FNX-9 or P99

[mrblonde9993]

Ive been at a crossroads trying to choose between theses two as my first 9mm handgun. I love the feel and grip of the p99 but also love the fnx-9. So i was wondering what you guys think would be a better fit for a beginner?

 

[pikid89]

make sure you try the p99 at a rental range...i loved how they felt, but i hated how it shot (especially with the weird Anti Stress trigger) i never could figure out how it worked

 

[Davejb]

I'll give a nod to the FNX9, nice DA trigger, shoots well, and multiple carry options, comes with 4 backstraps and 3 mags. Haven't had my hands on the p99 so no comment on that one.

 

[NG VI]

Based on my time with an FNP-9M, I would reccomend that heavily. Great platform.

 

[metalman8600]

Also, the P99 comes in multiple versions.
AS = it's like a DA/SA but in a striker gun
QA = it's like a Glock... consistent trigger pull. And yes, the trigger can be lightened fairly easily.

Walther is also coming out with the "PPQ" very soon. Trigger pull will be lighter than the QA, also consistent action.

 

[breacher]

I had a P99AS in 40 caliber and it was pretty snappy in that caliber. It is lighter than a Glock and the bore axis appears to be a little higher. It was very, very accurate though. The trigger in SA mode was excellent. DA wasn't to bad either. Never a malfunction of any type in the thousand rds I put thru it.

I played with one at a local gunshow last week and I'd forgotten how short the trigger reset is. That is one of the best features of the P99AS. It is really short, like half that of a Glock. If I got another it would be in 9mm to better take advantage of the quick reset trigger with faster multiple shot strings.

I'd avoid the QA and DAO versions of the P99. No data on the FN pistols.

 

[vaherder]

I have both. Prefer my P99 AS. Also remember you can get the P99 Compact too. P99 just fits me better. Its a close call. I was given the FNX-9
by FNH.

My ranking of my 9mm's P99, FNX-9, and P30L.

Shoot both you really can't go wrong with either. Both are far superior to any Glock by a signifcant margin.

Va herder

 

[CaveLake08]

No experience with the p99 but I just bought an FNP 9 as my first 9mm which is very similar to the FNX, and can tell you it's a great gun that really has that quality 'feel' when you hold it.

 

[wbwanzer]

I have not owned or even held the P99, so I can't comment. I do have an FNX-9 that I think is pretty cool. Nice SA trigger. Little recoil for as light weight as it is. I've only got 200 rounds throught it but have had zero failures of any kind. It's a keeper.

 

[Davejb]

Ya know, even though yours looks identical to mine, I can't help but drool a little

 

[balance 740]

I bought the FNX when it first came out, and I've owned the P99 for years. I would without a doubt pick the P99 over the FNX.

My FNX had multiple issues that made it feel like an unfinished pistol. People have reported loose backstraps, mag insertion issues, and excessively heavy recoil springs that take a while to break-in. The mags were hard to load to the full 17 round capacity, and it felt like the follower was hitting the baseplate when inserting a fresh mag into the pistol. Some have reported that the mag springs went bad just from keeping the pistol loaded to the stated capacity. If I had to choose an FN pistol right now, I'd pick a Hi-Power, and if I had to choose one of their plastic pistols, I'd choose the FNP, as it has been around longer, and it's issues have been fixed.

My P99 feels like a much higher quality pistol with a better feel in the hand, IMO one of the best DA/SA triggers, and 100% reliability after 4k rounds.

 

[wbwanzer]

My FNX does not have either the backstrap or the Mag issue. No issues at all, so far.

 

[DWhitehorne]

I would definately shoot the P99 first before buying one. I've owned a P99AS in 9mm and a 40 in QA. I've also had an FNP USG in 9mm. I was really amazed at the amount of felt recoil the P99 has compared to the other pistols I own. The P99 AS was extremely accurate and the P99 felt great in my hand but I was very disappointed in how snappy it was for me, even in 9mm. The FNP didn't fit my hand well so I let it go also. David

 

[Wolvee]

I love my FNX. It is by far the best shooting pistol I have ever owned. (Glocks, Rugers, Beretta's etc)

This pistol puts the Beretta to shame with how it feels to shoot.

I think the P99 is a P30 wannabe and I am not a fan. Although I really do like Walther pistols.

 

[Sam Cade]

I think the P99 is a P30 wannabe

The P99 predates the P30 by ten years.

 

[balance 740]

I own both the P99 and the P30, and I am happy that H&K copied so much from the P99, which came out 14 years ago.

The P99 grip was designed by Morini, an Italian Olympic pistol grip designer, and when you pick up a P99, you can tell as it was the most comfortable pistol grip I'd held at the time. H&K also outsourced the grip design by hiring Karl Nill (Nill Grips) to design the grip for the P30, and it too has a very good grip, it is the only pistol I have held that feels more comfortable that the P99.

The P99 was the first pistol to use replaceable backstraps, that almost every other polymer pistol has copied. The P30 was the first polymer pistol to take this one step further and put replaceable side panels as well, to give you I think 27 grip possibilities in the same pistol.

The slide of the P99 angles inward as it gets closer to the sights, just like the P30, and I've heard that this is to help put the sights in focus as you are bringing up the pistol.

Both use DA/SA triggers, and both carry 15rd mags. If anything, the P30 is the "wannabe" of the P99, which is why I like it, and why I bought it , the P99 was an innovation when it came out, and it provided lots of new features in a pistol that everyone else has seemed to want to copy.

If the FNX had worked out for me, I probably would have never owned a P30, since I was looking for good quality 9mm pistol that could be carried cocked & locked. The FNX shot very accurately in my hands, and it has the best combat sights I have ever seen on a pistol, but mine had lots of little issues that screwed up the experience and made the pistol feel like a low quality product. FN will not replace an FNX pistol that has loose backstraps which moved and changed my grip while shooting, or mag insertion issues where you have to push the base of the mag forward to hear it click into place, which is hard enough while the mag is empty, not to mention when the mag is full with 17 shots and it feels like the follower is hitting the baseplate while inserting it. There were other issues as well, but these seem to be the most common. If you do choose the FNX, make sure to check for these issues BEFORE you buy it, I was one of the first people to buy this pistol so nobody warned me.

Personally, I'd choose the P99.

 

[DAdams]

No FN experience, but do have a P99AS in .40. I held every full sized semi-auto available two years ago and in the order of ergonomics for me it was the P99, HK, and M&P. I also prefer something a little lighter and I like the DA/SA feature of the AS trigger on the Walther. You should take a close look at the S&W M&P 9Pro, night sights and a step up in trigger. S&W will cover shipping both ways if it needs warranty work and has a lifetime warranty.

 

[liberty -r- death]

I have the P99 and the FNP-9. The FNP and FNX are very similar. I like both of them, and prefer the FNP over the P99.

My wife on the other hand prefers the P99 over the FNP. The curve of the small grip strap fits her better since she has smaller hands. I use the medium grip strap on mine.

My FNP is posted for sale only because I'm trying to free up the cash needed for P99 mags. (They are a bit on the expensive side from Walther)

One thing I like about the FNP and FNX is the traditional hammer. The P99 is a striker style. Either way you go they are both great guns.

 

[Fishbed77]

I had the same dilemma last year when trying to decide between the FNX-9 and the the P99 AS. Like someone told me, it's a very good problem to have - both are excellent handguns.

That said, I ended up buying the P99 AS and haven't had a second thought. It is, without a doubt, the finest 9mm handgun I've ever come across. The ergonomics of the FNX are good, but the P99 just leaves it in the dust. After 15 years on the market, nothing has really caught up with it, not even the vaunted (and overpriced) HK P30. Also the fit and finish is superb - well beyond any other plastic gun I've encountered. It doesn't feel cheap like a lot of other polymer-framed handguns. Not a bit of mold flashing to be found, and less of a "hollow" feel to the polymer frame. I know that doesn't matter to a lot of folks (obviously, as there are a lot of Glock and M&P fans out there), but it matters to me. It's nice to see that craftsmanship still exists in the 21st century.

There are no widely recognized problems to look for in the P99 (like the FNP and FNX's rare issues with slides failing to lock on the last round, or magazines that don't seat well). That's just a benefit of the P99 being on the market much longer. Also, accessories are much easier to find than with the FN guns. Don't bother with the overpriced Walther-labeled magazines. Buy the ones for the Magnum Research clone (which are the exact same mags made by Mec-Gar as the Walther mags.) They are identical aside from different text on the baseplate, and they cost about half as much.

Both guns have very good triggers, but the Walther's AS trigger is just sublime. Don't fear the AS system - there is nothing "weird" about it. If anything, the long single-action first pull makes it a much more consistent feeling than any other DA/SA gun out there. And the very short reset and subsequent pulls are just icing on the cake. Be sure to be patient though - it takes a good 500-600 rounds for the trigger to break in properly.

By the way, I have over 1000 rounds through my P99 AS so far, and not a single problem.. Nothing. No FTFs, no FTEs. No slides failing to lock. Just 100% reliability with all types of ammo.

Every handgun should be this good.

 

[Entelzha]

The P99 is a drop dead reliable weapon with good accuracy and comfortable ergos, but if Walther ever re-released the P88, I would put that puppy up against just about anything.

 

[Fishbed77]

The P99 is a drop dead reliable weapon with good accuracy and comfortable ergos, but if Walther ever re-released the P88, I would put that puppy up against just about anything.

Amen to that. I've been tempted to get a Bersa Thunder 9mm before, just because it's a sorta-halfway copy of the P88, and the real deal is impossible to find around here (never seen one for sale locally).

Maybe Walther could be convinced to re-release it, as SIG has done with the P210. Of course, then they would charge a ridiculous sum for it.