Walther PPS impressions and problem

[Tom3holer]

Hi,

After I got my LTC here in Ma last week I went out and bought the gun I was waiting for. A Walther PPS 9mm. I am new to handguns. Had a Ruger 22 many years ago but did not shoot it very much. Took the required course which I enjoyed very much and got a lot out of it.

I did spend some time at a pay range a while ago trying out several 9mm pistols, about 150 rounds worth. So basically I have little to compare it to.

So I go to the outdoor range here in Barnstable yesterday with new Walther in tow. Put 100 rounds down range.

I really liked the gun, felt better with the large backsrap. Did not find the MA. trigger that bad, at least for now.

The big issue was that I have SEVERAL "fail to load" (not sure if that is the correct term) using both Focchi (sp) and Blazer 115 gr shells.
All ejected OK, many hitting my head, but on several occasions it would not chamber the next round. Tried to push it slightly but slide would not move. Had to remove the clip and push the top shell back fully in the clip and it worked OK then.

I did not clean the gun before I shot it but did tear it down and it looked very clean with a slight amount of oil.
I did notice that the ramp that the bullet rides up on has a fairly noticable horizontal scratch/gouge that might be causing the hang ups.

Any thoiughts will be greatly appreciated as this really bothers me as to the reliability of the weapon.


Tom

 

[Keyman1808]

My PPS in 40 and it has performed flawless My brother and my neighbor have one in 9mm and no ftf or fte at all. That gouge my be the issue. I have been running federal, Winchester and corbon ammo thru it without issue Try a different ammo now that you cleaned it and see what happens. If it continues I would contact walther.


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[fubar]

Have a more seasoned handgunner put like 6 mags through it as fast as your range will let you. To see if it's you or the gun. But first :

The feed ramp scratch could be a manufacture defect.

or maybe:
Limp wristing - lack of very firm grip / letting the gun bounce in your hand , will absorb some of the recoil - but that energy was designed to be soaked up by the spring , and then used to reload the next round.

Lack of Lubrication : Again hampering the recoil springs need to be fully " charged " to strip and seat next round. Some companies use an oil designed for storage , rather than operation. Sig does this.

Break in time : Shoot it a lot , once you have cleaned it & lubed it with oil , and had a refresher on proper grip.

 

[Tim111]

Had to remove the magazine

Fixed it for you.

As far as your problem, it could be just the break-in period for the pistol. I have read about similar issues on Walther forums. Everything is really tight on new pistols. Put a few hundred more rounds through her.

 

[Tom3holer]

Thank you all for the input. It did seem to me that when I pushed the slide release to chamber the first round it didn't feel as thought it was a difinative closure. It sounded like it just barely make it. Not explaining it too well but if you watched the action you'd know what I mean.
I have to leave on a 12 day business trip tomorrow so won't be able to get to the range for 2 weeks but will give it a good workout when I get back.

Tom

 

[Gastrok]

I bought a PPS 2 weeks ago Friday and have 494 rounds through it so far. The only failure was an FTF with a Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr. FTX, which I found out later was sort of a "known issue" with that ammo and the PPS. Gold Dots ran perfect and so did Blazer brass, Independence, and Estate (all 115 gr. FMJ). The gun is definitely tight but it is running smoother and smoother with every round. Don't lose hope! I find it to be really accurate and I enjoy shooting it at the range. Very slim and comfortable to carry. I have no problem with the MA trigger.

I know this might evoke some negative reactions, but I see it as the Glock that Glock never made. LOL


Edit: I recently dealt with a "lemon" from a different manufacturer, and you do occasionally get one, so don't hesitate to contact Walther and talk to them about the feed ramp issue; it might be a defect and they should make it right.

 

[carbuncle]

I love my .40 PPS, but I've noticed that magazine seating takes a positive push to complete. As with all small-ish firearms, pay attention to your grip and be sure you aren't limpwristing, as mentioned above. Usually I've seen stovepipes as the major symptom of limpwristing, but feed issues are possible. Lastly, if the problem persists contact S&W: their customer support has been excellent in my experience!

 

[Tom3holer]

Thank you all for the replys. Its 4:30AM and I couldn't sleep thinking about this issue. In the morning when I am fully awake I am going to look at something I was thinking about. Could it possibly be that I had on those several occasions somehow been pushing up on the slide lock and it locked it open? Does the slide come back when firing far enough to engage the lock if accidently pressed up? I don't think this is the case but thought I'd throw it out.

Also is it normal for the spent casings to come back and hit you on the forehead? This occured many times during my shot at the range the other day.

Thanks again for all the help,

Tom

 

[fubar]

Brass in the face suggests a loose grip problem.

 

[Delta L Varmint]

Take it apart and clean it. Go shoot it more. Some new guns are tight, but break in. My first gun was a SW9VE a couple years ago and in the first 150-200 rnds I experienced a bunch of FTFs. After that it ate any ammo I fed it (aluminum case, steel case, brass case, nickel plate case, jhp and fmj). Until I sold it because it sucked

 

[Broc]

Hi,

After I got my LTC here in Ma last week I went out and bought the gun I was waiting for. A Walther PPS 9mm. I am new to handguns. Had a Ruger 22 many years ago but did not shoot it very much. Took the required course which I enjoyed very much and got a lot out of it.

I did spend some time at a pay range a while ago trying out several 9mm pistols, about 150 rounds worth. So basically I have little to compare it to.

So I go to the outdoor range here in Barnstable yesterday with new Walther in tow. Put 100 rounds down range.

I really liked the gun, felt better with the large backsrap. Did not find the MA. trigger that bad, at least for now.

The big issue was that I have SEVERAL "fail to load" (not sure if that is the correct term) using both Focchi (sp) and Blazer 115 gr shells.
All ejected OK, many hitting my head, but on several occasions it would not chamber the next round. Tried to push it slightly but slide would not move. Had to remove the clip and push the top shell back fully in the clip and it worked OK then.

I did not clean the gun before I shot it but did tear it down and it looked very clean with a slight amount of oil.
I did notice that the ramp that the bullet rides up on has a fairly noticable horizontal scratch/gouge that might be causing the hang ups.

Any thoiughts will be greatly appreciated as this really bothers me as to the reliability of the weapon.


Tom

That FOCCHI stuff is JUNK. I had the same issue with my PPS. I stopped using that and used Tula, and two different kinds of Winchester ammo. Not a single problem.

 

[Tom3holer]

Well I am off on a 12 day business trip but will report back when I return and get to fire the gun after a through cleaning.
Again thank you all for the help.

Tom

 

[daveshrews]

I've had two different 9mm PPS's and neither have had any problems. My current one has the standard disconnector instead of the MA one, and I can tell you it's definitely a little nicer, but not enough to worry about for most shooters.

This little gun has incredibly tight tolerances and when you work the action yourself it almost feels like it hangs up sometimes, but I've never had it actually hang up in operation. Keep it well lubed, put some more rounds through it and switch up your ammo, and if you still have problems, contact Walther.

In mine, I use mostly Winchester white box for the range, and mostly Cor-Bon or Federal for carry.

 

[Tom3holer]

I did not, at the time, notice which ammo was giving the problem although I shot both equally that day and the problems seemed to occur throughout the whole session. When I get back home will just try the FOCCHI and see if that was the problem. I hope not because I bought 1000 rounds at a show just before I got the gun.

Tom

 

[Broc]

The Focchi is not bad, I jsut dont think the PPS likes it.

If that is the case with your PPS, I am sure you would be able to sell it to a fellow NES member and get your money back. Make sure your gun is clean and oiled efore trying again.

 

[Gastrok]

Could it possibly be that I had on those several occasions somehow been pushing up on the slide lock and it locked it open? Does the slide come back when firing far enough to engage the lock if accidently pressed up? I don't think this is the case but thought I'd throw it out.

This seems improbable considering the design of the slide lock. The moving part of the lock is surrounded on the lower 3 sides by a small "wall" which should effectively block any random swiping of the thumb.


I'm about 500 rounds in on my 2-week old PPS and I have had one failure to feed with Hornady Critical Defense, which I found out later just doesn't work well in the PPS because of the cone shape of the bullet (i.e. i't's not rounded).

Hope you figure things out when you get back from your trip.

 

[mark056]

First, it is a new gun, right? Lots of semi-autos have to be broken in. Second, certain pistols are finicky about what ammo they use, and sometimes it's not even consistent. Pistol A of a particular model doesn't like ammunition X, but ammunition X runs just fine in Pistol B that doesn't like ammunition Y that runs just fine in Pistol A.

100 rounds is hardly a test of the reliability of the pistol. You may want to ensure that the magazine is firmly inserted (it's not a clip, that is something else that one sees with certain rifles like the M1 or certain pistols like the very old Mauser Broomhandles ). What was the configuration of the bullet in both the Fiocchi and the Blazer? (the bullet would be the projectile part of the cartridge the term shell isn't usually used in the context of handgun ammunition ) was it a hollow point, or a full metal jacket? Sometimes the feed ramp does not allow for different bullet shapes to chamber well.

Did you clean your pistol before you took it to the range? It's always a good idea to do so, as there may be excess oil or other preservatives in the pistol which can impede function.

I would say that you should fire at least five hundred rounds in the pistol before you pass any judgements. Some custom handguns costing thousands of dollars have a break-in period. Your Walther is a quality handgun by a very reputable maker. If possible have a more experienced shooter accompany you to the range.

Congratulations on your new pistol and for becoming a shooter again.

 

[whatluck]

You should make sure you have a good firm grip on that thing. Little semiautos tend to be very sensitive to limp wristing. Secondly, you should put ~500 rounds through it before it can be called broken in. Thirdly, these malfunctions are an important opportunity for some training drills. I recommend you learn to tap-rack.

 

[Kahrmine]

or maybe:
Limp wristing - lack of very firm grip / letting the gun bounce in your hand , will absorb some of the recoil - but that energy was designed to be soaked up by the spring , and then used to reload the next round.

Thanks for explaining this.

 

[carbuncle]

Yeah, limp wristing is definitely a real concern in small guns: my ex couldn't contol her Para P-10 and had constant limp wrist malfs. Me, no problems with that gun, super fun to shoot.

Posted from my busted old G2 on T-mobile's sorry network.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I have one and didn't have to break it in. I put 1400 rounds through it without a failure to do anything. If ejected cases are hitting you on the head, you're limp wristing it.

 

[DJ_99Wing]

I don't think you mentioned if you were shooting left handed or right handed. If left handed could that also cause the brass to be hitting him in the head? I know that with some pistols that brass comes close to my head.

 

[Cerfur]

Limp wrist..and a pps need 200 or 300 rounds to break in do that and post back! That simple