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Walther LP 53,report/description on trying out different mods

Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:22 pm
by Centurio Germania
Hello stranger!
As I said in my introduction to this forum, I bought a LP 53 which I intent to modify (just for fun and trying out stuff).

In this post i'd like to give a short update on this edeavour, and also document it for myself. But please be aware that my modifications decreased the value of this fine pistol, even going so far to purposely damaging parts of it. So reader discretion is adviced.

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To start any internal inspection/ cleaning/ changes, the bottom cap on the handle had to be removed. I fixated the pistol bottom-up wrapped in an old leather glove in a vice to do so. But even afer using Ballistol, WD 40 and rust remover (after each usage letting it sit for 24 h, so 3 days in a row) the cap would not move. I got pieces of leather stuck in the theeth of the cap and already bent some of them... so at this point I made the decision to file off 2 opposing sides of the cap, to get a better grip on it. It SUCKED to do, but it worked out well.

then:
-took all apart but the trigger module (I heard it is nearly impossible to get it together again correctly)
-put the barrel, the trigger guard/leaver, and the handle cap in a glass bowl filled with vinegar essence. rubbing the blueing off with a steel brush after 15 min had passed
-washed it off with destilled water + baking soda to neutralise the accid
-sanded with sandpaper 910, 1000, then fine steel wool, then polishing with a dremel.
-put new blueing on using ballistol cold blueing (I think its on a nitric acid base)
-polished off the blueing using fine steel wool after a day, then again putting on blueing, and then polished it off a second time with steel wool after a day (I didn't achieved the hoped for result, but I still like the more rugged look of it now, but I use Ballistol after every session on the barrel to protect the metal)

- cleaned out all the inner parts, exchanging some of them:
spring:
standart spring of a HW 30 (waffencenter-gotha.de), cut down to 18 coils with a dremel, heated the last 2 coil with a propane table torch while having the rest of the spring wrapped in a wet cloth, pressed the last two coils together with flat nose pliers then quenched in motor oil. Cut evenly flat with a dremel (roughly) then filed off burs with a dremel grinding stone and used sandedpaper on a level surface to make the new end of the spring nice and flat, then polished with a dremel. Also pulling a strip of cloth through the barrel to dry it and remove steel wool fibres.

the Spring came with a hollow metal rod with a base (a spring guide). the spring sits tightly on that rod, the inner diameter of the rod was to wide for the spring guide fixed on the handle cap. So I wrapped a bit of kitchen cord arround the standard spring guide and put the longer metal rod over it, it fits perfectly now without wobble and metallic sounds.

Piston seel:
bought the t.r.robb ptfe seal with the metal piece to install it (ptfe piston head assembly set)

Barrel breach seal:
bought a new standard black o-ring

lubrication:
used ballistol clear weapon vaseline on all touching parts (which are not in the pressure chamber) like spacers, fulcrums etc. before reassmbly.
used silicon oil spray on the ptfe piston seal, then wiped it with a paper towel.
used liqui moly LM 47 long time MoS2 fat on the upper and lower outside of the piston and on the edges of the cut out of the piston (where the cocking lever rides)
used the ballistol vaseline on the spring itself, wiping it of with a paper towel.
... dieseling after first shot (maybe touched upper part of the seal by accident while assembly, aplying lubrication in the compression-zone), so I had to undo all of it again, decreasing and lubricated again with more care and less lube. -> no more dieseling (yeahy!)

effect on action and output:
smoother action with less felt recoil, no metallic sounds while shooting. I don't have a crony.. But this thing is pancaking .177 pellets from 8 m distance on the back metal plate of my bullet catch.
Shot "RWS Diabolo Basic" 0,45 g / 7.0 gr flat head and also "Umarex Match" 0,48 g / 7.40 gr. Found the RWS to have a slightly better accuracy from 8-10 m distance. But no realy an issue in a non rested standing position.

barrel modification:
let a guy I found on egun.de to machine me an aluminium adapter (glass sanded and clear anodised) with 1/2" unf outside thread which mounts on the barrel (I gave him my exact measurment of the barrel and muzzle area, he then added some minor tolerances), clamping down with 4 small screws. But the guy did such a fantastic job it fits just perfect without wobble I did no even had to use the screws ! assembled with some vaseline to not scratch up the barrel too much. The front sight can be installed an used while using the adapter!
..Put a small moderator on it (which I intend to modify the insides of soon, using steel wool wrapped arround a plastic hair coiler)
Fun fact: the muzzle thread adapter fits perfectly on my nickel finish Gletchter NGT R co2 Revolver, just the cut out for the front sight is too wide, which is not a problem. For both guns the adapter + moderator is perfectly alligned with the bore.
noise reduction with the LP 53 is minor since the spring sound is not reduced
noise reduction with the NGT R is major. It's not such a sharp bellow anymore..but still not realy quiet. More neighbor friendly for sure.

future modification will include:
customised diy wood handle clips. got the wood already from a friend (carpenter). He offered me walnut, layered beech (BauBuche) and some african wood of sorts for free.. I decided to use the layered beech, hopeing to achieve some nice damascus steel patterns.

If I figure out how to upload pictures I will do so soon if there is any interest in theese mods.

(I want to apologise in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes, I am not a native speaker and I read through this post 3 times now for correction lol)

have a great evening guys!