Walther KK500

[mblatchly]

Thought I'd share my KK500 story which includes a warning about the trigger!

On Thursday 7th April I arrived at my UK dealership (EMRR) to take collection of the KK500. The dealer spent time with me helping me to set the rifle up in the prone position. When we attempted to ‘dry fire’ the weapon it was immediately apparent the trigger was not working. The dealer and I checked the issue was not within the adjustment mechanisms but he eventually telephoned (I believe) another UK dealer who immediately asked what the serial number of the rifle was then explained that Walther had experienced problems with ‘at least’ the first 130 on the initial production run. Mine is number 500126! The dealer immediately telephoned someone at Walther in Germany who confirmed there had been issues and another trigger set would be sent by return and would arrive by Friday 15th April.
Today is Saturday 23rd April no trigger and EMRR say they are not convinced has been dispatched. This raises several questions:
1) Why did Walther allow the dispatch of a KK500 to a UK dealership knowing that it came from a batch that had known problems with the trigger
2) Why does the KK500 include a pre-shot target at 50m showing a tight group? Is this a forgery from Walther or is the barrel tested separately from the trigger mechanism shipped with the rifle?
3) Why has the trigger not yet been dispatched from Germany? Is this an administration issue with Walther or just incompetence?

Suddenly the Anschutz seemed like a better option as I have paid £3600 for scrap metal currently sitting in my gun cabinet!

Rant over - one day soon I hope the my KK500 will go bang!

[conradin]

Mechanical Trigger?

[imac]

I have number 60 made no problems with trigger a few misfires with one brand of ammo and agent is working on this issue. New technology has the odd issue, testing in the factory is no doubt carried out by all manufacturers once the equipment is released into the marketplace used in the real world a few problems may arise. Walther have taken a massive leap and I'm sure that is the reason many of us have paid out the coin, don't hang them keep in contact with them and get it sorted. My 500 is a real tack driver, looking forward to sorting out misfires but that aside truly awesome rifle

[mblatchly]

Mechanical trigger, thanks for feedback. Am hoping will be sorted very soon but very frustrating! Just at a loss to know how it made it as far as a dealership without the checks being made. Ahh well!

[Ulrich Eichstädt]

Sorry to read this. I'm press officer for Walther/Germany, we saw your complaint (also at 23rd) at Facebook/Waltherarms, too. I have forwarded it immediately this morning (at 8:30 a.m. here) to the service- and export people and wait for a response. On the Facebook page from Walther Arms/USA your questions can of course not be answered, my colleagues in Fort Smith don't know nothing about this, this is purely Walther in Ulm/Germany (which is also 500 kilometers from the headquarter in Arnsberg).

Could you please mail me your normal e-mail address for further communication (to press@carl-walther.de)? We can't forward any texts from Facebook (or Target Talk) into our mail system, and my colleagues cannot answer you fast otherwise. The main question is surely to get you a new trigger asap...

Ulrich Eichstädt, Press & Public Relations Walther/Germany

[mblatchly]

Ulrich Thank you for your prompt and courteous response. I have e mailed you direct with my contact details (and those of my UK dealer). I look forward to a response from Germany in terms of both trigger that works and my questions.
Regards

[Modena]

sorry to thread hijack, but Ulrich I guess you might be the person to ask that why, when I submit a question via the walther contact us webpage that no-one response is given?

[Ulrich Eichstädt]

We encountered indeed a gap this morning, however, in our mail-forwarding system, that seems to exist since some days - we were also astonished, that no incoming mails were in our mailbox since last week approx.

When did you mail resp. used the contact sheet at the website? Please use the direct mail address sales@carl-walther.de instead, until we have repaired it.

(and the mail to Mark is almost ready and will be send in a minute, as the new and working trigger unit,too (this via UPS)

For all other users:
The reason was simply, that all KK500 trigger units were mounted to pre-ordered rifles, and due to the high demand for the KK500 worldwide we didn't have the necessary amount of spare parts ready. And this includes also single trigger units (which are produced and assembled in batches from time to time). Of course we should have notified the dealer long ago about that delay, I apologize for that.

We also don't know, who gave that misleading info about trigger problems within the first 130 rifles - a lot of them are used by top shooters worldwide, and we heard of no complaints which could be traced back to certain serial numbers. We'll observe this now, of course.

What a way to start the new week - best wishes to anybody at Target Talk. Need a coffee now...

Ulrich

[Modena]

I submitted a query to the walther website approx 3 weeks ago. I will email the address you provided, thank you.

[mblatchly]

Fair play to Ulrich from Walther. My UK dealer now has an e-mail from Germany with a UPS dispatch tracking number confirming the trigger is on the way to the UK thanks to his intervention this morning. My faith in Walther is partially restored, looking forward to my KK500 going bang!

[dc.fireman]

I for one appreciate the factory response from Ulrich - nicely done Walther Arms. There are other product manufacturers who simply 'take the money and run', never to be seen nor heard from again. I also look forward to hearing about your practical experiences with the new rifle, mblatchly.

[Ulrich Eichstädt]

With a 130 year tradition, founded in 1886, it isn't so easy to run and hide - they find us everywhere.

It's Carl Walther GmbH, by the way, not Walther Arms: That's our US-based daughter company in Fort Smith. "Their" competition guns you find at http://www.WaltherCompetition.com

I take the chance to promote our free Walther-newsletter by the way - every month you will receive info about competitions, new models, links to reviews, events and much more. English and German, with slightly different content (below ist just a picture, links don't work!)

Easy to subscribe (relatively spoken...)

Next one for April will arrive this week!

[Modena]

Ulrich, I was going to email this question, but I have decided to post it here seeing as you are being kind enough to give us your presence and feedback and I believe the question would be of interest to many frequenters of this forum. This is much appreciated from a tier-1 vendor!

What I wanted to ask is, what is Walther's thinking behind dropping the KK300 range (small bore) so that now you offer the KK500 variants and the KK300 Blacktec only? This seems to me to be a huge price gap as Walther has completely removed the mid-market rifle that I would call the KK300 Alutec.

Add to this that the Blacktec does not come in Left-Handed, and the only rifle you now offer for lefties is a KK500. A beautiful piece of kit for sure, but certainly at the upper end of the price spectrum.

Are there plans to introduce any mid-tier variants or leftie Blacktec? I was about to buy a KK300 Alutec, now that I cannot and the budget doesn't stretch to a KK500 then I am forced to now look at another vendor.

Ben
(Australia)

[RobB]

Took my new KK500 to the range last night for it's first live firing. Didn't have a huge amount of time in between minutely adjusting everything to my taste but did get approx 40 rounds off. Can categorically say the trigger on mine is perfect :) Only moved the trigger shoe back a little, no other trigger adjustment.

I'm sure, once fixed, the original poster will like it.

I've now jumped from a 35 year old 1813 to a brand new modern rifle with a receiver much further back. Will take some getting use to but already love it. One consequence of the receiver being much further back, and that the receiver is ambidextrous (open both sides), is that you really can smell the powder when you eject!

[ShootWithStyle]

Took my new KK500 to the range last night for it's first live firing. Didn't have a huge amount of time in between minutely adjusting everything to my taste but did get approx 40 rounds off. Can categorically say the trigger on mine is perfect :) Only moved the trigger shoe back a little, no other trigger adjustment.

I'm sure, once fixed, the original poster will like it.

I've now jumped from a 35 year old 1813 to a brand new modern rifle with a receiver much further back. Will take some getting use to but already love it. One consequence of the receiver being much further back, and that the receiver is ambidextrous (open both sides), is that you really can smell the powder when you eject!

Getting used to the closer loading port won't take too much time. Sometimes I do forget and reach forward to try to load and realise theres nothing there to put my round in.

One thing I've experienced thats new to me is that as a right hander that no longer needs to lift my elbow off the mat to load, my right arm becomes numb over time. But im getting used to it.

J.

[Ulrich Eichstädt]

A former german national coach recommended: "If your legs become numb during kneeling, just imagine, that it's the leg of your neighbour..."

[Ulrich Eichstädt]

@Modena, concerning leftie .22 rifles from Walther:
(sorry, noone will find this within the KK500 thread in a few days, but anyway...)

Although the KK300 Alutec (or Anatomic) aren't part of the official program any more, that doesn't mean that you cannot buy them: we still have a good supply of systems, stocks and equipment here, even though the Blacktec is promoted. We are also sure that there are many KK300 in the shops. This it not only for the domestic german market, but also for export - if a dealer orders a KK300 Alutec or Anatomic, even in left-hand version, it's worth to contact us in Ulm (sales@carl-walther.de) and check, if there are still on stock (as always: while stocks last...)

And in the future we will surely also offer left-hand versions of the 300 Blacktec, of course.

[Modena]

@Modena, concerning leftie .22 rifles from Walther:
(sorry, noone will find this within the KK500 thread in a few days, but anyway...)

Although the KK300 Alutec (or Anatomic) aren't part of the official program any more, that doesn't mean that you cannot buy them: we still have a good supply of systems, stocks and equipment here, even though the Blacktec is promoted. We are also sure that there are many KK300 in the shops. This it not only for the domestic german market, but also for export - if a dealer orders a KK300 Alutec or Anatomic, even in left-hand version, it's worth to contact us in Ulm (sales@carl-walther.de) and check, if there are still on stock (as always: while stocks last...)

And in the future we will surely also offer left-hand versions of the 300 Blacktec, of course.

thanks Ulrich, I will have to email Walther I suppose, because the dealers all say "KK300 discontinued it can no longer be ordered"

[deboom_j]

What I wanted to ask is, what is Walther's thinking behind dropping the KK300 range (small bore) so that now you offer the KK500 variants and the KK300 Blacktec only? This seems to me to be a huge price gap as Walther has completely removed the mid-market rifle that I would call the KK300 Alutec.

When Toyota comes out with a new model of Camry, they don't keep making the old one do they? Why would firearms be any different?

John

[ShootWithStyle]

What I wanted to ask is, what is Walther's thinking behind dropping the KK300 range (small bore) so that now you offer the KK500 variants and the KK300 Blacktec only? This seems to me to be a huge price gap as Walther has completely removed the mid-market rifle that I would call the KK300 Alutec.

When Toyota comes out with a new model of Camry, they don't keep making the old one do they? Why would firearms be any different?

John

Well Anschutz still makes the 1903, 1907, 1913, and 2013 don't they.....in addition to the new 54.30.

Some may still want to opt for lower cost alternatives to the KK500 and the KK300 would fill that market nicely.

If you want to use the car analogy again. I think it's more like BMW offering a new 3 Series only in M3 trim. If you don't want an M3...well too bad. That's all that's available as far as the 3 Series.

Just my opinion.