New PPK/S - few questions if anyone has experience

[Downrange]

I couldn't resist celebrating the SCOTUS decision today, actually went looking for yet another AR, but came home with this.
Put a couple of drops of Hoppes Elite where I thought it might need it and took it out in the driveway. First magazine, seven rounds, got a stovepipe on the first try. Thought I might have ham-handed the slide when I released it, so tried again. Fired the first round, then another stove pipe on the cycle. Removed mag, tried the second mag. It had loaded a lot easier than the one with the grip extension; I barely was able to get that seventh round in the first mag.

This one had no FTF. Seven pulls, seven bangs. Tried the first mag a few more times and only got stovepipe jams on the first round loads. Almost seems like it's double feeding - dang spring is so tight! Right now, it's resting on the bench with a load of Winnie white box all coiled up, trying to get that spring to relax a bit.
When it was shooting, it was pretty sweet. Much less recoil than my usual fare (1911). I think I couod grow to like this if I can get the bugs out. A few questions of the multitude:

Will this action just smooth out with continued applications of Hoppe's Elite and lots of round through it? I get the idea that might be the recipe.

Am I on target about that fancy mag having too tight a spring and causing my first round mis-feeds? Will that be cured with time?

Is it worthwhile taking this to my smith (excellent) and have go over it for carry/reliability?

I really like the little piece, but, as of now, if I was heading into anywhere where I thought I might REALLY need a gun, I'd pocket my Smith 642CT.

Appreciate your perspective! Thanks.

 

[JJE]

My (new last year) PPK/S has operated reliably with generic ammo, premium hollowpoints and weak handloads, with both factory mags, until I reach approximately 50 rounds. Then, the gun will have VERY occasional failures-to-fire (the only kind of problem I've had). I don't know if it's the accumulation of shooting grime or the loss of lube as the gun shoots, or both. When I shoot a box of 50 rounds and clean the gun I never have problems. So this apparently isn't a gun that likes to be put away dirty. I also bought a tube of premium grease, but haven't had a chance to see if it improves the round count before the FTF's happen. Hopefully good cleaning and heavy lubrication will iron out the problems.

My gun has been immune to "limp-wristing", so I suspect that you do have a magazine problem.

 

[Downrange]

Thanks for the reply. Yep, I think that mag's a bit firmly sprung, and not sure if that's causing the occasional problem. I've got to get a lot of cheap .380 somewhere and run this baby in. Maybe de-bur the frame/slide, etc., if it needs it.
But it sure is sweet! Just have to remember to keep my off-hand thumb back a bit further, as I got a couple of little nicks from the hammer.
Double-taps are easy, which surprised me. Very nice piece.

 

[Logan5]

Mine was much the same at first, then smoothed out quite a bit after 1-200 rounds. After that it ran like a top, surprisingly accurate... but it still bites my hand.

 

[EHL]

The PPKs is a great little pistol. I got mine last year and I have loved her ever since. I've had a few stovepipes, but I think my mag springs were too tight as well. The more I have used her the more and more reliable she has become. I don't think I've had any stovepipes in quite a while infact. I would recommend taking her down to your gunsmith and having some work done on her. I would especially look at easing up the DA trigger pull. It's really rough. My smith showed me his PPKS and how he had lightened up the DA some, and what a difference!!! That's my next project. If you want some ideas as far as improvements go, check out the cylinder and slide article about this fine weapon. SOme of the improvements aren't for everybody, but some of them are right on the money.

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/combathandgun.shtml

 

[Shade00]

The first time I shot my PPK/S I experienced a few jams. No stovepipes, just didn't get the round up all the way. I have been keeping my mags loaded and working the slide a good bit. Cycling rounds through the pistol will help smooth out the feed ramp and possibly loosen up the recoil spring. I didn't have any jams last time I took it out. Shot Remington FMJs and a few Corbon Powr'balls.

 

[Spyvie]

The tolerances are very tight on PPKs. In my experience, they definitely benefit from a break in period... more so than almost any other gun.

 

[Downrange]

Thanks for all the replies. The linked article was especially good.

Off to try to find some cheap .380!

 

[Flame Red]

One more suggestion. I had a PPK/S and it is a great little gun. Totally reliable, eats any ammo, very VERY accurate. You can get a reduced main spring kit from Wolff and it will help smooth out the DA pull a LOT. No impact or reliability or anything else. I used the lightest main spring they had available.

I did end up selling the gun only because I ran into a Colt Pony and fell in love with it. Since I got that one, the PPK/S never got carried so I sold it. But it is a great gun, aside from the blow back design making it hard to shoot a lot of rounds in one session.

 

[smirnoff a]

I had similar problems with my Interarms PPK/S. With time it became better, but never 100% reliable adn seemed ammo sensitive. I took it to the gunssmith and was told that there was nothing wrong with the gun. It was the first handgun I owned and it was difficult to part with it. I replaced it with Sig P232 stainless.

One suggestion is to replace the grips - the factory plastic ones are harsh. Also, these like fequent cleaning.

 

[Steve C]

New mags will sometimes give feeding problems due to the springs being tight (as you mention). I've found that just leaving them fully loaded on the shelf between shooting sessions will give the spring enough "set" and feeding problems usually disappear.

 

[Downrange]

Appreciate the replies. A few notes on today's sessions. I had failures to feed only on initial cycling (not firing), when the full mag failed to chamber the round. Each time the round stovepiped and stopped short of the chamber. I'm pretty sure I'm not "riding the slide" forward, so not sure what's going on. After those two snags, I kept trying with both magazines, and finally got that first round to chamber. I topped off the mag so I'd have eight rounds ready and went through them with no misfires.
The pistol is pretty amazingly accurate for its size and sights. I found I'd worn a small cut on my shooting thumb near the joint due to the corner of the dovetail being just a wee bit sharp. I put on a bandaid and kept firing. Later I experimented with a slight modification to my grip, which has me bring my thumb further around the grip, and we'll see how that works next session.
Disassembly and cleaning was straightforward, but I didn't try to take it down further than the manual says. How often do people take apart the firing pin, et al, for cleaning? I noticed very little fouling from the 75 rounds through thus far.

I noticed on the magazine feed issue something interesting. When I "topped off" after loading that first round, the next round in the mag is partly forward (maybe 1/8 inch) rather than back against the mag wall, and wonder if the bolt is trying to pick up two rounds, and that's causing the stovepipes. Mag is sitting on the shelf with a full load to try to calm that spring down a bit.
Anyway, this is a very nice pistol and looks like a keeper, if I can get reliability up to 99 per cent. I got an Uncle Mike's pocket holster (ten bucks) and it seems to work pretty well in khaki shorts, just feels a bit heavy in there. But I have looked at the micro-weight .380s like the P3AT, and they just feel like cheap plastic toys to me.
The PPK/S feels like a Rolex watch whereas the P3AT feels like a no-name cheapie. Guess I'm kind of old school, but I think I'll heft the extra weight.
Here's hoping it continues to be reliable. I'm feeding it Win white box FMJ with the "flat top" shape since I can get 100 rounds for 29.99 at Wally World, but will go looking for some Federal Hydra-Shocks tomorrow to check function.

 

[MICHAEL T]

I have a old Interarms PPK/S I have lightened the main spring and reduced trigger pull a little You shouldn't be getting hammer bite at all that why S&W hung that ugly tang on it. I only use good ammo not elcheap o in mine I mean no reloads or cheap ammo. Only good name brands Mine has been perect over the years I carry with Corbon DPX .
Yes the S&W PPK/S needs the edges knocked off Don't know why factory can't do that. For the money they get Should be right.

 

[Downrange]

Michael T: It's not hammer bite really, the tang is just putting a wear point on the joint of my thumb due to the grip I've been taking. The hammer did just barely nick my off hand once or twice, so I just adjusted my grip.
No blood or anything. The new PPK/S design is really very nice. I am beginning to really love this pistol. At 499.95, it's pretty hard to beat!

 

[aryfrosty]

I have a PPK/S with S&W on the slide that I really enjoy shooting. It wore on my hands at first but I got a soft abrasive wheel for the Dremel and worked on the bottom of the slide area for a few days and smoothed it without changing the outside. I like the pistol. I may have to go to the Wolff springs to get it to have a less stiff trigger.

 

[EHL]

Are you guys sure the lighter spring won't cause any failure to fires??? If so, what is the weight on the wolff spring?? Are ther any instructions on removing the mainspring. I've done it on my 1911's, but not this little piece.

 

[mastiff54]

My brother and I both have Interarms PPKs and installed the Wolff spring kit. We put the factory springs back in because we experienced numerous FTFs.
Nice pistol, my brother loves his but I have fallen out of love with mine. Too finicky and the trigger stinks. I am not really a fan of the 380ACP round anyway - way too light for defense against perps in winter clothing even with ball ammo. HPs won't penetrate soft butter let alone denim or a heavy coat.

 

[smirnoff a]

I had an Interarms version of it with similar problems. My ownership of it lasted 2000-2007. I too took it to the gunsmith, who cleaned it and said there was not anything wrong with it. It continued to have stowpipes after, but got better with time. It was picky on ammo, but did the best with hollow points. I also sold it and replaced it with Sig P232 SL. By the time I sold my PPK, it was almost reliable, but still would have one or two issues every 100 rounds vs one or two every magazine when I first got it. BTW, my Sig is not 100 percent reliable either, but I do preffer it over PPK for esthetics and ergonomics (mine has Hogue grips).