Question for Walther SSP Owners

[joel]

I just bought a used SSP and went to the range today. First off, I really like the pistol and the recoil is amazing. I've got 2+ questions:

1. Is the slide supposed to stay back after the last shot? I assume that Walther would make this happen. Any reason why mine does not?

2. The button to release the magazines is extremely difficult to push. This also doesn't seem like something Walther would do. Any suggestions why it is so hard to push?

Other than those 2 issues, the gun is light, feels very natural, and as mentioned, the recoil is unlike any other gun I've shot except perhaps my Free Pistol which has similar recoil.

Thanks in Advance,

Joel

[ghostrip]

Almost all pistols for issf 25m treat the 5th shot just like the other 4 because when slide stays open after last shot it ruins balance and follow through.
In Rapid Fire most shooters shoot a 6th imaginary shot to ensure the 5th shot was executed properly.
how old is your SSP? newer ones dont have the pneymatic damping feature and have harsher recoil. (we have an older mechanical SSP in our club along with a newer SSP-E)

[joel]

Hi, thanks for the explanation. That makes sense. I would think that it isn't too good for the firing pin having shooters shoot that imaginary 6th shot. I think that mine is about 6 years old or so and is not the first batch but perhaps the one after that. The recoil is fantastic and my aim point barely moves, but I don't know if it has a pneumatic damping feature or not. I'm not a big fan of electronic triggers, but I have found Walther mechanical triggers to be superb. Still not too sure why it is so hard to eject the magazine, but I'll take it apart and lube according to the manual.

Joel

[FWB_700_Alu]

The slide was designed not to stay open after the last shot. The magazine button is rubbing on the grip. You might have to adjust the grip or remove some of the grip (make the hole in the grip bigger).

[Crete]

Almost all pistols for issf 25m treat the 5th shot just like the other 4 because when slide stays open after last shot it ruins balance and follow through.
In Rapid Fire most shooters shoot a 6th imaginary shot to ensure the 5th shot was executed properly.
how old is your SSP? newer ones dont have the pneymatic damping feature and have harsher recoil. (we have an older mechanical SSP in our club along with a newer SSP-E)

When was the Pneumatic MOTION CONTROL damping system dropped from the Walther SSP line?

[David Levene]

When was the Pneumatic MOTION CONTROL damping system dropped from the Walther SSP line?

Several years ago. I believe, and don't hang me if I'm wrong, that you can achieve the same thing on the early guns by just removing the O-rings from the rods.

[Gort]

Wather's current website states:
"· MOTION CONTROL System: A pneumatic damping system provides a smooth release of the shot and cushions the rearward movement of the slide."
I believe that they never dropped the damping system. It would require a re-engineering of the slide mass and spring weights. Gort

[joel]

I'm not sure why more shooters aren't using this pistol unless it is underrepresented in the olympics and world championships. I'm really enjoying mine and rank it highly among those I have tried. Also, I would think that for rapid fire, it would be strongly considered.

Joel

[ghostrip]

Wather's current website states:
"· MOTION CONTROL System: A pneumatic damping system provides a smooth release of the shot and cushions the rearward movement of the slide."
I believe that they never dropped the damping system. It would require a re-engineering of the slide mass and spring weights. Gort

if my memory serves me well the older ones had o-rings in the piston to seal and enhance the pneumatic action. it required very good cleaning and also the first versions
also experienced issues with the magazines (the magazines must be loaded in a certain way in order to avoid troubles). the newer ones do not have the orings, the piston is different and the springs are also different. also the magazines are different to help user load them correctly.
I have seen the SSP mostly in Womens Sport Pistol event. In Rapid Fire SSP didnt win the hearts of the shooters.

[jbshooter]

I just bought a used SSP and went to the range today. First off, I really like the pistol and the recoil is amazing. I've got 2+ questions:

1. Is the slide supposed to stay back after the last shot? I assume that Walther would make this happen. Any reason why mine does not?

2. The button to release the magazines is extremely difficult to push. This also doesn't seem like something Walther would do. Any suggestions why it is so hard to push?

Other than those 2 issues, the gun is light, feels very natural, and as mentioned, the recoil is unlike any other gun I've shot except perhaps my Free Pistol which has similar recoil.

Thanks in Advance,

Joel

The problem with magazine ejection button is due to its offset placement from the spring and big clearances between pin and frame. The button/arm assembly cocks off at an angle and everything gets jammed up. Greasing didn't help in my SSP. I'm working through a new button assembly now.

[joel]

I just bought a used SSP and went to the range today. First off, I really like the pistol and the recoil is amazing. I've got 2+ questions:

1. Is the slide supposed to stay back after the last shot? I assume that Walther would make this happen. Any reason why mine does not?

2. The button to release the magazines is extremely difficult to push. This also doesn't seem like something Walther would do. Any suggestions why it is so hard to push?

Other than those 2 issues, the gun is light, feels very natural, and as mentioned, the recoil is unlike any other gun I've shot except perhaps my Free Pistol which has similar recoil.

Thanks in Advance,

Joel

The problem with magazine ejection button is due to its offset placement from the spring and big clearances between pin and frame. The button/arm assembly cocks off at an angle and everything gets jammed up. Greasing didn't help in my SSP. I'm working through a new button assembly now.

It didn't help me either, though I repositioned the grip to make sure there was clearance. Please let me know if you discover a solution.

Good Luck,

Joel

[deadeyedick]

The problem with magazine ejection button is due to its offset placement from the spring and big clearances between pin and frame. The button/arm assembly cocks off at an angle and everything gets jammed up. Greasing didn't help in my SSP. I'm working through a new button assembly now.

JB is correct and there is no adequate answer other than to lube adequately and gently wiggle your finger during the downward pressing movement.

This design flaw spoils to some extent ( for me ) what is a very good pistol....also I found the recoil relatively harsh on both the mechanical and electronic versions I have owned.

Try a Matchguns MG2 RF if you want to experience the recoil characteristics similar to what several of you have described.

[samg]

Call Earls repair service. If there is a fix he will know.

[jbshooter]

I've fixed mine, crudely but very effectively.
Firstly I drilled/reamed the 4.5mm hole in the frame to 5mm and pushed in a bush made from brass. The brass didn't work even with fine clearances so i made one from aluminium. The aluminium was better but still sticky. Then i got an environmentally unfriendly plastic drinking straw, cut the end off and split it lengthwise and curled that into the frame. Magazine ejection button works great now. The straw bush is the length of the pin on the latch so it slides in the frame. Do not use your regular battery drill to drill/ream the hole in the frame - use a proper drill press with the gun frame held in a vice.

[joel]

I've fixed mine, crudely but very effectively.
Firstly I drilled/reamed the 4.5mm hole in the frame to 5mm and pushed in a bush made from brass. The brass didn't work even with fine clearances so i made one from aluminium. The aluminium was better but still sticky. Then i got an environmentally unfriendly plastic drinking straw, cut the end off and split it lengthwise and curled that into the frame. Magazine ejection button works great now. The straw bush is the length of the pin on the latch so it slides in the frame. Do not use your regular battery drill to drill/ream the hole in the frame - use a proper drill press with the gun frame held in a vice.

Would like to see a pic or 2 if possible. Thanks for the fix.

Cheers,

Joel

[jbshooter]

photos attached

[joel]

Thanks Much!

Joel