Posted: 11/26/2012 1:57:59 PM EDT
| I got a PPK/S last Friday which seemed to be in good shape. It was sold by Interarms and it is US made and the target inside the box dates back to 1984. I took the pistol to the range Sunday and the safety is engaging while firing. I could shot between 3 and 5 rounds before the safety goes down. If I try to lower the safety by hand, it does not move easy. It feels like the spring has enough tension. Does anybody else experienced this problem? |
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Could be a number of reasons.
The rear plunger could be damaged, the spring or spring tunnel in the slide could be fouled up, or the safety itself could be damaged. First step is to remove the slide from the frame and operate the safety. It should operate reasonably easy with good "snap" at the ON and OFF positions. If the safety moves easily with the slide off, look for problems in the frame with the hammer drop lever on the left side of the hammer. That lever is pushed down by the safety and it in turn lifts the sear UPWARD to drop the hammer. If the lever or sear is worn slightly the lever will have problems lifting the sear and the safety will be difficult to put ON. The safety has two detent holes in the body for the rear plunger to press into. This gives the safety it's "snap". If the plunger is damaged or worn, or the holes in the safety are damaged or packed with old lube, or if the plunger is simply missing, this could cause the problems. Here's an exploded view: http://www.stevespages.com/ipb-walther-pp.html Disassembly is a little difficult. Get a small pocket size screwdriver and round off all corners and edges to prevent scratching if/when you slide. Tape the dickens out of the slide around the extractor. Use the rounded screwdriver to pull the extractor plunger to the rear as you lift the extractor up and out of the slide. Tap the slide on a bench and the spring and possibly rear plunger may fall out on their own. If not, you'll need to disassemble the slide, which you may need to do anyway to check the safety. Use a punch to push the firing pin in and rotate the safety to an in between position. Rock and pull the safety until it pulls out of the slide. Ease the firing pin and spring out carefully. Don't remove the loaded chamber indicator unless you have to, and if you do take a digital photo to make sure you get the spring and indicator back in properly. Inspect the rear plunger. The end should be cone shaped and slightly rounded not sharp. Inspect the holes in the safety and the slight groove between them for impacted fouling or damage. Inspect the tunnel in the slide for impacted lube or burrs at either end. Inspect the plunger spring for fouling, weakness, or kinks. To reassemble: Install the firing pin and spring. Insert the safety into the slide part way, then push the firing pin forward until the safety will slip past it and into the slide. Drop the rear plunger into the slide tunnel from the front, then the spring, then the front plunger, making sure the beveled end of the plunger is facing down toward the extractor cut. Pull the plunger to the rear and slip the extractor back and down into the slide. Make sure the plunger bevel is on the extractor. Before reassembling, lube the parts and the tunnel in the slide. |