Polish PPS-43C pistol

[Mike85220]

I ended up getting one of these and have some mixed feelings about it.
I understand these are inexpensive, but I do see videos of them running and testimonials of the running.

Anyways, this is what happened when I got mine:
-I first off, cleaned the gun and noticed the barrel was crudded up, but the rest seemed pretty clean (I worried the corrosive ammo they used in test firing did this.)
-I took 50 rounds of S&B and 4 magazines.
-One magazine likes to jam (I can bend the feedlips later)
-The first 20 rounds, the gun was like a bolt action rifle (it would fire, but would not move the bolt back more then a half inch, as I watched video playback)
-I oiled up, on the hammer face, rear of the bolt and just a little on the extractor, working it back and forth)
-It would then fire a couple in a row (I was thinking, good, it is breaking in... I was wrong)
-I then by the last 30 had two 5 shot strings.

So, I left the range and noted this: It is shortstroking, and maybe the hammer face being all gritty is culprit.
Then I clean it thorough and lube it.

Today's range visit:
-I bring another 50 rounds of S&B ammo.
-I only shoot the 3 good mags.
-It fired two strings of 5 rounds perfect.
-It then has the problem of the bolt is either not resetting the hammer, or shortstroking once again, although this time it is letting the bolt move enough back to eject the empty and feed a new round...(I would pull the trigger, it fires, but then the next trigger pull does not drop the hammer. It is already in the forward position and the live round is in the chamber with sometimes a light strike and sometimes nothing)
-I also experienced a new problem. I would charge the gun, loading a new round, and then pull the trigger. This would result in a click and no bang.
-So, I take the bolt out and notice when I press on the firing pin, it is stuck. Really stuck, I had to press on it very hard to move it. Once moved, it was free, but if you press it in, it is once again stuck!
-What is even worse, is I have to press on the firing pin face to get it to get it unstuck. It stuck in the forward AND back position!!!
-Something is binding the firing pin up, either the pin itself has a burr, the bolt has a burr, or the cross pin holding in the firing pin has a burr!
-I noted that when the pin was in the correct position, it would stick more when rotated so the U shaped cut in the FP was so that it touches the cross pin.
-This stinks, and it is because when I moved the FP so that it is centered, it always rotates when firing and does it anyways. I am not even sure it is fully the cross pin interfering or the bolt has some burr that in certain rotational positions that the FP sits, makes it stick.

So, now I have:
-shortstroking here and there
-a firing pin or firing pin channel that randomly makes it impossible to pop primers depending on it's mood (gets stuck randomly)
-a hammer face that is very gritty (does not help cycling)

I hear people say that the hammer not resetting it because the FCG is too low, and to shim the front end up a penny thick worth of material to reset the hammer a little earlier... But, when I hand cycle the bolt, it always resets the hammer. I say it is binding somewhere, and the hammer could be the culprit, or at least part of it.

I know one other post somewhere else talked about a sticking firing pin, and he fixed it by removing the FP and honed the channel. This seemed to fix it for him.

I am going to call IO tomorrow and see what they can do.
If I go in with a dremel and work on this, they will void the warranty and it wont guarantee that this will fix this gun. Perhaps the trunion is misaligned or something more drastic is preventing this gun from working right. It says it is a one year warranty, and I hope they don't talk to me about "how much it will cost to fix" and just say we are sending a return label and will fix it ASAP.

Anyone else have one of these and have any good or bad to say about the PPS-43C?

 

[timkel]

You have so many problems. Send it back to Mfg for repair.
The one I have ran perfectly right out of the box. But I use Bulgarian? Surplus ammo which is fairly hot.

 

[Mike85220]

I pondered about the ammo, as I was worried it was more for the CZ52 or Tokarev.
I seen some videos where people shot their PPS-43C with S&B though.
Either their guns are more broken in, or it is just that mine has a few things needing attention.
I agree with you though, it isn't running out of the box and I should have the manufacturer fix it.

I'll say one good thing, at 25 feet, this thing was shooting through the same hole. I hope they don't swap me with one that shoots but can't hit the broadside of a barn. Lol!

 

[bbrown]

Mine works just fine with Romanian surplus, S&B and Prvi.

 

[Mike85220]

I called the mfg and the number is not in service, and then I called IO and they are moving their facility and wont take calls until August 1st. I hope IO can do something about this as I am pretty disappointed.

 

[patracy]

I have a PPS as well. After I worked on it, it's been ok. There's still a few things I don't like about it once I got past the firing pin lockup. The top receiver latch sometimes comes loose. And that hammer is TINY. I've seen other pics of the hammer breaking in some guns. But I've heard it was from bump firing. I certainly wouldn't dry fire it though.

The sticking firing pin honestly scares the crap out of me. The PPS-43 was a open bolt. The bolt in the gun is actually the same bolt from the original PPS, only machined out for a pin and a blocking bar. If you're running hotter surplus ammo (that's what I run). The potential is there for a run away. Especially given the fact there's no bolt lock for it.

 

[Tom5390]

I have one that was a problem child when I first got it. Runs 100% now using romy and bulgy surplus.

I had 2 majors issues:
-Hammer would not always reset.
-Weak ejection, where the case barely made it out of the receiver and many times got hung up inside the receiver.

Fixed the hammer follow by adding a couple of thin washers under the FCG group (very easy). This raises it just a tad, but thats all it needs.

I determined the weak ejection was due to a weak extractor spring (could move it with my finger). I figured most of the surplus springs would not be any better than mine and with no source of new springs I took another small spring out of my parts bin that fit in the extractor spring hole (may have been some kind of FAL spring), cut it down as a shim and forced the old weak spring back in on top of it. This made a very stiff extractor. Worked great and now throws brass 20 feet. No more cases getting caught insde the receiver.

I also made a new buffer out of a peice of leather.

Also ran it dryer, than before, with just a light sheen of oil on the bolt.

Last 2 times I've taken it out its run great (about 400 rounds so far).

 

[Mike85220]

Here is a question:
While I understand that the shim will raise the FCG, thus make the hammer reset earlier...
My question is, why does it help?
The reason I ask, is that when I hand cycle the bolt, it 100% of the time resets the hammer.

But... when it shoots, it sometimes does not.

So, my conclusion is, the bolt never went far back enough to reset it.
Therefore, it is shortstroking and needs either the points within the gun that cause too much abrasion and friction, they need honed. Or, it needs hot ammo.

I noticed the inside of the receiver getting really rubbed hard by the bolt.
The bolt has the cut out on top so an SMG bolt wont fit.
The cut is very rough as they milled it and never honed it.

I just worry that when I crack out my dremil to hone the face of the hammer, the top milled part of the bolt and the firing pin channel on the bolt... my warranty is gone. There is a chance that all my tinkering will land me a gun that still wont work.

It does give me hope that you said your PPS was problematic and then after using Romy and Bulgy ammo, it is running right.

I love this gun, for what it can be. I was blown away at how it shot through the same hole and it is comfortable to aim and shoot.
Now if I can just get it reliable.

Heck, this would be a good gun to teach people how to clear a weapon. Just kidding, I hope this thing will get fixed.

 

[Ulwembu]

Are you making sure you're gripping the gun strong enough? In other words: when shooting are you stopping the recoil? This may sound weird but I've seen people shoot pistols and getting stove pipes all the time and then when they let me shoot, nothing is wrong. I think they call it limb wrist shooting in English? If you move too much in line with the recoil, the bolt slows down and maybe doesn't go back far enough to reset the hammer.

 

[patracy]

IO's customer support has been very lacking. That's why I tore into the gun. Well, that and I'm a FFL. I had problems as well with S&B ammo, but no short stroking or feed issues from surplus ammo. I haven't crono'ed it, but I suspect the S&B isn't as hot as the surplus.

I would only very lightly polish that hammer. I wouldn't want to loose any material from it's already thin design. I would work on opening up the blocking bar channel there. Firing pin channel and pin as well.

 

[Mike85220]

-I am holding the PPS43C tightly, and I even bench rested it. It is also oiled up a lot more than I would do on any firearm. When I oiled it up, it started to give me more shots in a row than when it was given the standard oiling.

-I am hoping that the company's move to Florida had something to do with their lacking customer service. I did hear that on August 1st, they should be good to go with taking calls, but it of course does not mean everyone is settled in. On Thursday, I will give them a call and see what is what. Hopefully they honor the one year warranty. If not, the dremil is coming out.

Thank you guys for the input, hearing all of this is helping me out and hopefully others that are in the same boat.

 

[patracy]

Prior to the move, it honestly wasn't that great. Just my .02.

 

[Mike85220]

Lol, I was just hoping and giving the benefit of the doubt.

I will call them tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[Mike85220]

Well, they lied. There is no answer and their website is down. I might give them a week to settle in and then it is dremil time if they do not answer.

 

[Mike85220]

It has come down to this based off of analysis and input:
-The top of the bolt where it is milled to clear the receiver blocking bar has too much abrasiveness. Needs honed...
-The face of the hammer is also too abrasive. Needs honed...
-The channel for which the firing pin resides has burrs. Needs honed...

I finally got a hold of I.O., and they are telling me:
-There will be no return label. I have to pay for shipping.
-I wont pay for return shipping though. But, the return form I must fill out says I need to give them my CC info as I am agreeing on the form to pay for return shipping!
-I am told I 'might' have to pay for repairs. That is depending on the problems, but it is a new gun and I caused none of the problems so I doubt I would have to.

So... I am feeling a little jipped right now.

I can:
Hone the stuff myself... but run the risk that it may still not run which now I will be out a warranty and have to pay shipping, repair and return shipping.
Send it in... pay shipping, and most likely return shipping along with a month to a month and a half return time.

I know they are going by procedure. I know they can't authorize me to hone stuff and still keep the warranty. But in the end... this just sucks.
I bought the gun, expected it to work and now no matter what... I will have to pay more to get it to run right.
How fair is that?

 

[root]

Well that sux and on that note.

Since you seem to have a grasp as to what is what with it I'd fix it myself

Think of it like this DO YOU really think they are going to polish everything that needs it?

You mentioned quite a few parts are roughed up. Do you really think they will smooth them all or just fix it enough to send back.

I would do it myself and I would do one part at a time until it ran 100% then leave it at that as everything will wear in with use.

 

[patracy]

Sorry about how things are going with IO. The response you were given is exactly why I just repaired their poor workmanship myself.

 

[Mike85220]

I took it out again this weekend, and me hand cycling it like 1000 times helped, but it just make it shortstroke less...
I also hand cycled the firing pin 1000 times and it only helped prevent light to no primer strikes for the first 25 rounds...

This says to me, the gun really does have binding problems.
I am still not 100% decided as to fix this myself or send it in.
The reason is, if the bolt sleeve is working its way out, I can't fix that.

I am going to call and see if I can just send the bolt back.
That way it is $7 to ship and if they fix the firing pin problem, that is the worst of the problems.
The gun will most likely wear its way in with the shortstroking.