It sounds like the recoil spring is missing or, if it is the older type Luger, the flat spring may be broken. The later coil springs don't break, but they might be weakened by leaving the gun open for a long time (decades) or maybe somone took the spring out and never replaced it.
Take off either of the grip screws and look at the space behind the magazine well. You should see a coil spring or, less likely, the remains of a flat spring.
Jim
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