Walther P99- Quick Action

[Ala Dan]

Greetings All-

Subject Walther P99-QA

Please explain the proper action to take concerning this firearm. Assuming
that one has a full magazine inserted into the gun, with a chambered round
ready too be fired, and the safety on; what would be the quickest possible
way to deactivate the safety and get the gun into battle. This may sound
stupid, but I see NO way to release the safety and get the gun into action.
The only way I see that this can be accomplished, it too rack the slide back;
and eject the chambered round and at the same time chamber a new round.
Am I correct in this procedure?

FWIW, looks too me like the Walther P99-QA (Quick Action yeah
right) is a POS; and could quite possibly get one killed in a old
fashioned gun fight.

 

[lunde]

Ala an, you wrote:

Please explain the proper action to take concerning this firearm. Assuming that one has a full magazine inserted into the gun, with a chambered round ready too be fired, and the safety on; what would be the quickest possible way to deactivate the safety and get the gun into battle.

What safety? The Walther P99 QA does not have a manual safety. It is to be treated like a Glock, meaning that the only controls are the slide stop lever, magazine release, trigger, and the slide itself.

This may sound stupid, but I see NO way to release the safety and get the gun into action. The only way I see that this can be accomplished, it too rack the slide back; and eject the chambered round and at the same time chamber a new round. Am I correct in this procedure?

The Walther P99 QA has what looks to be an abbreviated decocker on the left-rear of its slide, but if you read the instructions, you'll realize that it is not a decocker -- to be used when the pistol is loaded -- but rather to decock the pistol so that it can be field-stripped. This is why its size is abbreviated for the P99 QA. So, the P99, regardless of action type (AS, QA, or DAO), needs to be in a decocked state in order to be field-stripped. The P99 AS has a standard decocker in the same location, and must be actuated to field-strip the pistol, if the striker is cocked. This is explained in the manual.

If one were to inadvertently decock the P99QA using the abreviated decocker, there are two ways to bring it back into action, both of which involve manipulating the slide: 1) pull the slide all the way back, ejecting the round in the chamber, then release, chambering a new round, or 2) pull back the slide approximately 1cm, then release, which has the effect of recocking the striker. BTW, both of these techniques also apply to the P99 AS, though they are not necessary if the first shot is to be fired DA.

 

[buzz_knox]

If one were to inadvertently decock the P99QA using the abreviated decocker, there are two ways to bring it back into action, both of which involve manipulating the slide:

I think that may be his point. I'm unfamiliar with the P99AQ but from what you've stated, once decocked, the slide must be manipulated in some way to get the weapon back into action.

Given that Murphy has a special hatred for me, I don't think I want anything that can be "inadvertently decocked" because eventually, that will happen.

 

[Shipwreck]

Yes, the A/S trigger uses the decocker to shift from DA to SA. But, it has no real safety switch (it does have a drop safety). As for the QA - that button is ONLY used to decock the gun for disassembly - It IS NOT A SAFTEY. There is no safety on the gun. If the saleman told you that, he was mistaken. Sorry.

 

[Navy87Guy]

Step 1: Read the manual

As Dr. Lunde pointed out, the decocker on the QA is not meant to be used when carrying the gun. One of the reasons they made it smaller than on the AS model (where it is a true decocker) is to avoid inadvertant activation. They probably would have been better served to eliminate it altogether on the QA model. Treat the QA just like a Glock and you'll be fine.

Jim

 

[gudel]

is there a double strike ability in that QA like in my LEM?

 

[lunde]

Nope.

 

[seeker_two]

is there a double strike ability in that QA like in my LEM?

Nope. Just like a Glock....


(lunde: Guess I wasn't as quick on the draw as I thought.... )


I think the DAO version is the best of the design. Consistent trigger w/o the chance of an accidental decocking...

 

[fastbolt]

They probably would have been better served to eliminate it altogether on the QA model. Treat the QA just like a Glock and you'll be fine.

That's the direction S&W took when they produced the 990L models.

When I asked someone why they didn't follow Walther's 99QA example, using a slide with a reduced size decocking button to facilitate field-stripping, I was told they thought it would keep it simpler for their customers from the perspective that the 990L's would share the field-stripping method already used with their SIGMA.

Naturally, just like with another well-known polymer-framed pistol, pressing the trigger as part of the field-stripping procedure requires a sincerely dedicated awareness and adherence to proper safety practices on the part of the owner/user, not the least of which includes making sure the magazine is removed from the pistol and the chamber is EMPTY before the trigger is pressed to begin disassembly.

Personally, I like the original thinking on Walther's part to help reduce the potential for ND's by creating designs which don't require the trigger ever have to be pressed as part of the disassembly procedure.

The other feature I thought was interesting is the second spring contained within the firing pin (striker) assembly, which helps keep the firing pin from coming into unnecessary contact with the firing pin safety plunger. Elegantly simple.

 

[Shipwreck]

is there a double strike ability in that QA like in my LEM?

No, but the A/S P99 does have second strike.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

As other has said, there is no manual safety on any of the P99 versions.

I have a P99 AS (purchased back when they were all AS). To cock the striker, you only need to bring the slide back about a quarter of an inch.

Actually, a coworker who has a P99QA compact just walked by. I asked him what it took to cock it and he said moving the slide about 3/8".

The decock button is fairly small and hard to operate on the QA, I would think it would be hard to hit inadvertently. That said, I much prefer the AS to the QA.