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Picking a concealed carry gun can be intimidating.
There’s only about, what, 5,000 options?
The compact pistol market has reached the point that you can pretty much blindly reach into a box and pull out something decent. However, certain guns still outshine others; after reading this you’ll see that the Walther P99C AS is one of those guns.
History Was Made in 1996
Way back in 1996, Walther dropped the P99 into the holsters and nightstands of law enforcement and civilians. Intended as a duty gun, the P99 leaves gimmicks at the door, leaving us with a well-crafted tool. Since then, Walther has made some changes to the gun and offered quite a few variants.
Best Modern CCW Walther
$570
at Brownells
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
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25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
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Fits like a Glove
The P99C’s grip is hit or miss depending on who you ask. It isn’t aggressive like a lot of people aim for now, but I still find it very comfortable. The backstrap is interchangeable: the gun comes with a curved strap and a flat strap. Since the P99c is a double stack, it still fills your palm. Keep in mind it is still compact, so it is a 2 finger gun. You can get pinky extensions for your magazines. You can also get grip extensions to use with the full sized P99’s magazines. The small grip does wonders to aid in concealability, another area where the P99C stands out. While not as small as a single stack carry gun, I haven’t had any issues appendix carrying my Walther. Personally, I use a black High Noon Holsters Hideaway; there are kydex holsters out there as well. That said, Walthers and leather are just meant to be.
The Magical Trigger
You may be thinking “Did he just say decocker? I thought this was a striker fired gun!” While it is a striker fired gun, the trigger is what truly sets the P99C apart from the rest. The gun is a double action/single action (DA/SA) striker fired pistol.
Putting that Trigger to Use
Ok, so I just spoke a lot about the trigger. I promise I have a good reason for this. The P99C’s AS trigger is one of Walther’s crowning achievements in firearms. For its size, the P99C is a great gun to bring to the range—and a lot of that goes back to the trigger. Follow-up shots are quick and easy as the short trigger pull means a short reset. The first shot has still that “two stage” AS trigger pull taking the full length of the double action shot. The first stage has little to no resistance until it reaches the point where the trigger would normally reset in single action. The sights are plastic and nothing to write home about—just your standard 3 dot. The rear is adjustable for windage and the front for elevation (by replacing the sight). Some people aren’t too fond of them but are aftermarket options available.
$50
at Brownells
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Aftermarket, Kind Of
As the P99 series of guns were originally designed for duty/service use—and super cool spies, just watch this awesome video they made—customization wasn’t really a thought. The P99C comes perfectly serviceable out of the box. For those of you who like to change up their gun, there is some aftermarket. Threaded barrels, night sights, and grip extensions can be found, but not many. Talon Grips and Hogue Wraparounds are also available. As I mentioned earlier, there are aftermarket sights available.
By The Numbers
Rating the P99C is pretty hard, but here’s my try.Reliability 5/5
No issues to speak of beyond user error.Accuracy 5/5
For a subcompact, the P99C’s accuracy is astounding and hard to beat.Ergonomics 4/5
The grip isn’t for everyone. I find it comfortable and more than adequate. The mag release and trigger are both home runs.Looks 5/5
I’m not saying the P99C is one of the most attractive compacts, but it is anyways.Bang for the Buck 5/5
It may be old, but it still outperforms newer competitors.Overall 5/5
I’ve yet to handle a compact that felt as “right” as the P99C, it’s just a great little gun.Is the P99C still Relevant?
Now you may be going “hey, wait a minute, why should I bother with the P99C when the PPQ SC is now out?” And you may have a point. Personally, the P99C still outclasses the PPQ. The P99C is one of the few striker-fired polymer guns to feature true DA/SA. It still has the nice larger paddle mag release. And it’s just so darn pleasing to the eyes.
Best Modern CCW Walther
$570
at Brownells
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
8 Leave a Reply
P99C-AS gets the vast majority of my EDC. Just picked up two full sized mags and sleeves for it as well. Walther needs to return to these roots!!!!!!
I have many gun but the P99c is the only one that l have two of them that's how much l love this gun love the trigger and reset to me it's just as good as my PPQ navy 9mm gen 2 l believe the P99 and P99c are future collectibles the reason why this gun never caught on in the American market was the 599 price tag but in 2018 at shoot straight in Tampa l got my second one on sale for 339 but wasn't that lucky when buying my first one payed 449 all in all it's my favorite handgun because of the trigger accuracy reliability and in my opinion the absolute best design ever for a handgun
same here. I bought them from Shoot Straight last year for $339 each, and don't regret the purchase at all. I'm keeping both for life. My only stupid gun sale I ever made was selling my P99 AS full size. Most regretted sale I ever made. Still am kicking myself for that sale today, and it's near impossible to find them anymore
How would you compare this one to the other Walter CC offerings? I saw that the author mentioned the PPQ SC, but there's also the PPS M1/M2 and the CCP to contend with.
I have the PPS M2 and the P99c. With large size hands, the P99C is significantly more comfortable. It also shoots better and has a better trigger with shorter reset. The CCP is not a "true" Walther but an Umarex design, production quality isn't as good as the Ulm Walthers (P99 & PPQ variants).
IMHO the PPS M1 is still in the vein of the P99’s clean design philosophy. Everything after is the ‘new’ Petri dish with lumps philosophy. As far as comparing the P99 with PPSm1 - it’s apples and oranges really the PPS is so thin.
I have three different PPQ's and one P99c. The P99c has the shortest reset and I can shoot it faster than the rest. They are all phenomenal guns but something about the P99 just feels amazing with fit/finish/performance. I love it so much I'm selling my PPS M2 LE since the P99c is significantly better, or maybe I'm just not a fan of single stacks since I have big hands.
I actually run the CCP M2, not the best trigger but a very nice CCW overall.