Walther PPK misfire problem

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W. Bittle

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I have a Walther PPK that is about 15 years old and it developed
a light primer strike problem. I am writing this post to inform others how
bad this problem can be and how I fixed it. My PPK is a .32 ACP and
it worked perfectly for a couple years. Then it started getting picky with
respect to ammunition. Some ammo it fired every round then other ammo
I would get at least one misfire out of 6. Well, the gun got to the point
where with any ammo I tried I was lucky to get two out of six to go off.
Walther USA, which is basically S&W told me it
is the recoil spring and or I am 'limp wristing' the gun when firing.
Yea right. I put the gun in a gun vise and still it misfired. I
replaced the main slide recoil spring and still, misfires.
I kept being told the gun is not coming to battery and other BS.
Finally I got a bit ticked. I tore the slide apart and decided to buy
a new firing pin and firing pin spring. I took my callipers and measured
my original firing pin and one in another PPK a friend had then
compared those measurements to the new titanium firing pin I bought.
My new firing pin was several mills longer then the original in both my gun and my friends.
I installed the new firing pin and new firing pin spring and voila!
No more misfires. Now I have good solid primer strikes every time.
So, if you have a Walther PPK that is getting cranky
and you notice light primer strikes, you could most
probably fix the issue with a new firing pin. From what I have
seen, it seems to affect the .32 ACP models the most.
 
So then, as it developed over time we're to assume the pin was soft and had either worn shorter or the tip had been displaced?

Or

Was the lighter titanium pin traveling faster and the little bit of length mattered less than the overall length/protrusion?

Looks like a prudent upgrade for the gun in any case.

Todd.
 
The PPK dates to, I believe 2007. The new pin measured several mills longer then the original. The gun
had around 400 rounds fired through it before it started having issues. The main slide spring was
replaced twice to no effect. When it got to where it would no longer fire more then one
or two rounds per mag, I figured I had nothing to loose. I tried using it in a vise because of this
'limp wristing" BS I was told. What a crock. The big thing I noticed was that even from new, the
primer strikes never seemed real strong. But the gun did fire. As it got older, primer strikes
were weaker. I figured why not try a firing pin. Before installing, I measured the new firing pin and the old one.
That is when I found that the old one was notably shorter. There were no signs of wear on the pin.
Also, I have never seen a firing pin wear several mills with only being
used 400 or so times. That kind of wear usually happens after thousands of rounds.
I have used guns with many thousands of rounds and never have had one light strike or
a misfire. No, this firing pin was short to begin with and I know a couple other people who own S&W licensed
Walther PPK's who have had the same problem. They try to tell you it is either
this limp wristing myth or that you have a bad main slide spring which
is not allowing the gun to come to battery. Another C&B story. I have contacted the others I know with what I found.
Hopefully they can also fix their Walther PPK's since the little guns are really accurate
and nice to shoot. Plus, once made reliable, they make a perfect pocket carry gun.
I would not just go out and change your firing pin if your gun is working fine. But,
if your gun is like mine was and is misfiring on most ammo and or will only fire one particular type
while goofing up and misfiring on the rest, chances are you have the same short
firing pin problem. If you do end up pulling your firing pin to replace it, take a measurement of the original and
compare it to the length of the new one and see if your original is shorter then a new one like mine was.
 
Try replacing the hammer spring. Sounds like it has become weakened and the hammer is not hitting the firing pin with enough force to fire consistently.
 
I would say and out of spec and or soft US made firing pin. I bought a US made PPK in .380 , remembering the little German made Jewel I carried over to VN in 68 . The thing was a POS and never would fire any hollow point ammo , it soon started doing the same as yours I pretty quick looked at the firing pin when it came back doing the same thing from S&W . I saw signs of peening on the back side of pin from hammer strikes I presume and bought another from Numrich and BANG ! I sold the thing as quick as I could , it was a stainless model. I have a .22 PP and a .32 PP and they are little jewels and work . They were made in the early 70s.
 
So it was a S&W made PPK?

Yes, a newer S&W made one. I checked all the springs and all were fine.
That is when I got the idea of just buying another firing pin from
an aftermarket place. I measured the original and the new one and the new firing pin
was several mills longer. After installing it, I tried several different types of
ammunition and everything worked great. I looked at the spent cases and
with the new firing pin installed, the firing pin strikes on the primers were
nice and solid. Actually better then when the gun was new.
I have read and heard that this is not an uncommon problem and
I know of one other person who actually sent their PPK back to S&W and
they gave them the same BS about the main slide spring being defective and that
'limp wristing' BS. The thing about you firing it with a limp wrist never
ceases to amaze me. I mean, really? A firearm that is so picky that
unless you have wrists the size of Conan the Barbarian and can hold
the little pistol with a grip tight enough to remove the lug nuts off a car
it is going to misfire? Uh, OK and if one believes that one I have some
mosquito free swamp land in central Florida I'd like to sell you.
I wonder how many of these newer PPK"s are being put in
the back of gun safes never to be fired again because of
short firing pins causing misfires. The little guns, when
working properly, are rather accurate and easily concealable.
 
In all fairness , the PPK is sensitive to proper operation , and is not at all tolerant of limp writing. Not saying that was a causal factor in your case , just saying in general.
 
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