Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

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Gwhite
Posts: 3230
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 6:04 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Gwhite »

Azmodan wrote: Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:14 am chance has it i just aquired a teslong borescope (long flexible version NTG100 from aliexpress - $55 shipping included)

here is a video of the GSP 22 bore: https://youtu.be/v8_WJCy5tZk

and a picture of the start of the rifling:
WIN_20231009_15_22_43_Pro.jpg

i don;t see any carbon ring...
The carbon that causes jams & misfires is in the chamber where a case sits. Yours looks OK.

If the slide isn't quite closing all the way (which can cause misfires), you may need to replace the recoil spring, and check the slide for burrs. It could also be a weak hammer spring. Also, with a clean chamber, try dropping a round of the ammo into the chamber. It should drop in all the way, or at most, require very little force to push it the last little bit.

If you go back a bit in this thread, the drag that was causing my original problems was due to a worn firing pin & spring. Check that as well.
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Azmodan
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Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:00 pm
Location: Romania

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Azmodan »

i was thinking of all these, especially the weak recoil spring.
and because of that, i went hope to test and try to catch it in the act (bolt not completely closed). but it worked just fine (30 shots)
at the competition range (outdoor) it was around 28C - 82F. at the home range (indoor) it was around 18C - 64F outside, so a bit warmer inside.

can the temperature influence the spring tension?

(hammer spring is on the frame - that day i also shot a CFP competition with the .32 barrel, and i got no issues there - same trigger group so the same hammer spring)
Gwhite wrote: Mon Oct 09, 2023 9:24 am The carbon that causes jams & misfires is in the chamber where a case sits. Yours looks OK.

If the slide isn't quite closing all the way (which can cause misfires), you may need to replace the recoil spring, and check the slide for burrs. It could also be a weak hammer spring. Also, with a clean chamber, try dropping a round of the ammo into the chamber. It should drop in all the way, or at most, require very little force to push it the last little bit.

If you go back a bit in this thread, the drag that was causing my original problems was due to a worn firing pin & spring. Check that as well.
Airpistol: Feinwerkbau 100 / Feinwerkbau P8X
STP: Walther GSP 22
CFP: Walther GSP 32
Freepistol: TOZ-35
PPC: CZ Shadow 2
PCC: Nova Modul CTS9
Gwhite
Posts: 3230
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 6:04 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Gwhite »

The lubricant on the bullets can change its characteristics with temperature. Ordinarily, the effect is minor and not an issue. If something else is now marginal, colder temperatures could make the lubricant stiffer/stickier and push it over the cliff. If that was the case, I would expect the problems to lessen in a firing session as the pistol warms up.
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Azmodan
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Location: Romania

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Azmodan »

it was the other way around. when it was hot it stopped working, and when it was cold it was working ok.
and the problems increased during the match as the pistol got warmer (had 2 incidents in the first 4 series , and than 6 or 7 incidents in the next 8 series)
Airpistol: Feinwerkbau 100 / Feinwerkbau P8X
STP: Walther GSP 22
CFP: Walther GSP 32
Freepistol: TOZ-35
PPC: CZ Shadow 2
PCC: Nova Modul CTS9
Gwhite
Posts: 3230
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 6:04 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Gwhite »

That's certainly very odd. It could be that the lubricant is getting less viscous as it heats up, but that shouldn't produce the failures you are getting. However, the metal bits will expand with heat, which would be consistent with a mechanical tolerance issue. Taking it apart and examining all the moving bits with a magnifier might show wear spots in unusual places.

If it's being that fussy when warm, can you cycle it empty and feel any unusual drag?
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Azmodan
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Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:00 pm
Location: Romania

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Azmodan »

i never felt any drag, neither warm or cold, and the recoil spring feels quite stiff. i never noticed any modification in the way it operates.
but i'm definitely gonna pay more attention from now on...
Airpistol: Feinwerkbau 100 / Feinwerkbau P8X
STP: Walther GSP 22
CFP: Walther GSP 32
Freepistol: TOZ-35
PPC: CZ Shadow 2
PCC: Nova Modul CTS9
Gwhite
Posts: 3230
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 6:04 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Gwhite »

The reason we keep a couple of GSP's around is that have the weakest recoil springs of any quality target pistol I know of. That allows some of our very smaller women shooters to operate the slide easily. The GSP uses a very massive bolt to compensate for the light spring. I'm very surprised you consider it "stiff".

Have you tried taking out the recoil spring and reassembling the pistol? You should be able to feel if there is any roughness to the action. it will still drag over the top of the hammer, but that should be smooth.
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Azmodan
Posts: 392
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:00 pm
Location: Romania

Re: Walther GSP Trouble Shooting?

Post by Azmodan »

i haven;t tested any other .22 semiauto pistols. i can only compare it to the .32 barrel of the GSP and a CZ Shadow 2. and the .22 spring is comparable with the other two - certainly not noticeably lighter.

i did not completely disassemble the pistol recently (maybe more than a year). i will do it.. soonish
Airpistol: Feinwerkbau 100 / Feinwerkbau P8X
STP: Walther GSP 22
CFP: Walther GSP 32
Freepistol: TOZ-35
PPC: CZ Shadow 2
PCC: Nova Modul CTS9
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