SW99c owners unite

frank_drebin

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Don't see a lot of info on the SW99c around here. I know there has to be a few of you guys using them for carry. Next to my 3913 this may be my favorite "carry size" 9mm, and I've tried em all...

Who's got one and who carries one? Post up.

SW99c.jpg


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Frank,
Unfortunately I use a full size S&W99 either in the car or at home. They are great pistols, totally reliable, very accurate and I truly appreciate their unique ambidextrous mag release.
Tony
 
Oh yes... I carry a SW99c (in .40 cal) on a regular basis.

I LOVE the way it fits my hand, and more accurate (at defensive distances) than I ever would have imagined.

Best wishes,

Roger a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful
 
My SW99C in 9mm is one of my favorites. I prefer it to my P99C but that might be more about the trigger as the Walther is a QA. I find the SW to be the equal to the Walther and even more desirable to me thanks to SW having left off the rail. I picked mine up very inexpensively due to what appeared to be cosmetic issues with the slide that cleaned up completely. I have not carried mine but have used it as a center console piece in an H3 and my current Wrangler. I tend to like compacts in that role as they draw quicker and more cleanly and fit better in my steel cable tethered lock box for when I'm away from the vehicle.
 
I had a SW99OL for a little while. It had a stainless slide and the short action (which was probably my biggest complaint). While it was accurate and reliable, I found it too heavy to fit go in a pocket, and too bulky to IWB carry. Looked cool (I had even jeweled the barrel hood), but I was disappointed in the frame to magazine grip extension/baseplate fit. With a loaded mag there was a huge gap that was rough against the fingers. I've though about picking up a full sized SW99 in .45 with the DA/SA trigger, but just haven't yet.
 
I've owned a SW999c since just before they stopped making them. I also own an older SW9940, but the 999c is my favorite between them.

Mine had an early issue with a slightly out-of-spec trigger bar guide (too tall) which caused an occasional light striker on the initial DA trigger press, but it was identified and easily enough corrected.

Other than that, it's been an outstanding little pistol.

While the grip isnerts just change the shape of the backstrap (unlike the subtle palm swell change possible with the M&P pistols), I find it offers a surprisingly good grip profile. Better than the standard size model in my hands.

It's light weight, slim & decently ergonomic. It has a nice balance, "feels lively" in my hand during live fire and offers good controllability & recoil management.

I've fired just over 11K rounds through it, using a mix of various duty & training rounds, including 147gr JHP, 115gr FMJ & JHP, 124gr & 127gr, and covering a range of standard pressure, +P & +P+. I've replaced the recoil spring assembly a bit sooner than the recommended 5K rounds, but that's because I've been using +P & +P+ duty loads and I suspect they're probably a bit harder on springs and might accelerate normal wear & tear.

I like how the slim little pistol, even though it uses a 10-rd magazine, feels as slim in my hand as the 3913 which uses a single column magazine. I noticed the last time I ordered magazine springs that they seem stronger than previously.

Although I wasn't experiencing any functioning issues, I replaced the striker & extractor springs at just over 9K rounds. (I was doing some preventative maintenance on a couple of my Glock subcompacts at the same time, which have seen similar service usage/round counts, so I decided to just replace the springs in the 999c while I was at it.)

The new striker spring appeared longer than the older one, and the newest ones I'd ordered appeared longer than some remaining "new" striker springs from my older parts collection, too. Oh well, companies are always making minor revisions and refinements to their products. ;)

I really like mine. The trigger, being the standard Walther design that offers an initial DA trigger press when it's decocked, has become very smooth, light and predictable over the years (as seems pretty typical of the 99 design, in general). I find I can usually wring some extra inherent accuracy out of it compared to my 3913 simply because it has a "better" trigger, in both DA & SA modes.

This is one of those guns that suits me so well that I rather wish I'd ordered a pair of them back when I bought it ...
 
I used to have a S&W 99 in 45ACP for a short while.

When I was an advisor in Iraq last year, the officers in the Iraqi unit I was in were issued Walther P99s in 9mm. The rear sight would always get broken for some reason, I don't know if they were disassembling the sights or what...but they would strip out the hole the screw was going in the sight base I believe...we couldn't help them and there were no spare parts.
 
I used to have a S&W 99 in 45ACP for a short while.

When I was an advisor in Iraq last year, the officers in the Iraqi unit I was in were issued Walther P99s in 9mm. The rear sight would always get broken for some reason, I don't know if they were disassembling the sights or what...but they would strip out the hole the screw was going in the sight base I believe...we couldn't help them and there were no spare parts.

The original, standard rear sight design was unique, and it seemed a bit needlessly fragile.

The rear sight base was held within the dovetail by virtue of the rear sight's windage screw head being captured within a machined groove on a plunger contained in the slide beneath the sight base. The groove created a pair of "ears" which could be rather easily damaged by sufficient impact against the side of the sight base.

Removing the rear sight must be done in one direction (left), or else the base plunger will be captured and trapped underneath the sight base. (The plunger is depressed to free the sight base to move to the left, and the plunger can fly free if not carefully controlled.) Improper attempted removal of the sight base, and subsequently trapping the plunger, will require unscrewing the windage screw and removing it from the base, which will lose your zero.

I've had a couple of folks experience breakage of their rear sight base plungers. One had his weapon tumble down some concrete stairs. Understandable breakage. The other one didn't know how he'd broken it. I've heard of some cops having theirs reportedly break by hitting the rear sights when trying to belt themselves into their seats with their seat belts.

It's handy to have spare sight bases, plungers & springs. ;)
 
I really want to get some fixed sights for my compact. The adjustable ones are better suited for a range gun imho.
 
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Should have posted here last year!!

LOL. Ok, for the life of me I couldn't figure out the pieces they were bringing to me for their sights and it seemed that the little screw had nothing to screw into. It just kept happening...and they never fired the things. The spare parts source was other broken small arms. On the Walthers, it was just the sights...so no spare parts for them.

The original, standard rear sight design was unique, and it seemed a bit needlessly fragile.

The rear sight base was held within the dovetail by virtue of the rear sight's windage screw head being captured within a machined groove on a plunger contained in the slide beneath the sight base. The groove created a pair of "ears" which could be rather easily damaged by sufficient impact against the side of the sight base.

Removing the rear sight must be done in one direction (left), or else the base plunger will be captured and trapped underneath the sight base. (The plunger is depressed to free the sight base to move to the left, and the plunger can fly free if not carefully controlled.) Improper attempted removal of the sight base, and subsequently trapping the plunger, will require unscrewing the windage screw and removing it from the base, which will lose your zero.

I've had a couple of folks experience breakage of their rear sight base plungers. One had his weapon tumble down some concrete stairs. Understandable breakage. The other one didn't know how he'd broken it. I've heard of some cops having theirs reportedly break by hitting the rear sights when trying to belt themselves into their seats with their seat belts.

It's handy to have spare sight bases, plungers & springs. ;)
 
I realize some people may not care for the added expense but a nice upgrade for the standard sights on the SW99 and Walther P99 would be a set of night sights. These are made of metal and while they may not be adjustable (other than drifting the rear sight for windage) it will eliminate the issue with sights breaking!

Just throwing that out there. :)
 
I have had a SW99c in 40 cal for several years now. It has never failed me at the range. I think it is a great little pistol and one I carry on a regular basis.
 
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