Walther P-99 vs Glock 22/23 in .40 S&W
Hello Folks:
I'm looking for a new .40 S&W and have decided on one of these two weapons. I am very curious to hear from some of you that have had or have both. Pros and Cons wanted if at all possible.
Walther P-99:
I like the DA/SA feature. Useless bells and whistles or excellent design innovation. I just don't know enough about it. I like the double strike feature as well.
Glock 22 or 23:
Reliability. I know folks who wouldn't ever change up due to unwaivering reliability.
I'm looking for a new .40 S&W and have decided on one of these two weapons. I am very curious to hear from some of you that have had or have both. Pros and Cons wanted if at all possible.
Walther P-99:
I like the DA/SA feature. Useless bells and whistles or excellent design innovation. I just don't know enough about it. I like the double strike feature as well.
Glock 22 or 23:
Reliability. I know folks who wouldn't ever change up due to unwaivering reliability.
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Own one, shot both.
Walther 99 is roughly the same overall dimensions and specs as the compact Glock (19 or 23). Walther Melonite finish is a carbonitrided finish chemically similar to Glocks "Tenifer". (Same as Sig's "Nitron", Tanfoglio "Wonder finish", etc).
Many people don't know that some of the same engineers that were on the original team that designed the Glock pistol also later designed the P99.
In my experience the Walther is a highly reliable pistol. I've put at least a few thousand rounds through mine, including all manner of 115 grain, 124 grain, and 147 grain loads, ball rounds, truncated cone shape rounds, hollowpoints, +P rounds, and target rounds and never had a single failure to feed or eject. The only issue I've ever had with the pistol is that one of my magazines doesn't consistently lock the slide back. But this is a mag problem, not a gun problem.
Apart from the slight difference in ergonomics (boxy Glock grip and slightly unusual grip angle), the most significant difference between the two is the trigger system.
Note that DA/SA isn't exactly a new innovation in pistol trigger design. I believe the Walther P38s (ie from 1938) have this feature! There are plenty of other autos on the market that use some variation, including: SIG 22x series, Beretta 92, Smith number series autos, etc. The real innovation on the Walther P99 is the "anti-stress" trigger (described below).
Walther P99 comes in different trigger types; I'm going to talk mainly about the "anti-stress" version, which is the original. IMO "double-action only" Walther and Glock with "New York Trigger" are functionally identical in trigger operation. The Walther "quick action" trigger system is basically identical to the stock Glock operation.
If you like a traditional DA/SA with decocker, then you'll like the Walther. Double-action pull is very smooth and not too heavy. Single action is good. . .no, its not a 1911, but its light, and IMO more conventional than the spongy Glock trigger. Some like a heavy first pull to act as a sort of "safety" for the gun. . .some don't. Its largely a question of personal preference.
Personally, I *DO* like this DA/SA system, and I'm uncomfortable with a stock 5.5lb Glock trigger in a carry gun. IMO, that's something like carrying around a cocked and UNLOCKED 1911.
Note that plenty of people carry Glocks every day successfully. So long as you're absolutely meticulous about gun safety rules, and carry the gun with a covered triggerguard holster, a Glock is fine. Again, *personal preference* is key here.
If you want to avoid a heavy first trigger pull, you can do that with the Walther by using the "anti-stress" trigger feature, which acts in effect like a manual thumb safety on a 1911, only activated by the TRIGGER.
When the gun is cocked manually by racking the slide, the "anti-stress" trigger engages automatically. To use it, you just pull the trigger normally about halfway, and then you'll feel a "pop" where the trigger safety disengages, the trigger locks backwards towards the grip, and the gun is ready to fire in normal single-action mode.
This sounds complicated, but its actually pretty intuitive once you've used the gun a bit.
The "anti-stress" trigger mode is optional. If you don't want to use that mode you can just decock the gun using the decocker, and it will go into conventional DA/SA mode.
If you wanted to you could also disengage the A/S trigger by pulling it, but that effectively leaves you with a "cocked and unlocked" gun, and IMO that's not a good way to carry.
Again, personally, when I carry this I just do so uncocked (ie DA/SA mode). I appreciate the anti-stress trigger (and actually prefer it to a 1911-like thumb safety), but my personal preference is just not to use it.
Personally, I can activate the decocker lever with the thumb of my shooting hand from a shooting grip. Some people can't, meaning they'd have to use their non-dominant hand to decock the pistol for carry. I don't really see this as a big deal either way, because by definition, you're only decocking the gun when you don't need to shoot it.
The only other real difference is that the Walther uses an ambidextrous lever throw magazine release, where as the Glock has a conventional pushbutton. IMO, this is not a big deal either way; you get used to the Walther pretty fast, if you want to. I suppose if you're a lefty this could be helpful.
Same thing with "double strike". I can't remember ever needing a double-strike to set off a round, but I guess it can't hurt to have that capability. Note that if you wanted to, you could just retract the slide on your Glock about 1/2" and then you'd be able to get a second strike on the same round too. (In a pinch though, you're probably better off just racking the slide and jacking out the bad round rather than trying for a second strike).
So in summary I see two potential reasons to get the Walther over the Glock:
a. If you prefer the anti-stress or DA/SA trigger.
b. If you prefer the ergonomics of the Walther.
Reasons to get a Glock?
a. If you want one trigger pull period, and no external safety.
b. If you prefer the ergonomics of the Glock.
c. WAY more aftermarket parts and accessories like sights, holsters, etc, available.
d. Simpler mechanism lends itself to tinkering (if you're so inclined).
e. If you're issued one for duty use, that's a pretty good reason to have one for OFF-duty use. . .same platform.
Edit
quote:TXlawdog:
More stuff, holsters, sights, mags available for the Glock. I went with the Glock.
Can't argue with that.
If you like to "tinker" or want to customize, the Glock is the winner, hands down. Parts are cheap and readily available, including aftermarket barrels, triggers, sights, etc. .22LR conversion units are available for the Glock, and you can also go from .40SW to 9mm relatively easily, if you like with a magazine and specialized barrel swap. So far as I know, these things are not possible with the Walther.
As a counterexample, though, I feel perfectly satisfied with a bone stock P99 with tritium sights, one holster for concealed carry, and one extra magazine.
One other difference I forgot to mention above is that the Walther uses conventional cut rifling, where as the Glock uses polygonal rifling. The practical upshot of this is that the Glock will give you a little more velocity for the same barrel length, but limits your ability to use cheap all lead bullets.
IMO, again, neither here nor there. The extra velocity is probably not significant, and if you wanted to shoot lead bullets, you could always drop in a cheap aftermarket conventional rifled barrel for about $100.0 -
I have both, but in 9mm.
Shoot both in matches. Both very reliable.
My original P-99 has the better trigger out of the box, with the DA/SA. Don't know about the newer ones, have never handled one yet.
Worked over the G-17 trigger until it is now just as good.
Get the one that feels better to you.0 -
More stuff, holsters, sights, mags available for the Glock. I went with the Glock. 0 -
I have a Glock 23 40cal and it shoots great. I have a wolf 9mm barrel and use 9mm to practice. I use the 40cal mag and have had little trouble shooting the cheaper 9mm in the 40cal mag. Parts, mods, mags, barrels and holsters are easy to find. I vote for the Glock. 0 -
I just picked up my Walther pps 40 caliber. The gun is amazing. Extremely accurate, very comfortable recoil and very thin. My primary carry gun has been a glock 27. The pps blows it away in every way except capacity. But the accuracy factor makes me feel that 7+1 is plenty of ammo. Amyone else have the same experience?
I am looking for a good holster for concealed carry. Fobus has a paddle that i ordered and has not come in yet. I will keep you posted. I was going to get a laser sight for the gun, but it does not need it.0 -
Both the Walther and the Glock are great weapons although imho by preference I like the Walther in metal and the Glock in polymer and so then I would have to go with the Glock. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Juggernaut
Both the Walther and the Glock are great weapons although imho by preference I like the Walther in metal and the Glock in polymer and so then I would have to go with the Glock.
So far as I know the Walther P99 is only available in polymer frame and there has never been a metal-framed variant offered. You can get airsoft and/or replica P99s with metal frames, but obviously that's a different thing, and those aren't readily convertable into actual firearms.
The Glock is also only available from the factory with a polymer frame. Unlike the Walther, if you like you can buy an AFTERMARKET metal Glock frame in either aluminum or stainless steel. EG:
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=24303/product/ALL_METAL_FRAMES_for_GLOCK_reg_
Obviously, this falls into the "modification" category. In practice, getting a new frame is really like buying an entire separate gun then putting Glock guts into it and an upper on top.
Advantage of doing this is that it potentially adds more weight, which can reduce muzzle flip and felt recoil, but mainly because the aftermarket frame will have a totally different grip configuration, including potentially something like a 1911 pistol (instead of the idiosyncratic Glock angle).
Again, if you want to heavily customize/modify a polymer striker-fired gun (usually for competition purposes, but could be "just because"), then Glock is the way to go. If you just want a gun for carry or defense, then I don't think much in the way of modification or sophisticated accessories are necessary.0 -
No, I was actually referring to the original Walther firearms that I am used too such as the P38, PP, P5 and PPK all of which are metal as opposed to their more modern polymer cousins. 0
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