Why can't I get the slide of the PPK/s

[TMan]

Well the Royal Scot has turned out to be a royal pain in the ...

I can't get the slide off the frame. I do the same thing as on the other PPK/s: pull down the trigger guard, remove the magazine, pull the slide back and lift it up from the rear. It won't come up at all. Naturally this happens on the weekend when I can't call S&W.

Any ideas?

[Callahan]

Does it make a difference if you drop the magazine first and then pull down the trigger latch?

The only other thing I can think of is you are not pulling the slide back far enough.

Here's a video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDlUsslh45Q

[MLB]

Seems to me that the recoil spring must not be seating all of the way back against the chamber block. If you had a chance to shoot it a bit, that may set it right. Barring that, I'd say that you'd need to rack it back with a bit of gusto.

It had to go back far enough for them to get the slide on. Take a look at the rear rails when you have it back as far as it will go. Perhaps you can see how much further it needs to go.

edit: another thought - I recall hearing that some aftermarket springs were not ground flat (as they should be at the rear end), and that was causing s similar problem. Yours shouldn't be aftermarket, but perhaps S&W outsourced the springs.

[TMan]

Finally, but it drew blood. When I'd pull the slide back with gusto, it would stick back in the open position i.e. the spring wasn't strong enough to pull it forward. The first time it stuck, I pushed it from the back and it went forward. The rear sight went across my left wrist and cut me. Not badly, just bad enough for it to hurt and bleed a little.

I tried this several times, with the safety on and with it off. I noticed in the video that Callahan posted that he left the safety off. (Note: I don't have this problem with any of the other three PPK/s and 2 of them were by S&W and the 3rd by Interarms).

Finally, after getting really ticked off, I running the slide back and forth and suddenly it was off. NO OIL. It was completely dry. Apparently when they got the slide back from engraving, they assembled without the oil.

Callahan, thanks for the video link. I wasn't aware that the spring was smaller on one end than on the other. I'll need to check my other pistols.

I imagine that this thing will take quite a few rounds before it becomes reliable. I may use the white stone on the slide before I take it to the range or perhaps just some Flitz.

[MLB]

The smaller end of the spring goes towards the rear.

[Callahan]

That's good news! I like the way these guys in the videos make it look so easy. You know they practiced a lot.

By the way, did you notice the huge scar on his hand? Looks like he may have gotten in a tangle with a slide himself!

[TMan]

Callahan, no, I didn't notice the scar, but that kind of strikes me funny. I'm really fortunate from the number of times I've been hurt by handguns that I don't have any scars. I'm also fortunate that I had one of the best plastic surgeons in NYC that rebuilt the left side of my face after a head-on collision. He told me there would be two scars where he had to cut in order to get access to the bones that needed to be put back into place. He went on further to explain that when I got older that I would have wrinkles there anyhow and no one would even notice.

[Callahan]

Oct 31, 2010 21:08:05 GMT -5 TMan said:

Callahan, no, I didn't notice the scar, but that kind of strikes me funny. I'm really fortunate from the number of times I've been hurt by handguns that I don't have any scars. I'm also fortunate that I had one of the best plastic surgeons in NYC that rebuilt the left side of my face after a head-on collision. He told me there would be two scars where he had to cut in order to get access to the bones that needed to be put back into place. He went on further to explain that when I got older that I would have wrinkles there anyhow and no one would even notice.

Sounds like a good surgeon. You don't have to be handsome to be welcome on Handgun Forum!

[TMan]

OK, so now I will have a scar...

I finally got back to the PPK that has been setting on the bench for sometime now. I thought it was hard to get the slide off? Much harder (and painful) to put the slide back on.

I got it what appeared to be down all the way, but it wouldn't move forward. So with my left hand I pushed down on the side and with my right thumb pushed forward on the slide. Success!!! Pain!!!

Unfortunately, between the barrel and slide was a small portion of my middle finger, which was subsequently removed.

Yup, what the lefty loons say is true: guns are dangerous.