to anyone who is about to pull the striker assembly apart for the first time:

Make sure you are working in an appropriate area. Meaning, NOT in the basement near the floor drain where HYPOTHETICALLY on reassembly, a delicate and spring-loaded mechanism could slip fr om your fingers, sending TINY AND FRAGILE parts flying to all reaches of your basement and to the floor drain, where you had one in a million luck and got SUPER LUCKY and recovered the 1/2 of the collar that was about to go down the drain and be lost forever.

Not that that happened to me or anything....

 

I'd be happy just to see smoothing spelled correctly in the thread title. You know this stuff shows up world wide when searching for something like.....PPS trigger. M1911

 

Searcher got it smoothed out. It wouldn't be so bad in the body of a post, but as a thread title.....it can show up worldwide if someone searches PPS trigger. Some times I'm in too much of a hurry to check to make sure my posts are correctly written. In any event, many thanks Searcher. M1911

 

I will second Red7's request for instruction on how to polish the striker pin.
How is that done exactly? Do you use a bench grinder with a cloth wheel or something like that? Do you use a specific kind of polish or compound? Is it just the striker pin or the the rest of the assembly?
I pulled mine out, pulled it apart, cleaned it up real nice, did not add any oil, put it back in dry and that smoothed the trigger out some, but based on reading this I have to think that there is more to be had.
Just looking for some guidance/explanation on how and what exactly is getting polished.

 

Just looking for some guidance/explanation on how and what exactly is getting polished.

I dismantled my striker as per the guide listed earlier. I had some 2000 & 3000 grit sandpaper leftover from one of those headlight refinishing kits so I did the striker polishing with that.

I polished the three square lobes on the striker (the side opposite the firing pin) and the striker 'axis' or shaft:

Walther PPS 9mm Striker - Album on Imgur

I also 'polished' the spring inner and outer surfaces using the 3000 grit sanding pad (to get inside I cut it into thin strips that would fit inside the spring) as well as the inside of the plastic striker guide along all points of contact with the lobed end of the striker, and the striker channel in the slide. I covered all my bases, so to speak.

I then used radio shack electronics cleaner (some kind of light organic solvent that leaves no residue) to rinse the sanding residue from the slide, all striker and spring bits, and reassembled everything (after lubing the slide).

The result is very smooth and the break very crisp and clean. I didn't mess with sanding on the disconnector bar because I didn't know specifically which was the contact surface. If someone could post a pic showing which part of the disconnector is the key area that would be great.

Edit: I ended up removing the striker again and putting a very light coating of Dupont Krytox (a high-end synthetic grease) on the plastic collar bearing surfaces near the firing pin. I know there is a general caveat never to lube the striker anywhere near the firing pin, but I just can't envisage how Krytox could ever interfere with the striker action. Anyway the result is an incremental improvement to the smoothness of the trigger draw.

The last thing I hope to do is track down the last bit of grittiness that appears to come from the disconnector/trigger bar, but this will require a full disassembly, and I'm not quite there yet, having only fired a hundred rounds or so.

 

The trigger on my M1 (bought 10/15) was gritty when I got it, but after many, many dry fires, appropriate lube (best was a PTFE spray) and a few range sessions, it is now OK. Still has some creep, but not gritty. I carry with one in the chamber, of course, so I don't want it lighter than it is. It is an EDC gun intended for serious business, rather than a range princess.
I say the trigger is "OK", because I've loved and shot a variety of 1911s for many years and those triggers cannot be beaten. No striker-fired gun is going to beat a good 1911 trigger. I always carried cocked and locked and never worried about an ND. I still love the 1911, but the PPS is easier to conceal. No capacity advantage for the PPS, since my 1911 mags hold 8 rounds also. When I need capacity and can dress to conceal, I carry a Steyr M9-A1 with 17 in the mag and one in the chamber.

 

The trigger on my M1 (bought 10/15) was gritty when I got it, but after many, many dry fires, appropriate lube (best was a PTFE spray) and a few range sessions, it is now OK. Still has some creep, but not gritty.

I have yet to attempt a trigger bar guide polish, but another source of grit in my PPS was the slide safety plunger being fouled (though for new owners, this is probably not an issue). Also the plunger and hole can be polished in the manner of the other parts in this thread to improve trigger take up feel.

To remove the slide safety plunger, you will need a 1/16 punch to push in the retaining pin and spring to remove both the extractor and safety plunger (be careful to cover the plunger with your free hand so as to catch any flying parts). Polish all mating surfaces, and especially the shoulder and top of the plunger. It made a significant difference to the take up on mine.

 

Sub'd for info

 

It does help some. This subject was covered pretty well on the old PPSTalk forum. Unfortunately, most of the "friction" is created by the striker spring stacking and bulging against the sides of the striker well walls. I even went as far as polishing the striker well in the slide and the outside surface of the spring itself. It all helps a little but in the end, it is still a striker-fired mechanism with its inherent properties.

Thanks for posting the info and pictures. Like I said, every little bit helps.

 

how does the striker come out of the slide?
thanks

 

how-disassemble-pps-light

 

Further upgrade - bad? Will be putting up pics later...

Used an old trick I learned from my ownership of the Steyr M40-A1..
had some 1500-2500 grit sandpaper (available at an automotive store under the "finishing" section of the paint area). Using 2500 and a flat-blade screwdriver, I polished and BARELY rounded the back edge of the release bar (in the grip/frame, not on the striker).

Since then, I've got the trigger release down to about 5.1lbs, but it resets liquid smooth, and it doesn't have a hard snappy release (upwards of 8lbs percieved when I got the pistol). Can't tell if it made the release further forward, or if it's just so smooth now I don't realize I'm at the release point...
Also, for the record, my release is now at the same point as the Airsoft/Umarex PPS I picked up...

 

My first PPS trigger is some what gritty, help.

I purchased a PPQ for my birthday, its great. I became a forum member and became interested on the PPS. Well I just got my new PPS, and I notice the triger was some what on the positive side which I like but gritty as well which I dislike. I made a run to the range to shoot it and see if just a little work out will help settle things out. It shoots like a dream. After 100rds it did get a little better, but the grittyness is still very noticeable specialy on the reset. I have read some of the information here and its great, I wish it had more details on the break down and smothing things out. I'm more a hands on type of person, and a little skeptical on taking the task on hand. I can work a Glock with my eyes closed, I have had them for ever. Walthers are new to me, will appreciate your help.

Thanks

 

Great post. I used Wizards Polish cloth to hit mine up. It's amazing how smooth the trigger reset became after doing your trick. Thanks for the info.

 

do you have to polish the entire striker? or just the 3 squares? what about the flat blocks right next to the firing pin ?

 

I've recently bought Walther PPS First Edition, manufacture year code is AH.
I've encountered the same issue of gritty take-up and especially gritty reset, which I hate as am spoiled by my Walther PPQ trigger.
I tend to agree that the grittiness to a larger extent should be attributed to the striker spring's friction against the striker well walls and the striker axis.
I've disassembled the striker assembly and it turns out the striker axis surface is noticeably rough. I can feel it distinctly when sweeping nail along the striker axis.
Besides, it has a noticeable hump halfway through the thicker part.
For curiosity's sake I disassembled a PPQ striker. It is polished and has a form that minimizes spring contact with the striker axis.
See a pic for comparison, PPS striker (top) vs. PPQ striker (bottom).

 

I can feel it distinctly when sweeping nail along the striker axis.
Besides, it has a noticeable hump halfway through the thicker part.
For curiosity's sake I disassembled a PPQ striker. It is polished and has a form that minimizes spring contact with the striker axis.

I've seen quite a few P99, SW99 and PPQ strikers. As the PPQ, a striker that's a little rough is not a problem, as the striker is fully cocked with the action of the slide. The trigger simply releases the striker.....sweet.

But on P99's and SW99's ..... well, they've got the de-cocker, which lets you de-cock the pistol placing the trigger in 'double action' mode, which means that as you pull the trigger, you're actually compressing the spring. And if the striker is the least bit rough, you'll feel it in the trigger as you're pulling during DA mode. I've performed the same procedure as outlined here....gently contouring and polishing the striker....made a noticeable difference. Also, if you'd like to lighten the DA trigger pull on your P99 or SW99, all you've got to do is install a lighter striker spring.

 

I have polished the striker as suggested in the topic. It did help a bit.

I further disassembled the trigger mechanism and polished the trigger bar guide (part 12.8) on the inside, where trigger bar travels along. The trigger became smoother but still there was enough room for improvement.

Taking a step further, I compared striker springs of my Walther PPQ and PPS. They a almost identical, only the PPQ's spring is a tad shorter. I thought that a shorter spring would result in less spring bulging when compressed thus making less friction in the striker well.
Guess what I did next - yeah, I swapped striker springs between PPQ and PPS.
After all mods my PPS trigger with a shorter PPQ striker spring became really smooth.
On PPQ I didn't notice any change in trigger pull or smoothness with the PPS spring - just as before, a superb smooth light excellent PPQ trigger.
Test firing has shown that PPS with PPQ striker spring functions just as reliable as with the original spring.
Check the pic below - PPS (black, longer, top) and PPQ (white, shorter, bottom) striker springs side by side:
http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu91/aivonline/Walther PPS/IMG_3196-1.jpg

 

Yep, I've experimented/used Glock striker springs in my SW99's/P99's. Makes a very noticeable difference in the DA trigger pull. You can purchase the Glock springs here Springs for GLOCK ® Semi-Auto Pistols . They are available in 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6 pounds.....prices are $3.49 each...CHEAP. Note: when running a lighter striker spring you may have some light primer strikes....depends on the brand of ammo or primers used. These may or may not work for your PPS.

 

Yep, I've experimented/used Glock striker springs in my SW99's/P99's. ...

Is anyone aware of how many lbs the PPS spring is rated at? That would be a good starting point..

 

I recently purchased a new PPS and love the gun but would love to get the trigger as smooth as possible. Is there a video or picture tutorial of what exactly you guys are polishing and the process you are using? I'm new to guns so I'm unfamiliar with the terminology and what specific areas of the parts need to be polished.

Thanks for your help!

 

If there isn't a video, can someone explain the polishing process? I've seen the pics in this thread that people are saying they are polishing but don't understand what part of it needs to be polished and what the process is for polishing it? Are you using one of those felt wheels on a dremel with some sort of polishing compound? What product specifically is good?

After getting a PPQ this past week and feeling what an amazing trigger feels like, I'd like to do what I can to make my PPS as smooth as possible. I realize it won't be like the PPQ.

Thanks for your help!

 

Followed this guide and polished, grittiness is gone and its very smooth now!

 

Thanks for the description and pictures. How do you remove the spring? Thanks!

 

There's a video on YT that shows how to remove the striker from the slide; to remove the spring, you have to compress the spring away from the firing pin side to allow the plastic split collar halves to lift and separate (never thought I'd utter that phrase in this context before) free of the spring.

 

The trigger on my PPS .40 does not seem too bad. Not much in the way of "gritty", but it is a consistent "stiff" pull. I would guess it at about 6 pounds or so, but it is smooth. Do some of you that have owned their PPS for a while, think this trigger "smooths" out a bit as far as pull?

 

Sure thing, Applejackson. I am really enjoying learning more about my PPS and the other Walther models. We live in a very lucky time indeed and have a great resource in this forum and its moderators and members.

I have been studying the trigger mechanism and eventually will do a detail strip, but the performance is so good now I think it would be borrowing trouble to break it down further just because of my abiding mechanical fascinations- particularly with all the warnings that the PPS is on the more difficult end of the spectrum of pistols. Better leave well enough alone. Damn I really must be getting old.

 

Hey All,
As a forum noob, I just posted my first (on PPS M2 trigger).... then saw this....maybe I should I have commented here? Either way, the M2 is different enough, so I hope it's helpful.

 

I did a complete teardown on my PPS in anticipation of sending the gun back to Walther to repair a broken trigger safety tab. I've always wanted to do a complete teardown, but I was afraid after hearing the PPS is among the more challenging semiautos to reassemble, so my insurance was that I could send the 'basketcase' to Walther if I was unable to reassemble it in working order.

Well no one lied about it being a *****. That certainly is true, and the first time I reassembled it, I put the "sear housing pin, right" (12.5) in the wrong of two holes (the upper rather than the correct lower). By the second time around the reassembly wasn't as bad by half.

I polished basically every friction point, including the decocker, the 'retainer', the trigger bar guide, trigger bar, disconnector, and frame contact points. The result is ++ satisfactory. Very smooth takeup and then a smooth crisp break at about 5.5lbs, just guessing by feel. I hope to borrow a trigger pull gauge at some point to check.

Anyone attempting this, be forewarned. It is not impossible, but the decocker spring is miniscule, and if you take this gun apart be sure to do it in a well-lit area were tiny parts won't disappear if they should fall on the floor. I was lucky enough to find the spring a few times when it flew across the room. Getting it in place while assembling the sear into the frame is probably the hardest part.

Edit: There is another tiny part that one must be very cognizant of, the left side sear to frame pin. It is so small that one can take out the sear and lose it without even knowing it was there in the first place. Don't ask me how I know. ; )

Also when reassembling, be careful not to over flex the frame, or bear down too hard on the breakdown spring when reinserting the front pin, and just be as gentle as possible with everything.

 

Let me apologize in advance guys...sorry. I didn't see anything about this, but I may have missed it. I was wondering if this was an issie on all CCPs including the latest serial numbers. I know the one I tried in my LGS Was a bit crunchy. I didnt notice the serial number, but I'm thinking about going back to see...I figured reading what I have ,that Walter would have had this issue resolved by now? Wasn't sure if maybe they had different generations, etc?

 

I have had the PPS M1 for some time and the trigger was really long and spongy, with an epic reset. Initially the trigger was extremely heavy, but it shot in over several hundred rounds. I decided to polish the sear surfaces instead of polishing the protective coating from the striker, which in my mind is a beneficial component to the striker. I just polished the engagement surfaces with a extra fine ceramic stone, and oil; the same I use for my 1911 trigger jobs. I am careful to not change the geometry or cut into any surfaces. I then coating all the components with a light coat of Mobile 28 which is what I use to lube my AR Fire controls. The end result is the typical long predictable take up, virtually no creep, and a sudden unpredictable break. I can now press the trigger withh nearly zero movement, which is far better than before while my forearm was starting to muscle the trigger with compound muscles and causing a fair bit of shake. I have lifted for years, and I routinely curl 70 pound dumbells, and I have found it's personally difficult to squeeze a heavy trigger and not engage other muscles that only suceed in throwing my point of aim off... Hope this helps, my advice is if you cannot identify the sear surfaces you should do research before you attempt any diy smithing and ensure you maintain the geometry. The angle on the striker sear face is not 90 it has three millimeters of an upward angle, so be careful and on,y use polishing grade stones. Paper will like change the geometry on any trigger unless you use a block for 90 degree sear face. Without a jig a stone is required for any manually held angles, jigs excluded if someone is savvy enough to build a jig with the proper angles that would be pretty sweet. Best.