Rifleman Review: Walther Arms P99 AS Final Edition

by
posted on November 6, 2024

In the late 1990s, Walther Arms introduced one of the most modern polymer-frame handguns of the era. The Walther P99 was cutting-edge in many ways at the end of the 20th century, but today, the era of the P99 has come to a close. To mark the occasion, Walther introduced its P99 AS Final Edition, and here on "American Rifleman Television's" Rifleman Review, we took a closer look at the design.

"Sadly, everything good has to come to an end, and one of the finest pistols that's ever been made by anybody anywhere is the Walther P99. Now this is a gun that I first saw in 1997, and for its day, it was radical," NRA Media Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. "This is the first gun that Walther ever did with a polymer frame. And it had a lot of features that were designed for a German police contract, but also have appealed to police agencies and gun owners worldwide. This is the last year that they're going to do these guns, which is really unfortunate, but Walther has the PDP and some other excellent handguns."

Left side of the Walther Arms P99 AS Final Edition.

Despite having been designed more than 25 years ago, the Walther P99 still has some impressively modern features and is still eminently practical from a handgun standpoint.

"So maybe the Walther P99 is a little long in the tooth, but it doesn't mean that it's not an outstanding pistol," Keefe said. "This gun was well ahead of its time. What we're looking at here, of course, is one of the first guns to use interchangeable backstraps. Three different sizes come with the P99 AS Final Edition, which stands for 'Anti Stress.'"

Despite some of its modernized features, there are some classic features on the P99, as well as a classic finish.

Man shooting the Walther Arms P99 AS Final Edition pistol.

"There are some old-school features on this. Of course, I love the green. And the green and the black, I think, make this a very distinctive-looking gun," Keefe said. "But it's got some things to it that were really ahead of their time, including the magazine release, which is completely bilateral, but it's mounted on the trigger guard. A very German thing; Walther, HK have used it. Americans, of course, like little buttons on the side."

With the P99 AS Final Edition, the news is in the name. This is the last variant of a pistol that was popular with some folks on the commercial market, as well as law enforcement, but today, the design has been discontinued in favor of Walther's impressive PDP line of guns.

"Again, this pistol was absolutely revolutionary when it came out. And sadly, the world bought some of them, but not as many as they should," Keefe said. "The thing about this gun that I've always liked is, not only was it revolutionary in its day, but it's still very relevant. This is a pistol that you could still use for defensive use or as a duty gun. German police liked it quite a lot, and so did I."

Walther P99 AS Final Edition Specifications
Importer: Walther Arms
Action Type: short-recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Barrel: 4"
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Slide: steel
Frame: reinforced green polymer
Magazine: 15-round detachable box
Sights: adjustable rear; fixed post front
Trigger: 9-lb., 7.5-oz. double-action pull; 4-lb., 14.1-oz. single-action pull
Overall Length: 7.1"
Width: 1.3"
Weight: 24 ozs.
Accessories: owner's manual, two backstraps, spare magazine, hard case, lock
MSRP: $849

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

KelTec PR57
KelTec PR57

KelTec’s PR57: Thinking Outside The (Detachable) Box

KelTec has brought the stripper clip back with the thoroughly unconventional PR57—a carry pistol with an uncommon chambering, an unusual action and no box magazine.

The Armed Citizen® June 9, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

More Western States Opening Large Shooting Ranges

A number of states in the western U.S. have opened or are planning to open large, versatile ranges to serve the growing need for publicly accessible shooting spaces.

Preview: Sneaky Pete Distressed Leather Perfect Holster

More than just a fresh look made using handcrafted leather, the Sneaky Pete Distressed Leather Perfect Holster has been redesigned to accommodate extra ammunition in addition to a concealed firearm.

New For 2025: Rost Martin RM1S & RM1C Comped

Two new models joined the Rost Martin handgun lineup in 2025, one with subcompact dimensions and another with a built-in compensator that promises to reduce recoil substantially.

CMP Resumes M1911 Pistol Sales

As of January 2025, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) had resumed sales of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 pistols to qualified U.S. citizens.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.