I my son pulled the SW out from the safe, and alerted me. "Dad, did you know this gun has damage on the grip?" WTH?? He then shows me a chunk of several millimeters taken out of the lower right portion of the backstrap insert. I think he banged another gun into it, and I'm a bit peeved, LOL.

Then, I began to finger with it, and the whole entire backstrap began breaking into little bits and pieces rather easily. Only the tang on the bottom remained in place, secured by the roll-pin. The thing had a gummy, grabby feel to it, like the composition was rotting away. I don't think I've ever heard of a Glock frame aging out this way; but...I digress.

I call S&W Service, and was put on hold. The young lady speaking with me said that they were out. However, she said I should call Walther CS, and request a backstrap insert for the P99. She reiterated that I should NOT mention Smith, or they'd cut me off immediately. I then recalled how the guns were nearly twins, and thanked her for the tip.

Next day, I call Wather Service. Ask if they have backstraps in stock. If I needed to buy three, fine. However, if I could get just a small, so much the better. Nice guy said yes, if they had them on hand. He came back from a hold, and said they did have one. He paused while getting my information and then asked: "By any chance, you don't intend this for a Smith and Wesson SW99?" Hmmmmm....(I pause only briefly), NO..why do you ask? He explained that customers seem to think they fit, but they don't, they're incompatible with one another. I figure that ONE Of the two was wrong, and I bet on Smith. Worst case, I was out like $22, shipped.

In summary, it fits like a champ, and Smith was right. This leaves me to wonder if the Walther rep was just repeating bad info passed on to him. Or, for whatever reason, were they trying to discourage me somehow? Hopefully, this will pop up in search for any other owners needing backstraps in the future.

Saw this type of plastic failure posted on a Walther forum. Glad it worked out for you.

Haha well I enjoyed this tale. I’ve only contacted Walther one time (e-mail) and I was inquiring about getting the needed parts and bits to convert my gangly +2 magazines to standard capacity for my PPQm2 and the tech replied quickly and said that they had the parts but it would be very cost prohibitive and boy was he right.

I had a twinkle of optimism that maybe I could do it simply with flat plastic base plates and cheaply but no way.

To your particular issue… I’d be concerned about the longevity of this pistol given that experience. Is there a particular solvent or lube product that you suspect helped in the destruction of the original part?

I have no clue. The pistol was purchased used a couple of months ago. Why anyone would want to use solvent down on the heel of the grip is beyond me. The FRAME appears to be ok, this was ONLY the backstrap insert.

My only interaction with Walther was looking for a replacement front sight insert for my P22.

Having only dealt with S&W CS in the past, I figured that they'd say "Sure, give us your address and we'll send on out no charge."

Hahahahahahaha.

As much as people might complain about S&W CS, it's really very good.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

I believe age, skin oils and cleaning products all contribute to these inserts degrading over time. I was able to get a few S&W inserts from Numrich before they sold out. I should probably get some extra Walther inserts for my P99. Magnum Research also marketed a P99 clone that used the same inserts as the SW99.

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Glad it worked out. I've had good luck with Walther's CS over the years.

I wonder what the deal is between S&W & Walther? I know the SW99 didn't have as good of a reputation as the Walther version. Or at least this was the consensus at my Dept. that saw the SW99 in .40 come and go quickly (I stuck with my Glock). Maybe they just weren't cop proof?

Over the years I've read on many forums the praise of the P99. I didn't realize Walther even still made these. But I saw a new one in a local shop recently and made it mine. It really is a nice shooting gun.
And a James Bond gun.

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Watch & Pray

It really looks a lot like my PPQ. I would say that my PPQ edges it slightly in uglyness.

My only experience with Walther CS was when I needed a replacement rear sight on a PPK. "You know, we can mount that for you." said the Walther rep on the phone, and I said sure. Back very quickly nicely mounted by people who know what they are doing. I was impressed.

BTW, the PPX has a solid lock on the ugliest Walther prize. The pistol shoots beautifully and the trigger is really impressive, but the now-discontinued poor old PPX is, as my grandmother used to say, as "homely as a mud fence."

YMMV
The P99 backstraps, which I just received from Walther on Thursday, don't fit my SW99 .45. They are too short by 3/8" for the cutout.

I've got several SW99s and P99s in the personal inventory. I really enjoy the ergonomics and decocker design. Most are in the safe, one by the bedside table, and one in my truck.

That being said, the one I kept in my vehicle (in Florida) had the backstrap practically crumble into small chunks and dust. For me, I believe my problem was caused by the heat. A closed truck parked in an unshaded place daily for a long time has a lot of potential heat concerns. Dashboard, seats, or yes... the backstrap on a SW99 or P99.

I haven't had any other problems with guns in my safe, nor my bedside P99, and that's been there for MANY years.

Best wishes everyone.

Roger AKA Mr. Wonderful

I haven't run into a problem like this with my model 66's back strap. I will keep an eye on it though.

I've got two P99Cs. They're accurate and boringly reliable. As much as I like my J frames, the P99C is usually what I carry when I need something small.

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Regards,

Chuck

Atlantic has police trade ins right now. All the grip adaptors are either cracked or missing.

The grip frame dimension is different because of the caliber, and taller grip frame.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer