Walther P99c AS 9mm

S

Siggy-06

New member
I was looking at a few double-stack polymer 9mm's the other day and came across a Walther P99c with the anti stress trigger for a really nice price. I was honestly looking for a full size polymer 9mm, but the Walther looks and felt good. Before I lay my hard earned money down I have a few questions:

Can it take full size P99 magazines with a grip sleeve?

Are P99 and PPQ magazines the same?

Any reported issues with the P99c?

Hows aftermarket part availability? Sights, holsters, ect...

Any info/input is appreciated. Thanks!

-Sig
 
Siggy-06 said:
Can it take full size P99 magazines with a grip sleeve?
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Yes.
Siggy-06 said:
Are P99 and PPQ magazines the same?
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Sometimes. :)

The paddle-release and button-release magazines are not cross-compatible because the magazine catch cutouts are in different places. The P99, PPQ no-suffix aka "M1" (M1 is not an official Walther designation), PPQ Classic, S&W SW99, and Magnum Research MR Eagle have paddle releases. The PPQ M2 has button releases.

FWIW there is a minor issue using early P99 and SW99 (paddle) magazines in later-production paddle pistols because the front wall of the early magazines is taller to mate with the smaller early feed ramp. However, this can easily be addressed by filing or Dremeling the front wall of the magazine down, or simply learning how to identify the early magazines and avoiding them. :)
 
Any reported issues with the P99c?
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The P99 design is rock-sold and well-proven. It's been around for over 20 years at this point. The P99c variant specifically has been around since 2004.

Hows aftermarket part availability? Sights, holsters, ect...
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Pretty good. You won't find much in your local gun store, but these pistols have been on the market a long time, and accessories are easily found online.
 
Can it take full size P99 magazines with a grip sleeve?
d47: yes. Grip sleeves can be found for $12-20 each.

Are P99 and PPQ magazines the same?
PPQ m2 is button-release, so no. That said, there are a bunch of companies that make P99 full-size magazines: Walther, Magnum Research and .. darn it... the other one is escaping me right now. I have all 3. They all work fine.

Any reported issues with the P99c?
I took mine to a 3 day pistol class. 2K rounds in 3 days in rain and sun. I only did a nightly feed ramp cleaning and a pull-through bore snake cleaning of the barrel. I had 2 fail to ejects the last day. By comparison, the vast majority of pistols on the line were Glock 17s but no one got away without a failure it seemed. My short barrel 99c didn't compare poorly in accuracy either. In my opinion, the SA action trigger on the p99AS is the best available on any pistol straight out of the box. If you keep your pistol clean, you'll be a happy camper.

Hows aftermarket part availability? Sights, holsters, ect...
Not as good as Glock or M&P. P99s have a stealth black finish that sucks up all knowledge of their existence.
 
That said, there are a bunch of companies that make P99 full-size magazines: Walther, Magnum Research and .. darn it... the other one is escaping me right now.
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FYI - the OEM Walther and Magnum Research P99 mags are both made by Mec-Gar and are identical other than markings. Both are very high-quality magazines.

Pro-Mag makes P99 mags as well, but they are garbage. Stay far away.
 
Also—in case it's not obvious from what myself, wildcat mccane, and Fishbed77 have posted—all P99, SW99, PPQ non-M2, MR Eagle, and Elite-S paddle-release mags are functionally interchangeable EXCEPT for the early "high-wall" mags discussed in my first post.

You probably won't run into the high-walls unless you scrounge the bins at a gun show or find a vendor with a stash of NOS vintage Walther or S&W mags.
 
Well, I went ahead a bought it today. The trigger in single action mode is the best I've ever felt in a polymer gun, better than my xds, glock 23, and my buddy's PPQ. The paddle mag release is excellent, like my USP's. Only negative I can find is magazines are on the pricy side. All these awesome features for $349 new!
 
Very cool.

Yes, the P99 trigger is listed as lighter than the PPQ. It's a strange world that the P99 was unknown and the PPQ is usually said to be the best :)
 
The DA trigger is supposed to be among the best also, though I've still never encountered a P99AS myself. Lighter than most DA pulls, somewhere around 8lb?
 
I don't think that the DA pull is lighter than my XD-S. I know that my DAO cz100 has a lighter DA pull than my P99. It's not a DA revolver by any means, but it's meant to be AntiStress.
The SA trigger is where that pistol shines.
 
The DA trigger is supposed to be among the best also, though I've still never encountered a P99AS myself. Lighter than most DA pulls, somewhere around 8lb?
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The AS trigger has a DA pull of 8.5 lbs. It's long, but smooth and crisp.
 
Fishbed77 said:
It's long, but smooth and crisp.
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Also, there's no stacking, and I find it nice that the trigger travels straight back rather than in a broad arc like many hammer-fired DA/SA pistols. The P99 has a really great DA pull IMHO, although it's not the lightest one in the world. :)
 
FWIW, unless the specs have changed since my last armorer manual update ...

The 99's Anti-Stress:
Trigger pull / travel - 9 lb. / 0.55 in.; SA 4.5 lb. / 0.31 in.

The PPQ:
Trigger Action (Quick Defense Trigger) - Trigger Pull - approx. 5.6 lbs
The trigger travel for the PPQ is measured a bit differently (in 3 stages), but suffice to say that its similarly short like the Anti-Stress SA travel (6mm, or approx 0.30 in., including over travel).

Personally, I've always felt that the DA & SA triggers in my own pair of SW99's (SW9940 & SW999c) are very nice for any DA/DAO-ish & SA service-type pistols, whether plastic or metal.

My SW999c (9mm compact) has an outstanding trigger, and easily surpasses that of my pair of G26's, my 3913, 3913TSW & CS9. When I just want to "relax" and enjoy a range session shooting 9mm, I break out my SW999c. Its trigger and accuracy can spoil me for shooting other smallish 9's.
 
I own 3 P99s because my wife shoots them well and they've been utterly reliable. I also REALLY like the decocker on it.

Aftermarket support is fine. It's not as easy as Glock/S&W, but I've been able to find everything I need. Nothing much else to say about them. I trust them.
 
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