ILLWIND
Member
I hear very little about the SW99 model (.45 cal). Is the model a goodie or did it have a short life for a reason?
SW99 Question
- Thread starter ILLWIND
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The SW9945 was simply a victim of the timing of its development & introduction.
We were told during my last couple of SW99/P99 armorer classes that S&W engineers had been working with Walther to try and get them to develop a larger frame that would let them chamber the 99 series in .45 ACP. This didn't happen overnight.
Unfortunately, it wasn't that long after the SW9945 had been produced and released to the American market that S&W was ready to introduce their new M&P polymer pistol line.
The M&P 45 was the last caliber model to be released (following .40, 9 & then 357), but it was also undergoing extensive R&D in anticipation of it being submitted in the canceled military JCP testing of '05. (The M&P was first developed and released in .40 S&W for the LE market.)
I was involved in some T&E using a SW9945 for a while. It was a fine double stack .45, but it was rather tall. A bit bulky. Decently accurate and reliable with the JHP's we were using at the time.
I much prefer the M&P 45, though.
I own SW99's in 9 & .40,and even carried an issued SW9940 for a few years, but the .45 just didn't appeal to me enough to have bought one at the time.
Some owners seem to like them well enough.
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Guys1911
Member
My friend has the 99 in 40 cal. it's good shooting pistol, but not quite as ergo as the M&P.
Denversteve
Member
SW99's are fine pistols. They came out after the Sigma lawsuits and probably weren't promoted like they should have been. Also, Glock was steamrolling everything under at that time.
