[Job1]

I just received one of the Polish PPs-43c's and took it to the range. What a great day! I was ready for everything from FTF's, FTE's, blown cases, non-performing every-other mag, everything. I am very happy to report we experienced NO problems at all!! We even found that all 7 mags work just fine and even had the time to sight it in! What a fun gun!!!

But, we did experience an occasional failure to fire with the surplus ammo as reported on just about every forum. I even used the most expensive Yugo and still had the one/two per mag that would not discharge without reloading it a second time.

I got thinking......at one time I had one of the French MAS 49/56 rifles and LOVED it!!! I had read on the French Firearms forum at that time to avoid the occasional FTF with the older hard primered surplus ammo, just ever-so-lightly sharpened the point of the firing pin so it tends to press-in that extra hair to set-off that hard primer. Has anyone tried this with the PPS-43c yet??? What are your thoughts? Could it work here too????

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Job1]

Well, I went ahead, disassembled the bolt and lightly sharpened the FP. I'll let you know if there's any difference. I did note that on these newer guns, the extractor holds the forward FP in place. Everything came flying out!

Off to the range when it warms-up.

 

[Charles Lipscomb]

never heard of sharpening a firing pin. in fact that has always been stressed that you don't want it shatp as it wwill pierce the primers. having said thsat, i've read of guys polishing the firing pin, and the inside of the bolt to remove burrs from manufacture. i'd try that first. good luck..

 

[DK PHILLIPS]

when you get a soft primer whats going to happen i wonder?

 

[Clyde]

when you get a soft primer whats going to happen i wonder?

Sharp FP + soft primer = pierced primer nad gas in the action. In my experience.

 

[Stuffy 25th IA]

I bought one of these from a member here, he stated he had put 200 rounds thru it with no problem, I think he forgot to mention the 400 that didn't go off. My firing pin was to short. I made a new firing pin using a AR-15 pin, they are cheap to buy, around $6.00 each. Made the new pin, took it to the range after work, put a little over 100 rounds thru it with no problems at all, will see how long it will last. I was shooting Romanian ammo.

 

[Job1]

I think it might work. If you re-read my postings, I didn't say to make the point "sharp". I just said to make it more sharp than rounded, to contour it a little. If it causes a problem I can always get another FP. Again, not "sharp", just not as rounded as original. Worked fine in the MAS. The true fix would be an ever-so-slightly longer FP, like Stuffy said. But, I don't have the tools to do what he did probably.

We'll get this new toy working, you'll see! It might take a few tries, but I'm working on it!

Dave

 

[ruskiegunlover]

I say go for it. I think you could do it safely, and just wear glasses when you shoot, which you should do anyway. The idea makes sense.....

 

[WLD Bill]

I would streach the firing pin spring and see what happens.

 

[Job1]

Well, two trips to the range and I'm back with results. In short, a tad better maybe; but, I'm thinking a slightly longer FP is the real answer. Here's what happened and what I learned:

1. Always take a couple tools to the range!!!!
2. Unlike the info I read ahead of time, remove the extractor before trying to remove the forward FP! It holds the FP in place...dah.
3. Do not use the rear 'firing' pin to hammer-out the forward firing pin. There's a chance I peened the ends enough to shorten them a tad. Not good.
4. The primers were indented a little more than before, improving reliability maybe 20%, maybe. Those hard primers are really hard. I am not going to sharpen the FP any more. There were NO pierced primers but it's not worth going further in my opinion. EVERY hard round fired with a second try, every one.
5. Unlike the original random light strikes/hard primers during last week's range trip, today the light strikes/hard primers were at the beginning and end of each fully loaded magazine. The middle 30 rounds in each mag went off without a hitch. Coincidence of loading the hard primered rounds or another problem???

Thanks for all your input, fellas. I'd like to get this cool piece working reliably with any rounds. Bill, since the FP spring is on the rear pin and there's no spring on the forward pin, stretching the spring probably wouldn't do anything to extend the forward motion of the forward pin as the spring just holds the rear pin back to get struck by the hammer.

Stuffy, do you have instructions for altering the AR pin for the PPS43c? I only have a Dremel, no lathe. Thanks, Dave

 

[Stuffy 25th IA]

Well, two trips to the range and I'm back with results. In short, a tad better maybe; but, I'm thinking a slightly longer FP is the real answer. Here's what happened and what I learned:

1. Always take a couple tools to the range!!!!
2. Unlike the info I read ahead of time, remove the extractor before trying to remove the forward FP! It holds the FP in place...dah.
3. Do not use the rear 'firing' pin to hammer-out the forward firing pin. There's a chance I peened the ends enough to shorten them a tad. Not good.
4. The primers were indented a little more than before, improving reliability maybe 20%, maybe. Those hard primers are really hard. I am not going to sharpen the FP any more. There were NO pierced primers but it's not worth going further in my opinion. EVERY hard round fired with a second try, every one.
5. Unlike the original random light strikes/hard primers during last week's range trip, today the light strikes/hard primers were at the beginning and end of each fully loaded magazine. The middle 30 rounds in each mag went off without a hitch. Coincidence of loading the hard primered rounds or another problem???

Thanks for all your input, fellas. I'd like to get this cool piece working reliably with any rounds. Bill, since the FP spring is on the rear pin and there's no spring on the forward pin, stretching the spring probably wouldn't do anything to extend the forward motion of the forward pin as the spring just holds the rear pin back to get struck by the hammer.

Stuffy, do you have instructions for altering the AR pin for the PPS43c? I only have a Dremel, no lathe. Thanks, Dave

A Dremel cutoff tool and my drill press is about all I used, and a good file. After taking some good measurements, I cut the front part of the pin, and then cut it off from the main part of the AR firing pin. Chucked it in the drill press and lower it down onto the file, removing small amounts of metal at a time, you must remove it and install it into the bolt a few times to get the correct length, both front and rear of the firing pin. Once you have it trimmed to the correct length, you must use the cutoff wheel of the Dremel to make the notch into the body of the pin. I also, when it was done, heated my firing pin with a torch, and dipped it in Kasenit to harden the pin, them reheated it and let it air cool to temper it. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow just to let you know what it looks like.

 

[Job1]

Thank you, Stuffy!! A pic would let me know if I can attempt it or not.

Dave

 

[Stuffy 25th IA]

Thank you, Stuffy!! A pic would let me know if I can attempt it or not.

Dave

Htere are a couple of pictures, hope they help you, if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.
The first photo shows the length of the pin sticking out the face of the bolt, the 2nd photo shows the end of the AR-15 pin that I cut off and worked over.
I might ad, to remove the bolt face and pin from the bolt, I bought a 1/8" drill bit that is 12" long from the local hard ware store, worked great to drive it out with.

 

[Job1]

Wow, that's great! Thank you very much!!!! I might be able to try it with the tools I have. You just used the forward section of the FP, cutting back the smaller diameter shaft so that sticks out almost twice the length of the factory one. Then using the section of the FP where the small diameter meets the larger diameter as the base point, measured back the same length as the factory larger diameter section then cut it off from the rest of the un-used FP. Finally, cut the indent in the larger diameter section to match the factory indent.....correct???

You wouldn't still have the factory pin to photograph it next to the one you made so I could see the comparison????? (Sorry, a smithy I'm not!)

Dave

 

[Stuffy 25th IA]

The factory pin is in my tool box at work, will try to remember to bring it home tomorrow.
The firing pin sticks out about .080" from the face of the bolt, I came up with this measurement from one of my 91/30 bolts. I figure if it works on a Mosin with hard primers, it should work on the PPS 43.

 

[Job1]

Thank you, sir. I certainly appreciate the help and advice. Are there any AR firing pins to avoid? I see them priced all over the board and in made various materials. Is yours just a standard pin?

Thank you!
Dave

 

[03man]

It would help in your search for the problem and solution to charge each magazine with the same mfg/lot of ammo. Also try some with only 10 or 15 rnds loaded. Unless it is just "coincidence", it makes no sense that the first and last rounds would cause the same light strike problem, JMO.

Well, two trips to the range and I'm back with results. In short, a tad better maybe; but, I'm thinking a slightly longer FP is the real answer. Here's what happened and what I learned:

1. Always take a couple tools to the range!!!!
2. Unlike the info I read ahead of time, remove the extractor before trying to remove the forward FP! It holds the FP in place...dah.
3. Do not use the rear 'firing' pin to hammer-out the forward firing pin. There's a chance I peened the ends enough to shorten them a tad. Not good.
4. The primers were indented a little more than before, improving reliability maybe 20%, maybe. Those hard primers are really hard. I am not going to sharpen the FP any more. There were NO pierced primers but it's not worth going further in my opinion. EVERY hard round fired with a second try, every one.
5. Unlike the original random light strikes/hard primers during last week's range trip, today the light strikes/hard primers were at the beginning and end of each fully loaded magazine. The middle 30 rounds in each mag went off without a hitch. Coincidence of loading the hard primered rounds or another problem???

Thanks for all your input, fellas. I'd like to get this cool piece working reliably with any rounds. Bill, since the FP spring is on the rear pin and there's no spring on the forward pin, stretching the spring probably wouldn't do anything to extend the forward motion of the forward pin as the spring just holds the rear pin back to get struck by the hammer.

Stuffy, do you have instructions for altering the AR pin for the PPS43c? I only have a Dremel, no lathe. Thanks, Dave

 

[Stuffy 25th IA]

Thank you, sir. I certainly appreciate the help and advice. Are there any AR firing pins to avoid? I see them priced all over the board and in made various materials. Is yours just a standard pin?

Thank you!

Dave

Bought mine thru MidwayUSA, they were $6.00 each.


584490
DPMS Firing Pin AR-15 Stainless ...

 

[Job1]

Thank you, Stuffy!!! You're the best and I'm sorry to be such a PIA!!! It really sounds like it might work.

Thank you, O3man. I have used the same ammo since trying-out the pistol. And you are correct, I am leaning towards a weird coincidence in loading the difficult rounds the last time at the beginning and end of the two mags. Next time though, I won't fill them all the way just in case. Thanks.

Dave

 

[Job1]

I might get a couple of these ( http://www.midwayusa.com/product/834449/dpms-firing-pin-m-16 ) instead of the chrome plated ones. I don't have a torch to heat it up as much as you, so maybe sticking to a pin made with just one material would work better for me?

Dave