Great pistol but...

[JJCII]

I've wanted a P7M8 for a long time. The constant motion manual arms is a great concept and the build quality on this pistol screams durability (not refinement). I can praise aspects of the P7 til the cows come home. However, if it were a dog I'd have to put it down. My P7M8 bites the hand that feeds it, resulting in a permanent scar on the back of my (strongside) hand between my thumb and fore finger. Consequentially, I am unable to shoot this pistol as well as others.

So here's the question. Do any of you own pistols you don't shoot well because of ergomics, but keep for other reasons?

Thanks in advance.

JJCII

[CJO]

I've got a milspec Systema .45 that inflicts severe hammer bite...I just cut the fingers off a golf glove which solved the problem nicely.....If I decide to use it for my carry gun hammer bite is the last thing I would worry about.....

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Yes. I've got a SIG P210 that is utterly reliable and accurate, but the darned thing bites me. I don't want to bob the hammer as it's hard chromed and replacement parts for this pistol are extreeeeeeeeeeeemly expensive.

Since I have obtained a GP Comp BHP and a 9mm STI Trojan Longlside, I don't shoot the P210.

I suspect I'll sell it eventually.

Best.

[dsk]

Two older 1911s, a WW1 and a 1927 commercial, both with large wide-spur hammers. I keep them purely for collecting, not for shooting. As for non-1911s, I'm less forgiving so they get sold rather quickly if they bite. A little American Arms PX-22 did, and it became an orphan in a hurry.

[Kermit]

Well, I did. I had a S&W 1076. The problems wasn't w/ the gun, but w/ the round...tough to find ammo & when I did, it was expensive! Sold it a a HUGE loss, but turned it into something I can use on a regular basis.

[Blackhawk]

I was surprised to discover the stainless Walther PPK .380 is a biter! Beautiful thing, sturdy, exceptionally well built, but if I hold it naturally, it's gonna bite my big thumb knuckle.

[Kevin in IN]

Blackhawk, I had a Walther PPK that bit me often also. But it wasn't the hammer, it was the under side of the slide that sliced like a razor. A little filing to the two edges muzzled that bad boy for ever.:) Kevin

[johnwill]

Actually, the Walther PPK has had a reputation for biting for years, most likely earned. I know that my PP in .32ACP has bit me once, and I don't shoot it that often...

[Blackhawk]

Kevin,

Right, it's the PPK slide that's positioned to grab a knuckle chunk. While the hammer travels lower than the slide, my big thumb knuckle is higher at the side when gripping the PPK than the web of my hand between the thumb and trigger finger. Just filing the sharp edge of the slide wouldn't do the job in my case. That would just result in a blunt instrument wound, although wearing a glove would prevent injury.

If I think about it, I can keep my thumb out of the way, but if I have to think about it, that's NOT a natural grip. "Draw, point, get thumb clear, fire" isn't my idea of a natural SD scenario!

[C.R.Sam]

Wonder if gun bite might be a large hand thing. Have never had large hands and have never been bitten by a handgun......over a dozen manufacturers and who knows how many models.

Sam

[Ledbetter]

I have pretty large hands and likewise don't get bit, even by my FEG PPK clone. I think it's a thumb-web thing. How many here have webbed thumbs??

Regards.

[9mmepiphany]

have had serveral walthers from the pp family and they all bit as the bottom of the silde rails are razor sharp

sold all of them except a pp in 22lr...my first german pistol and the one that taught me to manage a DA first shot

[Blackhawk]

Don't think it's a large hand thing. Rather, it looks like a design compromise. For example, the PPK slide travels a little over 1/4" above the tip of the hand protector horn above the grip. In contrast, the Kel-Tec P11 slide travels just under 1/2" above it. There's no way the P11 slide could bite me as that thumb knuckle is more than 1/2" below the slide due to the wider grip as well as the greater distance. On the PPK, the web of my hand is above the horn with a firing grip, but only my thumb knuckle is in danger.

The PPK's blowback action design pretty much necessitates a "taller" slide, and the pistol's elegant appearance would be compromised by moving things around to get a little more hand clearance. I probably would have said "they vill have to adjust" about owners who complained as I'm sure Walther did....

BTW, I don't have large hands, webbed hands, or webbed feet!

[JJCII]

Maybe it's a large, fat, webbed-hand thing. At any rate, I'm having the same problem as stated by those with PPKs. Though I wouldn't consider my hands large, I'll have admit that they are a bit...fleshy. The hump in the grip (where the mainspring housing is on a 1911) pushes the web of my hand up just enough to contact the serations on the slide. Like Blackhawk said, if I hold it naturally I get cut.

At this point I may have to pay a costly and inconvenient visit to the gunsmith. Maybe he can suggest a fix.

I wish I didn't like the design of this pistol so much. Sounds like a few of you really like the Walther PPK. Not that I like to revel in anyone elses misfortune, but I'm glad I'm not alone in this regard.

JJCII

[Blackhawk]

JJCII,

Rack the slide with an empty clip in to lock the slide open. Then do your natural grabbing and gripping. You'll see what's victimizing you. Chances are that all you'll have to do is dull the sharp edges of the slide, which won't affect the appearance of the pistol at all.

[JJCII]

Blackhawk:

I've identified the culprit before as being the right rear side of the slide. That's where the blood marks were left and my scar matches the shape of that corner of the slide. Your suggestion is the way I looked for an alternate grip method. It worked, but it doesn't feel natural.

I'll ask the gunsmith if he thinks dulling the slide will prevent the cut. I hope it will as it seems less drastic a change than having the grip frame altered.

Thanks for your suggestion.

JJCII