[timewaster1700]

I purchased a new old stock P99 from a store. The gun was said to be new and its a gen 1 pistol. The serial number dates it back to 1998! I was stoked about my find as I really wanted the design look of the gen 1. Upon inspecting the internals of the gun, it appeared to be new to me but of course the difference between a few shots and new would be very difficult for me to the tell the difference. I went to the range yesterday and tried my new P99 using PMC bronze ammo and CCI Blazer Brass. Both ammo's I've never had problems with in my springfield XD and CZ P-01. In my P99 the gun would jam every shot or every other shot at best. In fact the first round jammed. I was very disappointed and am pretty frustrated because I might have gotten myself into a lemon. I tried both 10 rd factory mags that came with it and 15 rd Magnum research mags that are suppose to be identical and neither worked any better. Most all of the jams, the empty brass case from the fired round would be jammed in keeping the next round from entering into the chamber. So I think its failing to extract, but I'm no gun expert. I didn't get the chance to clean it before shooting which I usually do with new guns, but by the time I thought of it, it was too late. Anyone have any ideas? If it is a faulty P99, do you think Walther would even cover it as it was made in 1998??? Thanks for your help!

 

[balance]

Most all of the jams, the empty brass case from the fired round would be jammed in keeping the next round from entering into the chamber. So I think its failing to extract, but I'm no gun expert.

It sounds like a failure to extract from what you are describing.

Check to see if the extractor has spring tension, and also check to see if it is chipped or cracked at the hook where it grabs onto the casing.

If it is not the extractor, I'd inspect the chamber, or take it to a gunsmith and have him inspect the chamber.

 

[BornFighting88]

Contact Walther in Ft. Smith. Talk to a rep, and explain your situation and see what they say.

Doesn't hurt to ask. Worst thing they can do is say "No, can't help you"... But if they can help you out, it'll be factory gunsmith work, and factory parts.

 

[Jaems]

If you are the first owner, just purchase it, and have the receipt to prove it. Then you should have a one year warranty and they should honor it.

Clean the weapon thoroughly, reoil it and try it again. If it was NOS. Then it has been sitting with about 16 year old shipping preservative oils/grease. Which might cause the rounds to be sticking in the chamber. After cleaning thoroughly and reoiling, with the barrel in your hand. Drop a round in the chamber and tip it and see if the round falls out easy, it should.

Then try it again at the range.

 

[PeterTheFish]

I will second the advice to clean it and then try again. 15 years into storage oil can turn into gum and varnish. Your extractor may be sticking on the roll pin or your chamber sticky.

I would use gun scrubber, an air compressor, and some fresh oil and give it another shot.

 

[timewaster1700]

Awesome thank you all for the responses, I really appreciate it! I'll deep clean it hopefully tomorrow if I can find time then test the round in the chamber and take it back to the range to test fire it again. Hopefully its just the 15 year old grease gumming things up. Thanks for the responses!

 

[MillerMpls]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Darkstar888]

Great advice everybody. Always nice to see everyone sharing their insights and wisdom with our new gun and Walther owners! Continually impressed by our little community here and for what its worth I agree with the advice. I'm betting a very thorough cleaning will solve the problem. Good luck Timewaster and welcome to the forum!

 

[UniversalExports]

Welcome to the P99 Club, TimeWaster. May your problems be quickly solved, and your P99 be a joy to you for years to come.

 

[timewaster1700]

Thanks so much guys for the friendly welcome! I detail cleaned it including taking apart the slide by disassembling the striker and extractor. Relubed it and put it back together. Hopefully I can test it soon and see if that worked. I'll let you guys know. Thanks!

 

[23738]

It also helps to take a small brush, like a child's toothbrush (a new one ) and use that with some gun scrub of your choice sprayed onto it to clean the hard to get areas like the extractor, the channels in the slide for the rails, the coils of the spring(s) etc.

If a chunk of grit is in the extractor, it too will cause this, but usually with the slide off, and held up to a light colored surface, see if it's got something stuck in there....

Also, make sure you have a firm grip, and you're using good ammo, not some 15 year old stuff from someone's wet basement, although I highly doubt it's an ammo issue.

Be sure to let us know the results, and even if there's something wrong with your P99, be assured that they are very reliable guns and once fixed, it will probably be problem free for both yours and it's lifetimes, barring crappy ammo and limp wristing.

 

[timewaster1700]

Well shoot I took my cleaned and lubed P99 to the range again today and once again had it jam on the previous empty brass every shot. I noticed if I pulled the slide back all the way after a malfunction, the extractor would successfully eject the expent brass. If I put a new round in then pulled the slide back all the way it would eject an unfired round successfully too. So I'm wondering if that the problem isn't that the extractor isn't working but rather that the slide is not traveling far back enough. Maybe the spring is somehow too strong? Seems weird to have that on a new gun. I tried Federal, remmington, and pmc ammo. All were 115 gr and none worked. I've heard about limp wristing but I don't think that's my issue. I've never had this with my other pistols and I was firmly holding the P99. I'm going to have to call Walther when their open and see what they can do for me. Could it be as simple as swaping out the recoil spring I wonder?

 

[balance]

So I'm wondering if that the problem isn't that the extractor isn't working but rather that the slide is not traveling far back enough.

This isn't the problem here. The ejector hits the empty casing and ejects it before the slide travels far enough to the rear to pick up the next round in the mag, unless the casing isn't coming out of the chamber, which is the problem here.

I've heard about limp wristing but I don't think that's my issue. I've never had this with my other pistols and I was firmly holding the P99. I'm going to have to call Walther when their open and see what they can do for me. Could it be as simple as swaping out the recoil spring I wonder?

No amount of limp-wristing would cause the empty casing to stay in the chamber, with the next round in the mag feeding into it. This is a gun problem for sure, but the recoil spring is not at fault here.

Did you check the extractor? Is the hook dirty, chipped, or broken?

If the extractor is in good shape, I'd suspect the chamber is the issue, either from being dirty with old oil, or from it being out of spec.

 

[Jaems]

Did you take the barrel out, drop a round in, and then see if it would fall out? If you turn the barrel over. If the Chamber isn't clean enough. The rounds could stick or slow to fall out.

It could also be the ammo. I have a PPX that would not eject the 115gr rounds very well. They kept hitting me in the face. It ejected the 124gr fine. After a couple of hundred rounds, the 115 started to eject properly. It needed a break-in period. Try some 124gr rounds and see if they can be ejected. Some of these new fangle pistols like the heavier gr. rounds.

 

[timewaster1700]

Hmm I might have to give the 124 gr a try.

As far as the chamber I test rounds in the chamber of the barrel when it was taken a part and they slide out very easily. You slightly tip it and they fall out so I don't see it being a problem of the round getting stuck in the chamber. Also the brass is coming fully out of the chamber but is staying in the extractor then the sliding is pushing it forward again where it gets stuck against the rim of the chamber. So it seems to be an issue with the brass not extracting. I thought it might be the slide not going back far enough because if I pulled the slide myself the round doesn't eject until nearly the very end of the slide's pull rearward. Basically the extractor didn't release the round and let fly until the the slide was pulled all the way back. Thanks for you guys help!

 

[PeterTheFish]

Is your ejector broken? A pic could be useful. I can't think of any other issue that could keep brass from leaving the firearm other than very light loads...

 

[timewaster1700]

I don't think it is. Here are some pictures I just took. let me know if other pictures would be useful. See how there's the little rod on the left side that pushes on the left side of the round with thereby pushes it out of the clasp of the extractor when the slide goes back? I'm not sure the slide is cycling far enough back to reach that rod therefore the round stays caught in the extractor.

 

[Milspec]

.
If it ejects and loads when you cycle the slide by hand then the problem is short cycling. Basically you need your springs to wear in or hotter ammo. Try some 124 grain Winchester NATO...that will get your springs working...

 

[balance]

I would take the slide off the pistol, take the barrel off the slide, and try to slide a round under the hook of the extractor. You should not be able to slide the round forward (the direction away from the firing pin) out of the hook.

If it isn't the extractor, it is the chamber. Three different brands of ammunition should not be having this issue on every shot fired unless there is an issue with the pistol. Only a bad extractor or a bad or dirty chamber could cause this type of malfunction in your pistol.

 

[23738]

I agree with MilSpec....it most likely needs broken in. If the extractor was bad, it wouldn't pull the case out cycling the slide by hand. The spring simply needs broken in.


OP, while you're sitting around, watching TV, or doing something that doesn't require precise attention, take your (empty!) P99 and simply hand cycle the slide a bunch of times. You don't have to touch the trigger, just rack it back and forth, over and over. I did this on my brand new PPS, and never had a problem. That thing was pretty hard to pull back too, the first few times. Once the RSA gets a little "free-er", I think your issue will vanish. Of course, you could also try some heavier loads too...wouldn't even have to be the NATO branded 124gr....some 147gr rounds would do also.

One other thing...did you put a tiny dab of grease on the disconnector, and the trigger bar? That may help with some of the friction, although there's not enough there to be an issue on a centerfire semi auto, unless the ammo was old and weak...which yours is likely not.

Don't be afraid to put a box or two of +p through it...

I'd be willing to bet you a 50 round box of ammo that if you do the hand-cycle slide operation I mentioned, next time you're out shooting, the issue won't exist.

Also, do you keep your mags empty when not using the gun? All of mine stay full...it helps the spring to relax a little...but it won't cause the mag to not feed upwards enough over time...not that that is our issue right now anyway...but the stiffer the mag spring, the more pressure is on the rail on the bottom of the slide...which equates to more friction and upward pressure on the slide, which also increases friction. All of which a stiffer recoil spring must overcome.