Tag Archives: handguns

September 26, 2011 · 12:05 am

When Fashion Goes Macho—Walther P99c AS in 9mm


Well, I must say that I had a pleasant surprise a few weeks ago.  I tried something a bit different.  I reviewed the classic, compact, iconic Walther PPK chambered in .32 ACP—the cartridge for which that gun was originally designed—and compared it against the slightly larger Walther PPK/S chambered for the more powerful .380 ACP cartridge.  The result was The Perfect Fashion Accessory—Walther PPK in .32 ACP.

The response went way beyond expectations.  And, as we all know, if you reward bad behavior you only wind up reinforcing it.  So, today we’ll take a look at my favorite concealed carry weapon, the Walther P99c AS, and compare it once again to my former favorite, the Walther PPK/S.

The great thing about these pistols is that they are small, yet not so small that you can’t get a good grip on them.  They are also extremely accurate out to a considerable distance.  Indeed, my diminutive PPK/S remains the pistol with which I’m most accurate—far more accurate than even my old Springfield Armory XD-45 Tactical.  That XD-45 is now history.  I sold it some time ago in part because of my inability to shoot it well, as well as for other reasons.

Now for the basics:

The P99 series is available in two calibers—9mm or .40 S&W.  The weapon depicted here is a 9mm, which is considerably more powerful than the .380 ACP round that is the most powerful round for which the PPK/S is designed.

The “c” in P99c stands for “compact,” as this is the compact version of the P99.  The compact versions of this pistol are about half an inch shorter and a full inch less in height.  But you give up capacity for concealment.  In the case of the 9mm, you lose five rounds (10 rounds in the magazine plus 1 in the chamber vs 15+1 on the full size) and four rounds on the .40S&W (8+1 vs 12+1).

“AS” means it has Walther’s “Anti-Stress” trigger configuration—in addition to double-action and single-action, this third configuration has the light feel of a single-action pull, but the long trigger travel of a double-action pull.  Anti-stress is the default trigger configuration immediately following the chambering of a round.  If the de-cock button is pressed, the weapon reverts to double-action, the recommended position for concealed carry because the heavier trigger pull affords a greater margin of safety.  The weapon goes into single-action following a shot, and remains that way until the magazine is depleted or the de-cock button is pressed.

So, how does this weapon compare in size to the PPK/S?  After all, size is very important to concealment, with some dimensions more important than others.  In my own opinion height is much more important than length, and width is slightly more important than height.  On this score the P99c compares quite favorably to the PPK/S, but the PPK/S still wins during those times when I need something thinner.  Weight can also be important, and here the polymer construction of the P99c tops the smaller PPK/S.

The PPK/S measures 6.1” (155mm) long, 4.3” (109mm) high, .98” (25mm) wide, and weighs in at 24 ounces (680.4 grams) with an empty magazine.

The P99c comes in at half an inch longer at 6.6” (168mm), is almost exactly the same height at 4.3” (110mm vs 109mm for the PPK/S), loses to the PPK/S in width at 1.26” (32mm), and weighs less with an empty magazine at 20.8 ounces (589.7 grams).

Because of these very slight dimensional differences, I find myself carrying the P99c far more often than the PPK/S, especially under the bulkier clothing of winter.  The two extra rounds and the higher powered cartridge are also a plus in its favor.  But in the summer, under a light-weight shirt, I still find myself switching to the PPK/S when clothing dictates something slightly thinner.  The smaller holster of the PPK/S also helps under these conditions.

At the range the P99c has proven itself extremely reliable, eating with ease every type and brand of ammunition I’ve ever fed it.  It doesn’t matter if the diet is full metal jacket or jacketed hollow points—it’ll eat anything.  And being of European origin, the P99 was designed around the slightly heavier 124-grain NATO round, although this weapon has had no problems feeding on the 115-grain rounds more commonplace here in the U.S.  The P99 is also rated for +P ammunition, although Walther does warn of increased wear when using this significantly more powerful round.  I tend to stick to 124-grain hollow points in standard-pressure rounds for defense and 115-grain full metal jacket for practice.  To me +P is more hype than of any actual benefit, so I don’t use it.

As for accuracy, the P99c is very good but I’m still better with the PPK/S for some reason.  It’s just nearly impossible to not hit what you’re aiming at with that classic little charmer, and others I know who’ve fired both weapons concur with that assessment.  Nevertheless, the P99c is more than up to the task when it comes to hitting your target.

But, hey, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?  So here’re 12,000 words worth of images for you:

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September 7, 2011 · 12:02 am

The Perfect Fashion Accessory—Walther PPK in .32 ACP


Today I’ll be mortally wounding two fowl with one projectile, so to speak.  I’ve been promising my online pals over at Walther Forums a review of my new .32 ACP Walther PPK, and today I’ll be comparing that pistol with my earlier acquisition, a .380 ACP Walther PPK/S.  (Sad note:  The .32 version of both the PPK and PPK/S were discontinued in the spring of 2013)

Both the PPK and PPK/S are derived from Walther’s PP, first produced in 1929 and initially developed for the .32 ACP cartridge (or 7.65mm, as it’s known in Europe).  As such and in conjunction with the design’s blowback operation, the much more powerful .380 ACP (or 9mm Kurz) iteration can be a real bear when it comes to recoil.  But not so with the originally intended .32 ACP cartridge.  With this round, the PP-series becomes a very controllable weapon that is a real joy to shoot over extended range sessions.

This is made even more so by the Smith & Wesson redesign and enlargement of the tang, or beavertail, at the rear of the gun, located just below the hammer and directly above the grip.  Indeed, this redesign significantly improved the shootability of even the .380 ACP version, allowing for relatively pain-free range sessions well in excess of 100 rounds.  This enlarged tang also seems to allow for better recoil management and quicker reacquisition of the target for faster follow-up shots.

That enlarged tang provides additional protection to the hand from the rearward travel of the slide—the infamous “Walther bite,” in which the slide on older versions would sometimes contact the upper portion of the hand above the web between the thumb and forefinger, causing two parallel but minor wounds to appear if you weren’t careful in your grip of the pistol.

But it hasn’t been all good news with the Smith & Wesson version of this classic pistol.  They got the tang right.  They also redesigned the feed ramp to make the pistol more reliable in loading modern defensive ammunition such as hollow points.  They even attempted to reduce the heavy double-action pull by tinkering with the internals, however this is where Smith & Wesson notoriously screwed up, and that resulted in the recall of every PPK/S and PPK pistol S&W made over an eight-year period.  Apparently, this well-intentioned redesign led to sporadic failures of the hammer block safety mechanism, which could (and occasionally did) result in the pistol inadvertently firing when the safety was engaged while the hammer was in the cocked position.  Not good.  And then there were numerous reports of the pistols coming back from S&W far less reliable than they were before making the recall trip.  Also not good, especially if you rely upon your PPK/S or PPK for defense.

Fortunately, both my PPK/S and my more recently acquired PPK are of post-recall manufacture, and both have so far proven reliable after initial break-in.  Both pistols took approximately thirty rounds before they settled down and functioned reliably, but it’s still too early for me to say that I would trust the PPK, as I’ve only put around 130 rounds through it as of this report.  As for the PPK/S, I’ve had only two failures to properly feed ammunition in nearly 800 rounds.  One of those malfunctions occurred when someone else was firing the pistol, so that particular failure may be attributable to any of several operator-induced problems.

Now for the actual firing of the PPK in .32 ACP:  As previously noted, this is the caliber for which this weapon was designed, and it shows.  Recoil is light and manageable, follow-up shots are quick, and accuracy is exceptional.  My PPK/S has always been the handgun with which I am most accurate, but this PPK proved its equal in my tests.  Simply put, it’s just darned hard to miss with these pistols.  The grip is so natural and the aim of them is so intuitive that using the sights almost seems an afterthought when it comes to acquiring your intended target.  I find that I can reliably place headshots at a range of seven yards (6.4 meters) all day long, and center mass shots are easy to perform at over twice that distance.  Try that with the new breed of double-action only compacts coming out on the market today.  And combining that incredible accuracy with the lighter recoil associated with the .32 ACP round and the improvements in the enlarged tang at the rear means that follow-up shots can be performed very quickly.

I simply cannot express how pleased I am with this double-action/single-action pistol.  If it continues to prove reliable after additional testing, I may very well place it in my concealed carry rotation along with my .380 ACP PPK/S and my 9mm Walther P99c AS.  I may also find myself recommending the .32 ACP PPK to recoil-sensitive individuals looking for a compact, easy to conceal weapon that can fit in anything from a small purse to even the occasional pocket.  And if that lady in your life gets the flinches from firing larger caliber weapons, this could very well be the handgun of her dreams.  The elegant lines and art deco styling are wardrobe friendly, making this a wonderful fashion accessory.

Click on the photographs below for larger views and additional information:

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