question about walther p99

[jhco]

i understand that walther and smith&wesson are in kahoots with each other but who actualy makes the p99 is it walther who makes it for s&w or is it s&w who makes it for walther

 

[gc70]

Walther makes the P99.

Walther America website

In 1999, Smith & Wesson and Walther announced a joint plan to distribute Walther branded firearms and accessories in the United States. Today, Walther continues its long tradition of technical expertise in the design and production of firearms that meet the highest standards of quality with unsurpassed fit, finish, reliability, and durability.

Walther FAQ

4. Are all Walther pistols manufactured in Germany?
The P99, P22 and G22 are manufactured in Germany. The PPK and PPK/S-1 are manufactured by Smith & Wesson in their Houlton, Maine plant.

5. Do the PPK and PPK/S-1 have the Smith & Wesson Lifetime Service Policy?
No, the PPK and PPK/S-1 are Walther pistols which are manufactured for Walther by S&W. They have a one year warranty which covers defects in material or workmanship.

 

[Seotaji]

I thought S&W bought walther and now all their pistols have s&w etched on them. Walther still makes the frames/barrels for their 9mm models (so I've heard). S&W produces the sw99 which uses the Walther p99 frame, same barrel/slide (if 9mm) or their own design barrel and slide for the 40s&w or .45ACP.

 

[jhco]

thanks for the feed back

 

[fastbolt]

S&W makes everything in the upper for their licensed versions, which were mostly the SW99/990L's, and Walther made everything in the frames.

Aside from a small number of some much earlier P99's (which I believe were chambered in .40 S&W), Walther makes everything in their own versions.

The exception is that both Walther and S&W obtain their magazines from Mec-Gar and there are some minor differences in the magazines as ordered by each manufacturer, noticeably the markings, the color of some of the followers and the tension of the magazine springs, last time I asked ...

If I remember right, S&W received the licensing to make the SW99 series when they licensed Walther to make some S&W airguns for Europe.

 

[scubie02]

actually, unless it's changed, the answer is both--they each make their own versions to some degree. At least back when they came out walther made all of their P99's on some models, and on some they made the frame and smith actually made barrels and slides for some of them for awhile--you were supposed to look for "all german" versions (had a specific proof mark on them) for the SW99 smith made their own barrels and...the slide maybe? I dunno, hard to recall for sure, although the frames are a bit different on the two--trigger guard shape, dimpling on frame etc. The smith one used to have the smith warranty though which I think is lifetime--might want to look at the two warranties since the guns would probably be comparable.

 

[searcher451]

If you are a P99 enthusiast, and there are a lot of good reasons to be one, you might want to check out the Walther Forum, where a whole bunch of knowledgable folks routinely hang out for no other reason than to talk about Walthers in general and the P99 in particular. You can find it at this link:

http://www.waltherforums.com/vb/