Fella on another board is offering a Smith/Walther 99 (AS?) in .45. I had one in 9mm, liked it, but traded up to an all-Walther P99AS, then added a P99compact AS.

Maybe I'll complete the set.

Would like to hear folks' experiences with these, comments, pointers, etc. Comes with 3 mags and is stated to be in excellent condition. (I understand the only .45 version of this is the S&W/Walther collaboration.)

He's asking $525....and I'm tempted. Not sure where it will fit into the scheme of thing....I don't "need" it for carry or for range. But I really like my 99s in 9mm....soooooo.

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I had an SW99 in 9mm. One of the best shooting stock pistols I ever had. Sold it to a friend in another state (transferred by FFL), bought it back about 3 years later, kept it about 6 years, then sold it to my brother in law, with the promise that I had first dibs. After an ugly divorce between him and sister, I asked for it back (as well as a Beretta 86 and P228 W. German model). Curiously, he said he couldn't find them. I would have respected him more, if he'd just said, "No." The 86 has triples in value, and there aren't too many 228s around anymore, but the one I really want back is the SW99.

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Well, now that Walther is offering their own 99 model in .45 ACP, in PPQ format, you might compare the price.

Also, consider that S&W is no longer really supporting the SW99/990L guns, while Walther now offers a limited lifetime warranty on the PPQ (and other lines, finally, versus their previous 1 year warranty). When I was previously ordering some extra parts, I was told that when S&W closed down their Walther America business, they pretty much shipped their parts inventory for the 99's to the new Walther company that was opened.

That said, I've liked the SW99's since their introduction. I went through the SW99/P99 armorer class for S&W 3 times. I carried an issued SW9940 (standard size, Anti-Stress configuration), and I own a couple of my own. I've seen a fair amount of rounds fired downrange through a fair number of them (more than 50 units), and I know some guys who have put many tens of thousands of rounds through them. I've fired several thousand rounds through each of mine, as well as a number of the previous issued models. Nice guns. A few parts required replacement in a few of the guns. Not unusual.

I tend to favor the 99 series chambered in 9mm, and don't mind the .40 models.

I had the opportunity to do some T&E for a couple months with a NIB SW9945 (Anti-Stress model). We didn't try the 990L model, which was basically the S&W version of the Walther Quick-Action/QA model, but without a field-stripping/decocking button in the slide.

The grip was surprisingly tall and thick (compared to some other .45's), although not too dissimilar from the bulky G21 series.

No problems were noted when the T&E gun was tried by a bunch of line staff folks interested in participating in the T&E selection process, nor when the instructors were shooting it. Ammo was a mix of training/qual loads used at the time, including JHP's.

Personally, as much as I liked the regular 99 series in 9/.40, I found the .45 to be a bit tall and thick in the grip frame for .45 that only held 10rds. Reasonably accurate and reliable with the loads I tried, but the cycling was a bit slower and "sproingy" (technical term ) when shooting it. Controllable and nice for recoil management, but just somehow a bit slow and sproingy.

While I could've ordered one for an armorer discount somewhere in the $400 or less range (if I recall right), I just didn't like it enough to order one. (I like my early production '08 M&P 45 much, much better, FWIW.) I decided to keep my SW99's chambered in 9/.40.

Bottom line? You might be able to find a NIB Walther PPQ M2 for the same money, or maybe even less, if you look around. While it won't be in the Anti-Stress config of the older SW9945, or the Quick-Action of the SW990L45 (sans field-stripping button), it'll come with a new warranty and is supported by Walther.

Just my thoughts.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Fastbolt: Many, many thanks for that reply, it was great.

I'm going to pass on the S&W99...I guess I forgot that the "Q" is a next generation P99, and I've got a Q in .45 (and 9) and it's got one of the best triggers of all my pistols.

Guess I'll just have to keep looking for an affordable 4513TSW and keep it in the Smith family.

Again, thanks.

The 4513TSW, in either the original or revised configuration, would be - in my humble opinion - a much more describable investment of time, energy and money.

The 4513's in this pic are of my original version (top), ordered when they were first released, and a late production model ('07?) I carried for a few years as an issued weapon (plainclothes assignment).



The original one with its cutaway grip profile fits my hand very well, and I don't mind that it uses 6rd mags versus the 7rd mags standard for the 4516 & 457 models.

The original model only came with the stock hard plastic grips, as Hogue seemingly never got around to making a shorter version of their standard rubber grip (not enough models produced in its approx 2 year production run, it seems). I had to cut and shave the regular grips to fit my older 4513.

While the original 6rd 4513 magazines are unique to that model (different than the CS45 mags in an important respect), I often use a standard 7rd mag as a spare. It just sticks out below the grip frame, and you have to make sure you don't use an excessive amount of force when inserting the fresh mag, with the slide locked back, and SHOVE the mag up past the mag catch. (Not only will that require some force to remove from the grip frame, but the left side of the mag lip can bend and break the ejector tip off.)

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Way too much. It’s a $300 gun at best. Smith didn’t make them for long and there’s probably no parts left for them. It’s not collectible like some of the third gens.

Thanks guys. It's sorta a race....can I find a nice 4513 or 4506 first. I've got a 4566TSW and I'd like to compliment that with another TSW....but I like big 3rd gen Smiths....so whichever pops up is the one for me.

This has/had been my thinking for a while now. Between July 2014 and July 2015, I collected/accumulated a good sampling of SW99-series variants to add to my Smith & Wesson collection... but I could never find a SW99 .45 in good enough shape or for a good enough price to justify completing the SW99 portion of my collection. It's been a continuing thorn in my side as I finally moved away from collecting anything more in plastic and concentrating nearly 100% on all-metal Smith & Wessons of both the semi-auto and pre-IL revolver variety.

I hate that a part of my collection that should be complete is not... ... so an SW99 .45 remains on my long-term Want List even though it may never happen in my world of necessary priorities, limited resources and fast running out of my "good years" at a rate that seems to be increasing exponentially lately.

I must agree with Fastbolt that there are newer, better, safer, sometimes even cheaper options out there now in plastic .45 ACP pistols if you actually intend to carry and use the gun regularly and not just want it for the sake of its unique status in the world of S&W and its quiet (but still present) collectability.

And BTW, if anyone does know where I can pick one up in decent working condition for $300 give or take, please let me know via PM. Thanks!