I am going to try another "everything crappy about" thread. For those of you who have forgotten (everybody, I'm sure) the idea is to state all the reasonable problems with a guns design. This isn't x vs. Y. I just want to collect all the cons into one place. I assembled my "Ultimate P7 Pro/Con Faq" using this technique (and I think it holds up).
My dream is to (eventually) come up with a handy reference for newbies and prospective buyers of different handguns.
I will start...
1. Unusual manual of arms. The P99 is unusual in that it is a striker-fired double action. Unlike a traditional hammer-fired double action there is no cocked-back hammer or trigger to give you a visual cue that the weapon is cocked. Walther attempted to address this with a small "weapon cocked" indicator on the back of the slide. A person is probably more likely to holster a Walther P-99 cocked than a traditional double action. Only after the trigger is pulled for the first time will it remain set back (or cocked). This too often confuses those new to the system.
2. Strange de-cocker placement. Unlike most other weapons equipped with a de-cocking lever, the Walther has a recessed button atop the rear of the left side of the slide. Theoretically this might lead to slightly slower de-cocking. In reality, this is simply unusual. I can think of no real drawback. Only the most hopeless "mall Ninja" is concerned about speedy de-cocking.
3. Proprietary equipment rail. The Walther equipment rail along the front of frame is unlike any other. Therefore, you are limited to "Walther only" toys. This is being addressed with the newer, revised (and ugly) Walthers.
4. Mag release button is the less-popular HK type. The mag release on the Walther is a recessed lever along the rear of the trigger-guard. It allows for ambidextrous, and rapid use. Unfortunately, some will complain that isn't the older, Luger-style button release. Some have complained that this style release is more likely to be accidentally activated--although this is hard to confirm.
5. Plastic sites. The P99's standard sites are made of plastic. This means that they will likely be less durable than the usual metal site. Walther, apparently, manufactures a metal replacement for those who care enough to pay. Plus, all the available tritium sites have metal bodies.
My dream is to (eventually) come up with a handy reference for newbies and prospective buyers of different handguns.
I will start...
1. Unusual manual of arms. The P99 is unusual in that it is a striker-fired double action. Unlike a traditional hammer-fired double action there is no cocked-back hammer or trigger to give you a visual cue that the weapon is cocked. Walther attempted to address this with a small "weapon cocked" indicator on the back of the slide. A person is probably more likely to holster a Walther P-99 cocked than a traditional double action. Only after the trigger is pulled for the first time will it remain set back (or cocked). This too often confuses those new to the system.
2. Strange de-cocker placement. Unlike most other weapons equipped with a de-cocking lever, the Walther has a recessed button atop the rear of the left side of the slide. Theoretically this might lead to slightly slower de-cocking. In reality, this is simply unusual. I can think of no real drawback. Only the most hopeless "mall Ninja" is concerned about speedy de-cocking.
3. Proprietary equipment rail. The Walther equipment rail along the front of frame is unlike any other. Therefore, you are limited to "Walther only" toys. This is being addressed with the newer, revised (and ugly) Walthers.
4. Mag release button is the less-popular HK type. The mag release on the Walther is a recessed lever along the rear of the trigger-guard. It allows for ambidextrous, and rapid use. Unfortunately, some will complain that isn't the older, Luger-style button release. Some have complained that this style release is more likely to be accidentally activated--although this is hard to confirm.
5. Plastic sites. The P99's standard sites are made of plastic. This means that they will likely be less durable than the usual metal site. Walther, apparently, manufactures a metal replacement for those who care enough to pay. Plus, all the available tritium sites have metal bodies.
