[ASUS]

I am confused on the difference (if any) between the Walther P99 and the S&W 99. Lemme tell what I think I know and ya'll tell me if I am correct.

Walther is a German gun made in Germany.

S&W 99 is a walther P99 made here in the USA marketed by S&W.

ALL of the Walther is made in Germany, but only the frame of the S&W 99 is made in Germany....and both are marketed by S&W.-----at least that's what it actually says if you have a P99 and SW99 side by side on the frame. Walther says "Made in Germany" and the SW says "frame made in Germany".


Next I am confused with any variation to distinguish b/t the different models. I looked at a P99 which was clearly a compact and a SW99 that was clearly a sub-compact. What distinguishes them apart b/t the compact and sub-compact??
Does the P99 even have a sub-compact?

Next, which cal. do ya'll prefer? .40 or 9mm??? It seems most people go with 9mm. I Don't understand why though. Doesn't the .40 have more "knock down power"? I currently have 2 different .45 ACPs---ultimate in knock down power.....but I may be getting off the .45 "ban-wagon" to get a gun I like a lot better and shoots better. I believe the SW99 does now come in .45, but I'm not sure about in the Walther. What's the major diff b/t all 3 cals?

Last, I am trying to compare the HK USPc and the Walther P99. How do ya'll feel they rate. I was thinking of .40, but again I'm not sure. My bro-in-law HAS a P99 in 9mm and it shoots VERY WELL and feels good in my hand. BUT so does the HK USPc....fit in my hand that is. I haven't had a chance to shoot it. I'd like to find a Walther in .40 to try out. Sorry for the loooong post----ASUS

 

[RyanSBHF]

The P99 is 100% German made. The SW99 has a German made frame with an American (S&W) made slide and barrel. The P99 is also tenifer treated, while the SW99 is not. Tenifer is a coating that's used on Glocks and several other guns to make them even more corrosion resistant. Other than that, the differences are largely cosmetic.

 

[P88]

Also, I think what you saw were the regular sized P99 and a compact SW99. The P99 does come in a compact now. Go to WaltherAmerica.com to see the different models.

The difference between the SW99 and the P99 are the cosmetic features. The SW99 is more rounded, the P99 more squared. The SW99 is stainless steel with Melonit finish, the P99 is carbon steel with Tenifer finish. (It been said that the Tenifer is much better. May be a judgement call) And one thing that die hard Walther fans point out is that the SW99 is a copy of the P99. These are the main differences that most people point out. It has been found by most that the P99 has a slight edge in accuracy also.

I think most people go with the 9mm because the ammo is generally cheaper, especially if you get military surplus, and some like the fact that you can carry 16 rounds instead of the 12 rounds in the .40. I personally have both calibers. I like the .40 for defensive work and I like the 9mm for just plinking around or using in matches when I don't feel like using the .40. The .40 has more of a snap to its recoil than the 9, so maybe some people don't like that.

So I guess it just comes down to what you want. If you go the P99 route, you also have a choice between the all black, black frame with Titanium coated slide, or Military Olive drab colored framed P99. Have fun!

 

[ASUS]

Thank you Ryan and P88. ...More questions though..
My brother-in-law HAS the P99 9mm in Military Olive drab...sweet looking gun!! On th eWalther site though, they list several different models:
P99 QA...which I know it stand for quick action.....but what does THAT mean...faster trigger???...how???

P990 DAO...double action only....what exactly IS double action only....and what differs from the 990 to the 99??

http://www.waltheramerica.com/p99_specs.htm
Something else I am confused on is if you go to the Walther site above, they have Law Enforcement models of the regular P99 which gives either 16+1 9mm OR 12+1 .40 cal. With the assault weapons ban done with couldn't ANYONE get larger magazines?? I'm not too worried about this as I am LE. Is there a price difference that you know of?

What I am looking for is a defense gun AND JUST AS IMPORTANT is a CCW gun! Does the P99 conceal well, or do I need to look at the compact (it looks sub-compact to me)??? I am also looking at the HK USP-C. I'm leaning towards .40 but I'm still undecided. Any input is greatly appreciated---ASUS

 

[BreakerDave]

One website you might want to check is:

Walther P99 FAQ

This link should shed light on the DAO / QA:

P99 variants

-With the QA, the striker partially cocks with a slide rack.  Just like the Glock, a trigger pull finishes the cocking and then releases the striker.  It differs from a Glock in that it has a decocker.  When decocked, pulling on the trigger will do nothing.

The 990 has been discontinued.  It has been resurrected as the P99 DAO.  With the DAO model, it helps to think of the trigger pull like a standard DA revolver.  Racking the slide does not cock the gun or put it into Single Action (as would occur with the standard P99- now called the P99 AS).  There is no decocker on the DAO because it cannot be cocked.

Regarding the "Law Enforcement Models" questions-  Walther's website is out of date.  The guns are the same.  It is the capacity of the accompanying magazines that once made it a LE version.  With the sunset of the AWB, anyone can buy full capacity magazines unless they live in a state that prohibits the possession by non-LEO's.  

While certain guns are more difficult to conceal than others, the P99 can be concealed well.  -A lot of it will depend on you.  How you carry and how you dress will determine your ability to conceal the gun.  Since you said you are a LEO, you should check out some of the rigs the other guys use.  -That way you can get an idea of what works and what doesn't.