[Wagemage]

I finally recieved the permission to buy a P99 from my wife. (money is tight because I am a poor college student, and we just finished paying for law school applications). Anyways I wanted some opinions on what I should get. I love the TI slide but will go with black because I do want the gun for practical reasons as well as a fun shooter. I may want to carry it, but I have a very reliable sw .357 snub to use if I get the ccw. I am 6'5'' and slender (muscular 180) and need to know if I can conceal a full sized on myself without any real problems. Or should I go with a compact. My wife is 5'11'' ish and she may shoot it too so I was gonna get a 9mm. Also with the ban expired the extra rounds are nice for the full size. So let me hear your opinions. What is your build, and the size you carry. For those who have shot both, does the full size shoot much better because of the weight, or does it matter that much. And finally, I am looking for the least financially damaging way of purchasing this, so if you know of a good buy let me know. Thanks for reply's in advance.
Wagemage

 

 

 

[Nocturnal]

My wife is 5'5" and shot my 40 a few weeks ago without much trouble. It was her first time shooting *ever* and she did great. Pick the caliber you really want, not the one you think your wife can handle. Go to a range and rent a 40 caliber plastic gun like a Glock or XD if they don't have a P99 handy. Recoil will be comparable. Use heavy ammo (180 Gr) to feel the highest recoil that gun can generate. You can always decide to plink lighter later.

I would think that besides your body shape your clothing style is very important when determining what you can conceal. As is your willingness to put up with discomfort. I wear jeans/sweater/polo 99% of the time so concealment would be tough. If you wear a jacket you could carry a 5" barrel 1911

Have you decided what trigger type you're getting? There was a spirited discussion regarding CCW and triggers a few posts down.

 

[P88]

I'm 6' and slender and can carry a full size just fine. I've got a Milt Sparks #1H IWB holster that I even wear in the summer. I just tuck my t-shirt right over it.

The full size will give you better accuracy and will be much better for using in IDPA,IPSC or some other handgun sport if you get interested later on.

 

[kbc]

Full Size 9mm; both of you can shoot it; ammo is affordable.
Easy to conceal. Consider a used one at $375-$450.

 

[IronyMask]

Get the full sized 9mm. The P99 was designed with the 9mm round in mind, and the .40 is a worse round. It kicks harder and lacks penetration. The p99 can very easily handle 9mm +P rounds, I'd recommend carrying those.

I'm 5'10 and 153 pounds. I have no trouble concealing the P99 in a shoulder holster, but I usually wear long coats. It isnt a large gun, so with a good holster you could hide it in any manner of ways.

 

[kjprice]

I have both of these guns and love them both. I also carry both of them and have no problem concealing them. The P99c is more comfortable while wearing however, and is quickly becoming my favorite. As far as the accuracy of the P99 over the P99c, there is no difference. Once you get used to the stronger recoil of the compact version, its just a matter of trigger control to place all of your shots within a 2' group. I'm 5'10" tall and have an athletic frame at 180 lbs. I took my wife to the range this past weekend and she shot both of them with no problem. The recoil might have been a little strong for her with the compact but she is vertically challenged at 4'11" tall and 98 lbs. I would suggest the 9mm over the 40 and would go with the compact for its great concealability. However, if you get the chance and the cash, buy the full size version also. They are both wonderful weapons. I hope that this helps.

 

[Wagemage]

Thank you everyone for the input so far. I feel that I may lean a little more torwards the full size because I already have a great carry gun if I get a ccw. My .357 being a revolver is as reliable as you can get, and it being the 5 shot is small enough that you really cant see it if I tuck it in some where. And I have never had a fail to fire, so it is very reliable. On top of that the compacts are still fairly higher priced. I will have to wait on those.

I want to hear a little more on where to get a used one. For religious reasons I won't buy it on a sunday gun show deal. Where else can I pick a a good one for less than 400$. I have always leaned toward AS, but thought QA was neat. But I may lean toward AS becuase I really like the decocker.
So, keep an eye out for me. Thanks
Patrick

Also if you are in Las Vegas or Utah County utah (BYU) area, I would like to actually squeeze a few rounds off a P99 before I purchase it. let me know if any would like to go. Thanks

 

[Nocturnal]

Wagemage, if you don't find a used one you like, consider getting a new one at http://www.ak-47man.com . They go for less than $500 if you pay cash. Of course you need to add shipping and FFL fees to that. But then you know what you bought.

 

[Wagemage]

That is an OK idea in theory, but shipping and FFL tends to be quite a bit more than mere sales tax in Utah or Nevada. Not to mention most stores will throw in a 6 month range membership if you buy a gun from them. And that is a nice little bonus too. A P99 will have to be in the lower 400's for me to consider paying the shipping and everything, not to mention that I unless I get a deal better than a range here would match some of the store owners that know me may become a little offened. (they would have matched the price) Anyways thanks for the link. But 480 odd dollars online is a bit steep right now. Thank you
Wagemage

 

[Nocturnal]

Well, looks like you got it all figured out then.