Walther P99 vs. Browning Hi-Power

I own a P99.40S&W And really want to like the gun. This is'nt easy to do with all the premature slide locks (slide locking open with rounds still in the magazine), failures to go into SA mode (trigger mechanism "slipping" from SA mode to DA mode while shooting). The P99 may be hi-tech but does that really make it better???
 
Go with the HP.....there is a reason that the gun is still around after all these years......plus you can still get hi caps for it...not so with the 99

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frogman6
 
I just bought 2 brand spanking new factory 16rnd mags for my 9mm P99. They were expensive though, at $125 each. I just won't own a gun with some silly plug in the mag. BTW, I traded my Hi-Power for it. I think it makes a better carry gun...for me. I have very acidic hands, and the tennifer finish on the P99 makes for a less worrisome carry gun. I couldn't shoot the Browning worth a darn either. The P99 is more accurate for me.
 
sambonator, the sw99 is not a suitable substitute for the p99. having had the chance to compair the feel between the sw99 and the p99 <curtosy of a local LEO at a gun show>, the sw99 felt chintzy. not as solid. these are just my opinions and in the vein of what George Hill said to the person who mentioned the glock, i'm going to mention that the question was about the walther p99 and not the s&w sw99.

twoinch, i would recommend the Walther, it is a well made firearm, there have been a few noted issues with the .40cal version of it, but the 9mm has been flawless IME. quite honestly, if you are planning to use it for target and don't reload, i would suggest the 9mm instead of the .40cal. little more economical. anyway, just my opinion on the matter.


Adept
 
Hi-Power

1. 'Feel' is subjective. Both of these are top-shelf designs, and as such 'feel' will probably be the kingmaker. I prefer the feel of the HP, but thats me.

2. Weight- yeah, the P99 is lighter. So what? Is the HP too heavy? No. At some point there is a point of diminishing returns in lightness, and the HP is at a very good spot on that curve. Remember, weight makes a gun more controllable (within reason) by attenuating recoil.

3. Size- the critical factor is wideness. The P99 is a flea's butt-hair slimmer. Length is less critical, but the P99 is shorter. This also translates into

4. Barrel length- the HP will have a higher muzzle velocity. The whole point is hitting your target and doing damage, right?

5. Capacity. The p99 is limited to 10 rounds, unless you own a bank and want to shovel out $100 bucks for 16 rnd standard-cap mags. The BHP has factory standard-cap mags for under $50 (13 rnd), inglis mags (high-quality 14 rnd) for $40, and South African hi-caps for $20...thats 17rnds. Yes, all of them work reliably.

The P99 is a newer design. Big deal. The question is, is it significantly better? IM(NS)HO, no, it is not. It is certainly as good, but thats not the same as better.

Mike
 
I'm not sure the posters being addressed even log onto TFL any longer since this thread is over two years old!

There wasn't a Semiauto Forum back then, so I'll move this thread over there now.
 
Well, the important thing is which one is better for you. I recommend you find a range that rents both and try them out there. that's the only way you'll know the answer to this question for sure.

I'm biased because I am a big Hi-Power fan and I've never fired a P99. As such, you should definitely take my comments with a big grain of salt. Since only Coronach has made a comprehensive defense of the Hi-Power, I thought I'd point out a few things in its favor.

1. P99 is 10 oz. lighter than the Hi-Power (25 oz. vs. 35 oz., meaning the HP weighs 40% more!).
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It also means that the Hi-Power has more weight to tame a snappier round (.40). I'd recommend you try shooting both. My guess is that you'll find that extra weight helpful on follow-up shots and not uncomfortable to carry for long periods of time.

2. P99 is more compact, making is easier for concealed carry (7" vs 7.75" length, 1.2" vs 1.375" width).
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That's overall width. The P99 uses the barrel hood as the lockup for the slide so it has a nice blocky slide similar to the Glock. The Hi-Power's locking lugs let it use a slimmer and more traditional rounded slide with a little more thickness in the grips. On the other hand, remember the measurement above is overall width for a 9mm BHP and the .40 has a thicker slide in order to handle the heavier round.

One important measurement he left out was height. The Browning is 5" and the P99 is 5.375" This is going to be an important factor in how much the grip prints when carrying concealed. IMO, either one of these is doable; but the Browning has the edge.

4. P99 is a newer, more modern design, with excellent ergonomics (probably the best grip in the business).
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The Lorcin .25 is a newer more modern design than the Hi-Power; would you rather have one based on that? Ergonomics are also very subjective - at the very least you should handle both firearms if you can't rent them and shoot them.

Capacity of magazines is really irrelevant since you specified the .40 S&W and magazine capacity for both the P99 and BHP in that caliber is 10.

Since you already own a BHP in 9mm, you have a good idea what to expect there. The extra weight in the slide of the BHP in .40 makes it a little off balance compared to the 9mm IMO. It just doesn't sit as well. The recoil also seems a little snappier although I probably couldn't tell the difference if I was blindfolded.

Lots of people whose opinion I respect like the P99 and consider it an excellent gun. I also imagine the tennifer finish is superior to the epoxy finish on the slide of the practical. Since I'm not a big fan of .40 to begin with (much prefer 9mm or.45) and I already own several Hi-Powers, I think my desire to get something new and different would probably push me towards the P99
 
quote by Sambonator...

I don't think the HP has very good aesthetic qualities.
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The BHP doesn't have good aesthetic qualities??!!??. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!

The BHP is a classic, timeless design, much in the same way that the Ferrari GTO, Rolex Presidential, penny loafers, plain black dinner dress, (for the ladies in our clique), and the M1911 are. It has withstood the test of time. Designs have come and gone in the years since all these items were designed and released, but yet all remain. Says something about the BHP's design, IMO. I wonder if the P99 will still be around in 30 years?

quote by Quickdad...

...forgot to mention that P99 holds 16-rd of 9mm which is 3-rd more than the HP.
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13rd factory mags maybe. But, you can purchase 17rd S. African mags for the BHP all day, every day for $24.99. They are reliable, readily available, and, you get 18 rounds total for carry, (17 +1).

Finally, It would seem to me that over the long run, the BHP will end up being the better value in the long run. Just MHO.
 
I just picked up two 17 round mags, new, for my hp for $19.99 each.

As for the wrap around pachmyer grips. My HP came with the thin walnut grips. I took em off and put a set of the pachmyer wrap around grips on it. Now the HP fits my hand like it was built for my hand.

You can always go to thinner grips if the pachmyers don't suit ya.

I guess the real difference comes in shooting both and deciding on which one you like best.

One thing is for certain, there is no concensus on what is best when it comes to our subjective opinions!
 
5. The Walther name is more prestigious than Browning. (In my mind, whenever I think of Browning, I think of good sporting O/U shotguns. "Walther" says "Top quality pistols.")
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- Sambonator.

What? Browning makes no dogs. Walther is cursed with "American Walthers" which are junk. Any Walther I get is going to be from Europe.

Someone tell me the scoop on these S. African BHP mags. They aren't flush fit are they? They work?

I once traded off a BHP because I couldn't find decent mags for it. I got a couple of Mec-Gars on the way for my new High Power, where do you get Inglis mags?
 
You guys sound like a bunch of liberals with your "I like this gun more so it is better!" :D


I own a P99 40 and have listened to many a good thing said about the BHP. I think (to me, not putting down the other, your child is also good and special in their own certain way) that my baby is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY cuter than your baby.


My father, big Westchester County, NY gun grabbing liberal commie, ex- hippie, was once a cop in the early 70's, said he held a BHP once at an FBI training camp, said it became one with his arm when he held it. His baby is cuter than mine.


BTW, if you poop inside a pumpkin and drop it from a height of 4 stories, it makes a hell of a mess.
:confused:
 
"Someone tell me the scoop on these S. African BHP mags. They aren't flush fit are they? They work? "

Arizona Eric: The SA mags do not fit flush...but work great. The springs are very strong, and it takes a while to break them in, but when you do they load easily and function well.
 
P99

In my IDPA experiences, I've seen many a High Power fail. Jam-o-matics is a good word.

My P99's, however have ran flawlessly. Although mine are all .40's.

P99
 
Wow, I'm surprised to see people replying NOW to my post from over 2 years ago!

I'm not a "huge" fan of the P99 anymore. I still think its a great pistol, and one of the best, if not the best, looking polymer frame pistols on the market.

After having owned it for 2+ years, I've found the reliability to be excellent (shooting mostly inexpensive gunshow ball ammo). But the trigger still feels cheap compared to my other pistols...and I've grown to dislike the factory sights.

Will I keep my P99? Yes. Will I buy another one? No. Would I recommend the P99? Yes, but buy it only if you REALLY like the looks (I did, and still do. I think it looks best in all black). Would I rather have a BHP? Well, I'd rather have both :) Would I give up my P99 for a BHP? No. Will I buy a BHP? No.

I won't be buying any more full-size 9mm's, thanks to the California ban on sales of ALL hicaps, preban manufacture or not.

Sam
 
Arizona Eric: This bears repeating - The SA mags do not fit flush...but work great. The springs are very strong, and it takes a while to break them in, but when you do they load easily and function well.

Use the loading tool provided to get them loaded and let them sit for a week. I did that twice, and now they load easily and feed perfectly.

BHP = Jam-o-matic?? Something is wrong (and most likely easily fixed) if a BHP is jamming.
 
In my IDPA experiences, I've seen many a High Power fail. Jam-o-matics is a good word. My P99's, however have ran flawlessly.
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Funny - our experiences are exactly opposite. Out of a couple of dozen "regulars" that frequent our local IDPA club, there are always a couple of BHP's (mostly 9mm MkIII's, with only an occasional 40) and they run fine. The guy that had a P99 gave up on it, as while it would usually - not always! - get through a match OK, it invariably starts malfunctioning after no more than several hundred rounds without cleaning. (Yeah, it's the German version, not the S&W clone.)

If a BHP is jamming, the person is most likely either a) using very short bullets, b) bad handloads, or c) some off-brand magazines.
 
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