Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by jltantrum » 25 Jun 2021, 8:49 pm

Hi, I'm a first time gun owner and recently received my license and my 9mm PPQ. It was sold to me as brand new but I wondered after if it was slightly used because it had some light scratches on the chamber near the ejection port and the loaded chamber indicator which I didn't noticed at the time.

After shooting it and then cleaning it for the first time, I noticed what I think is pitting in the barrel. I don't know much about this issue but it seems fairly extensive to me and seems like something that shouldn't be present on a brand new gun.

A quick search found some forums where other people with PPQs experienced the same thing with their brand new barrels after Walther changed them to polygonal somewhere around 2016 which is when my PPQ was made as well.

I'm just wondering if this is something I should worry about in terms of it affecting the gun in any way either accuracy or longevity. I've read it encourages fouling and makes it harder to clean the barrel.

I'm not very happy about it and wish the barrel could be replaced but that seems like it would be a huge difficulty in Australia.

Could anyone more experienced please give me some advice on what I should do about this, if anything?

I've attached some pictures which were after a thorough clean and the gun has shot only 140 rounds.

Thank you!
jltantrum
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 4
Canada

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by rc42 » 26 Jun 2021, 9:06 pm

Very hard to tell from those pictures whether those are deposits on the rifling or pitting in it, if you can get access to a proper bore scope you'll know for sure but a thorough soaking and cleaning with a solvent that claims to work on lead together with a good workout with a bronze brush.

If they do turn out to be pits then a return tot he dealer to discuss options would be a good step but depending on the type of shooting that you do, and your skill level it may have no impact on accuracy or longevity. Hard to imagine that a pistol made 5 years ago would still be 'new' or was it just sold in 'as new' condition?

Hopefully you won't have to rely on any kind of support from Walther, once they have sold something they couldn't care less, they are one of the worst firearms manufacturers for post sales customer service.
rc42
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 794
Queensland

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by wanneroo » 27 Jun 2021, 1:05 am

Can't tell from the pictures, but 2016 isn't a brand new gun, it was shot at some point and it could just be fouling that has been sitting in the barrel for years.

I'd agree with RC42, soaking in solvent and then a good clean with a bore brush.

With the gun being 5 years old I doubt Walther would do anything about it. I don't know how hard it is to get a new barrel in Australia but here in the USA we swap them out with no issues.
wanneroo
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1412
United States of America

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by jltantrum » 27 Jun 2021, 1:26 am

wanneroo wrote:Can't tell from the pictures, but 2016 isn't a brand new gun, it was shot at some point and it could just be fouling that has been sitting in the barrel for years.

I'd agree with RC42, soaking in solvent and then a good clean with a bore brush.

With the gun being 5 years old I doubt Walther would do anything about it. I don't know how hard it is to get a new barrel in Australia but here in the USA we swap them out with no issues.


Damn, it was sold to me as brand new and I paid brand new price as well even though it had a couple faint marks on it. This was from a legit retailer.
jltantrum
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 4
Canada

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by jltantrum » 27 Jun 2021, 1:29 am

rc42 wrote:Very hard to tell from those pictures whether those are deposits on the rifling or pitting in it, if you can get access to a proper bore scope you'll know for sure but a thorough soaking and cleaning with a solvent that claims to work on lead together with a good workout with a bronze brush.

If they do turn out to be pits then a return tot he dealer to discuss options would be a good step but depending on the type of shooting that you do, and your skill level it may have no impact on accuracy or longevity. Hard to imagine that a pistol made 5 years ago would still be 'new' or was it just sold in 'as new' condition?

Hopefully you won't have to rely on any kind of support from Walther, once they have sold something they couldn't care less, they are one of the worst firearms manufacturers for post sales customer service.


Thanks for the advice. I have gone down this route of trying to remove it but nothing seems to change. I'll take it to a smith on Monday for a bore scoping. Yeah I was pretty naive, they sold it to me as brand new and at brand new prices, steep ones at that. I feel I may have been ripped off.
jltantrum
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 4
Canada

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by Bugman » 27 Jun 2021, 9:55 am

I had a look at a Sydney gun shop a while back, that had a good stock of P1's and the barrels in the ones I looked at had nothing like what you have in your PPQ.
Hope you get is sorted.
User avatar
Bugman
Warrant Officer C2
Warrant Officer C2
 
Posts: 1071
New South Wales

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by wanneroo » 27 Jun 2021, 10:44 am

jltantrum wrote:
Thanks for the advice. I have gone down this route of trying to remove it but nothing seems to change. I'll take it to a smith on Monday for a bore scoping. Yeah I was pretty naive, they sold it to me as brand new and at brand new prices, steep ones at that. I feel I may have been ripped off.


Well if you have tried to remove it, then it doesn't sound good and I would not hesitate to contact Walther about it. If it was sold to you as new, even NOS, then Walther should honor repairing and replacing any defects like that. At the end of the day it's an easy swap with another barrel.
wanneroo
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1412
United States of America

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by jltantrum » 27 Jun 2021, 12:16 pm

Bugman wrote:I had a look at a Sydney gun shop a while back, that had a good stock of P1's and the barrels in the ones I looked at had nothing like what you have in your PPQ.
Hope you get is sorted.


Thank you!
jltantrum
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 4
Canada

Re: Brand new PPQ 9mm with significant bore pitting?

Post by pomemax » 27 Jun 2021, 12:58 pm

38-Caliber/9mm Pistol Gunsmith Tornado Bore Brush they come in bronze or stainless steel ( Not All gunshop sell them you have to look around for them )
These brushes are not a bristle type the wires loop so they dont scratch what I saw in the pictures looked realy like carbon
Strip the pistol down plug one end a fill the barrel with WD40 or something like that , then clean it the next day
Ebay is the go
pomemax
Warrant Officer C2
Warrant Officer C2
 
Posts: 1165
New South Wales


Back to top
 
Return to Gunsmithing