How To Clean And Oil A Walther Ppk S

PPK/S Questions

Hey y'all! I currently CC a Walther PPK/S(Arkansas version) and I'm looking for some advice on cleaning products. Since this thing since is stainless steel, I wanna make sure I take care of it inside and out so, and suggestions for cleaners/polishes to keep it top notch would be greatly appreciated. Also, how often I should clean something stainless steel without destroying it would also help. Thanks in advance

Re: PPK/S Questions

2 by sig230

Just about any brand of CLP. Also a nice grease. If it slides grease it; if it rotates oil it.

You are unlikely to destroy it.

A Hundred and One year old Colt:

Generally I try to clean a gun after every session. With my Walther PP that means a field strip and inspection. Look for bent springs or unusual signs of wear. But mostly shoot it, enjoy it and wipe down before you put it away.

To be vintage it must be older than me!
Stories coming to you from Deep South Texas!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!

Re: PPK/S Questions

3 by wooglin

sig230 wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:45 pm Just about any brand of CLP.

I'm a Hoppes guy. Solvent and oil. Can you expand on this? Any clp product is designed to clean everything? There's really no difference among them? I have some frog lube clp, but I'm not sure I trust a one size fits all product. But I can learn.

Re: PPK/S Questions

4 by sig230

wooglin wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 5:48 pm

sig230 wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:45 pm Just about any brand of CLP.

I'm a Hoppes guy. Solvent and oil. Can you expand on this? Any clp product is designed to clean everything? There's really no difference among them? I have some frog lube clp, but I'm not sure I trust a one size fits all product. But I can learn.

I can say that I hate FrogLube...period. Wouldn't even let my frog near the stuff. But that's about the only one I simply won't get near. I think Ballistol stinks so only use that outside. But Hoppes or RemOil or the one I just bought and cannot even think of the brand name and it's in the other room.

To be vintage it must be older than me!
Stories coming to you from Deep South Texas!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!

Re: PPK/S Questions

5 by wooglin

sig230 wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:00 pm
I can say that I hate FrogLube...period. Wouldn't even let my frog near the stuff. But that's about the only one I simply won't get near. I think Ballistol stinks so only use that outside. But Hoppes or RemOil or the one I just bought and cannot even think of the brand name and it's in the other room.

So you just use the one product for everything. Clean everything with clp, wipe it all down, and that's it?

Re: PPK/S Questions

6 by sig230

wooglin wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:24 pm

sig230 wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:00 pm
I can say that I hate FrogLube...period. Wouldn't even let my frog near the stuff. But that's about the only one I simply won't get near. I think Ballistol stinks so only use that outside. But Hoppes or RemOil or the one I just bought and cannot even think of the brand name and it's in the other room.

So you just use the one product for everything. Clean everything with clp, wipe it all down, and that's it?

No, grease where it slides, some oil if it rotates. And now the gun. Sigs like it wet. S&W Semi just likes most everything. My Beretta Bobcat is like Mikey. When a bore needs major cleaning then I put in more time and effort and depending on whether copper or lead fouling may change products.

I general though I think just knowing your gun and how the pieces parts should look is the most important. But I guess I simply don't get as concerned as some about finger prints or scratches or scrapes; seems I have quite a few of them myself.

To be vintage it must be older than me!
Stories coming to you from Deep South Texas!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!

Re: PPK/S Questions

7 by Stiff

As a knife guy who actually removes stainless steel to sharpen the edge, I can tell you that it takes a lot of manual effort to wear it down. The chance of you damaging the gun from normal use is practically nil. The frame and slide will outlast you and your son and your grandson.

Branded gun oil is overpriced, but it comes in neat containers that are easy to use, so I tolerate it. Get whatever gun oil is the cheapest on sale at your local gun store or walmart, the difference between them is not worth writing about.

It is good practice to clean it after you shoot it. It's not strictly necessary, but I do it anyway. If you plan to store it long term (months), don't be afraid to liberally coat it in oil. Other than that, there's very little maintenance necessary for stainless steel.

Glad that federal government is boring again.

Re: PPK/S Questions

8 by wooglin

sig230 wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:40 pm
I general though I think just knowing your gun and how the pieces parts should look is the most important. But I guess I simply don't get as concerned as some about finger prints or scratches or scrapes; seems I have quite a few of them myself.

Ok. With you on the fingerprints and scratches. I want it to shoot every time and hit where it's pointed.

Re: PPK/S Questions

9 by senorgrand

lead removal cloths work wonders for stainless revolvers

"Person, woman, man, camera, TV."

Re: PPK/S Questions

10 by randomflask

Thanks for the info y'all. A part of me feels like a hipster for carrying a PPK to begin with but, I really admired the stainless look and for the fact that this design has withstood the test of time. As mentioned above, I want it to outlast me, my child and my child's child because this thing is sweet.

Re: PPK/S Questions

11 by randomflask

I also cant omit the fact that I'm a huge Ian Fleming fan so, the fact that James Bond shoots this thing did influence me just a bit :-)

Re: PPK/S Questions

12 by lurker

walther has made some very pretty guns.

never submit! (click "submit" button now.)

Re: PPK/S Questions

13 by sig230

randomflask wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:34 pm I also cant omit the fact that I'm a huge Ian Fleming fan so, the fact that James Bond shoots this thing did influence me just a bit :-)

Just some additional information. During WWII there were three primary German handgun makers that produced very similar models. The oldest German gun maker JP Sauer produced the fantastic 38h; the gun most of the later Sig Sauer pistols was based upon.

Mauser produced the HSc:

And Walther the PP and in much smaller numbers the PPK:

The PPK/s though is a recent model and basically the short PPK slide but the longer PP grip and magazine. It is very similar in dimensions to the Mauser HSc.

Most of them were 32acp with far fewer made in 9mm Kurz (380). Of the three the Sauer was the only one that had the swipe down for fire mode safety; the Walther and Mausers were both swipe up for fire mode.

To be vintage it must be older than me!
Stories coming to you from Deep South Texas!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!

Re: PPK/S Questions

14 by wings

randomflask wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:34 pm I also cant omit the fact that I'm a huge Ian Fleming fan so, the fact that James Bond shoots this thing did influence me just a bit :-)

Then you need a Beretta 418 as well! Bond was a .25ACP man until the boss told him he needed to step up a caliber or two.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_418
/enabler

Re: PPK/S Questions

15 by sig230

wings wrote: Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:05 pm

randomflask wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:34 pm I also cant omit the fact that I'm a huge Ian Fleming fan so, the fact that James Bond shoots this thing did influence me just a bit :-)

Then you need a Beretta 418 as well! Bond was a .25ACP man until the boss told him he needed to step up a caliber or two.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_418
/enabler

To be vintage it must be older than me!
Stories coming to you from Deep South Texas!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!

Re: PPK/S Questions

16 by wings

sig230 wrote: Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:09 pm

wings wrote: Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:05 pm

randomflask wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:34 pm I also cant omit the fact that I'm a huge Ian Fleming fan so, the fact that James Bond shoots this thing did influence me just a bit :-)

Then you need a Beretta 418 as well! Bond was a .25ACP man until the boss told him he needed to step up a caliber or two.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_418
/enabler

See? Enabling. Thanks, Sig!

Re: PPK/S Questions

17 by randomflask

You guys rock, I really appreciated all of this knowledge. I would love to get a 418 if could find one!

Re: PPK/S Questions

18 by KVoimakas

I also have a stainless PPK/S and what I end up doing:
* Hoppes and bore snake
* Hoppes and a sock or t-shirt for the heavily caked areas
* spraying it down with Gun Scrubber
* rubbing down with a sock and additional Hoppes

I haven't killed it yet so I must be doing something right.

Re: PPK/S Questions

19 by sig230

randomflask wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 4:13 am You guys rock, I really appreciated all of this knowledge. I would love to get a 418 if could find one!

Well, I gotta go with "M".

I love the 25acp format and a 25acp has been in my pocket most of the last half century or so; but of all my 25acps the Beretta 1919/518 series is the LEAST reliable. Pretty as can be and fun to shoot but jammomatic. The later Beretta 25s though are great.

To be vintage it must be older than me!
Stories coming to you from Deep South Texas!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!

Re: PPK/S Questions

20 by VodoundaVinci

wooglin wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:24 pm So you just use the one product for everything. Clean everything with clp, wipe it all down, and that's it?

I use Breakfree CLP for everything and it's the only stuff I have had since the early 1980's...never had any rust nor lubrication induced failures nor problems. I use the stuff on knives and everything. There are several products on the market that are just as good. Most of the have stuff in them that after prolonged use actually stops the build up of carbon and gunk. I treated the muzzle brake on my precision rifle with Breakfree CLP and the nasty black stuff just wipes off.

VooDoo

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

I am sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Re: PPK/S Questions

21 by lurker

did someone say .25acp?

never submit! (click "submit" button now.)

Re: PPK/S Questions

22 by NuJudge

There is an adhesive wear mechanism found in some Stainless Steel pistols, called "galling." Forty years ago when I was still in the Met Lab, it was not well understood. My Professors at Michigan told me to not use the same grade of stainless when 2 parts reciprocated, and I would probably not encounter it. This is not a high temperature mechanism, and really not that high a load on the parts either.

There are specific lubricants out there, intended for stainless: use one. If you don't find one, use a lot of lube.

Re: PPK/S Questions

23 by Stiff

You would have to shoot your stainless pistol a lot without any lube to approach the friction level conducive to galling. The average guy who shoots four boxes of ammo per trip then cleans & lubes the pistol afterward isn't gonna have a problem.

Glad that federal government is boring again.