P99 Trigger Bite!

[SamColtFan]

Just wondering if any of you have experienced significant, painful trigger bite with the Walther Military (green frame, black slide) P99?
This is the German made P99AS in .40 S&W.

Took my son and wife out shooting his new Walther P99 and we all experienced trigger bite on just about every round shot.

It would appear that the trigger makes complete contact with the frame when pulled, pinching any flesh of the finger that overhangs the contact area of the trigger. This is the same issue that came up with the original Colt Double Eagles in the early 90s.

Anyone know of a factory fix. Is this the same model that is being closed out at CDNN?

Regards,
Sam

[Navy87Guy]

Sam -

What year is your P99? 2003? 2004?

I just tried to do it with my 2004 P99 AS. The only way I can even come close to biting my finger it to put the trigger in the middle of my finger -- between the first and second joint, which is VERY exaggerated. Even then, all I get is a little tickle (and I have pudgy fingers!) Yes, the trigger contacts the frame, but it's darn near impossible for me to get my finger pinched back there.

If your son's is a 2003 model, that leads me to think the redesign also corrected that problem.

And yes, CDNN is liquidating 2003 models...you can tell because they still have the "hump" in the trigger guard.

Hope this helps,
Jim

[SamColtFan]

Thanks Jim,

This P99AS has the pyramid shaped hump in the trigger guard. The casing test fire envelope is dated Feb. 26,'03, so I assume this is the 2003 model. So, is there a Smith & Wesson factory fix for this design flaw?

The tip of the tigger actually makes contact with the frame.

This pistol is one VERY unpleasant shooter. What ever happened to all that wonderful German engineering we have all heard so much about?

Regards,
Sam

[DTQ]

This pistol is one VERY unpleasant shooter. What ever happened to all that wonderful German engineering we have all heard so much about?

Yeah, they suck!
I'll give ya $50 for it, just as a favor, to help ya out.

[SamColtFan]

Originally posted by DTQ
Yeah, they suck!
I'll give ya $50 for it, just as a favor, to help ya out.

Sorry, my son already has a buyer lined up with an offer about 10 times higher than your offer. Still, I would like to see what S&W can do to fix this issue.

Regards,
Sam

[jim c]

just file the hump down, worked for ma. took about 10min. the up side is you can do it yourself and not have to wait X amount of time to get it back from smith.
unless you're mechanically challenged. nothing personal. the hump after 10 rds was the first and only "change" i made to my p99

[SamColtFan]

Originally posted by jim c
just file the hump down, worked for ma. took about 10min. the up side is you can do it yourself and not have to wait X amount of time to get it back from smith.
unless you're mechanically challenged. nothing personal. the hump after 10 rds was the first and only "change" i made to my p99

It's not the hump that is causing the problem. It's the trigger shape and the fact that the entire back of the trigger contacts the frame causing the finger to be pinched between the trigger and the frame. This happens when the trigger is pulled using the pad of the index finger not the joint of the finger.

Regards,
Sam

[BGraham]

The trigger finger bite is most likely caused by the magazine release. There is usually a small ridge of sharp plastic on the inside of each side of the ambidextrous magazine release, nearest to the trigger. On a right handed shooter, the ridge on the left side of the magazine release (the same side as the slide release) will impact the distal section of the trigger finger at the moment of firing. Some careful filing and smoothing of this area will relieve this problem without negatively affecting the appearance of the mag release. I've done this to my three P99's and it solved the problem.

[SamColtFan]

BGraham.....
Yep, I discovered that the levers were very sharp and riding above the triggerguard.
Thanks.
Sam