Walther P99 Overview, Help Needed???

D

DaC152Pilot

Inactive
Hello,
I currently carry a Bersa Thunder .380 as my CCW and want to upgrade to a 9mm or .40! I have held a Walther P99 several times and am always amazed at how it fits my hands like a glove! General research online and at the gun stores has raised a few questions.

1.) Recently shopping in gun stores I have only seen Walther P99 AS models. What is this compared to the original Walther P99?? What does the AS indicate?

2.) I understand S&W took over manufacturing some P99's, which everyone seems to be in general consensus that the quality and reliability of the S&W's aren't as good. That being said, is it still possible to find solely Walther manufactured P99's? Aside from seeing S&W printed on the gun itself, (which I'm ASSUMING all from S&W will have?) Is there any other way to tell it's manufactured from Walther?

3.) Age Old Question.... I am considering between a 9mm and .40 in the P99. I know everyone has their views on which is better, however, in light of this question specifically for the P99, can someone shed some light on how much difference it makes in how the gun handles, reliability, etc.?

Thank you VERY much!
 
The Walther P99 is a fantastic handgun. Most fall in love with the ergonomics, the A/S trigger which is buttery smooth and the reliability factor. I recently posted some of this information on another forum when someone asked about the Smith & Wesson version, the SW99. The Smith & Wesson version SW99 was a collaboration between Smith & Wesson and Walther. Smith & Wesson never took over production of the P99, they produced their own version called the SW99 under the Walther licensing agreement. Some of the early Walther P99's (limited quantity of 5000, 40 S&W only with the 2nd digit in the serial number being 6) where actually sold with the frame being made by Walthers and the slide and barrel made by S&W, but they were marked as Walthers P99's. Mine is one of these pictured below. The slide and barrel of the SW99 are stainless steel and melonite-finished. The slide and barrel of the P99 are steel and tennifer-treated. The SW99 frame, although made by Walther in Germany, has a rounded trigger guard. Magazines are interchangeable between both. Most prefer the A/S trigger so-called anti-stress trigger, which is designed to reduce stress-related accidental discharges. single and double action modes both begin with the trigger in the forward position. Squeezing the trigger slightly, when in single-action mode, will set it into the rear position. If you remove your finger, the trigger will remain in the rear position. Squeezing it further will cause the striker to fire the round in the chamber. This one FAQ page on the P99 will answer all your questions and some. Its full of the P99 history and very informative. http://gunfaqs.org/P99FAQ/index.html

Photo showing the two models the SW99 & the P99.
 
I have a SW99-45, essentially the P99 with a Smith and Wesson built slide and barrel on a German built frame.

It has a 10 pound double action trigger pull for the first shot and 8 pound single action pull for subsequent shots.

There are many other pistols out there with better trigger pulls (easier to shoot well).

To the P99's credit, it will activate the striker every time the trigger is pulled. This provides a second strike capability against a primer which didn't fire on the first strike.

You might want to look at a Canik 55 TP-9, which is a P99 clone made in Turkey for about $200 less than a P99.
 
DnPRK said:
I have a SW99-45, essentially the P99 with a Smith and Wesson built slide and barrel on a German built frame.



It has a 10 pound double action trigger pull for the first shot and 8 pound single action pull for subsequent shots.



There are many other pistols out there with better trigger pulls (easier to shoot well).



To the P99's credit, it will activate the striker every time the trigger is pulled. This provides a second strike capability against a primer which didn't fire on the first strike.



You might want to look at a Canik 55 TP-9, which is a P99 clone made in Turkey for about $200 less than a P99.
Click to expand...


A Walther built P99 has a much nicer trigger than you are describing.
 
If you like the way the P99 feels...

Try the PPQ. Similar feel, with a different trigger, lighter and shorter pull.

The HK VP9 is in the same vein as far as feel as well.

So some options should a P99 be difficult for you to find.



As far as the 9mm vs 40 thing... it can get heated. For the most part, the 9mm will do everything you need it to do, at a lower cost, lower recoil, and higher capacity.

The 40 does have better barrier performance, but that is more helpful to police than to a civilian shooter. They have a high chance of needing to shoot into or out of a vehicle through glass and metal.
 
I like the original P99, never got one. I have the P5. P99 is loaded with features and has exceptional good looks but have doubts about it's durability. Walther is not Glock. A cracked frame was only replaced with a new pistol when cane was raised here under TFL sometime ago.
 
DaC152Pilot said:
1.) Recently shopping in gun stores I have only seen Walther P99 AS models. What is this compared to the original Walther P99?? What does the AS indicate?
Click to expand...

AS stands for "Anti-Stress" and refers to the P99's DA/SA type of trigger. The P99 was originally available with three different types of triggers: a DA/SA type, a Glock-ish type (called the QA), and a true DAO type. Only the DA/SA type of trigger, labelled AS, is available on current P99s.

While most DA/SA triggers have two modes of operation -DA and SA- the P99 has a third, AS mode. On current P99s, the DA mode has a long 11 lb. pull, the SA mode has a short 5 lb. pull, and the AS mode has a pull as long as the DA mode, but the first half is nearly effortless before reaching a point where it is the same as the SA mode.

DaC152Pilot said:
2.) I understand S&W took over manufacturing some P99's, which everyone seems to be in general consensus that the quality and reliability of the S&W's aren't as good. That being said, is it still possible to find solely Walther manufactured P99's? Aside from seeing S&W printed on the gun itself, (which I'm ASSUMING all from S&W will have?) Is there any other way to tell it's manufactured from Walther?
Click to expand...

S&W imported and marketed P99s in the US for several years. During that time, S&W also sold the SW99, which was a Walther-made frame and parts with a S&W-made barrel and slide. S&W also made a unique 45ACP version of the SW99.

S&W discontinued the SW99 around the time the M&P model was introduced. Walther now has its own US subsidiary to import and market the P99.

Magnum Research currently has a gun, the MR Eagle, built in partnership with Walther. Walther makes the frames and parts and MRI makes the barrel and slide. Interestingly, the triggers on the MRI guns are 8.5/4.5 lbs. like the original Walther P99s. MRI also makes a unique long-slide version of the MR Eagle.
 
I owned a Walther P99AS for a while, and don't regret buying it. I did end up trading it for a smaller, more concealable gun, but I still loved shooting it. If you like it, go for it.

As for caliber, I stick to 9mm, but that's open to each person's preferences.
 
The ergonomics of the P99 are hard to beat and I am a big fan of the AS trigger.

I have always really liked the gun but found that it twisted in my hand when shooting. The 9mm wasn't too bad but the .40 was pretty severe.

Then I found out about Talon Grips. Life is good again.
http://talongungrips.com/grips/walther/p99.html If you get a P99 get some Talon grips for it.

I prefer the 9mm in a polymer gun as I find the recoil much more manageable. The .40 is a great round in a heavier, steal gun. IMHO.
 
Try the PPQ. Similar feel, with a different trigger, lighter and shorter pull.
Click to expand...

This is incorrect.

The single-action pull of the P99AS is lighter than that of the PPQ. ~4.5 lbs. for the P99AS versus ~5.5 lbs for the PPQ.

The length of the pull is shorter as well, unless the P99AS is in first-shot AS (anti-stress) mode or de-cocked to double-action mode (which has a long, smooth, and crisp 8.5 lb. pull).
 
I have a 9mm Walther P99 German made/S&W import.
I have shot a P99 AS 40 and 9mm.
I would stick with the 9mm.
 
The single-action pull of the P99AS is lighter than that of the PPQ. ~4.5 lbs. for the P99AS versus ~5.5 lbs for the PPQ.

The length of the pull is shorter as well, unless the P99AS is in first-shot AS (anti-stress) mode or de-cocked to double-action mode (which has a long, smooth, and crisp 8.5 lb. pull).
Click to expand...

This is nearly correct.

The P99AS has a single-action trigger weight of 2000g/~4.4lbs and trigger travel of 8mm/0.31".

The PPQM2 has a trigger weight of 2500g/~5.5lbs and trigger travel of 7mm/0.28".
 
Notice that recent versions of the P99 do not have that little bump inside the bottom of the trigger guard and have a longer paddle for the magazine release. I think this is the best of the paddle releases, which I've come to prefer.

They are great guns. If you don't like the anti-stress mode, you can run it like a regular SA/DA gun with decocker. Doing that with a striker is pretty novel and Walther really pulls it off. It's sleek, low-snag, and fairly compact for a full-sized gun. The ergonomics are good, especially for being an older design. You can change the backstrap by pushing out a roll pin and it comes with a couple different shapes, though most people seem to prefer the standard one.

I find it comfortable to shoot in 9mm. I think 9mm is an excellent pairing for it. I agree with some of the other posters that .40 is just a little much in the P99. If .40 is your thing, I feel like there are other platforms that suit it better.

As per reliability or durability, I wouldn't worry about it. Glock might be legendary but the P99 has a well-deserved reputation in this category. It's been used by police and security forces from Finland to Iraq, for what that's worth.
 
This is nearly correct.

The P99AS has a single-action trigger weight of 2000g/~4.4lbs and trigger travel of 8mm/0.31".

The PPQM2 has a trigger weight of 2500g/~5.5lbs and trigger travel of 7mm/0.28".
Click to expand...

At this point, you are talking manufacturing tolerance differences between individual pistols. ;) My personal P99AS breaks at a consistent 4.5 lbs. The length of the trigger pull certainly FEELS shorter than a PPQ (though I have never measured), perhaps because the trigger safety of the P99AS is a more elegant design, and you don't feel the disengagement and movement of the trigger safety "blade" as you do on the PPQ.

What makes no sense is the claim on Walther America's own website that the P99AS has a double-action pull of 11 lbs. Either this is a typo, or was measured on a defective pistol. The double-action pull of the P99AS is ~8.5 lbs.
 
I cannot tell any difference in the weight of trigger pull between the PPQM2 and the P99AS.

Sure, the movement of the trigger is different but they both seem to "break the shot" (or whatever the phrase is) with the same effort of pulling made by my non-calibrated trigger finger.

They are both great guns. The only flaw with the PPQM2 is the mag release is too easily released. I even saw a reviewer on one other TV gun shows loose the mag when he wrapped his hands into the firing grip. Ooops.

I working to get a stronger spring put into the PPQM2 mag release button.

Bart Noir
 
They are both great guns. The only flaw with the PPQM2 is the mag release is too easily released. I even saw a reviewer on one other TV gun shows loose the mag when he wrapped his hands into the firing grip. Ooops.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The mag release of the PPQM2 is a definite step backwards.
 
1/2 have been answered.
3. I have a p99 AS in .40. I use it for back woods. If you're moving up from a .380, I'd get the 9mm version of the p99 and be done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top