Walther PPS

[ducksps]

All your choices sound good

My wife’s first pistol was a P7 I traded for at a gun show. I always wanted one of those quirky little gems and was very impressed with how the wife took to using it as her first pistol and progressed in IDPA. The squeeze safety/slide release is easy and FAST. Accuracy with the fixed barrel and grip angle are excellent. On the downside, the pistol gets hot with extended training and was too heavy for my wife to consider leaving in her purse.
In a moment of delirium I sold the P7 and sent the wife alone to look for a pistol she preferred and would be more likely to carry over her trusty P7. I sent the wife alone as I “know everything about pistols” and made it tough for her to make up her mind. To my short lived disappointment she returned with a Walther P99.
The Walther with the AntiStress “AS” is the one she has and I have fallen in love. I had to travel to a subgun class in Illinois with a flight landing in Chicago. Knowing Chicago gun laws and not wanting risk my STI nor take two types of ammo the Walther went along. After a week with the Walther P99 as my sidearm it has earned my respect.
For CHL carry I prefer a single stack 45 (STI) due to width and external thumb safety. The Walther has not had a malfunction in thousands of rounds and is easy to shoot. The only reason I do not carry a P99 now is size and caliber. I prefer a 45 for carry but other situation or circumstance can easily make caliber less important. Fast is Fine Accuracy is Final. I have not shot the 40 version of the p99 and am unable to comment. Buy any on your list and you will be happy and if not you can always sell at a later date and will have learned something in the process.

Chris

 

[idleprocess]

Thread revival - for a reason.

I snagged a PPS today now that I have disposed of the G21.

It's certainly ... thin. Ergo's aren't quite the P99 due to its flat features, but it certainly seems to strike a good compromise.

I haven't had the chance to try this out at the range yet - perhaps I'll do that tomorrow.

The only reason I do not carry a P99 now is size and caliber. I prefer a 45 for carry but other situation or circumstance can easily make caliber less important. Fast is Fine Accuracy is Final. I have not shot the 40 version of the p99 and am unable to comment.

P99 in .40S&W is a beast and will quickly introduce you to the concept of "muzzle flip." I believe there are two factors at work in this case

1. Most of the mass of the gun is in the slide so the hammer action is made worse
2. The recoil spring probably needs to be stronger so that it absorbs more of the recoil impulse before bottoming out (and delays it a few crucial milliseconds)

A friend had the P99 in .40S&W and in addition to the education in recoil dynamics, it had a nasty habit of occasionally ejecting the magazine during recoil - especially one-handed. Everyone that tried this gun experienced the phenomenon including some expert shooters. Problem went away after the second time it was sent to Walther and they replaced the magazine spring with something stiffer.

I hear great things about the P99 in 9mm, on the other hand...

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Sweet! Nice looking PPS Idleprocess. You know, the more and more I see about these, and after handling the few I have, I'm still seriously considering getting one and having it as a secondary backup maybe in a smart carry holster or something.

 

[mac79912]

Good looking little gun.Does the slide lock open on the last round?I like that slim design.

 

[idleprocess]

Good looking little gun.Does the slide lock open on the last round?I like that slim design.

Yes.

 

[idleprocess]

Impressions:

• The PPS is a solid little blaster, but it's no target pistol. Barrel length being 3.2" - of which slightly more than 2" is actually traveled by the bullet - it's not going to be a tack driver. I was able to stay on the 11x17 target at up to 25' nearly all the time, but with my G17 I'm usually sticking within the 7 and 8 rings. Additional usage and improving my marksmanship will probably help with this.
• Point of impact seems to be right on the front sight post with the 147gr HST rounds I was using and WWB. I don't claim to be accurate enough to stand by this statement absolutely. I shoot with both eyes open so this is natural for me anyway.
• Recoil is neither unmanageable nor unpleasant with standard pressure rounds. I meant to run some +P rounds through it but neglected to since I don't load those in the G17 for home defense anymore.
• Trigger pull is not yet as consistent as my other pistols. I expect this to sort itself out after a few more range trips.
• The magazine rattles around somewhat under recoil. This problem is just noticeable with the 6rd magazine, more pronounced with the extended floorplate/pinkie grip on the 7rd magazine (and I expect it's about the same on the optional 8rd magazine.
• The backstrap also rattles and flexes some during shooting.
• Magazine swaps take somewhat more dexterity than doublestack guns and even my P220 due to the lack of "bevel" on the magazine and magwell - the price for being so thin, I suppose.
• Releasing the slide with the slide stop takes more effort than with every other pistol I've used. I tend to slingshot anyway, but it will take some practice to reliably drop the slide with just the release without reauring conscious thought
• The pistol is disgustingly thin. It's not half of the dimensions of a fullsize pistol, but small enough that concealment should not be an issue.
• It does not exhibit the tendency of a friend's P99 (in .40 S&W) to spontaneously eject the magazine under recoil (said friend sent the pistol to Walther twice, got the issue resolved second try, then sold it because of the ferocious muzzle flip).

Overall I'm satisfied with it and will shop for some accessories in addition to getting that CHL sometime this year.