I just received an e-mail from Walther advertising the P99 AS FE pistol. I had one of the early P99 AS pistols and foolishly sold it. Although I have a PDP Compact and a PPS M2, I am getting the itch to pick one of these up. The old one I had was a great shooter!

https://waltherarms.com/p99-as-final-edition

I liked mine, except I felt it was a little snappy due to the light weight.

I have an early gen 1 model in .40. It has the shortest reset of any of my pistols. I also have an early model in 9mm ( i don't think it is a QA or AS) in OD green. I saw a similar model go for $2800 on GB a few years ago. Had a post here to question its rarity and worth.

I've had the pps, the 4" ppq and the 5" ppq. They are ergonomically well made, and a great trigger as everyone has said previously here and other threads.

But yet I had problems shooting them well compared to other polymer 9's. Didn't keep them but may consider the final edition just as a safe queen.

I've got a 1st generation P99 AS model. It's a superb pistol. The only knock I have against the gun is the grip texture which I know can be remedied by adding a Talon grip.

Wow, I guess it is the end of an era.

I am a big fan of the P99 AS, I have the full size and compact version. I like the DA/SA for a carry pistol. The P99 has served me well for many years. I really like the decocker.

My wife has a PPQ Navy. It is very nice to shoot but the light trigger concerns me for use as a carry pistol.

I have one of the early P99’s in 40, before all that marketing crap about stress and whatnot. I always thought the gun itself was a fine shooter. One day I was removing the slide and a big chunk of plastic came falling out the magwell. Seems a piece of the fcu decided it was done. Called them up (S&W at the time) and they wouldn’t fix it under warranty. Pissed me off. Threw it in the back of the safe for a decade. Decided one day I should sell the POS but knew I had to get it fixed first. Bit the bullet got out my wallet and called again, albeit 10 years later. They couldn’t have been nicer. Sent a label, fixed it, it was back in my hands inside a month. Decided to keep it. Zero regrets. Great gun.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
I have one of the early P99’s in 40, before all that marketing crap about stress and whatnot. I always thought the gun itself was a fine shooter. One day I was removing the slide and a big chunk of plastic came falling out the magwell. Seems a piece of the fcu decided it was done.

Are you sure it was plastic? I have a P99 AS proofed 2016. The day I got the pistol (brand new) i pulled the trigger maybe five times and then it stopped working- wouldn't release the striker. It turns out that the part of the FCU known as the "Adjustable trigger bar guide" (numbered 32.8 on the P99 schematic) broke in half. This is a MIM part and I consider it the weak link in the P99 fire control assembly.

I replaced the part but I have to say that this experience would make me wary of keeping a P99 for defense. Yes, it's probably a fluke, and no, I don't know who handled the pistol before me or if they were yanking the trigger extra-hard. Nevertheless...

Hmmm. It was a long time ago. My memory says it was plastic around what in a Glock would be the trigger housing mechanism, where the connector fits. Yet, it was a long time ago so I might be remembering wrong. I would only state under oath something fell out of the gun broken in half and it seemed like a necessary part. Lol

I was the original buyer so I know that nothing untoward had happened to that gun.

Well, I never realized it, but the fire control assembly of the early (pre-2006) P99 is different than the later (post-2006) P99.

On the left is the FCA of the older P99. Shown in the schematic as part number 17 is "2709309 Trigger Bar Guide 2.8"

On the right is the FCA for the newer P99. Shown as part number 32.8 is "2759501 Adjustable Trigger Bar Guide" which is the part that broke on my pistol and rendered it inoperable.

I do own an early P99- very early, actually- 2500 pistols into serial production, but I've not disassembled it so I wasn't aware of this difference. Since the part in the earlier pistols is not a lever as it is in the later pistols, it might very well be plastic. It's shape would lend itself to injection molding. and I imagine it it fell out as you say, it would render the pistol inoperable. All of this leads me to believe that the earlier design of the fire control assembly might actually be better, at least in this respect.

Note that the adjustable trigger bar guide of the later P99 is present in the PPQ, and therefore, I imagine in the PDP. The way this part works is as a support for the trigger bar, and when that support is not present, the trigger bar cannot act upon the sear as it should. How this part is "adjustable" I do not know, because it fits into a hole on the right side of the fire control housing and rests on a shelf on the the outside of the housing and is held in place buy the frame when the FCA is in place. There's no visible means of adjustment. It cannot be depressed, nor does it appear to have means to rise up, so, who knows.



This is illustrative of yet another reason I like Glocks and their simplicity.

If I recall, and it's been a long time since I sold my P99 AS, the only issue I had was that I believe there was a hump inside the trigger guard that annoyed me. It bothered me while shooting. The new Final Edition doesn't have that hump. Also, the AS trigger system confused me. I didn't think it was safe to rack the slide to put a round in the chamber and then pull the trigger to the second position where a short pull would fire the pistol. Setting it up for carry that way, and carrying it that way would scare the bejesus out of me and I didn't do it. Anyway it was a fine shooting pistol and I'm sure the P99 AS Final Edition would be as well.

That question has been asked before and I’m glad because I had always understood it wrong. I thought “precocking” it and carrying that way was considered safe. It isn’t and the manual even says so. All that being said I don’t understand the difference between that and a Sig 320. Both are only as safe as not manipulating thevtrigger in any way. Why is the 320 safe and the P99 not safe. I know many don’t consider the 320 safe either way, not confusing that with “it just goes off”. I’m talking about the mechanical differences that makes one thumbs up and one thumbs down.

quote:

Originally posted by Ogie:
Also, the AS trigger system confused me. I didn't think it was safe to rack the slide to put a round in the chamber and then pull the trigger to the second position where a short pull would fire the pistol. Setting it up for carry that way, and carrying it that way would scare the bejesus out of me and I didn't do it. Anyway it was a fine shooting pistol and I'm sure the P99 AS Final Edition would be as well.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/9350027994/p/1

Good point. I either completely forgot about that thread or didn't read it. It even mentions the last edition(Final Edition) P99.

This is a reminder for me to break out my early P99.

Well....I broke down and ordered the P99 AS Final Edition the other day. It should be at my LGS Monday or Tuesday. I was looking for the all black one but I couldn't find one. At any rate, I think I will be pleased with the Final Edition. I liked my old one and I should have never traded it off.

I also guess I am wondering why it is okay to carry my Walther PDP in a holster with it's 4lb 3oz trigger pull weight and why it wouldn't be okay to carry the P99 AS in a holster with it's advertised 4lb 8oz trigger pull weight in AS mode?

There's no safety blade (or tab) on a P99 trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
There's no safety blade (or tab) on a P99 trigger.

Yes, but I still don't know what would cause one to have a negligent discharge and not the other, although I guess it would be slightly less likely with the PDP. If something gets caught in the trigger guard on either one I think it could lead to a serious problem. I never carried my old P99 cocked and I am not likely to carry the new one that way. But I am just thinking out loud.

quote:

Originally posted by Ogie:
Yes, but I still don't know what would cause one to have a negligent discharge and not the other

I just told you.