# Feeding issues... ...



## Deaconfrost (Oct 10, 2013)

Ok. So I'm ready and waiting for the glorious gamut of great guffaws on this one. I'm having some feed issues with my PK380. It doesn't seem to like to snack on flat nosed rounds. Unfortunately that's what I've found around here lately. A few people have suggested a polish on the feed ramp as part of my normal cleaning I use the bore brush lightly to get the schmutz off but is there any real merit to polishing the feed ramp? I've heard everything from qtips and toothpaste to dremels and and dowels with sandpaper. The only reason I'm pondering this is because of the feeding issues. Thoughts?


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Don't play with it yet,the ammo is the problem.If it feeds RN and HP,the gun is fine.This is a KelTek I take it?I'm no fan of theirs but I'm guessing the ramp is integral with the barrel.These guns weren't designed to feed SWCs and truncated cone bullets,they may but not always.The ramp should be smooth from the factory but if it has tooling marks it can be improved.

Polishing a ramp is just that,polishing without removing metal or altering the angle and geometry at all.If you aren't real good with a Dremel or Foredom,you run a good chance of FUBARing it.A proper sized dowel with some 1200 paper will round off the edges of tool marks and polish the highs,if they are extremely shallow thy can be removed.Then a cleaning patch loaded with Flitz will polish it out nicely.This isn't a 45 ramp so a finger is out,and people have ruined ramps that way.Once you polish a ramp,your done,you don't keep touching it up.Let someone that knows these guns look at it to see if indeed it is an issue before you touch itThat big wide flat is catching causing a smag in rollover into the chamber,that's normal when trying to run certain bullet profiles through a design never intended to feed them.Now what may help is polishing the breechface so the rim slides easier,but that may not help because you're talking about a short round with a blunt nose.Older guns like Colt and Smith that shot 38SP wadcutters had specially cut ramps and throating so they would feed,the standard production guns wouldn't.I'd sell the ammo and find better ammo somewhere else.


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## high pockets (Apr 25, 2011)

rex said:


> Don't play with it yet,the ammo is the problem.If it feeds RN and HP,the gun is fine.This is a KelTek I take it?I'm no fan of theirs but I'm guessing the ramp is integral with the barrel.These guns weren't designed to feed SWCs and truncated cone bullets,they may but not always.The ramp should be smooth from the factory but if it has tooling marks it can be improved.
> ....


Mostly I agree with your diagnosis, but IIRC a PK380 is a Walther, not a Kel-Tec.

The Walther forum is listed at the bottom of the page, on the Gun Sites tab. Check in over there, they may have some suggestions, if it turns out ammo is not the issue. From what I have heard about .380s, they are often finicky about ammunition.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks for the clarification HP.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Does the round partially feed at all.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Surprised to hear that your Walther will not feed the flat pointed bullets. Usually, Walthers don't have that problem. Personally, like said above, I would not mess around with the feed ramp at all, I would just feed it ammo that it likes. Sometimes, my Ruger LCP will choke on flat pointed .380's, so I don't buy them.


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## Deaconfrost (Oct 10, 2013)

Its wierd. sometimes it'll fire and feed just fine but every now and then it wont feed. A couple of times the slide has failed to strip the next round out of the magazine. when I looked at it it seemed that the nose of the round was sticking to the ramp. Personally the only thing I can do with a dremel is etching and artwork so I wouldnt even try working the feed ramp with it. All I was thinking of doing was using flitz with a cloth. when I clean it I usually clean the ramp with the bore brush and patches also. Thanks alot guys. Ive already had to send it back to walther for ejection issues and I really dont want to send it back again if I dont have to. Cheers.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Deaconfrost said:


> Its wierd. sometimes it'll fire and feed just fine but every now and then it wont feed. A couple of times the slide has failed to strip the next round out of the magazine. when I looked at it it seemed that the nose of the round was sticking to the ramp. Personally the only thing I can do with a dremel is etching and artwork so I wouldnt even try working the feed ramp with it. All I was thinking of doing was using flitz with a cloth. when I clean it I usually clean the ramp with the bore brush and patches also. Thanks alot guys. Ive already had to send it back to walther for ejection issues and I really dont want to send it back again if I dont have to. Cheers.


It's possible the issue is with the magazine. How many magazines do you use?
And does the feeding issue happen with only the last few rounds left in the magazine?
Could also be limp wristing if the slide is not going back far enough to pick a round of the mag.
There are a few things it could be
I really don't think it's a feed ramp issue.
Try shooting some hotter factory loads through the gun. Rounds you would use for carry , not target.
Use hollow points, they are squared like the target loads.


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## Deaconfrost (Oct 10, 2013)

I have 2 mags that I use and it has happened with both once on 2nd round and once on 4th or 5th. They're both 8 rd mags. Last time I shot it I was using HPR 90gr JHPs. I normally shoot my HKP2000 .40 and have gotten in the habit of not limp-wristing. I have been concentrating on my form lately and tighten my wrist before I pull the trigger. I'd definitely prefer it not to be the feed ramp as I don't really want to mess with the workings myself and don't want to take it to a gunsmith if I don't have to. I've put around 700 rounds through it since I got it. Not sure what other pertinent info I can put out there but if I'm missing something let me know. Thanks a lot.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Deaconfrost said:


> I have 2 mags that I use and it has happened with both once on 2nd round and once on 4th or 5th. They're both 8 rd mags. Last time I shot it I was using HPR 90gr JHPs. I normally shoot my HKP2000 .40 and have gotten in the habit of not limp-wristing. I have been concentrating on my form lately and tighten my wrist before I pull the trigger. I'd definitely prefer it not to be the feed ramp as I don't really want to mess with the workings myself and don't want to take it to a gunsmith if I don't have to. I've put around 700 rounds through it since I got it. Not sure what other pertinent info I can put out there but if I'm missing something let me know. Thanks a lot.


Take one of your full magazines out of the gun. With the target ammo ,And with your finger slide each round out of the magazine as if you are unloading the magazine. Keep noticing if any of the rounds are binding or have a little drag to it .
I have had magazines where the casing advances up but the bullet drags or binds very slightly . I would have to tap the bullet and the nose would pop up.
I know two people with a px4 sub compact 40. Where the bullets are hanging in the magazine.
When the bullet hangs in the mag. It no longer has the proper angle for the slide to properly chamber the round. Sometimes even going over the round without stripping the round out of the magazine.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

With the new info I'm with Pic on a mag issue.Have you cleaned them since new?They should basically be dry inside so dirt has nothing to stick to.I wipe mine down with CLP and let sit for a while,then wipe all of it off so it just has an invisible penetrating layer with no wetness.I also look for burrs inside from a fluke nick and also check the weld seam.

It sounds like you've only had 2-4 failures so far,while any sucks that really is low considering.If it isn't a limpwrist,it may just be a few out of spec rounds.If you have any more of that lot of ammo,pull them out and measure the OAL and inspect them well.Last year 2 brand new rounds of 45 were found with absolutely no rim on them,freaky but in the ammo frenzy we are dealing with QC ususally drops off as production goes balls to the wall.


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## Deaconfrost (Oct 10, 2013)

Yeah I've had probably 4 since I got it back from Walter. I'm going to take it to the range today and see what happens. I'll keep up with what magazine it does it with and come back and clean them both. I did that after I read the last post. Thanks a lot guys.


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