PPKS - HOLLOW POINT AMMO

[SWAT 56]

I recently acquired a like new Interarms Walther PPKS . It does just fine with FMJ's but I can't get a single round to load with hollow points. so far I've tried three different high end loads with no luck (Federal, Winchester, and Remington) any suggestions on either a load that will function reliably or mods that will make this happen. I wanted to use this for a warm weather CCW.

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[Stomper]

I'm assuming it's properly lubricated, so polish the feed ramp to start with. If that doesn't do it, then some gun smithing on the feed ramp and/or chamber throat may be in order.

If it's brand spankin' new, run a few hundred FMJ rounds through it so it's "broke in" before "smithin' it".

 

[SynapticSilence]

Hornady Critical Defense ammo has a very short and almost pointed bullet profile that allows it to work in some guns where others won't. Polishing the feed ramp is always a good idea, with the caveat you just want to polish it, not take any actual metal away. Dremels are very often NOT your friend for this task. The other thing I'd suggest is changing out the recoil spring. The PPKs are blowback weapons and therefore have a slightly heavier slide than non-blowback guns, since the slide is held in place by the weight of the slide until the bullet exits the barrel. If the recoil spring is weak, it might not be pushing the slide back hard enough to efficiently chamber the next round. FMJs with their rounded profile would slip in easy enough, but JHPs have a lot more non-smooth surfaces and therefore might hang up with a weak recoil spring. Always a good idea to change the recoil spring on an older gun, especially if you don't know its history or how many rounds have been through it.

 

[edison bulb]

It was my understanding that polishing the feed ramp does, in fact, remove metal.

 

[bellarum]

My son just picked up the S&W version PPK for a carry piece. S&W redesigned feed ramp to better feed HP ammo. The earlier PPKs were designed for use of ball ammo and had issues feeding HPs. Hope you get yours figured out! Good luck!

 

[boogerhook]

I recently acquired a like new Interarms Walther PPKS . It does just fine with FMJ's but I can't get a single round to load with hollow points. so far I've tried three different high end loads with no luck (Federal, Winchester, and Remington) any suggestions on either a load that will function reliably or mods that will make this happen. I wanted to use this for a warm weather CCW.

Mine eats the Hornady Critical Defense rounds (very small mouth) and Speer Gold Dot GDHP flawlessly. No smithin' needed.

 

[SynapticSilence]

Polishing removes a very small amount of surface material but doesn't change the geometry of the feed ramp.

 

[Boomer50]

Polishing the barrel ramp and upper chamber is not hard and can be a home job taking about a half-hour. I too had some problems with my Interarms PPK and sharp-edged hollow points like old-time Hydroshocks. Get a sheet of "crocus cloth" from a hardware store; it is a ridiculously fine emery cloth for polishing, probably 1000+ grit. Tear some 1"X2" strips and wrap over a sequence of different sized soft pencil eraser heads. Polish lightly with in-out strokes only, like the bullet feeds, nothing sideways or rotary. Very soon the metal will gleam like chrome; very little metal should be removed. That's what I did, and now my PPK feeds flawlessly, though I have never again tried Hydroshocks. Never use steel case ammo. I prefer Remington Golden Sabers and Speer Gold Dots, which are rated the best except for rare exotics. The PPK is now the last gun I would ever sell!

 

[brentb636]

When I polish my feed ramps , I use a Dremel tool, some polishing paste and a "bullet shaped" polishing pad. I little bit goes a long way. Of course, polishing removes some metal, but microscopic amounts. As to 380 ammo, check the AmmoQuest series on utube for some ballistics results . It's an education. I use hydrashoks because they qualify and are easy to find.