July 20, 2020, 10:32 PM
abnmacvSA/DA automatic safety question
With a Walther PPK when it comes to a round in the chamber, hammer down; is it as safe as a DA/SA revolver if it's dropped?
July 21, 2020, 12:02 PM
GreenDragoonthe PPK has a hammer block that is only engaged when the safety is on.
July 21, 2020, 12:31 PM
Tigersharkquote:
Originally posted by GreenDragoon:
the PPK has a hammer block that is only engaged when the safety is on.
Not true. The hammer on a PPK is blocked and does not contact the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled. The manual safety provides an additional block to the hammer when engaged.
Can this hammer block break if the PPK is dropped? I don't know. Is the PPK as safe as a SA/DA revolver? I don't know. Perhaps someone else knows the answer and can enlighten us.
July 21, 2020, 03:37 PM
Orive 8Back in the 90s, one of our Detectives was putting on his vest with a holstered PPK/s attached to it (his BUG). The PPK/s dropped on the floor from chest - waist height and the gun discharged. It was witnessed by two other officers in the locker room.
Our Range Master contacted Walther at that time. Walther informed our Range Master that their PPK and PPK/s guns were not safe to be carried with a round in the chamber and the safety in the off position - only in the on position. They said that if the gun landed on the muzzle or the hammer it could fire if dropped.
He put that out to our officers, we had two officers carrying PPK/s as BUGs at that time, both officers got rid of them and purchased SIG P230s.
I had carried a PPK/s back in the mid-late 80s. I always used the safety as a decocker, leaving the weapon off safe for carrying. (Flipped it down then up). I consider myself lucky that I never dropped my PPK/s.
July 22, 2020, 05:53 AM
GreenDragoonquote:
Originally posted by Orive 8:
Back in the 90s, one of our Detectives was putting on his vest with a holstered PPK/s attached to it (his BUG). The PPK/s dropped on the floor from chest - waist height and the gun discharged. It was witnessed by two other officers in the locker room.
Our Range Master contacted Walther at that time. Walther informed our Range Master that their PPK and PPK/s guns were not safe to be carried with a round in the chamber and the safety in the off position - only in the on position. They said that if the gun landed on the muzzle or the hammer it could fire if dropped.
He put that out to our officers, we had two officers carrying PPK/s as BUGs at that time, both officers got rid of them and purchased SIG P230s.
I had carried a PPK/s back in the mid-late 80s. I always used the safety as a decocker, leaving the weapon off safe for carrying. (Flipped it down then up). I consider myself lucky that I never dropped my PPK/s.
Did anyone ever figure out if it landed on the hammer which hit the firing pin, or did the firing pin move forward under inertia?
July 22, 2020, 06:01 AM
Orive 8quote:
Originally posted by GreenDragoon:
Did anyone ever figure out if it landed on the hammer which hit the firing pin, or did the firing pin move forward under inertia?
I don't think so, but I really don't remember, it was back in the early 90s.
July 22, 2020, 07:15 AM
Jimmo952quote:
Originally posted by GreenDragoon:
the PPK has a hammer block that is only engaged when the safety is on.
I think it depends on the vintage of the PPK. The Smith and Wesson version included a passive firing pin safety.
The new Fort Smith guns have continued with that feature.
I'm not a PPK expert but I think I have this right.