Walther P99 Review

[TwistedCopper]

I've been wanting a P99 for a while now. You made that desire far more urgent with that review. Well done, NineseveN! That review was written better than most of the ones I see in the mags.

Where did you buy yours if you don't mind me asking? That is a great price on a P99

[NineseveN]

I've been wanting a P99 for a while now. You made that desire far more urgent with that review. Well done, NineseveN! That review was written better than most of the ones I see in the mags.

Where did you buy yours if you don't mind me asking? That is a great price on a P99

Why thank you very much, I try.

My normal dealer, Sporting Goods Discounters in Johnstown ordered it from a distributer, so I imagine your dealer could get the same or similar price. I don't think you're near J-Town sadly. But it was a good price, I paid more for my original P99 many years ago at Gander Mountain. It actually came out to be less than I would have paid had I ordered it for the best price I found online at the time.


And the reason some think my review is better than some in the gun rags is because I didn't get paid to say good things about the gun, I was just honest, it really is that good IMHO. But you, I have more guns, so more reviews will come as I find the time.


If you were coming to the Western PAFOA shoot, I'd let you run a couple of mags through it.

[knight0334]

Whats the trigger like on that AS model?? I have the QA model, which is Glock-like.

[RocketFoot]

Great write up! I feel a sudden urge to go out an buy a P99!! (I do like my mini P99 aka P22)

[SFMarine]

I'm with everyone else....i need to get this beautiful piece very soon! Knight brings up a good point AS vs QA

[NineseveN]

Whats the trigger like on that AS model?? I have the QA model, which is Glock-like.

It's nothing like any other combat handgun trigger I've ever tried. I'll quote my review and then try to expand on it further. The QA is longer and heavier than the SA portion and heavier than the AS portion while being lighter than the DA mode or the AS system.

On the AS models, the trigger is still the same, which is a wonderfully funky DA/AS/SA striker-fired design unique to Walther. When you chamber a round, the striker goes back, putting the gun into AS mode (anti-stress as Walther calls it). It's a single action mode, but the trigger is all the way forward as it would be in DA mode, yet the difference between AS and DA is that there is very little weight to the trigger pull until you get into where the SA mode comes in. When in AS mode, if you pull the trigger a little bit until you feel it click, the trigger will stay there (kind of like a set trigger design found on some rifles). This puts the gun into SA mode with a very short and light trigger pull, which is how the trigger would also automatically be set if you fired a round and allowed the trigger to reset, the distance of which is shorter than that on my 1911's, if only barely so (if you sneeze, this gun just might reset on you). However, if one prefers DA mode for carry or bedside gun duty, there is a decocker button on the top left of the slide to the rear. The DA pull is long and heavy, after 350 rounds mine feels to be about 10 or 11 pounds, where the SA pull feels closer to 3.5lbs or so, though it's listed as 5lbs in the Walther specifications. There is no manual safety on this gun, and I personally don't think it needs it. For a carry gun, it should spend 99% of its time in a holster (except when at the range) and so long as you don't press the trigger and fire the gun, it doesn't matter how light or short the trigger is. Though, if you're particularly safety conscious, you can always carry it in DA mode. Physically, the trigger is wide, textured on the face and curved aggressively into a secure little hook, which gives it an overall nice feel.

Picture the trigger travel in DA mode as 3/4". If you chamber a round (putting it into As mode) and then decock it, it goes into DA mode.

However, if you don't use the decocker, once you rack the slide and chamber a round, it stays in AS mode, where a little over/under 1/2" of travel has virtually no weight to it. You can just pull the trigger straight back and after that 1/2", you'll feel a little bit of extra resistance (it feels like it goes from 1-2lbs to about 3-4lbs) and if you pull the extra 1/4" (I'm rounding here) the gun will fire.

If you pull that first 1/2" until you hear and feel the trigger "click" (which indicates that you've preset the trigger into Single Action mode), the trigger will stay there. If you start to pull the trigger after you've set it, you'll have under 1/4" of take-up at a feel of 3-4lbs and then the trigger will hit the breaking point and break cleanly. The reset is about 1/16" which is about the same as my tuned 1911 with a 4lb trigger job.

You really would have to experience the trigger to believe it, but there's really nothing to compare it to except for some triggers that can be preset (more likely to be found on a target rifle than a handgun)

[knight0334]

Bumped for fellow member..

Good write-up too.

[Salt]

Nineseven, Excellent Review. Full of information that is from personal experience. I was on the fence about this gun, especially as my carry gun. This is my next purchase. Also Knight, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[NineseveN]

Thank you. I hope you like yours as much as I like mine. If you have any questions, just ask...I'll do my best to answer them. I love this gun.

[FUNDAMENTALS]

Thank you very much for the EXCELLENT review. I very much like the style in which
it was presented. I have fired this pistol on several occassions and in both
calibers. I consider it an outstanding firearm. It may be a "sleeper" to the L.E.O.
community, but I see this as a cost and training issue in transitional training.
The one advantage I think is overlooked , the weapons grip can be changed
to accomodate the various hand size and trigger reach. Thank you again