doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com very tight J.P. Sauer

I agree with doublegunhq. If it is new and has never been fired, you might just want to try to get some solvent into the moving parts. At least I would do that before I tore it all apart or had anyone else do it. It might just have the thick factory grease still on it. I wouldn't force it either, but you might just try cleaning it from the outside. My new O/U Beretta barrels had so much grease on them that Kerosene almost wouldn't get it off. I have a JP Sauer that was made in 1970 and it is still stiff also. I don't think it has been shot much either- if any at all. When I bought my Berettas new, it took about 4-5 flats of shells before they loosened up. So that along with some old thickened grease, might be your problem. But I would start with the easiest solution first before I tore it apart. So, let us know what happens. Good luck.

Some Ballistol multi-purpose lube ought to pry those tight "metal buttocks" loose!

No lube put in there 60 years ago is still doing it's job. If you plan on shooting the gun and have any desire to keep it in the excellent condition it's in now, bite the bullet and have it cleaned and relubed with fresh lubricant. Before you do some serious damage.

Bingo! Correct answer. I bought one in nearly the same condition about a year ago and the ejectors/firing pins??? were hanging up. All it required was a thorough cleaning by a competent gunsmith and now it works/functions perfectly. While you're at it, ask him to remove the old lacquer from the receiver, and re-do it with Tony's lacquer, as it will bring up the colors in the case coloring.
PS: I tried to post a photo, without success, sorry.

Very tight, or just not finished-up?
The couple of Merkels I had in my early days, had to be layed over my knee to be opened.

I knew the Merkel sisters, and all that was required was some sweet talk.

This gun falls into the "laying across the knee" category. I should also mention that it is very difficult to reassemble: getting the barrels back on the frame is really a trick. It requires a fair amount of tricky pressure to keep the hook down over the hinge pin to compress the slide in the raceway that holds the barrels on (and activates the crossbolt). The lump with the hook wants to ride up and out of the frame. It is tricky enough that I'm never sure I'll be able to get it back together if I take the barrels off.

With the barrels off, the top lever is still very stiff. The thumb safety is also stiff. Ejectors work fine when dry fired with snap caps: some extra effort is required to open the gun to depress the ejector springs but not enough more to make me think that the ejector mechanism is a substantial part of the problem.

Ah, but there's something to be said about laying one of the Merkels across one's knee!

I owned early 90s 2nd-hand NIB Model 122 for one day. Thought was going to blow a juicy one putting that thing back together!

I'm going to send it to David Yale. I'll report on what he finds and does.

Thanks for all the help guys