Striker broken

[billjohnso20]

I haven't posted anything in quite a long time. Since I bought my PPS and became a member here, I've gone through a divorce, etc.

Anyhow, I went to the range a couple weeks ago. This Winter has been fairly mild in the Midwest so I took advantage of it. Things went along okay until right before I was ready to pack up.

On the next to the last magazine after the first shot, the slide failed to go fully into battery. As I reached up to push the slide forward to see if it would go into battery, the slide moved fully into battery on its own. I put another 14 rounds through it with no other issues.

When I got home and tore it apart for cleaning, I discovered a portion of my striker was chipped or broken off which ever term you prefer. It is the area of the striker held to the rear by the sear and only on one side at that. The below photos aren't great but are the best I could get.

My question is one of practicality. The striker assembly is part 11 whereas the striker itself is part 11.5. Should I purchase the entire assembly?

[bigfatdave]

Try pictures again with closeup and a less cluttered background?

I would just get the assembly ... if you really need anything at all.

[bigfatdave]

Here's some pictures from TANFOGLIO's "How to disassemble a PPS (light)" thread, archived in the FAQ section, they confirm what my memory was telling me, that the PPS's striker draw-back lug ... I don't know what the hell that little part of that little part is really called ... the place where the striker and frame's fire-control components interface ... ...
...

whatever it is called, it isn't symetrical, and it isn't a featureless block ... are you sure you aren't looking at a properly formed piece of your gun? A single failure to return to battery isn't exactly an indication of a broken {whatever that part is called} ... and isn't all that difficult to imagine in a dirty gun at the end of a range session, particularly if your PPS isn't as broken in as my PPS is.

If those pictures don't help, I might be able to find time to tear down and take some shots of my working PPS, it is currently doing duty in a holster with a full mag and one in the pipe, I'm willing, but you'd have to need and want the info for me to to rip it apart AND remember to take pictures.

[billjohnso20]

Thanks for the information.

I'm very familiar with my PPS which I've owned since Autumn 2009 and have more than 2500 rounds through it. Also, the gun wasn't dirty when it failed to go completely into battery. I had only run three or four mags through it at the time it occurred. The missing chip may not have had anything to do with the striker just as much as it is possible the chip did cause it to hangup.

You are right when you say that the cocking lug isn't symmetrical. The face of the cocking lug on my striker has a chip missing. I'm not referring to the groove on top of the cocking lug but the portion of the lug the sear engages. As is the case when hardened steel chips a piece off, the crystalline structure of the steel is visible and slightly shiny. This area is not smooth; it is rough in the same manner as any hardened steel when it breaks.

I always check my guns when I break them down for cleaning. It is possible the chip was there the last time I cleaned it but I don't think it is probable. I check each part of my guns as I'm cleaning them. I could have missed it though. This area of the cocking lug was smooth all the way across before this occurred.

All that being said, the gun has not failed to fire even once. It is possible that I could simply reassemble it and never have an issue. But, I'm concerned that there is a metallurgical problem that has caused microscopic cracks to form in the hardened striker. Besides the possibility of another chip causing damage to the interior of the gun, my real fear is that the gun could fail in a self-defense scenario. Usually when hardened steel chips, the likelihood is that it will continue to chip pieces off if it continues to be used.

In no way have I lost confidence in the gun; all machines break down from time to time and need a part replaced. I plan to call Smith and Wesson first thing tomorrow morning to order a new striker assembly.

[bigfatdave]

If you are sure you have damage (sounds like you are, and correctly, I was just unable to see in your pictures) ... get a good picture in digital format and call S&W, you can offer to send in the picture if needed.

Call with part numbers (and a diagram number) and a good description of the problem, explain that you're confident that you can exchange the part, they will likely send you a striker asssembly free if you ask nicely, chances are they won't want the picture and won't want the dead part, and if it works, you have a backup spare for the future, at least.

For the pictures, look for a macro setting on your camera, the common icon is a flower or bug. Set the part on a contrasting non-shiny background and take shots from a few angles.

[billjohnso20]

Okay, Dave. I'll try that. It never hurts to ask or try to get a replacement part at no charge. The worst they can do is say no.

[billjohnso20]

I spoke with S&W first thing this morning. They're sending me the parts free of charge. I simply stated that either the metallurgy was off or the hardening process was flawed somehow. I asked and received.

[bigfatdave]

good to hear.

I think S&W is happy to send out parts for Walther stuff, the wait times on send-in are pretty long, they can't have too many people in the Walther repair shop ... you and they are better off when you do your own repair.

[billjohnso20]

I agree, Dave. I prefer to work on all of my guns myself if at all possible.