[David S]

I ordered my P99 from Earl back when the ban was going on because it was the only way i could get 16 rd mags..... it seemed worth it to me..
now the ban is over and earls prices are still about $200 more than the "regular" walthers.... why?
the only difference is the importation mark right?
or am i missing something here?

 

[Jake Starr]

the only difference is the importation mark right?
or am i missing something here?

Well and that they may come with the Euro rear sights. From what I know the import marks are the only difference. But if you talk to Earl he may tell you that the P99s or other Walthers that may have come through some other importers are 2nds, and that his guns are truly blemish free. Personally I think this is hogwash, but that is the rumor.

I have a couple of Interarms and SW imports and they are just fine. Cheaper too.

 

[David S]

yeh. my p99 came with the euro sites, i liked them, but they now wear trjicons....
only seemed worth it back when the ban was in play

 

[ShipWreck]

Earl grows his guns using liquid gold until they get big enough - that's why his guns cost more

 

[153]

I have on of Earl's P99s. It is pretty much like all the other P99s I have seen, but does lack the import marking on the right of the slide.

I have always HATED the non-factory import marks on Walther pistols, from Interarms to Carl Walther to Smith & Wesson. For me those import stampings are as horrible as Ruger's "READ INSTRUCTION MANUEL" or Smith & Wesson's Infernal Lock, they deface great guns.

Therefore I am thankful to Earl for importing firearms marked so a beautiful pistol is not defaced. I am sure Earl has to mark up his product more than S&W just to keep the doors open. The is not a lot of room to make money selling firearms retail, so if his is a small operation he probably cannot afford a 10 or 15% margin.

I am okay with paying Earl more for a considerately handled pistol, and wish him the best. If having Smith & Wesson carved into your Walther doesn't bother you then save your money. I plan to order my PPS through him should it ever be allowed into California.

 

[Malysh]

Everybody is entitled to express their opinions, and it is not my intent to quash discussions, but I have to say this is the 2nd post I've seen here putting down Earl because of his prices.
It should be obvious to anybody who gives this any real thought - Earl is a very small business, with occasional part time help(which may be family).
Do you guys really think he can compete with the size orders that S&W or Interarms used to write? They get discounts for large orders, guys, duh!
Of course their prices will always be cheaper.

Earl is a stand up guy. I have no complaint with S&W or their repair center at all, but if I had a Walther pistol I needed work on that wasn't under warranty for whatever reason, it would go to Earl in a minute. I've dealth with him before. He knows the Walther pistols inside and out. He is the last of a dying breed of gunsmiths that sell retail. Would you rather have experienced personal service for your gun, including realistic turn around times that are met 99% of the time, or deal with a monolithic large business?

If it is an issue to save some money on a product, nobody can say you are wrong to go to S&W, but please don't bash Earl.
He does not deserve it.

 

[Ogie]

I have on of Earl's P99s. It is pretty much like all the other P99s I have seen, but does lack the import marking on the right of the slide.

I have always HATED the non-factory import marks on Walther pistols, from Interarms to Carl Walther to Smith & Wesson. For me those import stampings are as horrible as Ruger's "READ INSTRUCTION MANUEL" or Smith & Wesson's Infernal Lock, they deface great guns.

Therefore I am thankful to Earl for importing firearms marked so a beautiful pistol is not defaced. I am sure Earl has to mark up his product more than S&W just to keep the doors open. The is not a lot of room to make money selling firearms retail, so if his is a small operation he probably cannot afford a 10 or 15% margin.

I am okay with paying Earl more for a considerately handled pistol, and wish him the best. If having Smith & Wesson carved into your Walther doesn't bother you then save your money. I plan to order my PPS through him should it ever be allowed into California.

I am trying to remember if I am recalling this correctly. Doesn't Earl use an import mark of his own on the P99? If so, what's the difference if it says Smith & Wesson or Earl's Repair?

 

[153]

Earl puts "ERS INC TEWKESBURY MA" in little letters on the barrel hood or inside the acessory rail.

They are barely visable.

 

[David S]

since i started this thread, i just want to clarify i was NOT bashign earl

I bought my first P99 from him...
i bought night sites from him and a several other items.
Hes a great guy to deal with, fast as HELL on turn around times...
i mean i sent him my slide to have sights put on, and it was in and out of his shop in less than 6 hours! amazing!
Your right
that kinda service IS A dieing breed...and i value it alot.
However another thing that dies very quick is my money...Prices are goign up everywhere and no one is paying anymore more....

This post was not designed to bash anyway, simply inquire and do a comparison.... a friendly comparison

 

[searcher451]

Earl is a lot like the old friendly gasoline station owner in the neighborhood who always charged a few cents more per gallon to make ends meet, but who also serviced your car with care and understanding when something went wrong, who helped you out when the back tire started losing air, who cleaned your windshield without being asked when you filled up, who was there for you and your wife and your kids when you needed him to be there.

Sadly, the big monopoly station moved in down the street and started offering gas at five cents less per gallon, and we all were suddenly seduced by the allure of saving a buck; pretty soon the Earls of the world were out of business and looking for a new job. We got our gas for less money, all right, but the pimple-faced crew at the monopoly wasn't worth a tied fig when the brakes got wobbly or the wipers stopped working or the wife limped in with a flat tire.

Anyone who has ever talked with Earl or dealt with Earl appreciates the man and his expertise and his fast turnaround. Sure, he charges a few extra cents per gallon to make ends meet. But if we aren't careful, that big monopoly down the street will chase him right out of business one of these days.

Then what?

 

[Out West]

I appreciate the service Earl provides. However, I do not believe either Walther or Smith & Wesson qualifies for "monopoly" status.

Out West

 

[Soybomb]

Would you rather have experienced personal service for your gun, including realistic turn around times that are met 99% of the time, or deal with a monolithic large business?

If it is an issue to save some money on a product, nobody can say you are wrong to go to S&W, but please don't bash Earl.

Similarly I would say lets not bash S&W. Their customer service is without a doubt excellent. I hold no prejudice based on the size of the business, just how they treat me and I really feel like they've taken great care of me every time.

The problem I have is that Earl doesn't seem entirely like the old friendly guy down the street to me. Several people have posted their stories of Earl bashing S&W and talking about how inferior all the other guns are to his but no one has any proof of it. I kind of like the guy who doesn't feel like he has to say bad things about his competitors because his own service will win you over alone. His accessory prices even seem high. I want to like earl, we probably all do. We'd probably all rather have his import stamp than s&w's on our guns. At the end of it all its a pretty significant premium and I have to deal with a guy who sounds like he lets his bitterness for his competitor show through. I've thought a 9x21 P99 would be neat so maybe one day I'll buy from earl, until then...

 

[ShipWreck]

I was just teasing about Earl earlier - but sorry - his prices are too high for me. I cannot afford that.

 

[dmav]

My experience with Earl has been excellent. He walked me through Class 3 transfer and everything. Bought threaded bbl and suppressor from him.

 

[James NM]

Similarly I would say lets not bash S&W. ...

You got that right!

Some here unmercifully bash S&W every chance they get - deserved or not(more often not). To me it's distracting to see almost as much negative about S&W as there is positive about Walther. In fact, there are so many negative comments about S&W that I've often thought about suggesting a "Bash S&W" forum - kind of a centralized place for all the bitching. But let someone even hint about something negative about Earl - well that's blasphemy.

Some boards have a rule against bashing other brands. Sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[searcher451]

I believe that we are throwing punches at a target that doesn't exist, gentlemen.

For what it's worth -- and it ought to be worth something -- no one here said anything untoward about S&W. It has been noted on this forum, time and again, that S&W has superb customer service -- as good as anyone in the business and better than most -- and that the firm generally makes an excellent firearm. True, some folks aren't as complimentary about the S&W version of the PPK series, but that's a matter of personal taste, as are all things in life ... and on this forum.

My earlier comments in this thread about a "monopoly" were not directed at S&W, nor were they directed at Walther, for heaven's sake. If it wasn't clear and you really want to know, they were directed more at companies like Exxon and Shell Oil, which pretty much helped to put corner gas stations out of business in the '70s and '80s. The point of the post was that we need businesses like Earl, just like we need Walther and S&W and, yeah, even places like cheaperthandirt.com and the Gun Directory and other venues for folks to get their firearm fix. One size does not fit all.

Sorry if the allegory was missed by some or not as clear as intended.

 

[Deputy]

Searcher: Agree 100%. The oppressive gun laws and a certain anti-gun Federal agency went a long way to put local gun stores out of business. Where we used to be able to go in town and talk to a guy that knew his stuff inside and out about all guns, we now have to ship our guns to the factory and hope that what we want fixed GETS fixed. S&W has been one of the few big companies that still cares about it's customers. They certainly aren't a monopoly, but they are one of the biggest firearms manufacturers in the country.

I've never bought from Earls. I do plan on getting one of his deluxe cases for my P99. I can't believe the cheesy case that came with the gun. Nowhere near as nice as the case I got with the S&W PPK. Would I buy a gun from Earls? I dunno. Maybe if I couldn't order a Walther from S&W. But I can and I did. The stamp on the side doesn't really matter much to me. It's the price and the way the gun performs. And so far it's been perfect.

Dep

 

[ISOTOX]

Earl Rocks ... yes he in fact goes direct to Germany for his P99 and does in fact ingrave a small importers stamp as he is required buy US Law ... Is there a diffrence. Yell ya SERVICE. Will I pay more for service HELL YA!! I went in just a few weeks ago foir some night sights ...planning on having to put them on myself. Eral ask do you havde the gun I hesitate and say yes thinking he will charge me extra .... as a matter of fact he charged me 20$ less and put them on as I waited.... no the interesting part. He askes we to hold out my hands, raise the gun as if I was drawing a bead on a target ... asked a few questions and takes it back takes a screw driver a little adjusting hands it back says you should be good to go...point and shoot. ....So off to the range I go ... point aim shoot ... damn if i dont hit the sweet spot each and every time ... So pay a little extra hell ya ....

 

[thorn]

Earl's price on a new P99/AS is $800. Once you factor in shipping and FFL charges, it's going to be closer to $850.

I paid about $570 for the same new gun at my local dealer. That's over $250 less money - and to me, $250 is a lot of money. That's a scoped Ruger 10/22, half of a Savage bolt rifle, or nearly a Mossy shotgun. Or a ton of P99 ammo.

While I can understand that he may not have the volume sales necessary to sell for $550-600, the fact remains that $800 is a very high price for a P99. Earl's remains on my list of places i will consider shopping at for parts and accessories, but I simply don't have the financial resources to pay 30% more for the same gun.

thorn

 

[PX15]

JMOFO:

I'm all for "free enterprise", the laws of "supply and demand" and all that. Having said that, I also believe in supporting the local businessman.

My local ffl dealer found me a new P99c/AS for $585.00 out the door. Several months later I was so pleased with my P99c/AS I had him order me a new P99/AS. The price of the second P99 was still around $585.00..

I have a total of roughly $1170.00 in my two P99's, and I bought them thru my local dealer and he was quite happy with the profit he made.

Would he have preferred to sell each one for $850.00? No doubt, but he knows that had he demanded that much profit he wouldn't have sold me a gun, much less two, much less how every many more I buy in the future. He is trying to find me a black PPS now, and I'll bet you when he does it will be several hundred dollars less than the one with the less obvious import marks that a firearm purchased from Earl has on it.

Reasonable profit is just that, reasonable. My dealer made whatever profit he needed off my P99's and anytime both the buyer and the seller are happy a good deal has been made.

I'm sure Mr.Earl would be pleased with selling a $585.00 pistol for $800.00, but I wouldn't have been happy as the buyer..

Finally, as to customer service/warranty repair. I've had S&W guns for decades, and in my experience S&W Customer Service and Warranty repair are 2nd to none. In fact I believe Earl charges $10.00+ for fingertip extensions, and S&W sent me THREE, free...

I don't begrudge Earl making all the profit he can... His business, his prices. But for poor folks like myself he is too proud of his "special" Walthers and I can't afford them.. Even if I could afford them I would still prefer to support my local dealer first.

Personal opinion/YMMV

J. Pomeroy