My Uncle gave me one a while back and it's never been reliable. Is there any known fixes to these handsome little pistols?

I only have one mag so I suppose I should buy another to rule out a mag issue.

Anything else I can do, are they difficult to strip down and reassemble?

Specifically how has it been unreliable?

Might be something simple, that a gunsmith can cure.  A few friends bought those pistols, but gave up and traded them to something that worked.

Been a while since I fired it but I recall it not fully extracting a casing  and a second round trying to feed.

I never sell or trade gifted firearms if it can't be fixed it will live out its or my days in a dark space.

Edit

Well shit I've already asked this question in this forum.

Sucks getting old


Feel free to delete.

Don't take it personal, but limp writing a PPK (or any straight blowback) is the surest way to make one malfunction

I've been shooting pistols for decades, not saying I'm perfect but I don't believe I was limp wristing.

From the other thread I made right after I came back from shooting it.

I recieved a PPK in 380acp from my Uncle, it is a S&W gun but anyway when I fire it I have a failure to fire atleast 1-2 times per mag. The hammer falls on the firing pin but it does not fire or extract when I pull the slide back. Like I said this happens 1 or 2 times per mag.

My Smith version had trouble feeding the next round.  My non-S&W runs like a champ.

It doesn't extract as in the round is still in the chamber? And another round double feeds into it?

I would start by cleaning the hell out of the firing pin and channel as well as cleaning the extractor very well. I would also mark the mags you have to see if there is one causing more issues than another.

What ammunition have you used? Might be worth trying some hotter hollow points like gold dots or Sig v crown to see if that is making it worse or better.

This is good for general failures to extract issues, but especially for the Walther's........

Disassembly is one of the simplest ever.....Just remove the magazine, pull down the trigger guard and hold it to one side or the other with an index finger, pull the slide to the rear, lift up the rear and remove it forward.
You can download an owner's manual on the Walther factory site.....

https://waltherarms.com/ppk/#1575493811304-ae0b5874-9dd0

For extraction problems look at the following..........

Try different ammo.

Buy a bronze chamber brush from Brownell's and scrub the chamber.

Inspect the chamber for any defects.

Field strip the gun, clean off old dried lube, and apply a fresh coat of lube.  Note that the PP series seem to like to be run wetter then other guns, but not dripping.  A light grease may help, but keep the chamber dry.  Lube the outside of the barrel.

Make sure the recoil spring is in the right way around.  The larger open end faces forward, the smaller end goes around the barrel.

Check the extractor for good spring pressure, damage or chipping, and impacted fouling or old lube.

Check the magazine to insure the spring is in the right way around, and the feed lips are not deformed or damaged.

Check the slide for free movement over the entire range of operation.

When shooting make sure your hand isn't interfering with slide movement.

Very common issue.

I have one I bought used.  I thought it was the biggest POS. I tried all the stuff I read online too.

Walther (even SW models) have life time warranty.  Contact them ... They pay shipping to and back. Describe everything in as much detail as possible.

Took about a week and half and was back in my hands, running like a champ. Zero cost.

What brand of ammo are you using?

The Walther PP series design goes back to the late 1920s, a time when JHP ammo was totally unheard of.  Get some good, European made FMJ ammo for it and see if that doesn't help.  Remington and Winchester ammo is weak sauce, and should be avoided at all costs.  And, as has been said, make sure that the chamber is clean and smooth.  S&W did a horrible job when they took over manufacture of these pistols.  The feed ramps and chambers on some of the Houlton made PPK pistols look like they were gnawed out by rodents, not machined by craftsmen.

Ive had problems with magazines.  

Get at least one, preferably 2-3 to check.

I ended up rebuilding my S&W PPK with Wolff springs for everything, and suddenly it ran with everything but hard-primered Russian ammo. Remington and Federal hollowpoints, everything.