walther p99
- Thread starter drücker
- Start date
A lot of people will bash it, but It has been my primary duty pistol for the past 6 years. It has seen more than 15,000 rounds and it never failed me. I also didn't cleaned it for about more or less 8000 rounds and it never failed me (was a full time instructor at the time). I could test it withtout risking my life on patrol. I have partners who have done more than that.
Would I have chosen an other gun? Probably, but since the choice was not up to me.... well you know the rest. But all I can say it is a very reliable pistol. It has seen snow, rain, cold, hot, humidity and drops on concrete and more important of all: total neglect, just the minimum maintenance.
Overall a good pistol. Not the best, but good enough to protect my a$$...
Would I have chosen an other gun? Probably, but since the choice was not up to me.... well you know the rest. But all I can say it is a very reliable pistol. It has seen snow, rain, cold, hot, humidity and drops on concrete and more important of all: total neglect, just the minimum maintenance.
Overall a good pistol. Not the best, but good enough to protect my a$$...
I love my P99. Fits my hand perfectly. Easy to use - shoots straight and true.
I put a target at 80' the other week. First shot was a dead centre bullseye. The next nine were in the six ring or better. I wasn't rapid firing of course, but I wasn't taking 10 seconds per shot either.
Buy it. Keep it a few months. If you don't like it, sell it on the EE and consider any losses as rental fees.
FYI: I got mine brand new. The original feel of the trigger pull wasn't great. The final part of the SA pull before the release was quite tight. A few hundred rounds later plus a good disassembly and oiling and it's great now.
I put a target at 80' the other week. First shot was a dead centre bullseye. The next nine were in the six ring or better. I wasn't rapid firing of course, but I wasn't taking 10 seconds per shot either.
Buy it. Keep it a few months. If you don't like it, sell it on the EE and consider any losses as rental fees.
FYI: I got mine brand new. The original feel of the trigger pull wasn't great. The final part of the SA pull before the release was quite tight. A few hundred rounds later plus a good disassembly and oiling and it's great now.
I've got a P99AS in .40, while the pistol its self is very reliable, my only concern with it has been the magazines. My pistol came from a previous owner who returned it to the store for that very reason. While they may have just been odd faulty ones, they would keep the pistol out of battery (couldn't fire), jam the breech, fail to lock open, etc. As well, on one magazine, the floor plate blew off the bottom while firing, resulting in the remaining rounds falling out the grip. I was also drawing a magazine from a fobus belt pouch, and the baseplate ripped off.
I have (had) 5 magazines with the pistol, 2 function perfectly, one fails to lock the slide and eject clear of the gun reliably, while two are now broken.
Keep in mine, these were the blue follower magazines for the .40. Perhaps I just got unlucky, and/or the 9mm ones are a completely different story?
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A very nice fellow at range let me try his 40, nice gun but boy did it have a snap to it, my wrist hurt after the first magazine. I can usually shoot my 45 for hours without any effort. Aw, maybe I'm just a wus
The .40 is a much "snappier" round than the .45.
I don't have any plans on owning one.
(I am thinking on moving up to a .45 though
)
I've shot one in 9mm it's not a bad gun -ergonomics are quite decent ! but with M&P availabe for $650 I would't spend extra few hundred on the P99...
No kidding. + M&P points much more naturally TO ME...
Walther P99 in .40SW was the first handgun I bought a few years ago. With little experience, I bought it primarily for the Walther name/rep and the look of the gun (in my opinion still the best looking tupperware available). Despite a lot of experience shooting rifles and air pistols I quickly discovered how difficult it was to shoot handguns with consistent accuracy. I chalked this up to my inexperience for awhile, but after a year or so and only minor improvement I started to wonder about the gun. However, with zero malfunctions, pristine barrel, and overall tight condition, I had trouble accepting that it could be the gun itself.
Eventually I started suspecting that the relatively light weight of the polymer pistol and the stout .40SW recoil might be the issue for me. I then acquired a CZ SP-01 and CZ97B. This was a revelation. Those 40+ oz guns launched their 9mm and .45 loads with far more consistent accuracy. Then I bought a Sig 226R Stainless in .40SW for an "apples-to-apples" comparison with the P99 caliber-wise. Well, that Sig (which approaches twice the weight of the P99) is the most accurate pistol I own by a small margin over the CZ97B and the Walther doesn't even come close.
Since then I have added grip tape, a progressive recoil spring and thumb rest (to control muzzle flip) to my P99 and this has actually helped quite a bit. These mods, along with more range time, have gotten my groups to an acceptable level for me, but alas that sweet-looking Walther is still in fourth place in my collection. In my opinion the inherent accuracy of the Walther P99 is probably as good as any and better than most, but its practical accuracy is lacking. If you have a lot of experince with polymer handguns and/or the willingness to practice your technique, you may be quite happy with it. I would still definitely look at the 9mm over the .40SW in this pistol.
Eventually I started suspecting that the relatively light weight of the polymer pistol and the stout .40SW recoil might be the issue for me. I then acquired a CZ SP-01 and CZ97B. This was a revelation. Those 40+ oz guns launched their 9mm and .45 loads with far more consistent accuracy. Then I bought a Sig 226R Stainless in .40SW for an "apples-to-apples" comparison with the P99 caliber-wise. Well, that Sig (which approaches twice the weight of the P99) is the most accurate pistol I own by a small margin over the CZ97B and the Walther doesn't even come close.
Since then I have added grip tape, a progressive recoil spring and thumb rest (to control muzzle flip) to my P99 and this has actually helped quite a bit. These mods, along with more range time, have gotten my groups to an acceptable level for me, but alas that sweet-looking Walther is still in fourth place in my collection. In my opinion the inherent accuracy of the Walther P99 is probably as good as any and better than most, but its practical accuracy is lacking. If you have a lot of experince with polymer handguns and/or the willingness to practice your technique, you may be quite happy with it. I would still definitely look at the 9mm over the .40SW in this pistol.
Even in 9mm my P99 has more "snap" to it than other 9mm pistols I've owned (Sig 226, Baby Eagle, Beretta 92FS, Glock 17, P7M8). That said, I do like mine. It is one of my favourite handguns. I've also never had a single FTF or FTE. I'd suggest that you try one and see how it works for you. If you like it, and you are willing to pay a premium for it, then buy it knowing that you made an informed decision. They also come up on the exchange forum once in a while.
Having said that, I think the P99 is a great gun. However, if you are looking for a "good German 9mm" don't forget to take a look at HK's. The HK USP series of pistols are very nice, and if you are willing to spend a little more then also consider the P7 family.
Having said that, I think the P99 is a great gun. However, if you are looking for a "good German 9mm" don't forget to take a look at HK's. The HK USP series of pistols are very nice, and if you are willing to spend a little more then also consider the P7 family.
I have walther's CO2 pistol and I since then I decided to get myself p22 ( still waiting for paperwork to go through) and now I am thinking P99. Do they all have such nice grip as my CO2 pistol? Progressive recoil spring - where can I get one if I ever get P99? What calibers available in Canada? One last Q - I understand there are few models with double-action only and some other modes I can't understand, which one has double action on first round and then has milder trigger pull afterward? I mean, I want normal pistol, not police safety weirder gun. oops one more question- grip tape - what does it do, is it just to make grip a little bigger? Comments much appreciated.
Wrong Way
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The older (IMO "better") style P99 feels identical to the CP99 pistol. In fact, I used to use a CP99 to practice when I couldn't use my 9mm.
They come in 9mm and .40 S&W, and the trigger you want is the "quick action", avoid the "AS" or "Anti Stress" trigger.
As far as the other comments, I can only agree. I have a P99 Military (the green/black one) in 9mm, and it has been a fantastic gun for sure. I may be putting her upp on the EE, but only 'cause I have a woody for a metal framed Sig....and I'm too poor to own both
They come in 9mm and .40 S&W, and the trigger you want is the "quick action", avoid the "AS" or "Anti Stress" trigger.
As far as the other comments, I can only agree. I have a P99 Military (the green/black one) in 9mm, and it has been a fantastic gun for sure. I may be putting her upp on the EE, but only 'cause I have a woody for a metal framed Sig....and I'm too poor to own both
The A/S trigger on the P99 effectively gives you a SA gun.
Load round don't decock, you have a long light pull that eventually hits the 5-6lb SA trigger. You can also lightly pull trigger till it 'locks' into the short SA mode as well. After the slide reciprocates after firing the trigger resets into short SA mode.
Any 1911 fan would love this setup, I carry in holster in long SA mode, theoretically you could carry in short SA mode too.
(P.S. Scott, I agree with the 007 thing...)
Load round don't decock, you have a long light pull that eventually hits the 5-6lb SA trigger. You can also lightly pull trigger till it 'locks' into the short SA mode as well. After the slide reciprocates after firing the trigger resets into short SA mode.
Any 1911 fan would love this setup, I carry in holster in long SA mode, theoretically you could carry in short SA mode too.
(P.S. Scott, I agree with the 007 thing...)
Yes- dimensions are almost identical.
It makes the grip rough, to give you a better grip. With practice you don't need it, but the P99 is a bit slippery compared to similar pistols.
