IMO the chances are slim to none. The P99 AS is Walther's option for those that want a DA/SA type modern poly frame pistol. if the XD-E was a really good selling pistol manufacturers might consider such but it is not.

 

I hope they continue to make hammer fired pistols. I know it's ridiculous, but I just cannot get comfortable with striker fired pistols, I just don't trust them and I don't know if I ever will.

 

There is ONE striker fired handgun in my collection that I feel TOTALLY comfortable around with a round chambered. Funny how the first striker handgun was the safest IMHO.


Well, technically two, the P7 M13 shooter and the P7 M13 safe queen........

 

I agree, I had two PPSs and a 5” PPQ, sold them and only have hammered fired pistols except the P99 & P99 C.

 

Walther (Ulm) tends to cater to the police and military market. Civilian sales always seemed to be an afterthought with the products that were coming out of the Ulm plant.

How many police and military agencies are switching to hammer fired pistols lately? Compare that number to the number of agencies switching to striker fired pistols.

I can't say I blame them. It is the market that they cater to, and until demand for hammer fired pistols rises in that market, I wouldn't expect anything hammer fired from the Ulm plant.

 

...

How many police and military agencies are switching to hammer fired pistols lately? Compare that number to the number of agencies switching to striker fired pistols.

...

It's really a function of cost. Striker-fired pistols are cheaper to manufacture, and allow lower bids to the buying agencies.

M

 

The day of the double/single action has come and gone, whether for economics (Mike) or philosophy...the trigger transition isn't currently popular.(Please, no offense...I know some folks are still fans.) There is also a case for the lower bore axis in striker fired pistols, as well as the simpler manual of arms.
The hammered 1911 has taken a lot of the wind out of the hammer fired market.
As far as trusting striker guns, no problemo. The firing pin blocks makes it almighty unlikely that they'll fire without a trigger press.
I think it unlikely that new hammer guns will be part of Walther's plans.
Moon

 

For some reason, I don't think anyone should be shoveling dirt on the grave of the hammer-fired pistol. For example:

HK: USP, 45, Mark 23, P2000, P30...frankly their only striker fired pistols are the VPs
Sig: P220, P225, P226, P228, P229, SP2022, Legion.
Remington: R-51, 1911s
Springfield: XD-E (which has been expanded from 1 to 3 models), 911, 1911
CZ: 75, Shadow 2, P-07, P-01, P-09, 2075 RAMI, 97
Beretta: M9, PX4, 92, 21, 3032, 96,
Colt: their entire line of pistols
Ruger: SR series (mostly 1911s), Security-9, LCP
- just to name a few

Guess someone needs to tell these "dumb butt" companies their firearms are obsolete. Too bad they can't see they aren't selling any of these pistols, since everyone has switched to Glocks now...and they keep expanding their product offerings...

The problem with SA striker fired pistols is the decreased safety aspect in CC for the general public. If you carry your pistol with a round chambered (as it should be), you have a much higher risk if putting your finger on the trigger and having a AD during a stressful situation than with a "decocked" SA/DA or a pistol or a SA pistol with an external manual safety. Just ask that federal agent who shot himself in the foot during that firearm safety demonstration. Doubt the majority of CC people have as much training as he did at the time of the accident. Add the stress of having to defend yourself...

Nope, I won't CC my PPQ, even though I prefer to shoot that over every other pistol I own. I'm just not willing to add that additional risk, so for now I'll stick with my P99C and my XD-E. The XD-E is a really nice pistol, and exactly the type of pistol I would love to see Walther to add to their product line.

 

other reliable hammer guns



There’s nothing as sweet as my S&W revolvers. However, my Ruger SP101 is almost as smooth as a S&W and my Magnum Research Baby Desert allows me to have a polymer frame with a hammer.

 

Did I miss a post in this thread???


I didn't see anyone shoveling dirt on hammer fired handguns.


The topic, "Will WALTHER ever produce another hammer fired pistol", in NO way decides the life/death of the hammer.

 

Sorry, but that was directed more towards this comment:

"The day of the double/single action has come and gone"

I'm not alone with the group that prefers SA/DA "hammer-fired" pistols.

I bought a G23C around the turn of the century, and although I liked it, I never really fell in love with it. It might have been the "spongy" trigger or the ergonomics of a 2"x4", but it never really felt like it was an extension of me.

It wasn't until I bought a PPQ that I found a striker-fired pistol I loved. Now if I was using it for competition, would go with whatever I liked shooting the most (which at this time would be my PPQ), but give me something with a decocker or an external manual safety for my CC pistol. They just add an additional layer of safety while carrying with "one in the pipe."

 

I think balance pretty much covered it.

These days most military and law enforcement agencies are buying striker fired pistols. If your main business (Walther) is building guns for these agencies you might take that in consideration when designing and building service pistols.

There is a little bit of fashion in firearms. Trends come and go. Right now the popular thing for institutional use is a striker fired consistent pull handgun. They are simple and cheap to build and service. Easy to shoot well enough.

If that were to change I'd expect Walther to adapt. Until then, probably not.

No one is saying hammered fired guns are obsolete. They still work just fine as do DA revolvers. They are no longer the "in thing" for purchases by most militaries and police forces.

I expect companies still making them will continue to for as long as it is profitable for them to do so.

The Springfield XDE is an interesting attempt to reach a certain part of the civilian CC market that I think you are speaking for.

I have no idea how its selling or if its catching on. What do you think?

 

DA/SA hammer guns have a few characteristics that LEO/Military have come to find undesirable. The striker gun resolves these issues.


The heavy DA pull is a nice feature that reduces accidental discharge (AD), we can all agree on that.
This "feature" becomes an issue when the operator is in a stressful situation, with a cocked hammer, and puts his finger inside the trigger guard/goes on trigger. Plenty of ADs/accidental shootings (AS) have been attributed to thinking "DA trigger" while handling a gun in "SA trigger" condition.
There is also the act of inexperienced operators "throwing away" the first DA shot in a stressful situation, because their lack of training with the DA/SA platform leaves them with little ability in DA mode. It would take untold millions of dollars in time/ammo/training to get the US Military/US LEOs proficient in DA/SA sidearms.



It's much easier to train "booger hook" outside the trigger guard until ready to fire (striker gun), then proper DA/SA etiquette. The consistent trigger pull of strike fire guns does away with the "first shot throw away" issue too.



Don't get me started on DA/SA hammer guns with manual safety. A next level item for "assumption of condition" causing ADs & ASs.

 

I switched from a striker fired EDC to a XDE and love it.

 

And it probably was not the first.

The earliest one I know of was the Roth-Steyr 1907.

They've been around for a while. It was one of the first semi-automatic pistols to be adopted by a military.

 

The earliest one I know of was the Roth-Steyr 1907.

The C93 Borchardt and Luger are both striker fired as well. In the early days of the automatic pistol the striker was pretty common. It wasn't until the 1930's that hammer fired pistols started to become the norm. I think the success of the 1911 was bolstered by the PP, P.38, and Hi Power.

But to answer the original question I'm the wrong person to ask. I didn't think Walther would ever make a .45 or bring back an all steel pistol either. They might suprise us yet.

 

When most of today's hammer pistol offerings are of a design from over 100 years...it's a double edged sword..are they in the past, or are they the "next big thing"?

Well...how many brand new, clean sheet of paper design hammer fired pistols are being made..right NOW?


There's likely a certain demographic that hammer guns cater to, and I'd daresay that were it not for competition, that pool is shrinking...

To answer the OP's question...

The answer is simple. From Ulm, no. They don't have the room.

Unless they tool up in Fort Smith, there'll not be a new hammer fired gun with "Walther" on it.
And do you really want the BB Gun factory making you a new gun?

 

do you really want the BB Gun factory making you a new gun?

So much this.

After the failure of the P88, I'm guessing that Ulm no longer has any interest in revisiting the hammer fired pistol. As much as I like the P5, Sig classic P series, and the Beretta 92, their day is done. The market has spoken, and spoken quite loudly. The all metal DA/SA hammer fired pistol will quietly fade from the market place, ending up in the same place as the Colt Single Action Army. An elegant weapon, from a more civilized time...

 

The prior post pic made me think of this......

 

 

You F'ed Lord Vader???

 

Sometimes what is old is new....

Anyway, I honestly think that guns with exposed hammers have the ability to have better triggers. I also think an exposed hammer is an advantage when holstering. Then when you consider the addition of a decocker, they are better guns generally than striker fired options.

The only clear advantage of a striker fired gun is a hammer that won’t get snagged.

 

...The only clear advantage of a striker fired gun is a hammer that won’t get snagged.

Well, there is lower bore axis and simpler manual of arms, to name two, but it might be worth making a distinction about what purpose a gun may serve. Police and military contracts go to striker guns due to that 'simpler manual of arms', and Mike's remark about cost.
Competitive shooters tend more toward hammer guns, due to their better triggers, depending, too, on the form of competition. Strikers dominate in some instances.
The problems with DA/SA pistols have been noted...if simply managing suspects at gunpoint is the goal, the long pull on the first shot may have some merit, but the sudden transition, under stress, can be a challenge.
Personally, I'm not that smart, and striker guns (and their consistent, deliberate triggers) are what I'd want when things go sideways.
As regards the original question, I'm doubtful that Walther, or anyone else, will do a 'clean piece of paper' hammer gun. Existing designs (the 1911 especially) will continue to see sales, but the poly strikers are the future.
Moon

ETA- Blitz, get that damned (but neat!) Webley out of here!
M

 

Quote; "I can break my guns down in about the time it took you to read this sentence, maybe less.

Try that with a 1911

Then again, the 1911 is from a time when men had balls and respect, and those times are long gone..."


That last sentence is exactly why I purchased a Para 14.45 GI Expert for myself (birthday last year). Every handgun collection needs a 1911, and every handgun enthusiast needs to know how to disassemble/reassemble one WITHOUT causing the idiot scratch.


Just grabbed my 2019 B'day gun, the POF AR-10 in .308, another gun from the "balls and respect" era (mid/late 1950s).

 

It is true hammer fired guns, at their best have better triggers. The gap had narrowed though.

The current generation of striker guns have pretty darn good triggers. Walther deserves a lot of credit for setting the pace with that.

Walther is again pushing the envelope with their Expert comp trigger. They are not the only ones.

It's also not a given that hammered fired guns have better trigger pulls. I have an HK45 and an HK P30sk. I have absolute faith they will go "boom" when asked. Build quality and accuracy are top notch. But the triggers??? Meh...not very good to be honest.

At the end of the day, the simplicity and cost effectivenes of striker fired guns will rule the day. They are easy to build, operate and maintain.

It's easy to predict striker triggers will continue to improve. Perhaps soon, the norm will be a pistol with a clean, 3lb striker trigger and a manual safety of some sort. Homage to the 1911.

 

I will dissent from the dominant opinion here; real handguns have a hammer and wear wood grips

 

To every "rule", there is an exception........

 

For those of us who cut their teeth on Smith revos in single action mode, nothing else will ever compare...a good Smith trigger can almost be thought into breaking.
Modern, striker, triggers are a whole different creature, and require a different approach...instead of gradually increasing pressure with the pad, a deliberate pull with the distal joint works much better. But, in both cases, you can't jerk it. Actually, striker guns are more effectively fired like a double action revolver, with the same roll-thru', of a much shorter stroke.
Changing back and forth between the two types is a PITA.
Moon

 

Actually, striker guns are more effectively fired like a double action revolver, with the same roll-thru', of a much shorter stroke.
Changing back and forth between the two types is a PITA.
Moon

I agree with this. The technique to fire the a striker gun, at least the service grade variety, is similar to the technique used with a good DA revolver. Both have a lot to offer in a defensive pistol.



Now, as striker triggers get shorted, lighter and crisper that changes I think and become more similar to shooting a traditional hammer fired SA gun.

 

I cut my teeth on hammers and prefer the DA triggers.

 

Agreed, HMC, not much compares with a S&W revolver’s trigger in single action. My Model 27-2 does that mind-release break that you describe, and even the best semi-auto triggers like a 1911 are still not quite there. Poly Wonder 9s have other attributes that make them so very popular, but old-school steel remains my go-to choice, regardless of platform. YMMV

 

Looks I started something.....

Naturally guys when it comes to this topic, even the experts don’t agree 🙂

From ease of use, I rank guns like this:

- Revolvers (DA)

- Revolvers (DA/SA)

- Striker Guns (DA)

- Hammer Exposed (DAO)

- Hanmer Exposed (SA)

- Hammer exposed (SA/DA)

So I will give you guys that.

 

Good point on "ease of use," but I would rank them slightly differently for basic use...once they're loaded and ready to go, how easy are they to use:

(1) All SA firearms. Once they are ready to go, they're ready to go. Point & squeeze

(2) All DA firearms. Same as above, but higher trigger weights make it slightly more difficult to hit target. See NYPD shooting reports...lots of shots fired for the number of hits.

(3) All SA/DA firearms. Almost put this at #2, but since you have two options instead of one. Anyone well trained could move this up to (1A) if they keep it in SA mode.

Personally I don't see any difference between striker-fired and hammer-fired pistols when it comes to "ease of use." The action taken by the shooter is the same.

Another concept (for CC) is how easy it is to have an accidental discharge (AD). Highest probably to lowest:

(1) SA pistols without manual safety (includes SA/DA pistols carried in SA mode)

(2) DA (only) pistols, and SA/DA pistols in DA mode. Their higher trigger pull slightly lessons the probability of an AD over the lighter triggers on SA pistols

(3) Pistols with a manual safety. Significantly decreases the possibility of an AD due to the fact it requires the shooter to take one additional action.

The tradeoff of #3 is the fact that in a stressful situation, the shooter must do one additional action. If he forgets, the pistol doesn't fire. But on the other hand, he's much less likely to shoot himself. My #1 rule for CC is "don't shoot me."

Anyone want to guess why I don't do "appendix carry?" Although it's probably easier to access & conceal, not a fan of pointing a firearm in that direction...lol