Walther PPK/S Question

[BananaTyrant]

I was taking a look at a friend's Walther and I noticed that when the safety is turned on, the hammer automatically falls. Is this correct, and if so, if there's a round in the chamber does it fire it? We took it apart and it didn't look like there was any kind of disconnect between the pin and hammer.

The Model is a Walther PPK/S in 9mm Kurz(.380acp) with Made in W. Germany on one side of the slide and Interarms Alexandria Germany on the other if that helps at all. I don't really know how old it is. All I know is his brother bought it years before he died in 1996. Not sure exactly when though.

[OneSevenDeuce]

Sounds like it is not actually a safety, it is a decocker. When placed in the "safe" mode the hammer falls as the firing pin is disengaged. That would be my guess. When in doubt, whip the manual out.

[BananaTyrant]

Sounds like it is not actually a safety, it is a decocker. When placed in the "safe" mode the hammer falls as the firing pin is disengaged. That would be my guess. When in doubt, whip the manual out.

He never got a manual. His brother had lost it or something. He didn't even know his brother had it till he was sorting through his stuff after he passed.

[OneSevenDeuce]

Yup, looks like from what I can determine the PPK has a decocker.

[BananaTyrant]

So, if that was used with a round in the tube, would it fire?

[OneSevenDeuce]

So, if that was used with a round in the tube, would it fire?

No. It's meant to do what it's doing. A decocker does exactly that. It decocks the pistol. It's the same with a Beretta 92F. I was nervous about it before I knew what decockers are too. But after extensive use and training with the 92F I got over my fear.

[BananaTyrant]

Thanks for your help.

[OneSevenDeuce]

Cheers.

[paul0660]

Activating the decocker should put a block between the hammer and firing pin. The safety will also work after decocking, to prevent cocking the hammer while racking, and to prevent trigger action.

It is an elaborate DA/SA system.

[BigRich]

There is also a trigger activated block in the frame that prevents the hammer from contacting the firing pin in case the hammer drop is out of time.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

And here's a manual for ya!

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/Walther/upload/other/PPK_PPKs.pdf

EDIT: Once upon a time, back in a magical land we call the 1990's when I was still in the business, I had a customer (of the...uh... gang banger wannabe variety) that was checking out a (of course) bright polished stainless Taurus PT-92. And he kept insisting that the slide mounted de-cocker was a "secondary trigger" because it made the hammer drop. He then proceeded to pose in the iconic gangster style, gun held high and sideways and flip the de-cocker with his thumb and say "bang yo!"

I tried to explain how the safety/de-cocker actually worked but he insisted that he had heard about the "second trigger" in a rap song. *sigh* sometimes you can't fight stupid.

[littlejake]

The PP series has a slide mounted safety/decocker. Watch around the back of the firing pin as the safety is rotated to ON. You'll see the firing pin is flanked on each side such that the firing pin cannot be struck by the hammer.

Intended use is to permit chambering a round with the safety/decocker ON -- it will chamber the round and leave the hammer down.

With the safety on, the hammer can be pulled back but will not engage the sear -- it cannot be cocked. The trigger becomes deactivated with the safety ON.

[OneSevenDeuce]

And here's a manual for ya!

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/Walther/upload/other/PPK_PPKs.pdf

EDIT: Once upon a time, back in a magical land we call the 1990's when I was still in the business, I had a customer (of the...uh... gang banger wannabe variety) that was checking out a (of course) bright polished stainless Taurus PT-92. And he kept insisting that the slide mounted de-cocker was a "secondary trigger" because it made the hammer drop. He then proceeded to pose in the iconic gangster style, gun held high and sideways and flip the de-cocker with his thumb and say "bang yo!"

I tried to explain how the safety/de-cocker actually worked but he insisted that he had heard about the "second trigger" in a rap song. *sigh* sometimes you can't fight stupid.

Classic. Even the brain dead have a right to arm themselves I guess.

[Air]

PPK's decock. The hammer will fall, but the hammer block prevents contact with the firing pin so it won't discharge...

Safety is engaged (down position) with the hammer down. The safety can then be moved to 'fire' (up) and the pistol is fired in double action mode.

Everything sounds perfectly normal.

[dfletcher]

So, if that was used with a round in the tube, would it fire?

If you want to get a good visual on how it works (gun empty of course) pull the slide to the rear on an empty mag, lock it back. Look at the firing pin in the butt end of the slide with the decocking lever up (off). You'll see that the firing pin protrudes far enough to the rear that a whack will send it forward. Turn the decocking lever down (on) and you'll see how the stem of the decocking lever turns and introduces a steel barrier higher than the firing pin protrudes - the hammer can't reach the pin to give it a whack and it's timed so that by the time the hammer is "decocked" that bar of steel is already in place.