P99AS in AS Mode

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chemcal

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this is one of my two CCWs. Walther's manual says it should be carried decocked in DA mode; this is what I do. However, I wonder if anyone carries in AS mode. Is this safe?
 
It's safe, but goofy.

For some reason I can't pull through that long light trigger without pulling off target. It seems like it should be easier than the heavy pull, but it's not, at least not for me.
 
I don't find the AS goofy, but I would still carry the P99AS de-cocked. The double-action mode is an extra and unobtrusive margin of safety. The P99AS still has a quite good trigger in double-action mode, and I find the transition to single-action negligible.

As I see it, the Anti-Stress mode is just that - a mode for use in stressful situation. Say you are quickly loading and chambering a round in an emergency (say a home invasion during the night) and neglect to de-cock from single action mode (and the P99AS has a rather light and short single-action trigger). The Anti-Stress trigger adds a measure of safety to help keep something bad from happening. You will still have a very light, crisp trigger, but the trigger travel is increased. Of course, there is the contingent that swears they can keep their "booger hooker" off the trigger at all times, but in extremely stressful conditions can test even the best-trained and introduce surprises no one expects. As always, YMMV.

This is why I still feel the P99AS is still one of the best options for a home defense pistol. The AS trigger is very well thought-out, and I'm surprised more pistols (aside from various P99 clones/copies like the MR9/SW99/TP9) haven't made use of it.
 
I view the P99 AS as a striker-fired DA/SA. I think it's excellent as a DA/SA sidearm. In fact, I think this twenty year old pistol still has one of the nicest DA/SA triggers on the market today. I see the AS mode as intermediary and largely irrelevant.

One thing I especially like about the P99 is that the controls work in plane with the pistol. This is unusual. Notice that the mag release and decocker both push down and are both relatively flush. This helps to streamline the pistol and is part of an overall low-snag design. The mag release, which also tends to ride inside some holsters, is much less likely to be accidentally depressed while inside a holster.

Yeah, it's rare but it can happen with a button release. It takes a perfect storm but press up against a counter just right with your cover garment just so and a full magazine can hit the floor. I don't know if the designer had this in mind but the P99 mag release is largely immune to this in a proper holster.
 
Though I agree wholly with the above, I find it very ironic that the PPQ(which I have but don't carry) is carried in a mode entirly like the P99AS single action.
 
This comes up all the time at the Walther Forum. Most carry the P99 A/S decocked, and carry it as a DA/SA.

That is what I have always done. The DA pull is lighter than some other DA/SA
 
I would carry AS.

Doesnt feel all that heavier than something like my Glock and the AS gives it a long pull, which is enough for me.
 
chemical: said:
Walther's manual says it should be carried decocked in DA mode
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Walther’s manuals are extremely lawyered up, if I carry a gun that has a decocker I will decock it but YMMV and that is fine.
 
Though I agree wholly with the above, I find it very ironic that the PPQ(which I have but don't carry) is carried in a mode entirly like the P99AS single action.
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The single action (and Anti-Stress) trigger pull of the P99AS is still about a pound lighter than the PPQ. ~4.5 lb. vs. ~5.5 lb. That's enough or a reason for me to carry the P99AS de-cocked to double action. The PPQ already sits on the verge of what I'm comfortable carrying.

Even with a longer pull, the ~8.5 lb. double action trigger is still smooth and crisp enough for accurate first-round hits. As with the PPQ, the reset is extremely short.
 
I have always viewed the AS mode as somewhat similar to being able to manually cock a DA/SA hammer-fired pistol to SA mode. Starting from a decocked condition, if you need a shorter or lighter trigger pull, you have the option to move the slide a tiny bit to shift to AS mode. You can leave the trigger in AS mode if you want a longer trigger stroke, or pull the trigger to the SA detent if you want the shortest pull possible.
 
Please clarify; are you suggesting carrying the p99 in SA mode?
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Even though the P99AS has a trigger safety and firing pin safety (making the pistol drop safe), it definitely is not recommended to be carried in single action mode. The trigger is much too light and short for that.

I think what the poster was saying is that it is easy to go to Anti-Stress or single action mode from double action mode with the pistol drawn. Rather than pulling the hammer back, as on a hammer-fired DA/SA pistol, you just draw the slide back about 1/4".
 
Fishbed77 said:
I think what the poster was saying is that it is easy to go to Anti-Stress or single action mode from double action mode with the pistol drawn. Rather than pulling the hammer back, as on a hammer-fired DA/SA pistol, you just draw the slide back about 1/4".
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Absolutely correct! Load, decock, holster and the P99 is ready for immediate use. If a P99 has been drawn and the situation would benefit from a more precise shot, the P99 can be placed in AS or SA mode, which is a feature not typically available with other striker-fired pistols.
 
I only carry my P99C in DA mode. I carry appendix, and having that DA first shot was important to me in a gun that's pointing at my valuables. Plus, as some others have said, the P99 has a pretty sweet DA trigger pull for a polymer gun!
 
Even in Anti-Stress, the P99 trigger shape is still providing the same physical "safety" as the Glock/PPQ trigger dingus.

The trigger shape being a built in safety is a bit overlooked as pretty nifty feature in action. I know the P99 was the first gun with replaceable back straps and first striker DA/SA with decocker, but I'm not sure if it's the first to have the girth of the backside of its trigger act as a safety actuator. Meh.
 
I wish my p99 had a sweet DA. It stacks and lets off at 10 lbs.
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Is it a P99QA or P99AS? The P99AS has somewhat gritty trigger when new. Once broken in, the trigger is very smooth with a ~8.5lb. double action trigger.

Even in Anti-Stress, the P99 trigger shape is still providing the same physical "safety" as the Glock/PPQ trigger dingus.
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Indeed. The trigger design is much more elegant than that of other striker-fired trigger safeties. Rather than a silly dingus, the whole face of the trigger moves independently to serve the same purpose.

It seems like many manufacturers copy the Glock dingus (even Walther with the PPQ) just to show consumers their pistol has a trigger safety, even if it is an inferior design. And then, of course, there's S&W, who use an even worse design because Glock sued them over the dingus.
 
It is a P99AS, and you're saying more trigger time(including dry fire?) will decrease the stacking and pull weight? That would be nice!
 
It is a P99AS, and you're saying more trigger time(including dry fire?) will decrease the stacking and pull weight? That would be nice!
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This is typical. I don't know if the pull weight will decrease dramatically on your gun, but the trigger will smooth out noticeably 250-500 rounds.
 
I like my P99AS but see the AS pull as frankly stupid.

The only time it would come into play is AFTER you’ve dumped an entire magazine, reloaded, and THEN and only then do you have the AS type pull.
 
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