock!


The pint is this: you never know what you end up with when buying a modelgun on auctions; but thanks to this forum and its members we have access to a great resource to facilitate making repairs or replacing parts in most modelguns!

And when I have the time to spare, I'll use a Dremmel to remove some of
the casting ribs on the trigger, bolt/ejector and magazine release etc.

These are lovely replicas and well worth the effort to restore!

Kiwigunner

Kiwi, it amazes me all the dedication you put into your projects to get them going again.

Thanks Ozzie - I obviously hold this modelguns in high regard! They are so close to the original P08 Parabellum Lugers, and they're not plastic - so they should last a few more years yet!
And of course, learning to fix them has its challenges - and keeps the old brain active solving issues!

I'm after a Navy model P08 now!

Kiwigunner