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Range Report/PPK and Colt Commander

1K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  Deputy 
#1 ·
Just got home from a chilly day at the range. Temps were in the mid-30s.
Fired 50 rounds of Winchester Silvertip in the S&W PPK .32 auto and 50 rounds of Winchester white box in the Colt Commander .45ACP.
BOTH guns were 100% reliable with the ammo they fired. The PPK gobbled up the Winchester Silvertip without a stutter. Only weird thing I noticed was I was only able to load 6 rounds in the mag with the finger rest. The normal mag took seven. No idea why that was and I don't remember that happening last time I was at the range, and I used both mags last time. But I'm not complaining. I am as happy as a pig in slop that I have had NO malfunctions with my S&W PPK after 50 rounds of FMJ and 50 rounds of HP. The Hogue grips with no checkering were no problems either. I wore tight-fitting wool shooting gloves and there was no tendency for the gun to move around at all.
This could also be due to the caliber, which has a milder recoil compared to the hotter .380ACP.

The Colt Commander was also fun to shoot. I replaced the 18 pound recoil spring with a 20 pound version and re-installed the full length guide rod. I was a bit concerned about whether the spring might be too much for standard loadings, but it worked perfectly. No failures of any kind. And the felt recoil was lessened considerably.

Now the ammo report...the Winchester ammo gave the typical amount of carbon buildup that I am used to for this brand. I would put it at about "moderate". There was about 1/2 inch of carbon buildup on the outside of the slide near the muzzle on the PPK. On the Colt, about an inch of carbon at the end of the slide near the muzzle. Insides show the "moderate" carbon buildup. Another box of 50 may or may not have produced malfunctions, I dunno. I have some S&B ammo in 9MM and .45ACP as well as some Aguila ammo in those calibers. I will be trying them out next time I go to the range.

Dep



 
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#2 ·
You can spot a dedicated shooter when the temperature is lower than the number of guns that are taken along for a test-drive. :D

Glad to hear that the S&W PPK/S continues to operate well, Dep. I've fired a bunch of ammo through mine, FMJ and hollow point, without a hitch as well. You hear and read lots of nagatives about the Smith version, but it's clear that the things work ... or at least a couple of them work.

Thanks for the good report.
 
#3 ·
Bill: Mine's a PPK. You know...the REAL Bond gun. LOL :D

Yeah....I'm still shivering from the cold at the range. I hope I don't get sick from this. I got a nasty cold last time I did this. Gonna load up on Mexi food tonight to burn off the chills :p

Dep



 
#6 ·
Cleaning today

I cleaned both guns today. The PPK was absolutely FILTHY inside. Tons of black crud. I tried just using Ballistol, but that wasn't strong enough to get it off the slide. Next came Hoppe's #9. STILL not strong enough. I ended up using Hoppes Elite gun cleaner and it took off all the carbon. I kinda wished I could take it apart beyond just the basic components, but I don't think I want to mess with that just yet.

The Commander wasn't anywhere near as funky. Just the inside of the barrel.
I used Hoppe's #9 on it and it came clean no problemo. For lube I switched from Ballistol to some new stuff I wanted to try out called SLIP 2000.
http://www.slip2000.com/

This stuff is clear, but about as thick as Tetra. When I started pumping the little spray bottle it shot out in a stream instead of a spray. I have a larger bottle that is a squeeze bottle and I will be using that in the future. Less wasteage. SLIP 2000 is so thick I don't think I will need gun grease on the slide rails. It's supposed to be a CLP product, but I have less and less confidence in ANY CLP product. At best, it's a lubricant and MAYBE a protectant.

I kinda wish Winchester would use a different type of powder in the smaller guns. One that burns cleaner and more completely. I will see what happens next time when I shoot Federal Hydra Shock ammo.

Dep



 
#7 ·
Dep.

A couple of weeks ago I took the PPK/S-1 (A real PPK/S--a .380) to the range. It loves the blunt nose WWB from Walmart and so do I. After 100 rounds, no big mess, no carbon deposits and no trouble cleaning the gun.

I seem to have variable results with Blazer Brass and the WWB stuff. Took the P99 and the Beretta Cheetah (.380) to the range Friday and the Blazer left the Cheetah a mess, while the WWB was OK with the P99. I do use a lot of the Blazer Brass and do not find it to be too dirty (generally). Once in a while though-----YUK. It was YUK with the Cheetah.

Dave

PS--Have a gun show nearby next weekend. Charming Bride agrees that another Browninh HP would be OK. Damn !! She's a good kid !
 
#8 ·
Dave: Generally speaking, Winchester gives at least "moderate" funk buildup in my guns no matter what caliber I use. The .32 Silvertip was MUCH worse than the .45ACP stuff, though. Federal has been quite a bit cleaner. The cleanest stuff I've fired has been S&B ammo. In 9MM I almost didn't have to clean a Glock AT ALL!!! I have some S&B and will try it out soon. I fired the Silvertips to make sure they fed reliably in my PPK. They did :)

Dep



 
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