[OnTarget]

Well, it finally happened to me.  I had an FTF while shooting my P99QA .40S&W last week.  I've read some previous posts in this forum regarding the lighter primer strikes of striker-fired pistols compared to hammer-fired ones.  When I called S&W (who supports Walther pistols) I was told the striker spring only comes in one tension.

I wonder if anybody has ever used a stronger striker spring in his  P99.  One thing going against the QA is the lack of 2nd-strike capability (no DA mode).  You'd have to reset the striker by racking the slide about 1/4".  Or rack it all the way and chamber a new round.  If I don't get a satisfactory solution, my Walther may cease to be a self-defense pistol and simply become a range gun.  Or it may find itself traded for a more reliable pistol.  (I love my Sig 229, and am looking at maybe getting a 226).

 

[Quack]

how many rounds through you P99? was the ammo you used that same as always?

i went with a lighter (4#) spring from a glock and had 1 FTF with Win Value packs (700rds) i just bought a case of S&B and had about 4-5 FTF in 150rds. they all fired with the second strike though.

have you checked the striker channel for debris? this could cause problems too.

 

[NM_P99]

Second strike ability is WAY overated.
Anytime the pistol FTF, it should be an immediate tap-rack-bang, continuing to pull the trigger on a dud round (or an empty chamber) is not likely to help you out in a bad situation.
.....
Now to answer your question:
Hard primers and or dud rounds can choke any pistol, I wouldn't give up on the P99QA unless it was a recurring problem, and it was happening with commercial ammunition, such as CCI or Winchester.

 

[Guest]

We had 3 FTF out of 100 rds from my .40 QA yesterday using S&B ammo. Only 1 round fired on the second strike. I blame the cheap ammo.

 

[P88]

OnTarget,

I've had a similar experience with mine with the S&B ammo (just like Dave Mo) I've never had a problem with my reloads or other ammo.

Also, are you really going to trust your life to "second strike" capabilities? That round may actually be a dud and you'll be sitting there clicking away at it while the bad guy is shooting holes into you. The best thing to do, if it don't go bang, is to get it out. That goes for your Sig's also.

P88

 

[solocatsailor]

Just curious...

I have no formal handgun training, but I've always been of the understanding that range work with cheap ammo is fine. It is expected that there will be problems with ammo on the range and is viewed as a good way to deal with the problem in a low stress atmosphere. Upon leaving the range, high quality defense ammo is loaded, which presumably will be more reliable in both stopping power and practical function. Practice ammo and defense ammo should be as similar as possible with regard to ballistic performance. Of course, if your ammo is provided free of charge, like some military or law enforcement personel, the choice (if available) would probably be to use one type of ammo, all of the time.

It seems to me that blaming a firearm (the constant) for a fault of the ammo (the variable) may be a good excuse to expand one's collection.

Am I on track here?

solocatsailor~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_/) ~~~

 

[OnTarget]

My P99QA is relatively new, with about 400 rounds thru it.  I agree that the 2nd-strike capability may be overrated.  You'd rather put in a new round than retry with what might be a dud round.

My main concern is the lighter primer strike as compared to hammer-fired pistols.  Granted, I ran 50 rounds of Black Hills HP on it without a hiccup.  (My other choice of SD ammo is Remington Golden Saber.)  But even premium ammo, from time to time, may have a round with a harder-than-usual primer.  For those instances, I'd prefer the greater margin provided by a stronger primer strike. That is why I'd prefer a stronger striker spring.

Also, cheap ammo is cheap ammo -- however, prior to this, I've ran 2000 rounds of S&B ammo thru my Sigs, HK & CZ, collectively, with nary a hiccup.  Just  my thoughts.