Decocking issue with a PPK

cavediver27 · January 14, 2005, 01:21 PM

I have a 1991 manufactured Interarms stainless PPK. It's a great little gun that I really enjoy. It fires smooth as silk and has had no failures to feed or eject after 500+ rounds of various ammo (of course I did a good F&B and polished the feed ramp).

One strange thing it does every now and then is the decock lever will drop down and basically 'puts itself on safe' after firing a round. The decocker is tight and not at all loose and I can't see any place anything is rubbing. I'm pretty good a figuring out a cause and effect on anything mechanical but this has me stumped.

Has anyone ever had this condition and what did you do to remedy?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

steveno · January 14, 2005, 02:53 PM

I think there is a ball detent that holds the lever in place.

cavediver27 · January 14, 2005, 03:14 PM

The detent is tight, in fact it takes what I feel is a reasonable amount of pressure to overide the detent to decock the gun, not unlike what my Ruger P95DC requires. That's the weird thing, everything is tight. Has me baffled?????

Thanks for responding, I appreciate it!

Handy · January 14, 2005, 03:46 PM

Just a thought:

Could something in the frame, including the trip lever, be snagging the safety inside the slide and rotating it down as it comes into battery?

cavediver27 · January 14, 2005, 04:29 PM

By 'trip lever' do you mean the 'hammer release'? I hadn't thought about that but it is a possibility. I wonder if taking 'ever so little' off of the tip and making a slight radius would make a difference??? I'll have to stare at it for a while and think a little before I get the needle files out!

Thanks for giving me something to think about!

Dfariswheel · January 14, 2005, 08:03 PM

I've heard of a couple of cases of this, but I've never been able to actually get inside of one to look at what could be causing it.

The safety is powered by the same spring that powers the extractor.
There is a pointed plunger at the rear that interfaces with two detent holes joined by a groove on the safety shaft.

On the front there's a plunger with a cut in it to interlock with the extractor.

There's really no way the safety could be getting caught by the hammer trip, since that would push the safety UP not down, UNLESS the safety is being activated on the RECOIL stroke, and not on the feed stroke.

So, sorry, without seeing the gun I have no good ideas how this could be happening.

One suggestion is to compare the safety tension to another PP series pistol.

Possibly a dirty/fouled/kinked/weak ejector-safety spring?
A worn or damaged safety plunger?
A burr or other projection on the frame catching the safety?

cavediver27 · January 14, 2005, 11:59 PM

I checked the ejector and spring and they are fine as is the safety plunger. I went ahead and did a good polishing of the frame with 1000 grit anywhere it could catch the safety as well as the contact surface of the hammer where it contacts the safety. I'll take it to the range and see how it goes.

Thanks for the ideas!

Dfariswheel · January 15, 2005, 03:16 PM

If it still drops, you can either send it back to the factory, OR remove the safety and VERY slightly deepen the detent hole on the safety shaft to better interlock with the safety plunger

Handy · January 15, 2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

UP not down, UNLESS the safety is being activated on the RECOIL stroke, and not on the feed stroke.

No, it would have to be the feed stroke to rotate the front of the safety down. Think about it.

**4V50 Gary** · January 16, 2005, 02:07 PM

Spring probably needs replacement.

cavediver27 · January 16, 2005, 10:14 PM

Thanks very much for all the replys, they were helpful!

January 14, 2005, 01:21 PM	#1
cavediver27 Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 499	Decocking issue with a PPK I have a 1991 manufactured Interarms stainless PPK. It's a great little gun that I really enjoy. It fires smooth as silk and has had no failures to feed or eject after 500+ rounds of various ammo (of course I did a good F&B and polished the feed ramp). One strange thing it does every now and then is the decock lever will drop down and basically 'puts itself on safe' after firing a round. The decocker is tight and not at all loose and I can't see any place anything is rubbing. I'm pretty good a figuring out a cause and effect on anything mechanical but this has me stumped. Has anyone ever had this condition and what did you do to remedy? Thanks in advance for any insights.

January 16, 2005, 02:07 PM	#10
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Spring probably needs replacement. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

January 14, 2005, 02:53 PM	#2
steveno Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2004 Location: Minden , Nebraska Posts: 1,407	I think there is a ball detent that holds the lever in place.

January 14, 2005, 03:14 PM	#3
cavediver27 Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 499	The detent is tight, in fact it takes what I feel is a reasonable amount of pressure to overide the detent to decock the gun, not unlike what my Ruger P95DC requires. That's the weird thing, everything is tight. Has me baffled????? Thanks for responding, I appreciate it!

January 14, 2005, 03:46 PM	#4
Handy Junior member Join Date: August 31, 2001 Posts: 8,785	Just a thought: Could something in the frame, including the trip lever, be snagging the safety inside the slide and rotating it down as it comes into battery?

January 14, 2005, 04:29 PM	#5
cavediver27 Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 499	By 'trip lever' do you mean the 'hammer release'? I hadn't thought about that but it is a possibility. I wonder if taking 'ever so little' off of the tip and making a slight radius would make a difference??? I'll have to stare at it for a while and think a little before I get the needle files out! Thanks for giving me something to think about!

January 14, 2005, 08:03 PM	#6
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	I've heard of a couple of cases of this, but I've never been able to actually get inside of one to look at what could be causing it. The safety is powered by the same spring that powers the extractor. There is a pointed plunger at the rear that interfaces with two detent holes joined by a groove on the safety shaft. On the front there's a plunger with a cut in it to interlock with the extractor. There's really no way the safety could be getting caught by the hammer trip, since that would push the safety UP not down, UNLESS the safety is being activated on the RECOIL stroke, and not on the feed stroke. So, sorry, without seeing the gun I have no good ideas how this could be happening. One suggestion is to compare the safety tension to another PP series pistol. Possibly a dirty/fouled/kinked/weak ejector-safety spring? A worn or damaged safety plunger? A burr or other projection on the frame catching the safety?

January 14, 2005, 11:59 PM	#7
cavediver27 Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 499	I checked the ejector and spring and they are fine as is the safety plunger. I went ahead and did a good polishing of the frame with 1000 grit anywhere it could catch the safety as well as the contact surface of the hammer where it contacts the safety. I'll take it to the range and see how it goes. Thanks for the ideas!

January 15, 2005, 03:16 PM	#8
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	If it still drops, you can either send it back to the factory, OR remove the safety and VERY slightly deepen the detent hole on the safety shaft to better interlock with the safety plunger

January 16, 2005, 10:14 PM	#11
cavediver27 Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 499	Thanks very much for all the replys, they were helpful!