Problem with my Walther PP

[Kenan]

Hello gents!

I have a 60 yrs old Walther PP (ww2 era) and lately noticed the problem with the slide not moving forward enough to actually cock the hammer (sometimes it cocks the hammer, sometimes not) and ALWAYS after the last round's being fired, it remains in the ready-to-fire position (as if the clip still holds bullets).

The gun itself fires and reloads new round properly but it seems to be having problems with moving the slide to it's full limits. My father and me think this might be a recoil spring being too hard, got hardened with a time or something..basically, the slide works properly if you pull it back manually ie. with your hand:

Put the empty clip inside, pull the slide and it WILL remain in that position.

Another interesting detail is, once you release the clip, the slide releases as well, althouth I read this on the:

http://www.universalexports.net/00Walther.shtml

The magazine release is on the left side, and is located near the top front of the grip. The slide will lock back when the magazine is empty, but there is no external slide stop/release lever. To close the slide, a loaded magazine is inserted and the slide pulled back slightly to release the internal catch and chamber a round. Alternately, the empty magazine can be removed entirely and the slide pulled back slightly to release the slide stop to close the slide on an empty chamber.

Apart from the thingie on the left, which goes up if you put the clip in and holds the slide, I don't see anything else on my gun that could actually keep holding the slide once the clip is being ejected?

I could post pictures if you want, I could really use some expert oppinion here (better if you have experience with Walther guns).

Thank you in advance!

Kenan

 

[briansp82593]

i think if you took the slide off sprayed some breakfree or remoil or just dip the gun in lube it might work

 

[Kenan]

Nah, I don't think that would fix the problem.
It's pretty clean and maintained.

 

[briansp82593]

thats good... so now take off the slide
do you see a little metal piece at the back of the barrel on the left side of the frame?
wiggle it
check the spring

 

[Kenan]

thats good... so now take off the slide
do you see a little metal piece at the back of the barrel on the left side of the frame?
wiggle it

Yeah, it's the slide release on the left. That thing, when I enter an empty magazine, gets raised by the follower on the magazine and it actually holds the slide.

The thing is, once I release the magazine, the slide release goes down (it is now longer raised by the magazine), and the moment it goes down, the slide moves back.

If I understand correctly, this shouldn't be happening? The slide should remain forward and only after I re-enter the magazine and pull the slide a little, it should slam back to it's initial position?

Is there anything else, except for the slide release, holding the slide?

check the spring

Spring seems fine, although we've been thinking it may have been too hard and no powder explosion is strong enough to move it forward all the way?

BTW, thanks for the help!

Kenan

 

[dfariswheel]

Springs DO NOT "get hard" with age, they get WEAKER, and loose tension.

Other than the slide stop, there's nothing to hold the slide back, UNLESS something is broken or defective.

There is a tiny "hairpin" type spring under the lower edge of the slide stop that pushes the stop down.
If the stop is dropping when the magazine is removed, the stop is likely broken or badly worn.
See a gunsmith, something is wrong with your gun.

You could also go ahead and replace the recoil spring with a new FACTORY type spring. DO NOT buy any "extra power" springs.
Get new springs here:
http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=2100zPP

 

[Kenan]

There is a tiny "hairpin" type spring under the lower edge of the slide stop that pushes the stop down.
If the stop is dropping when the magazine is removed, the stop is likely broken or badly worn.

Aha..so the slide stop shouldn't drop after the magazine release at all?
Wow man, I learned a lot more from you then from my "gumsmith" who didn't really know what may be the problem.

I know for a fact that the slide stop can be safely removed. Is there any way of trying to fix it without doing major changes to it (what does the word 'wiggle' means?). The metal itself looks fine, it may be the spring you were talking about causing the problem.

Get new springs here:
http://www.e-gunparts.com/productsch...rModel=2100zPP

Been there, unfortunatelly, they're not allowed to ship any gun parts to Croatia (where I live).

 

[Ron James]

Another problem with the slide following the slide home is the horseshoe sear worn and not engageing the hammer. Had it happen on a old .32 ACP.

 

[denfoote]

I would seek the servaces of a gunsmith locally.
I think you just need new springs!!

 

[Steve C]

It is common for the slide stop to fail to engage or only partially engage when the magazine springs, which push up the slide stop on the last round, get week or the follower get worn. You could try to pull the mag springs and stretch them out a bit. That usully cures the problem for a short time. The cure is to buy new magazine springs and followers if needed. They'll last another 60 years.

If the gun is clean an properly lubricated but doesn't fully cycle fore and aft the problem is usually caused by ammunition that's a little low powered, a shooter that's relaxing his grip too much while shooting (limp wristing), thumb or finger dragging on the slide, or a combination of these. A new spring may casue such a problem being at full strength.

 

[banddr2]

This sounds like hammer following the slide back into battery, in other words, the hammer is not cocking. I had this problem with my 1967 PP and it is really hard to fix. As time goes by the gun developes too much play with the hammer, cocking piece and the pin holes that hold the cocking piece. I replaced the hammer, didn't help. I replace all springs including the little spring that raised the hammer block, didn't help. Then a replaced the cocking piece, which I don't recommend unless you have the proper tools, because the pins are press fitted. But that did the trick, but it was a bitch getting those pins press fitted in again. You need a piece of hardened steel the size of a mag to stick in the mag well while the press the pins in with a vice.

There also the possiblility of the hammer drop lever causing the problem, there is a spring between the safety and the ejector that sometimes rusts up in there and allowing your safety to move during recoil causing the hammer to drop, but I doubt that is the problem.

A better solution that may work is using hotter ammo, like Fiochi or S&B. The winchester & remington are not always hot enough to get good slide velocity to cock that hammer back.

As far as your slide stop not holding open when the mt mag is removed, you may need a new slide stop if the old one is worn, or maybe you mag springs need replaced because they are not pushing up on the slide stop enough.

Some of these guns are well used and worn out, that's why the Germans got rid of them, but they are inexpensive and great for collecting. There is alot that go wrong and it is hard to find the problem other than just replacing things until you find the one that does the trick.

Good Luck

 

[Kenan]

As far as your slide stop not holding open when the mt mag is removed, you may need a new slide stop if the old one is worn, or maybe you mag springs need replaced because they are not pushing up on the slide stop enough.

So, let me confirm this once again: slide stop should stay in the UP position when the mag is removed? I think it going down, fully back to it's original position when the mag is out, is what's really the problem here.

 

[Onmilo]

Does this problem occur with every magazine you use with the gun or just one particular magazine???

 

[Kenan]

^^Well, th catch is, I only have 1 magazine. This is why I'm gonna order a new one. Just in case. Though I'm not really coninced it's the magazine.

 

[banddr2]

Yes, when you remove the empty mag, the slide should remain open.

 

[Onmilo]

I haven't seen or handled your pistol but I have worked on enough of them to think the feed lip on the left side of your only magazine has worn or become deformed enough to not kick the slide lock all the way up enough to fully engage the slide lock recess.

Just a thought but I would try a couple new magazines first and don't bother with magazines from 'Triple K.'
Use genuine Walther magazines or the very least, magazines from Mec-Gar. HTH

 

[Kenan]

I just took the slide off and it looks like slide stop goes fully up ie. there's no room for it to go further.

Take a look at this 1mb movie I made, it shows the magazin inserted, slide stop going up, and ejecting the mag, it goes down. My father told me it's been like this since it's acquired?

http://www.mrcine.org/zurnal/video/problem2.wmv

 

[banddr2]

I just watched your video. That recoil spring looks way Tooo long. I don't think that is the proper recoil spring for a PP. There should only be a few coils extending past the barrel when the slide is removed. That will keep your slide from going back far enough to engage the slide stop. Go to Wolff Gun springs in the net and order the proper spring. I am suprised you can remove the slide at all, it must be difficult with that long of a spring. You mag and slide stop appear to be functioning normally.