Walther P99 Review

[DaveM55]

That or she gives good @#$%/%$#@.

Somebody just crossed the line.

[coyote9570]

yup theres no need for that it should be kept clean. No need to be rude

[knight0334]

Bump

(ten characters)

[Zeede]

Is this gun legal for IDPA competition?

Cameron

[NineseveN]

Is this gun legal for IDPA competition?

Cameron

Yes it is, (unless something has changed recently).

[dyezak]

I had to register here to thank NineseveN for his excellent review and tell my P99 story. I went to my local gun store today to try out a range of pistols. I walked in knowing what I wanted to try out, and what I absolutely didn't like. Growing up in my house I was always around weapons being that my father is a career law man, so I have had the opportunity to fire loads of 1911's and Glocks. Also, after graduating college I went to the Army and was issued my very own M9 (Beretta).

I can say that every one of those pistols I hated. The only one of the bunch that I can think of that I like is my father's Nickel Plated Colt 1911 with ivory grips and enough custom work to finance a new car.

So, I walked in today looking to try 3 pistols out, H&K USP, Springfield XD and Sig P250. I was fairly set on getting a .45 because my last experience with a .40 was less than pleasant....it was shooting a Glock G27, it kept feeling like it wanted to jump out of my hand.

I talk with my salesman about my choices and inspect the full size and compact version of each weapon. USP full size was too big, and oddly the compact wasn't much better, grip circumference was fairly wide and I never felt comfortable holding it. Springfield was either too much, or too little in the grip department. The compact was lost in my hands, and the full size fit my hands well enough, but it didn't fit right. Sig felt great, but not the P250 it was the P229 that stole my heart, I decided right there that I would at least give the .40 a shot in the P229 package.

Being an open minded consumer I asked my salesman if there were any other firearms that he would suggest I look at, and without hesitation he suggested the Walther P99. Now, I wasn't unfamiliar with this weapon at all, I had looked it over a bit, but because I was discounting the .40 and looking for a .45 I hadn't seriously considered it. He pulled one from the glass case and handed it to me. It was literally an awakening.

I took the weapon into my hand and it disappeared...it melted into my hand in a way I would have never been able to imagine before. I have since found that it was a world famous custom pistol grip manufacturer that was contracted to make the grip on this gun, and I understand immediately why he is "world famous". Beyond the initial feel of the weapon however I was instantly enamored with the ergonomically correct controls.

The slide release, the mag release, both easy to operate while maintaining a proper grip (the USP is horrible in this regard). I immediately asked to test fire this with the others that I had originally requested (along with the P229).

After all the paperwork I went to the line, 4 pistols and 100 rounds of .45 and .40 ammo. The following is what I found (in the order I shot the weapons):

.45's

USP45 didn't feel right from the beginning when I looked at it in the store, and consequently didn't shoot right, I also had to break grip to reach the slide release and couldn't find the mag release without looking. I wasn't comfortable with this weapon at all and this really upset me. I had entered the store with the intent to walk out an H&K USP owner...glad I shot it first. Beyond it not feeling right in my hand was the fact I had 3 FTF's within 25 rounds. I know it was a rental gun, but I didn't like that at all. - WEAPON DISCOUNTED -

Springfield XD45 was next it felt ok in the hand and I could reach all controls easily. The sights were either off on it or I really need to get used to a Springfield sight picture because I was WAY off. Only problem besides that was the mags wouldn't drop free, kind of annoyed me a bit but again, it was a rental. - THINK ABOUT THIS ONE -

.40's

Sig P229 felt great in my hand, all controls within reach and it fired excellently. But WAIT!! That trigger...the SA on the Sig was absolute gold, it was super short and extremely light, and this thing was a BLAST to shoot. Then it dawned on me...this is a .40!!! The round I hated so much is actually fun to shoot in this package. It was accurate, easy to handle and man, did I mention that trigger??? - DEFINATELY LOOK AT THIS ONE -

Walther P99 was immediately my favorite when handling it in the store, so I was looking forward to this. Again, the grip and the ergonomics really really stand out on this weapon. It makes it just a joy to hold and operate. I popped in a fresh mag and released the slide lock and started firing. First thing I noticed was that this trigger wasn't the Sig's. Compared to the XD and USP this thing has a way better trigger, but the Sig wins hands down in that department. But it is really good in SA mode. - DEFINATELY LOOK AT THIS ONE -

I went back and got another 100 rounds of .40 and split it between the P229 and the P99. I put exactly 100 rounds through each of them (50 rounds through the XD and USP) and was still torn. I loved how each of them shot. The P99 has better ergonomics, and controls, but the P229 has that trigger. So I started evaluating the other aspects of these weapons.

Walther has gone to considerable lengths to smooth this weapon out and to make it light. Sig's offering however was much much heavier and had more "snag able" edges on it. This will eventually be my CCW weapon so weight and protruding edges does matter to me. The Sig however has a better aftermarket following, and is almost indestructible.

Well, after 3hr's in the store I walked out empty handed. I'm stumped. But as of now I'm leaning towards the Walther more. Your review helped me a lot but I'm going to sleep this one out, wait a week and go back and shoot them both again to see how I feel. So here is where I stand, both are EXCELENT weapons, and these are the sticking points:

Walther - DAMN those ergonomics are excellent

Sig - I love that trigger and the cheaper maintenance/replacement parts

[NineseveN]

dyezak, great story, thank you for sharing it. I've had some very good experiences with HK USP's and the Compact versions, but as I've said before, HK's idea of a "compact" weapon in the USP series is about the same as everyone else's normal (or service) size. In my opinion, folks with larger hands such as myself won't have too hard of a time on the HK's controls, and don't let the rental gun get you down on HK, generally, those things are completely reliable and built like tanks (though having them serviced can be an annoying experience -which, in all fairness, can be an issue with Sig Sauer as well). If it weren't for Smith and Wesson performing service issues on most Walther P99 problems, Walther would probably be in the same boat. Springfield Armory and Smith and Wesson have some of the absolute best customer service in the industry.

You're right about the Sig, the trigger on the P229 and like variants is amazing and pretty much flawless in terms of how a DA/SA pistol should be. I gather that since you said the Walther's trigger was good in SA mode that it was an AS model, and if that's the case, the trigger gets almost godly after about 400-500 rounds, but it's still not as "crisp" as a Sig in SA mode.

All of the guns you looked at are quality firearms and you'll be good to go with whichever one you ultimately choose, though I'll throw one monkey wrench into your dilemma if you don't mind. You said in the beginning that you were leaning towards the HK, I would suggest that while the USP is indeed a fine handgun, it's not quite as suited for concealed carry for some folks, and a better representation of an HK carry piece would be their P2000 model (http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg85-e.htm), which is similar to Walther's P99 (though I prefer the P99 and the HK is generally more expensive). The P2000 is little lighter. Another HK model to keep in mind is their new P30 (http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg198-e.htm) which is only slightly heavier than the P99 as I recall. The magazine release on those two guns is similar to the P99's (almost exactly like the 1st gen P99's but shorter than the current gen models).

Also keep in mind that the Sig isn't too heavy compared to some of the real heavy hitters in the semi-auto world (such as the govt model 1911) and with a good holster and belt combo, you should still be able to carry it no problem.

Whatever you choose, out of what you listed, I have no doubts that you'll be served well.