A Brief History
Police and military units, especially in Europe, put great value on long and heavy trigger pulls and have long preferred double action only, or at least DA/SA. They needed a lighter pistol like a Glock but wanted the additional safety of double action.
The P99 features a unique striker-fired mechanism with double/single action with a de-cocker functionality, which I’ll get into more later. A 15-round capacity in 9mm and 12 in .40 put the somewhat compact gun in line with its main competition: the Beretta 92 and Glock 17/19.
The first generation was undoubtedly Walther, with sleek, futuristic lines, super-clean machining, and a panache that just screams “German-made.” The design somehow blended the sharp, boxy lines of the ’80s P series with more angular and softer ergonomics.
The first-gen P99 is a gorgeous retro layout, featuring distinct thin serrations on the slide, like the P5, and modern curves that feel made for the user. Its harsher angles blend artistically into its curves. It’s hard to explain, but it’s an oddly beautiful final product.
The second generation and beyond did away with some of these visual details, squaring off the trigger guard and replacing the HK USP-like proprietary rail. This made it much easier to fit lights and lasers. It also smoothed the inside of the trigger guard, removing the curved hump that rose toward the trigger.
The gun also features an ambidextrous paddle release common on the German-manufactured guns. It’s intuitive and does not take long to learn, even if you have no experience with that mechanism.
Final Edition
The Final Edition came about in 2023, when Walther decided to discontinue the series. It features a gorgeous shade of olive green on the frame and the classic gray-black Tenifer finish on the slide. While it’s still handsome overall, some of the changes made to the pistol detract from the cleaner look of the original.
Wider, more modern serrations near the back of the slide are a noticeable difference, along with a large-print “Final Edition” engraved on the left side of the slide with a horizontal line from trigger guard to rear. While the looks may have been a slight downgrade, the internals, trigger, and overall excellent function and feel remain – and are even slightly refined in some cases.
Specs
The Walther P99 is a full-size duty gun, though it fits more in line with guns like the Glock 19, Beretta 92 Centurion, and the SIG P229. It features a full-length grip with a 4-inch barrel that balances well. The angles of the grip seem to make it less likely to stick out, which is better for carry.
The frame features small bumps in two different sizes, spread out over the lower portion. It provides enough traction, though I always prefer more texture. Slight finger grooves, much like on the HK P30 series, increase the tactile feel even without much additional tack.
To nitpick, the seams are noticeable on the frame, and small imperfections persist where polymer got a little thick. The grip is super comfortable and tactile despite feeling smooth.
- Overall Length: 7.1 inches
- Barrel Length: 4 inches
- Width: 1.3 inches
- Height: 5.3 inches
- Weight: 24 ounces
- Action: Single/double striker-fired with a de-cocker. The AS (anti-stress) mechanism is unique to the P99.
- Capacity: 15 +1 rounds in 9mm (older models available in .40 S&W with 12 rounds).
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Sights: Adjustable, three-dot white polymer sights.
The James Bond Pistol of the ’90s
There may have been no better time to be a kid than the 1990s. My first foray into the world of James Bond was through the Nintendo 64, which came out right around the same time Pierce Brosnan took over as 007. With the success of that movie came a life-changing first-person shooter game, “Goldeneye.”
The game was a gateway to the world of James Bond for me. I watched the movie several times, comparing to its gameplay, which then got me excited for the Thanksgiving week “Bond-A-Thon” on TNT. I nerded out on Bond lore, subscribing to the 007 magazine and getting the James Bond history and gadget book. In 1997, I remember getting dropped off at the “Tomorrow Never Dies” matinee with my best friend, excited for the epic scenes and the new gun I had read about ahead of the film’s release.
Hollywood ramped up product placement in the 1990s, and Walther took full advantage of Bond’s cool factor, upgrading the secret agent from the classic PPK to the new P99. Several times throughout the Brosnan Bond saga, you see it featured prominently and spoken about. As corny as that may sound, it made Bond seem more knowledgeable about his equipment, as he should be.
This gun stands well on its own without Bond, but let's be honest, a huge reason for its success is due to its role on the big screen. The P99 has a cult following, though it’s also a nearly forgotten platform that didn’t make it totally mainstream. A huge part of its draw is from pop culture, although it is revered for its reliability, and ultimately, its excellent trigger.
Trigger Details
Few features can make or break a gun, but a beautiful piece with a bad, sloppy trigger is junk to me. I don’t usually associate striker-fired guns with having excellent triggers, but most are serviceable, while some are great. They typically don’t feel as classy as a crisp single action or buttery-smooth double.
The P99, though, is another story. It’s marked “AS” for anti-stress, a mechanism that came into play with the second generation of these guns and eliminated the traditional double action (kind of). What it does is create more of a two-stage trigger. Let’s walk through the mechanics, as it can be confusing.
Most double-action pistols, such as the Beretta 92, are hammer fired. When you rack the slide, the hammer is cocked to the rear and is now in single action. The trigger also moves rearward, removing all slack. Single action is then short and crisp. If you manually de-cock the gun, the hammer comes back to rest and the trigger moves back to its original resting position, which requires you to pull through a heavier process that both cocks the hammer and releases it.
When you rack the slide and cock the P99, the striker is ready to fire; however, the plastic trigger does not move rearward to a shorter pull. It remains in the same position. If you were to fire now, you must pull through empty slack – the anti-stress mechanism – until you hit the second stage. The trigger will catch there and then functions much like any striker platform. There’s just a bit of stacking to a crisp wall and break.
This takes some getting used to, but if you use normal striker-fired mechanics and a heavy trigger slap like I do, it becomes second nature. This allows you to stage that trigger to a classic single-action-like mode if you lock it at the wall. There is still a fair amount of travel to a very crisp break.
If you choose to de-cock this and run it more akin to a true DA/SA, you can. The de-cocker is a linear button on the left side of the slide just ahead of the rear sights. The pull weight is closer to 9.4 pounds in that mode – lighter than many stock double/single pistols. It feels smooth to me, though it has considerable resistance stacking, with the heaviest part just before the break.
Range Review
After dry firing the P99, I had high expectations for range time. There are no hot spots around the frame, and all the controls are easily accessed. The paddle release is solid, as is the magazine insertion. The entire gun feels well built. I always appreciate solid lockups and discernible clicks when mags are engaged and controls used.
I brought with me a solid 200 rounds for this review: several boxes of 115-grain Sellier & Bellot, PMC, Belom, and Fiocchi. My first rounds are always a slow mag or two for accuracy, getting to know the trigger and seeing how it prints, and correcting when necessary. The trigger does not disappoint, though the DA is pretty hefty when staging for precise shots. I noticed that more than on my smoother traditional doubles.
The reset is incredible. I can run this pretty fast early on, and with practice, I think this would be an effective carry gun. My groups were tight for my standards while firing pretty quickly. I found this P99 to be a pleasure to shoot and blew through rounds quickly. It’s an impressive gun, and was comfortable, well-balanced, and tactile enough that I didn’t need to adjust my grip at all.
Most surprising was how well I shot the double action. I have a lot of experience with these types of triggers, but a slow go with it makes it feel heavy, with increased resistance the closer to the break you get. With live fire, I just pull through smoothly. Follow-ups were more noticeable since the reset is short and the travel is less than half.
PROS & CONS
I would buy this gun. Shooting it was a super enjoyable experience with gentle recoil, and it’s accurate. I had no malfunctions over 200 rounds.
Pros:
- Beautiful looks and features
- Excellent trigger
- James Bond ties, if you are into that
- Ergonomics feel great in hand
- Nice package that’s relatively affordable
- Interesting piece of history with a unique trigger mechanism
- Easy takedown and maintenance
- Reliable
Cons:
- Texture can be slick
- Final Edition markings detract from the overall clean look
- Only two mags, and parts are less available once discontinued
- Trigger takes a little getting used to – and it’s plastic
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Three-dot white sights
Final Thoughts
Personally, I think this gun is rad. A striker-fired DA/SA gun that can be run in double or single action, it’s easy to control, pretty darn good-looking, has an awesome trigger with a short reset, and is iconic and quirky. I wish the Final Edition would have kept the original small serrations and removed the billboard to keep it clean, but as it stands, it is the best version of this pistol functionally – and the OD green looks awesome.
If you’re at all into 007 or just love striker-fired pistols or weird one-offs, this one is worth checking out.
