Duty use: Walther P99 or Glock?

Walther P99 9mm

I just bought a p99 9mm yesterday and am thoroughly convinced it surpasses the Glock in all aspects. It's advantages include a basically customized grip with the interchangeable backstraps, a decocking button, and a much larger slide release.

I also own a G29, which is a sub-compact 10mm, and while it is great for accuracy and home use, I think the Walther will far exceed all your expectations once you become friendly with it. That only took 50 rounds for me. Hope this helps.:D
 
Shooter, my 'standard advice' is to try both side-by-side, at the range and then decide. I think you'll much prefer the P99, but I admit to being biased. Check out my personal 2A site (link below) and you'll find a 'review' of my Walther.

Good luck!
 
I have never shot a Glock so can't advise. As far as the P99 goes I couldn't be happier. It has adjustable grips and adjustable height front sights. It is accurate and in 9mm recoil is not a problem. The P99 is a great gun! I haven't shot the .40 so I can't tell you about that.

P.S. The P99 is purty and the Glock ain't so purty. IMO.
 
Shooter, just to round out my earlier comment, I prefer the P99 not only for it's more robust feature set, and superior ergonomics, but for it's MUCH better trigger feel, and the fact that it is DA/SA. The 'creepy' trigger feel on a Glock gives me the willies.
 
Lay both empty pistols on a table ... close your eyes ... pick up each one and point your hand, holding the pistol, straight out toward an imaginary target ... and open your eyes. Which one naturally falls on target and aligns the sights with how your hand naturally points?

Most shooters that try this test are surprised to find the Glock grip frame causes the pistol to point high, above their imaginary desired point of aim. This isn't a bad or good thing ... it's just a thing to consider.

Which one "feels" better in your hand? This is strictly subjective.

Do you like the traditional double action/single action trigger, or, the short stroke "double action", or "safe action" as it's labeled by Glock?

Do you want to be able to remove the slide from the frame
without having to touch the trigger, or be required to put your finger on the trigger and pull it? The Walther design deliberately allows a person to decock the striker, if it's in the single action condition, without having to touch the trigger. This is more of a training and handling issue than anything else ... but there have been a lot of reported "unintentional discharges" resulting from people improperly unloading their Glocks and then pulling the trigger to take them down, only to discover there was a loaded round in the chamber.

Do you want a pistol with a barrel that has been zone tempered in certain areas by the heat induction method, or one that isn't heat treated?

Both companies make perfectly fine pistols. You have the luxury of deciding which perfectly fine product best suits your individual needs ...

Personally, I carry the SW99 in .40 S&W and am very, very pleased with it after several thousand rounds downrange ...
I would be just as satisfied with the 9mm version, though, if that was the only caliber issued ...
 
In the end it always comes down to what you like and other intangibles like the name and appearance.

Glocks are used by @ 60% of LEO's in this country (and growing) and they are doing a splendid job as a duty sidearm across this nation. The Walther P99 being introduced late in the game meant that it never got to gain the momentum Glock has gained througout the world.

Glocks and all their advantages and disadvantages are well known so you're unlikely to run into problems others haven't seen before. (For instance be wary of reloads and lead bullets) Glock parts are plentiful and all the accoutrements needed to complement them are on the avg. cheaper and easier to find compared to the P99. And Glocks have a simpler manual of arms which is an advantage in the heat of combat IMO. No "decockers" or different trigger pulls.

Personally, I feel Glocks and P99's are as different as HK USP var.1 and a Wilson KZ-45. The only similarity being the polymer frame.


.........and definately shoot .40 before buying one. Some people really dislike the snappy recoil. As far as cycling reliability goes they are no worse or better. For accuracy the .40 has plenty for defense but if you're into shooting for clover leafs at 25 yds. the 9mm or .45 is better. The .40 was designed as a potent defense round for moderately sized pistols. LEO's seem very happy with the results compared to the 9mm, based on what I've read in other posts.

I've gone through many different autoloaders (Sig, Beretta, Browning, Colt, and HK) as my primary. Today I have no desire to stray from my G23 because it has been the most "comfortable" pistol to live with. With the other pistols I always kinda felt the grass was always greener.............Now I just try to being a better shot. But I'll never stop being an enthusiast for all types of firearms.;)
 
I have both in both.

If I had to choose (flame suit on) I would choose the P-99.

I got a P-99 .40 first, then a Glock (G-19), then a P-99 9mm, then another P-99 .40, (have to have each color) and then a Glock .40 (G-23).

IMO, the differences between those two specific pistols is as much personal opinion as it is anything. They are both very good, reliable, accurate (I am more accurate with the P-99's) sidearms. Both are very dependable.

The Walther has the grip backstraps that help make it my choice for a favorite. I think the interchangeable backstraps are ingenious. That is why they are being copied by other companies. The Walther is also a better fit.

The decocker is really a minimum issue. In a gunfight, the decocker really has absolutely not reason to even exist. It is merely there for other times when it can be beneficial. You shouldn't ever lose a gunfight based on a decocker existance, or because it is not easy to activate. I don't even use the decocker, except when clearing.

Get whichever you like the most, you can't lose either way.

But I do prefer my Walthers.
 
This doesn't have any real bearing on why I haven't gone the Walther P99 way but.........

I also wear an Omega Seamaster watch and having that combo just rubs me the wrong way. You know James Bond....I'd feel like a poster boy for those crass marketers. :p:D

Get whatever you want. And lets continue this friendly rivalry between Glocks and Walthers.


*And yes! There's also the P990 model which does away with the DA/SA trigger and decocker for consistent trigger pulls. If I were to switch to Walther the P990 would be the one I'd look into since it mimics the Glock system.
 
The gentleman that used the pen name of Mark Twain once said something to the effect ... there are lies, damned lies, and then statistics ...

On a different note ...

You keep hearing about this 60% of L/E carrying Glocks, but nobody has ever provided the figures demonstrating the conclusive break down and justification for that 60% figure.

In the county where I work there are more than 20 L/E agencies going about their daily business. I've only seen Glocks in the holsters of some officers of a couple of them. A lot of S&W, Beretta, SIG and HK's, though ... some agencies associations have lobbied for the particularr choice of duty weapons, and some of these officers have told me they're allowed the option to carry whatever they wish (within "reason"). I don't see a lot Glocks, though ...

I was glancing through a list of all of the state patrol/police of the US a while back, and there wasn't anywhere near that 60% figure of Glocks listed as the issued weapon. It did strike me as odd, though, that there was a higher percentage of S&W pistols carried by the agencies. Why doesn't S&W shout this to the world? Guess they never thought they had to ...

NYPD has been reporting malfunctions with their G19's. According to a recent article, new NYPD academy graduates are now being given their choice of carrying either a S&W DAO or a SIG DAO, both in 9mm. Does that mean NYPD will be dropping over 25,000 G19's in-service? Who knows? Does that mean the G19 is a "poor" pistol? Of course not!

The problems reportedly being experienced by NYPD can probably be explained by ... recoil-impulse absorbing polymer frame, combined with short cycling (short recoil) pistol, with light slide mass but fast slide velocity, affected by a LOT of folks that may, or may not, have received the necessary training to avoid loose gripping/limp wristing a semi-auto pistol. Who knows?

Personally, I'm less concerned about brand name than I am about functional reliability, durability, compatibility with various different ammunition manufacturer's loads, ergonomics, ease of maintenance, available methods of carry, etc., ... and, well, price enters into it somewhere on down the line, all else being equal.

I don't care who else carries it or endorses it ... it's got to function reliably, and fit ... me. Isn't that what's important for all of us? Just because I've sent several thousand trouble free rounds downrange with a particular brand or model of firearm doesn't mean I expect you to want to emulate me. I'll give my opinion ... but it's your choice what you try and determine for yourself. Right?
 
fastbolt,

Yes, the 60% figure is something I gleaned off by reading a lot of posts in this forum and others. I've also read a lot of posts by LEO's who are by and large happy with their Glocks. We're not talking confetti and fireworks going off here. No single maker (Sig, Walther, HK, Glock et al) has gotten that kind of reception due to the large variety of officers, their training/ability, personalities, NEGLECT and all other variables. I agree.

When a particular pistol works so well for so many it does speak volumes about a particular brand though. The Walther P99 admittedly is gaining a strong contingent with civilians and a good sign for the P99.

But....the Glock along with Sig, S&W, and Beretta has been going through the ringer with a "large number" of LEO's. So how they handle in the field (in life and death situations as well) can be a known quantity. Good or bad. Its just the simple fact the P99 has yet to 'prove' itself with a large # of LEO's. Most quality made pistols that are cleaned after each range session and placed carefully back in their gun bag by their civilian owners is going to hold up well. Unfortunately, how they hold up as a WIDELY ISSUED sidearm is an unknown variable with the P99. But all other indications do seem to be favorable for the P99 as a good duty arm.


With a duty gun its a good idea not to be a trend setter but someone who jumps on the bandwagon.
 
As a L/E firearms instructor/range master/armorer (is there an acronym somewhere for that ... besides range gopher, that is?)
Anyway, as range gopher I generally think of firearms the same way I think of cars & trucks ... Everybody's happy with different features, accessories, styling, comfort issues, performance, reliability and scheduled maintenance requirements.

I see a LOT of different personally owned weapons come though for off-duty qualification ... and I get asked for recommendations for a lot of new off-duty weapons. Some folks are really interested in different sporting aspects of firearms ... some only ask so they can sound off and impress everyone ... some aren't familiar with firearms at all, and are asking because they don't know where to start ... My personal opinions are just that, mine. They're asking for my professional opinion of what might be best for them ... not necessarily for me.

My interest doesn't go beyond trying to point someone toward whatever they're most comfortable with carrying and using. Revolver, DA/SA, DAO, "Safe Action", SA, whatever ... I've recommended weapons that suited someone else, with which they were really pleased and comfortable carrying & shooting, but that I personally wouldn't ever be inclined to own. Not a problem. Mission accomplished.

I see, however, a lot of folks that "choose unwisely", based upon who-knows-what "been-there, done-that in the jaws of death" magazine article. One shooter thought the issued weapon was just not combat worthy enough to merit being carried off duty, so they bought what some "experts" recommended. Cool. Reality was less than accomodating when it came to ergonomics and functional reliabilty in THEIR hands ... so a little later I saw a smaller version of the issue weapon riding their hip for off duty carry. But boy, could they ever hit what they intended to hit with it. Cool.

I see a lot of cops carrying the latest poster weapons, with enough battery powered accessories to make the energizer bunny proud ... and secure in a job ... but marginal in their skill and their ability to accurately place their rounds. And then I watch some gentlemen closer to 90 than 80, in a CCW class, quietly and elegantly make a rat hole in a target's center mass with something some younger cops would probably think belongs in a WWI or WWII museum.

Oh yeah ... I've also watched cops experience undeserving repeated malfunctions with certain pistols, of more than one manufacturer, all the while rationalizing and explaining why it's still the most popular pistol in the world with law enforcement.
Cool ...

Thanks for the pleasant exchange of ideas ... stay safe ...
 
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