[caspian]

After a couple of thousand rounds out of my 9mm P99AS I have made a few observations:

1) Ergonomics of the P99 are outstanding (equal to my other favorite 9mm..the SIG 226).

2) The DA/SA transition is excellent. The DA pull is consistent and does not stack at the end of the pull.

3) Reliability has been 100% with everything from COR-BON, WW Ranger, Blazer Ball, and Lead bullet reloads (and I did not even have to buy an aftermarket barrel to shoot them!)

4) As a carry piece that holds 16 rounds, the size and shape and weight of this pistol are unsurpassed for comfort and ease of carry. It's as svelte as a full size service pistol can be and retain excellent shootability.

As has been mentioned before it is a shame that Walther has done such an awful job of marketing this pistol. I own Glocks, HKs, and Sigs, and while each excels in one or two areas, the Walther seems to do everything well. If you have not tried one yet, do so.

 

[jimmythebrain]

I agree 100%.

It seems that all the Walthers are owned by us fans, each with several of the same model. Every one else is oblivious.

While I am fine being a minority clued into a great thing, the worst part for me becomes the limited after market support. Items for the 1st generation rail are scarce. The second generation S&W rail has more options. But the after market variations of holsters are even limited in comparison to the Glocks, XD's, Sigs, HK's, Etc. All this when the P99 is a better gun.

The P99 is my favorite handgun, by a long shot. The 1911 style gun being second.

Walther should have done a better job with marketing. The P99 has all the right attributes, but no cheerleaders.

 

[caspian]

Thanks. It does make you wonder. Glock knows how to market its products. Sig is starting to realize the value of this. Walther, for whatever reason does not seem to graps the relevance of marketing. It would seem that in order to be successful, people must first know your product exists. The P99 is a robust design, with a fairly small number of parts. It is a superbly engineered pistol. However, if the vast majority of consumers can't find one or don't know about them, it really does not matter. Right now, the best marketing they have is this forum and the next James Bond film. I think they could do better if they wanted to.

 

[Ogie]

As has been mentioned before it is a shame that Walther has done such an awful job of marketing this pistol. I own Glocks, HKs, and Sigs, and while each excels in one or two areas, the Walther seems to do everything well. If you have not tried one yet, do so.

I see this all the time in posts and I wonder why some people think it is a shame that Walther has not done a better job of marketing? I don't get it. Who cares! It would seem to be to our advantage for the P99 to be underappreciated. I would suspect that if it was hugely popular I would have had to pay more for mine than I did. Why would I wish for that?

 

[lt1aggie]

I see this all the time in posts and I wonder why some people think it is a shame that Walther has not done a better job of marketing? I don't get it. Who cares! It would seem to be to our advantage for the P99 to be underappreciated. I would suspect that if it was hugely popular I would have had to pay more for mine than I did. Why would I wish for that?

Better aftermarket?

 

[Ogie]

Better aftermarket?

Aftermarket parts? Like what?

About the only thing I plan to add is maybe a light/laser attachment at some time in the future. Other than that I can't think of anything I would need that I don't have.

 

[Parabellus]

Can't say as I care if everybody and his brother-in-law knows that the P99 is the finest 9mm defensive pistol in its price range. Most of the gun shops I visit don't have them and those that do have people with little knowledge of the variations available or the difference between AS and QA. They know about Glock, Sig, and CZ. I know what I learned right here.
What I care about is available and affordable parts when needed. Magazines are too expensive and I can't get alternate grip-straps or sights (mine was purchased used and the other stuff was missing). And who sells the recoil spring? Not Wolff.
But I enjoy having and shooting one of the best-kept secrets in the world of handguns. It's a snob thing really. Elitist.

Russell

 

[Pitmaster]

I let a much more experienced gun guy than me shoot my P99 a couple of weeks ago. He is teaching me how to shoot better. He didn't like the gun when he shot it but said it was more because he wasn't used to it. He then shot it from a bench rest and commented with a tone of wonderment "that's an accurate gun". I think the Walther is definitely underestimated by many. I'm glad I lucked into my choice.

 

[cobbhc]

I think the AS is one of the best concealed carry weapons in it's range no doubt. If I were going to use it to shoot IDPA I would probably go with a QA as a competition gun, with the necessary modifications for the short consistent trigger pull.

 

[toolman23]

My newly acquired P99AS is now my daily carry piece. Its ergonomics are such that I don't have to spend hours practicing to feel proficient with it. It just feels so natural in my hand and requires little effort to put rounds where I want them on the target. I would worry that if Walther were to be more successful in the marketplace that quality would suffer. Yes, I firmly believe that there is a threshold production level, beyond which, we would see a compromise in quality. I do believe, however, this is more prevalent with American companies.

 

[caspian]

Regarding the question, "Who cares if no one knows about the P99?" I think we all should. I can pick up all the Glock magazines I want for about $13. It would sure be nice if those were Walther mags! It would be interesting to see shooters attend a Walther sponsored match much like the GSSF matches. Is it essential? No. Will it preclude us from using the piece? No. I think it is more a comment on how products like the Glock (a fine pistol, but superior to the P99 only by subjective standards) find their way into the hands of shooters, especially new shooters in large numbers. If I did not know about the Walther, and someone let me shoot theirs, it would sure open up my eyes.

 

[sepolvora]

I would like Walthers were more known!

Because then I would have had more choices to buy mine.
I did not have, so I buy a QA titanium coated, and I don't like it, I really wanted a P990, DAO.

Later, I could not find tritium sights (as I do for other weapons)

If Walther were more populars, I could have found a P99C for concealed carry. I could not, so I ended up with a Glock 26, (shame on me!)

P99 owners are scarse, even on movies and TV everyone is shooting with glocks. And every guy who displays a P99 on screen is a little infatuated bastard, or some too-proud-of himself SOB which carries a Walther just to be different from the rest of the church.

Hey, what a coincidence! when I pointed out that, my wife raised her head and asked : Are you talking about yourself?

 

[Ogie]

Regarding the question, "Who cares if no one knows about the P99?" I think we all should. I can pick up all the Glock magazines I want for about $13. It would sure be nice if those were Walther mags! It would be interesting to see shooters attend a Walther sponsored match much like the GSSF matches. Is it essential? No. Will it preclude us from using the piece? No. I think it is more a comment on how products like the Glock (a fine pistol, but superior to the P99 only by subjective standards) find their way into the hands of shooters, especially new shooters in large numbers. If I did not know about the Walther, and someone let me shoot theirs, it would sure open up my eyes.

Actually, that wasn't the question at all. I see you have quote marks around "Who cares if no one knows about the P99?" Where did you find that quote? I don't see it anywhere in this thread. The question was who cares why Walther has not done a better job of marketing?

You have a point about cheap aftermarket parts. However, just because an aftermarket part is cheap doe not mean it will hold up as well as the OEM part. I would rather have dependable than cheap.

Your comment about SIG starting to realizie the benefits of marketing is questionable. They have been coming out with a flavor of the month gun for some time now. Quality control has gone down and customer complaints have gone up. That's not something I would want for Walther.

I have no interest in Walther spending a ton of money marketing the P99, and thereby raising the prices of the P99.

 

[caspian]

Settle down bro. I had to go back and re-read the posts to see what set you off. Can't say I was attempting to attribute that quote to you. That is one response I always get from my friends, but I can see how it is close enough to your offering to rile you. It'll be ok.

As far as "cheap", I was only wishing that P99 mags were as reasonably priced as Glock mags. I would imagine if there were a ton of them (like Glocks) they would be offered at a more reasonable cost. I also can't help but wonder that if there were more P99's such a scenario would exist, which kinda ties back into the original point of the whole thing. I have no interest in cheap aftermarket parts.

Regarding SIG, perhaps you missed the point. Their "homeland security" ads are pretty well done, and in general their advertising seems well directed and thought out. I own a P220 & P226 (older) and have fired a few of the newer models. My experience has been very positive. I am sure that exceptions to this exist, as I am sure I can find people who have had problems with the P99 and Walther service.

I doubt that Walther conceived the P99 to be a "cult" gun. I am sure that given their druthers they would have liked a few military or additional police contracts, and if they lack those, the only point is that I feel it can be attributed to marketing. That's all. It has no effect on me or you or our opinion of the piece, just an observation. Also, I doubt that a few well conceived ads would jack up the price of the gun to the point where it would put it out of reach. None of this is gospel, just one man's opinion...no more, no less.

 

[Ogie]

caspian:

No problem!

I agree that reasonably priced is different from "cheap", but sometimes mags can be a real problem. I have had no problems with the Wather mags even though they are pricey. Not much different from SIG mags in that regard.

I have a SIG P239 that is a great pistol and I had a SIG GSR that was a piece of junk. It was a piece of junk because you could not fire 20 rounds without a malfunction. Had it not been for that it would have been a fantastic 1911! But the malfunctions were no small thing. "To Hell and back reliability" was a phrase that applied well to SIGs not that long ago. I don't think they can say that with honesty anymore. I think they have overinvested with their marketing and overextended with their Government contracts to the detriment of the quality control for which they were known for.

I think the Walther P99 is a great pistol and I am glad I purchased it. I don't think additional advertising would have swayed me to purchase one any sooner. Just my opinion.