[Bond007]

Well, like many people, I'm trying to get my PPK/s to a point of trusted reliability. I've had it for a few years and shot it infrequently, but recently it's really starting to grow on me.

The only problem that I experience is the occasional (~5-7%) failure to feed in which the FMJ round will rise higher than the feedramp, misalign with the chamber and get stuck against the top of the ejection port when the slide returns forward.

My first thought was magazines, but I haven't yet put enough rounds through to figure it out and haven't seen a pattern yet.

My main two questions are: 1) I've heard a lot about polishing the feedramp and wanted opinions on the effectiveness and experiences with it. I'm interested, but hesitant to permanently alter the pistol.

2) Has any one experienced similar issues and found other solutions?

Thanks for all the help in advance.

M

 

[MGMike]

You didn't sy what kind of FMJ you are using, but the first thing to try is another brand of ammo. For testing purposes, Federal generic (American Eagle) is very reliable and trouble-free.

If the cartridge to be fed seems to be presented too high relative to the chamber, the stoppages probably are not due to the feed ramp. I would focus first on the magazine itself, and try a different mag.

Bottom line: Try the simple and obvious remedies first. And do them one at a time, so that you will learn which one is the cure.

M

 

[mm6mm6]

I'm with MGMike. Polishing the feed ramp helps with feeding target ammo that uses bullets with "edges." Anything is possible, but with copper jacketed round nose .380 ammo, that's probably not your problem. I agree with trying different ammo.

A guy I worked with bought a PPK/S and the salesman sold him some ammo with long bullets with a truncated cone design. The guy complained that the PPK/S "sucked" because it jammed all the time. He was so mad, he sold it to another co-worker (a knowledgable gun owner who didn't tip his hat). He offered to take it off his hands for a $150 loss.

The new owner fed it Winchester Silvertips and FMC ammo without a hitch and still carries it today.

 

[Bond007]

Thanks. I've been using WWB and noticed the nose is fairly flat. I'll try Federal or maybe thing a little more rounded and a new mag and report back....
M

 

[OM44]

Jamm-a-matic

I noticed your description of the jams you have been getting with your
Smith & Wesson made PPK/S-1.

This is exactly the problem I have been having with my PPK/S-1.

I found Winchester white box ammo with the flat nosed bullets to work OK.
Also Speer factory loads with the Hollow points works OK. All round nose
bullets do not work.

My reloads, with any bullet what so ever, do not. I get exactly the jam you
describe about half the time. The other half of the time, I get a jam with the
slide about 1/4 inch out of battery.

I have the two original magazines and two mec-gar magazines, and it does it
with all four of them.

My once favorite gunsmith suggested I try hotter reloads and/or a weaker
recoil spring. So now I have 3 recoil springs. The factory original, a 24lb
extra-strength Wolff spring, and the reduced power spring he made for me.
The reduced power spring seemed to be working for about 50 rounds, then
another problem developed.

It started not hitting the primers hard enough. I had to hit some of them 3
or four times to get them to fire. These were Federal primers that worked
very well previously. Therefore it seems the factory hammer spring has
weakened to the point it needs to be replaced. The gun is just over 1 year
old and has approximately 1400 rounds through it.

This gun seems to have a mind of its own and is finding new ways to
malfunction every time I find a cure for previous problems.

So, I suggest if you don't reload and are having these problems that you
try a reduced power recoil spring. Also, have an extra hammer spring on hand.

This was supposed to be my summer carry weapon, but I have no faith in it
now. I am going to put it on the market after Thanksgiving. I don't have time
to do it now.

Good luck in finding a cure for your problems!

 

[ispeed]

I found Winchester white box ammo with the flat nosed bullets to work OK.
Also Speer factory loads with the Hollow points works OK. All round nose
bullets do not work.

I have been reading your posts over the past couple of weeks and I can't believe all the trouble you are having. Have you called S&W and asked to return the gun? I would. They seem to have pretty good customer service.

I know several people like myself with S&W PPK/S's and no one has had that kind of trouble. I have shot WWB, CCI Blazer Brass (round nose FMJ), Corbon HP's, Golden Saber's HP's, and haven't experienced any problems at all. The only problem I had with gun, was with the ejector spring flying off during cleaning, but that is another story.

I hope you find a resolution before selling, but I don't blame you for wanting to get rid of the gun. Good Luck either way.

 

[Heavy Handed]

Well, like many people, I'm trying to get my PPK/s to a point of trusted reliability. I've had it for a few years and shot it infrequently, but recently it's really starting to grow on me.

The only problem that I experience is the occasional (~5-7%) failure to feed in which the FMJ round will rise higher than the feedramp, misalign with the chamber and get stuck against the top of the ejection port when the slide returns forward.

My first thought was magazines, but I haven't yet put enough rounds through to figure it out and haven't seen a pattern yet.

My main two questions are: 1) I've heard a lot about polishing the feedramp and wanted opinions on the effectiveness and experiences with it. I'm interested, but hesitant to permanently alter the pistol.

2) Has any one experienced similar issues and found other solutions?

Thanks for all the help in advance.

M

Seems these pistols have a range of personalities, so I'm speaking for my own experience with my S&W PPK. Started out with the trigger failing to reset consistently, and light primer hits. I also had several FTFs like you described, and more common were the rounds not chambering all the way.

The failures to chamber occured when the case rim wound up perfectly alongside the extractor claw, and pushed the cartridge out of alignment sideways to the chamber. A slight tug back on the slide would give it space to point straight into the chamber, and the bolt would go forward as usual.

These problems overwhelmingly happened with round-nose jacketed ammo.

I buffed the ramp and the entire chamber mouth with stainless polish, paying special attention to the ramp/barrel seam. Also replaced ALL springs with aftermarket (non S&W) replacements. She has been 100% since, and will feed even when easing the slide forward. I'd get a gunsmith to do the polishing if you have any doubts about how to go about it, or how far to go. It shouldn't cost much at all. I should point out that my feed problems were very sporadic, and had put hundreds of rounds thru without any malfunctions, followed by four jams in row, followed by 60 rds no problem etc. I didn't do all the polish work in one sitting. Buff a little, off to the range, buff a little...It IS possible to screw things up, but the .380 doesn't generate a ton of chamber pressure compared to 9mm,40,45, so having an unsupported case blow out, down an overly worked feed ramp, isn't a huge danger.

Winchester white box seems to feed best for target, and haven't had any jams with three brands of hollowpoint.

Good luck!

 

[Bond007]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I think I'm going to start with the new magazine with the WWB and then try some other ammo.

I feel bad for all the problems I hear about, but I know others swear by their PPK and I really want mine to get to that point. More than any of my other pistols, this is the one that I just want to love.

 

[MGMike]

Given the mediocre interior and exterior fit and finish of the S&W guns I have examined, it's a fair guess that S&W's service department has already gained a LOT of experience troubleshooting problems with guns coming back from the field.

Do yourself a favor and send the gun back to them with a precise description of the malfunction. They've probably seen your particular problem before, and know exactly how to fix it.

It would not surprise me if it had nothing to do with the feed ramp or with the springs.

M

 

[Milspec]

Given the mediocre interior and exterior fit and finish of the S&W guns I have examined, it's a fair guess that S&W's service department has already gained a LOT of experience troubleshooting problems with guns coming back from the field.

Do yourself a favor and send the gun back to them with a precise description of the malfunction. They've probably seen your particular problem before, and know exactly how to fix it.

It would not surprise me if it had nothing to do with the feed ramp or with the springs.

M

I agree. I bought a used S&W PPK/s-1 that I'm returning to the factory. I bought it in "like new" condition but after less than 50 rounds the trigger bar began slipping on the cocking piece - so no more double action. Even worse, the trigger guard and slide are both deforming at their contact points...and the barrel hood is doing the same thing where it contacts the slide. The factory sent me a free UPS return shipment label but I have no idea how they can possibly repair the gun. The stainless steel is so soft that every part I mentioned will need to be replaced. It'll be interesting to see how they handle it.

Milspec

 

[Heavy Handed]

I agree. I bought a used S&W PPK/s-1 that I'm returning to the factory. I bought it in "like new" condition but after less than 50 rounds the trigger bar began slipping on the cocking piece - so no more double action. Even worse, the trigger guard and slide are both deforming at their contact points...and the barrel hood is doing the same thing where it contacts the slide. The factory sent me a free UPS return shipment label but I have no idea how they can possibly repair the gun. The stainless steel is so soft that every part I mentioned will need to be replaced. It'll be interesting to see how they handle it.

Milspec

That's some troubling news, I hope they make it right for you. Please keep us posted.

It makes me wonder if these things are even being built in the US. Does anyone know where to find serial# / date of manufacture info on the S&W Walthers?

 

[153]

Sounds like they make these new Walthers out of Green Cheese!!!

Please let us know the outcome of the deforming Walther!

I read that you can call S&W and they will give you the DOB on the more recently made firearms, so give them a call!!!

 

[Hickok]

I can feel your pain. My Interarms PPK/s would fail to close the slide totally with the round stopping just before going into battery. The feed ramp was the problem. Mainly to much metal at the top of the ramp, causing too steep of an angle for the round as it entered the chamber. The tip of the bullet was stopping the feeding because it was hitting at the top of the chamber in the barrel. Metal was removed from the feed ramp, to just the edge of the bottom of the barrel/chamber and then mirror polished. 100 % reliability!

This was the most frustrating auto pistol I have ever owned until I got it "running" right.

I would recommend a good pistol who is familiar with Walthers.

 

[SELFDEFENSE]

While I have not had problems with my S&W .380 PPK, I just received Wolff 20- and 24-lb. recoil springs I intend to try this weekend.

 

[Milspec]

Fixed!

I agree. I bought a used S&W PPK/s-1 that I'm returning to the factory. I bought it in "like new" condition but after less than 50 rounds the trigger bar began slipping on the cocking piece - so no more double action. Even worse, the trigger guard and slide are both deforming at their contact points...and the barrel hood is doing the same thing where it contacts the slide. The factory sent me a free UPS return shipment label but I have no idea how they can possibly repair the gun. The stainless steel is so soft that every part I mentioned will need to be replaced. It'll be interesting to see how they handle it.

Milspec

Well, I got the pistol back from S&W today. They replaced the trigger bar which solved the trigger recovery problem. They also beveled the edges of the trigger guard, slide and barrel hood at the contact points to solve the peening issue. Plus, the formally razor sharp edges on the frame and trigger guard are now nicely rounded. Not bad for a free fix on a used pistol two years out of warranty. I'd strongly recommend that anyone having problems with a S&W made Walther contact the factory for repairs. They covered shipping costs both ways and returned it in 100% servicable condition at no charge. Now I just need to see how it shoots...

Milspec