S&W - Walther PPK/S recall

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I took it to the range today. Ran a box thru with no troubles at all. I didn't want to shoot more than a box since .380 is still hard to find and I am down to a few boxes. I don't reload that caliber.

I am pleased with the work done.
Don't know if you've found any good places for ammo yet, but Gander Mountain seems to have a decent amount of ammo available lately. Don't know if you have one around you, but the website is http://www.gandermountain.com/
 
For what it's worth, the huge backlog of recalled S&W-made PPKs is pretty much over. The turnaround time seems to be in the area of two weeks, give a take a day or so on either side. It's also worth noting that the reports of damage done to some of the guns that were sent back in pristine shape and returned from Houlten with scars, gouges, marrs, or beat-up feed ramps is down to nubbins at this point. If you have been waiting for the roar to subside before sending your gun to Maine for repairs, now might be the time. Good luck.
 
Thanks for recall notice. Just called S&W and Fedex label is on the way. Byron
 
You'll want to keep a close and careful eye on the process that they currently are using at S&W regarding the recalled PPK and PPK/S models. We've had lots and lots of reports at the Walther Forums about pistols that came back in far worse shape than what they were like when they were sent out for the "repairs" in the first place. It's not a pretty picture in many cases.

It'll be worth your time to browse the threads in the PP and PPK sub-section -- it's a real eye-opener, in fact.

www.waltherforums.com

Good luck.
 
I got my label back when the recall first came out and still have yet to send it in. From what I gathered, the issue wasn't whether or not it went bang when you squeezed the trigger it was more an issue of it MAY go bang when you try to decock it with the safety. Am I wrong on this matter? I just figure, I hardly ever have used the decocker and I always have been careful about the direction it's pointed in when I do even before the recall came out. Is there some other flaw in the design or materials that truly requires I get this in and stop using it? I really haven't kept up with the discussion on this as I didn't think it was that much of an issue but perhaps I am wrong.
 
You assessment is essentially correct. Try this:

1. With the pistol on safe and the gun pointed downrange, pull the hammer back and then let it fly. If it fires, you have a problem. If it doesn't, eject the cartridge and look carefully at the primer. If the cartridge shows a indentation from the firing pin, you have a potential problem brewing.

2. With the safety off and the gun pointed safely downrange, pull the hammer back to half-cock, or even a bit less, and then let if fly. (Be wary of your thumb, in the event that the gun fires.) If the gun fires, you have a problem.

I found in running both of these tests that my S&W-made PPK/S was an accident waiting to happen. Rather than sending it back to S&W and having it buggered up, I was able to solve the problem by replacing the firing pin and the other internals in the slide with Interarms parts. Problem solved.
 
I received my PPK/s back yesterday.S&W had it 3 weeks. The pistol had a slight punch mark.The ramp was polished. No visible marks by S&W. Function was perfect and S&W made the firing pin to strike perfect. I am pleased. Byron
 
Congratulations, Byron. Count your blessings -- not everyone who has gone through the recall experience has been so fortunate, sad to say.
 
again with the walthers, since s&w took them over their quality has gone down the drain, i bought 2 within the last year for the book im writing, a 32 and 380, they will do a hatchet job on the mainspring to repair the malfuntion, it also turns a lousy trigger pull into abominable. neither feeds well enough to trust your life to. walthers answer, put a couple thousand break in rounds thru it??? i couldn't believe my ears. thats more in ammo than the gun is worth. and really, after about 2 or 3 rounds your hand is cut and bleeding from the famous walther slide tracks and you welcome the jam. my opinion if you want something that doesnt work, buy a jennings or a raven, the're alot cheaper. sadly like colt, in my opinion, they cut quality to the bone to increase profits. all you get now is a name.
 
Gun Guy, S&W did a superb job on mine. The action is smother and the weapon very accurate. I am not sure how you arrived at your conclusions.
 
B: He may have arrived at his conclusions because not everyone who has sent their pistol back to S&W for the recall work has had the same enjoyable experience that you have had. I'll say it again: Count your blessings ... not everyone has been so lucky.
 
I have always admired the PPK and went to a local shop last week planning to buy a PPK/S they had in stock. As far as I know the pistol was a post-recall pistol, new gun. After handling the pistol, though, I did not buy it. The double-action trigger pull was extremely heavy and the operation of the safety/decocker was not smooth at all. My Smith 442 also has a heavy pull but it is extremely smooth, no stacking, much better than the PPK/S. My Beretta 84 works much more smoothly than the PPK/S I tried and I decided to stay with it, notwithstanding that I still admire the looks of the PPK/S.
 
Some of the S&W models seem to work just fine; others, not so well. It's the luck of the draw. If you truly admire the looks of the Walther PPK, then get yourself a German- or French-made pistol, or one of the Interarams models, which also stayed true to the original Walther design. Plenty of them are around, often at prices that are every bit the equal to the new S&W pistols.
 
I gave my PPK/S to my brother several months ago, of course, he keeps it in his office at the opposite end of the house...
don't know what good it will do there. :evil:

Sent him the "recall" serial numbers, guilty, S&W is sending the
return package or whatever. :rolleyes:
I just emailed him to take a bunch of close-up PICS just in case it's damaged when it's returned...what else can I do?!? :cool:
 
Folks who have contacted one of the individuals at S&W's customer service operation ahead of sending their pistols back for the recall seem to have had beter luck than those who have just sent them in.

You already have taken an excellent first step by advising him to take detailed photos of the pistol. Next, I'd advise him to contact the head of the S&W customer service operation (Kate Fredette) and let her know that the pistol is coming and that you are entrusting it to her care and are expecting to get it back in perfect working order. I also would provide the gunsmiths in Houlten with a detailed list of any issues you that have experienced with the pistol and ask them to be sure and attend to those issues ... just in case. Be sure to keep a record of that as well.

I wouldn't send in a mag or the grips, but that's just me.

Good luck.
 
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