Quote:
Originally Posted by BB57
There are a half dozen or so Zamak alloys and a couple of them are common in firearms manufacture. What sets them apart from other "pot metal" zinc alloys is the purity of the alloy. It's the impurities in common zinc "pot metal" alloys that cause the cracks and dimensional instability over time. The use of lower grade zinc alloys in trigger guards etc, in lower end firearms in the 50s and 60s is where zinc alloys got such a bad reputation in the firearms industry.
However the Ithaca Model 72 used a Zamak alloy receiver (with a receiver cover over it) and the design has held up well for over 40 years. The current Henry .22 LR lever action is a derivative of it and also uses a high purity Zamak alloy.
The irony is that the Zamak alloy Henry has legions of fans who swear by them while many of those same folks will swear at the Umarex-Walther PPK/S .22 LR for using the same alloy. The Umarex Walther Colt M4 .22 LR rifles attract the same hate due to the use of Zamak alloy in the bolt carrier, even though it is a very sound and appropriate use of the alloy.
I can see why Umarex-Walther does not want to indicate what alloy is being used as zinc alloys in general are not viewed fondly. But whether they want to call it a Zamak alloy or not - whatever they want to call it, or refuse to call it, it's still a high purity zinc alloy.
I have no objection to it, as it is again a good use of the material, but you seem to be touchy about it.
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Actually, I have no problem with ZAMAK and I agree with your assessment of the alloy based on available facts. It is indeed a pure alloy which is available in a wide array of configurations/compositions, each tailored to specific uses, and is an industry standard alloy which is presently used in many .22 Rimfire firearms, to which it is easily suitable.
However, I believe that Walther is telling the truth and that the PPK/S .22 is made of an Aluminum alloy due to the weight of the pistol. Allow me to explain, ZAMAK isn't a particularly lightweight alloy, it has a bit more heft to it. The PPK/S .22 weighs in at about 20oz unloaded, which is roughly 3oz less than the all-steel centerfire models, despite the fact that they had to completely fill in the grip in order to make it that heavy.
For the sake of comparison, take a look at the Phoenix Arms HP22, which is considerably smaller than the PPK/S .22, yet somehow weighs the same amount at 20oz, and is admittedly constructed from ZAMAK.
So as you can see, the Phoenix Arms HP22 is a little bit bigger than a Kel-Tec P32, whereas the PPK/S is obviously much larger and thicker than that.
And here's a pic showing the PPK/S side by side with a Ruger LCP, which is a little bit bigger than a Kel-Tec P32.
So yeah, I'm inclined to take Walther's word that the PPK/S .22 isn't made of ZAMAK or any other such zinc alloy. Besides, I'm pretty sure that they could get into trouble for misrepresenting their products if they blatantly lie about what alloy they're made out of.