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Opinions on P99AS Please
- Thread starter chemcal
- Start date
You should probably link your February post to more easily illuminate your point.
Do you want a comparison between the PPQ and the P99as or do you just want opinions on P99as? I can do better on the second.
I have squirrel-sized hands, so not many double stacks work for me. I tried a PPQ in 9 at a rent-a-range and liked the heck out of it. It worked very well for me.
Thinking that the grips between P99as and PPQ were very similarly shaped (obviously texturing is different), I picked up a p99as in .40 replace my CZ100 as woods gun b/c it has more capacity AND fit my hands as well as the CZ100. The trigger was much better. The DA/SA trigger was a nice upgrade over the DAO cz. The first pull is longer and heavier and everything like the CZ and after the first shot the pull is like a PPQ. I was about equally accurate with either. Win/Win/Win.
Anyhow, I've replaced my carry nine with a P99as compact in 9mm as well with no regrets.
Do you want a comparison between the PPQ and the P99as or do you just want opinions on P99as? I can do better on the second.
I have squirrel-sized hands, so not many double stacks work for me. I tried a PPQ in 9 at a rent-a-range and liked the heck out of it. It worked very well for me.
Thinking that the grips between P99as and PPQ were very similarly shaped (obviously texturing is different), I picked up a p99as in .40 replace my CZ100 as woods gun b/c it has more capacity AND fit my hands as well as the CZ100. The trigger was much better. The DA/SA trigger was a nice upgrade over the DAO cz. The first pull is longer and heavier and everything like the CZ and after the first shot the pull is like a PPQ. I was about equally accurate with either. Win/Win/Win.
Anyhow, I've replaced my carry nine with a P99as compact in 9mm as well with no regrets.
IMightBeWrong
New member
Great gun. Only con is there's no Mk. 2 version.
carguychris
New member
Are you referring to the M2 version of the PPQ, the one with the thumb-button mag releases?IMightBeWrong said:Only con is there's no Mk. 2 version.
Most folks seem to speak the PPQ suffix as "em two" rather than "mark two" as the abbreviation Mk.2 would normally be spoken.
A lot of people like the paddle mag releases used on the P99AS and PPQ Classic or "M1" (not a factory designation but rather a colloquial designation endowed by the shooting community). Additionally, paddle mags are incompatible with thumb-button M2 pistols—and vice versa—and used paddle-release mags are much easier to find and consequently less expensive.
[Edit for clarity; also see my follow-on post for info about incompatibilities within the paddle-mag family]
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IMightBeWrong
New member
M2 is what I meant. I am more interested in the addition of PPQ ethos than a hanged release but I do prefer the button a bit. I don't actually prefer the button for training reasons like many, though. I prefer the button because it allows for the trigger guard to be undercut more for a higher grip. I have owned a PPQ Classic when they first launched and I had a PPQ .45 for a bit as well and the grip itself felt better in the M2 variety of the .45 to me because of the extra room under the trigger guard. Along with the PPQ texture, I think that would also help make the P99 an even better pistol.
carguychris
New member
I was talking about paddle mags vs. thumb-button mags, not about some incompatibility within the two families. My earlier post has been edited to clarify this.chemcal said:I find the paddle versions to have compatible mags.
However, there IS a magazine-compatibility issue having to do with feed ramp clearance when using early P99 mags in later P99 / SW99 / Magnum Research MR Eagle pistols. The front side of the mag body is taller on the earlier mags and interferes with the later-style feed ramp contour. The incompatible early mags can be identified by the fact that the low side edge of the follower is nearly flush with the top front of the unloaded magazine body, whereas on the later mags, the entire follower prominently sticks up.
However, if one takes care to avoid the early mags, availability of paddle-release P99 mags is still much greater, particularly once SW99 and MR Eagle mags are taken into account.
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"Additionally, the mags are incompatible,"
I find the paddle versions to have compatible mags. I would like to know if anyone carries their P99AS in AS mode. I've been torn between which gun to consistently carry due to concern over ND possibilities.
A firearm can't be negligent, only the user can be. If your belief is that the extra travel of the AS mode as opposed to the PPQ will somehow act as a safety, I'd have to disagree.
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IMightBeWrong
New member
If your trigger snags on something, the extra weight of the decocked striker could act as cheap insurance to prevent discharge.
Cosmodragoon
New member
I think the Walther P99 remains one of the best polymer 9mm handguns on the market. Its early innovations in ergonomics still stand strong in the field. It carries well, shoots nicely, and is utterly reliable in my experience. I treat it as a traditional DA/SA and I like the novel feel of the striker mechanism with it.
Some people have reservations about the paddle release but in my experience, most people get used to it quickly. Once used to it, some people actually prefer it. I like that I can manipulate it with my trigger finger and with less grip readjustment than a traditional button release. I also find it more secure than a traditional button when holstered. I realize that this is very rarely an issue but most holsters don't seem to protect the magazine release button the way they do the trigger. Because the paddle release is along the trigger guard, it usually is protected.
Some people have reservations about the paddle release but in my experience, most people get used to it quickly. Once used to it, some people actually prefer it. I like that I can manipulate it with my trigger finger and with less grip readjustment than a traditional button release. I also find it more secure than a traditional button when holstered. I realize that this is very rarely an issue but most holsters don't seem to protect the magazine release button the way they do the trigger. Because the paddle release is along the trigger guard, it usually is protected.
If your trigger snags on something, the extra weight of the decocked striker could act as cheap insurance to prevent discharge.
While that may be possible, the OP is talking about carrying in the AS mode, which is not decocked.
I like it so much I sold an M&P Compact and an FNS Compact to get a P99AS Compact. There is a sort of Darwinian evolution in my handgun collection. Some get sold so that others may live. With me.
Then the P99 was joined by a Ruger SR9 Compact. Those are great guns at the low end of the price range.
I rather like compacts.
Bart Noir
Then the P99 was joined by a Ruger SR9 Compact. Those are great guns at the low end of the price range.
I rather like compacts.
Bart Noir
ZEBRARANGER
New member
I agree with most of the comments. I have the first generation P99 .40 with the AS trigger. Its one of the best striker fired handguns that I've ever come across. The Morini designed grip is one of the most ergonomics grips of any gun I've held. The trigger is buttery smooth and breaks nice and crisp. To me its the perfect size. Not too large or too small, and cc's well enough. I've had Mine for about 10 years now and never really any issues to speak of. Just once early on I lost the rear sight detent pin and spring during a stupid error on my part. In the early years for quite a while it was one of the best kept secrets of the polymer world. It took a while to develop its reputation. Good quality pistol.
I have both the P99AS (without the original hump inside the trigger guard) and the original PPQ.
My P99's mags work fine in my PPQ.
The PPQ's trigger is very crisp and it has a fantastic reset, such that unintentional double-taps are all too easy and difficult to train against. Even though the trigger is not exceptionally light, its crispness makes me think it's too light for carry (Glocks don't worry me). While it's a delight at the range, my PPQ (with its Trijicon HDs) is normally in my nightstand safe.
The P99's AS mode, analogous to single-action, is maybe lighter than, if not as crisp as, the PPQ's. I wouldn't carry in this mode. It defeats the purpose of the decocker and resulting double-action-like trigger. Indeed, carrying in AS mode is like carrying a 1911 cocked but not locked. I think the P99 is better than the PPQ for carry, but I don't shoot it quite as well as I do the PPQ. I prefer other guns for carry and got the P99 because I like traditional SIGs and just had to try a decockable striker-fire.
My P99's mags work fine in my PPQ.
The PPQ's trigger is very crisp and it has a fantastic reset, such that unintentional double-taps are all too easy and difficult to train against. Even though the trigger is not exceptionally light, its crispness makes me think it's too light for carry (Glocks don't worry me). While it's a delight at the range, my PPQ (with its Trijicon HDs) is normally in my nightstand safe.
The P99's AS mode, analogous to single-action, is maybe lighter than, if not as crisp as, the PPQ's. I wouldn't carry in this mode. It defeats the purpose of the decocker and resulting double-action-like trigger. Indeed, carrying in AS mode is like carrying a 1911 cocked but not locked. I think the P99 is better than the PPQ for carry, but I don't shoot it quite as well as I do the PPQ. I prefer other guns for carry and got the P99 because I like traditional SIGs and just had to try a decockable striker-fire.
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I would like to know if anyone carries their P99AS in AS mode. I've been torn between which gun to consistently carry due to concern over ND possibilities.
The US P99AS manual explicitly state to carry the P99AS de-cocked, and I can see no reason not to.
Regardless, the P99AS is a safer pistol for carry than the PPQ. You can rant all you like about the "safety between your ears", but when real life intervenes, the longer decocked double-action trigger pull (or even the longer cocked AS mode trigger pull) provides a margin of safety that the PPQ does not have.
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Independent George
New member
I got my P99AS cheap from Gunbroker a few months back, and I love it.
Pros:
1. DA/SA striker operation. I know it's out of vogue, but it's still my preferred system for reasons that have been debated to death by now.
2. Outstanding trigger. DA is a heavy 10.5 pounds in mine, but silky smooth; SA is an even 4 pounds with a clean break, short reset, and minimal overtravel. I shoot very accurately with it.
3. Paddle mag release. It's a big adjustment, but once I got used to it, I became a convert.
Cons:
1. Poor aftermarket support. It's just not popular enough for a substantial aftermarket ecosystem.
2. Nonstandard rail - my surefire X300 won't fit on it.
3. Ergonomics (YMMV)- I know most people praise it, but even with the small backstrap, I don't like how that rear hump fits into the palm of my shooting hand. It's not terrible, but it doesn't disappear into my hand like my CZs or the M&P. Otherwise, the texture is just fine.
All things considered, it's an excellent gun that I'm proud to own, but the negatives are just enough to make it more of a novelty for my collection than primarily as a defensive weapon (though it would excel in that role).
Pros:
1. DA/SA striker operation. I know it's out of vogue, but it's still my preferred system for reasons that have been debated to death by now.
2. Outstanding trigger. DA is a heavy 10.5 pounds in mine, but silky smooth; SA is an even 4 pounds with a clean break, short reset, and minimal overtravel. I shoot very accurately with it.
3. Paddle mag release. It's a big adjustment, but once I got used to it, I became a convert.
Cons:
1. Poor aftermarket support. It's just not popular enough for a substantial aftermarket ecosystem.
2. Nonstandard rail - my surefire X300 won't fit on it.
3. Ergonomics (YMMV)- I know most people praise it, but even with the small backstrap, I don't like how that rear hump fits into the palm of my shooting hand. It's not terrible, but it doesn't disappear into my hand like my CZs or the M&P. Otherwise, the texture is just fine.
All things considered, it's an excellent gun that I'm proud to own, but the negatives are just enough to make it more of a novelty for my collection than primarily as a defensive weapon (though it would excel in that role).
2. Nonstandard rail - my surefire X300 won't fit on it
The second and third gens of the pistol have the same rail slot as a Glock. It was only the first gen that had the specific rail.
Cosmodragoon
New member
This thread got me thinking about the ergonomics of the P99. I notice that there is a vertical groove on the side of the grip that the tips of my bottom three fingers naturally fall into. I only just realized how much that groove contributes to the ergonomics, especially when drawing from the holster. I don't know that I've seen that feature on other grips.
The P99 is, for me personally, the best feeling handgun grip I've tried and I've owned most of the polymer framed pistols out there. For my hands, which are like a smedium, the added width of the PPQ is more of a detractor than a help, nor do I find the texture of the PPQ provides a lot more grip.
Now all this being said, I carry and use Glocks primarily. I have nothing against the P99, but I've found that feel in the hand isn't always the definitive factor in terms of how well a pistol works for me. As always, YMMV.
Now all this being said, I carry and use Glocks primarily. I have nothing against the P99, but I've found that feel in the hand isn't always the definitive factor in terms of how well a pistol works for me. As always, YMMV.
The P99 is, for me personally, the best feeling handgun grip I've tried and I've owned most of the polymer framed pistols out there. For my hands, which are like a medium, the added width of the PPQ is more of a detractor than a help, nor do I find the texture of the PPQ provides a lot more grip.
Now all this being said, I carry and use Glocks primarily. I have nothing against the P99, but I've found that feel in the hand isn't always the definitive factor in terms of how well a pistol works for me. As always, YMMV.
That echos my experience exactly, with the exception that the P99AS still occupies a role as my primary HD gun.
The AS was born to serve the role of a defensive pistol in a confusing "bump-in-the-night" situation.