My new-to-guns-dad just bought a blued PPK in .380. The first time he took it out, he had a bunch of double feeds and a couple misfires.
I took it out today myself.
I now know that he had cleaned it before shooting it. With copper solvent. So I gave it a good cleaning with some #9 and oiled the hell out of it. While at the range, I figured out that he had been guiding the slide home when chambering a round. So the double feeds are no longer happening now. The gun was 100% today in regards to feeding, through 150 rounds (200, if you count the 50 he fired).
The only thing I can't figure out is the misfires. I think I got five or six misfires out of 150 rounds, and in each case, I eventually got the primer to light by pulling the trigger two or three times. The ammo is Sellier & Bellot, which I've never had problems with before.
So why the misfires? Does the firing pin spring need to be broken in more? Or could there be some cosmoline caught in the firing pin channel, making it a little sluggish? If that might be the case, how hard is it to take the firing pin and spring out? Or maybe the firing pin safety is sticking somehow?
My other question is....
That thing recoils like a SOB. I shot the gun around 7pm. It's now almost 1:40am, and the web of my hand is still red. In fact, blood was drawn. But I think that was from the sharp corner on the tang, not slide bite.
Can I lighten the recoil in any appreciable way by going from the stock 20# recoil spring to a 24#? Wolf makes one. I haven't seen any heavier mainsprings. If I did try the 24# spring, would the gun get beat up from slamming into battery so hard?
Also, anyone know of any aftermarket grips to soften up the tang? Hogue doesn't appear to make anything, and my dad doesn't seem into the Pachmayr idea.
BTW, that thing is pretty damned accurate for such a little guy. I guess because of the fixed barrel.
I took it out today myself.
I now know that he had cleaned it before shooting it. With copper solvent. So I gave it a good cleaning with some #9 and oiled the hell out of it. While at the range, I figured out that he had been guiding the slide home when chambering a round. So the double feeds are no longer happening now. The gun was 100% today in regards to feeding, through 150 rounds (200, if you count the 50 he fired).
The only thing I can't figure out is the misfires. I think I got five or six misfires out of 150 rounds, and in each case, I eventually got the primer to light by pulling the trigger two or three times. The ammo is Sellier & Bellot, which I've never had problems with before.
So why the misfires? Does the firing pin spring need to be broken in more? Or could there be some cosmoline caught in the firing pin channel, making it a little sluggish? If that might be the case, how hard is it to take the firing pin and spring out? Or maybe the firing pin safety is sticking somehow?
My other question is....
That thing recoils like a SOB. I shot the gun around 7pm. It's now almost 1:40am, and the web of my hand is still red. In fact, blood was drawn. But I think that was from the sharp corner on the tang, not slide bite.
Can I lighten the recoil in any appreciable way by going from the stock 20# recoil spring to a 24#? Wolf makes one. I haven't seen any heavier mainsprings. If I did try the 24# spring, would the gun get beat up from slamming into battery so hard?
Also, anyone know of any aftermarket grips to soften up the tang? Hogue doesn't appear to make anything, and my dad doesn't seem into the Pachmayr idea.
BTW, that thing is pretty damned accurate for such a little guy. I guess because of the fixed barrel.