[Que]

With both the PPK and PPK/S hammer (and PP I assume) there is a cutout in the top of the hammer that seems to correspond to the postion of the loaded chamber indicator. What is the purpose of this cutout? The chamber indicator when extended doesn't stick out far enough to interfere with the hammer, so is this cutout for some other purpose?

Q

 

[Thiokol]

I assume that it's so you can feel the loaded chamber indicator in the dark.

 

[mm6mm6]

Que, the loaded chamber indicator does "float" stick out far enough to interfere with the hammer if the cutout wasn't there.

WITH AN UNLOADED GUN, if you pull the trigger all the way to the rear (as if firing it) and then push the hammer forward (as if it was firing), you can see how far the hammer actually goes forward when shooting. The loaded chamber indicator would hit it.

That's why Carl Walther was so smart as to cut out the hammer that way.

 

[mm6mm6]

And this (from Hoffschmidt's excellent book) explains what happened when the hammer struck the loaded chamber indicator:

 

[Que]

Thanks! That makes sense.

Q