JMOFO:
I've never found the transition from the initial DA shot @8.8lbs and the follow up SA shots @4.4lbs on my P99/AS's to be of any significance.
I can guarantee you if you were shooting in self defense as opposed to at the range cutting paper the difference between the two would be no factor.
I consider the heavier first round DA shot as a safety factor that I did not get with my Glock 26's... I think most non-leo's and the like are better served by the NECESSITY of overcoming a slightly heavier first round shot..
That additional increase in trigger pull on the first round might be the very thing that saves you from having an ad/nd, and gives you just a bit more time to decide you might not want to shot at all...
I'm of the opinion that anytime you shoot someone, no matter how righteous legally, you are in for a long, hard road before it's all over. So IF you have the slightest chance to re-consider pulling the trigger before possibly taking a life, even if it's only 4.4lbs helping you make that decision, that's a plus imo.
If you have to shoot someone in defense of your life you can bet the farm you can expect the bereaved family members of the "choir boy" you had to shoot to be calling for your head and pocketbook before the bg is room temperature.. And there are LEGIONS of lawyers just sitting by the phone waiting for their call...
Additionally that DA trigger pull on the first round might well save your bacon in a crisis if you pull your firearm and accidently pull the trigger in doing so.
I've owned and cc revolvers for over 4 decades... The heavier da first round has always been, for me, a safety factor that I wanted and appreciated, and in my pistols I prefer the same heavier first round da shot.
I've been considering the purchase of a PPS when the all black models hit the market, but I'm put off by the absence of a DA/SA trigger/striker... I think a firearm using the traditional DA/SA trigger is without a doubt the best choice for a person who is not a professional leo, or in a related field.. Most of us will be carrying a lot, and shooting a little. That combo is better served by a firearm with a heavier da trigger pull for the initial round.
Additionally if you read the comments of many P99 owners on the various forums you will find a very high percentage of them own and love the "AS" models. Even tho "AS" models are harder to find, if I were buying another P99 that's what I'd buy...
Just my old fart opinion... YMMV
Best Wishes,
J. Pomeroy