Should I get a Walther P99 instead of a Luger or Walther P38?

rs525 said:
But now I'm feeling regretful selling it as it really is an excellent 9mm and actually a good complement to the Glock 17/19 in my opinion.
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1. Are you a shooter still looking for your perfect CCW, or range gun or home protection gun or .....? Get the modern gun.
OR
2. Are you a collector, where if it doesn't run 100% or would rather have a correct gun of the pretty one or ....? Get the Luger P-08.

I am a collector/shooter. I have my primary guns. I practice with one grip angle/trigger/...type setup. I then bring along something different from the collection to spice up a range trip. (Maybe a revolver this time, maybe jsut some 22LR pistols or maybe something historic). I prioritize my purpose guns first and then picked up collectors items. I also prioritized technology/mechanics. I "needed" a Luger P-08 for the toggle that I can shoot. I didn't need A German SS Black Widow P-08 in perfect condition with all matching parts and papers; Some collectors need that and anything less just sucks. That is what makes me happy. You need to know you.

2. Gather all the information you need to make your purchase on all the options. Make spreadsheets and put them on your phone. Sometimes something will fall into your lap and you need to be prepared. Maybe you decide that the P99 is right for you, but the perfect P08 shows up at the local gun shop, is it a 3K gun or a 1K gun. The shop wants 1.5K for it. So it might be perfect fate or ....you may want to save your money for the P99.

3. Trading guns. Unless you are trading with a friend (a TRUE friend), you are probably losing on the deal. The only people who make money on trades are those who do it as a business as an FFL. Everyone else has regrets or loss of money. Be solid in your purchases so you don't want to sell in the next year. And stay away from the gun hype.
 
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I also should've mention the Canik but recommend you do some research on them. I believe the earliest Canik TP9 SA coppied the Walther P99 but... it's a big but, the slide decocker rendered the trigger useless. It didn't just decock it to the heavier DA trigger pull it like the Walther P99 and S&W SW99 did. It completely decocked the trigger, requiring you to re-rack the slide. That's not good!!!

Crazy Turks!

I personally would rather have a Walther P99 or Smith & Wesson SW99. I really don't care for Turkish guns.
 
drobs said:
I also should've mention the Canik but recommend you do some research on them. I believe the earliest Canik TP9 SA coppied the Walther P99 but... it's a big but, the slide decocker rendered the trigger useless. It didn't just decock it to the heavier DA trigger pull it like the Walther P99 and S&W SW99 did. It completely decocked the trigger, requiring you to re-rack the slide. That's not good!!!

Crazy Turks!

I personally would rather have a Walther P99 or Smith & Wesson SW99. I really don't care for Turkish guns.
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Infact the right Canik copy of the P99 AS is the TP9 DA not the SA.
Of course the Magnum Research MR9 and the S&W SW99 are exact copies of the P99 AS even on the magazine release paddle while the Canik TP9 DA has a conventional magazine release button.
 
I have owned over half a dozen wartime P.38s and generally found that the post war Walther and Manurhin P1 and P38s shoot better. In between the military issued P1s I have found big differences in accuracy, often directly related to heavy use.
When the Bundeswehr switched from the P1 to the HK P8A1, the scores for the average soldiers improved but for the top shooters it made no difference. In other words, the P1/P38 isn't really an as easy to shoot and forgiving gun as the P8A1 is.

Walther_P1_BW.jpg
 
I found a S&W P99 Compact for $379 with 5 magazines. Looks like it is new and smothered in oil. I like the Walther but wonder about this ?
 
tercel89 said:
I found a S&W P99 Compact for $379 with 5 magazines. Looks like it is new and smothered in oil. I like the Walther but wonder about this ?
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I could be wrong but I believe S&W either owned or imported Walther for time there in the late 1990's to early 00's. I shot a S&W P99 back then at an indoor range's manufacturer shoot and liked it. I recall it was an expensive pistol at the time.
 
tercel89 said:
I found a S&W P99 Compact for $379 with 5 magazines. Looks like it is new and smothered in oil. I like the Walther but wonder about this ?
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Get it!
I seem to remember it can also accept 15 rounds magazines with a sleeve that converts the grip to a full three fingers grip and extend also the backstrap.
 
Walther's P88 was reputed to be an excellent pistol, but was too expensive to generate big sales numbers. The P99 was a major gamble for the company, with grips designed by Giugiaro and a host of new and improved features. It was priced higher than much of the competition, but I believe the German police used it when it was time to turn in their SIG P6s and Walther P5s. I always liked the concept, but was reluctant to part with the $600 asking price back in the 90s, when there were many surplus pistols and police trade-ins in the market. I finally picked up a used PPQ and it has become my favorite full size semi-auto. The P99 is a true classic.
 
I would go with the WALTHER P99 AS. It is a very well designed gun. I have shot both LUGER'S and the P-38 and while they work, they are not a smooth and ergonomic as the P99. Also, while you can collect and shoot LUGER'S, they are finicky on ammo and offer nothing to the shooter over the P99, which is also an excellent self defense gun for house or ccw.
The P-38 is more useful than the LUGER as it has a double action trigger, but again, it will be heavier, quite a bit if you buy one of the old steel framed guns.and the trigger will not be nearly as nice.

Good luck, whichever you choose.

Jim
 
Quick update: I'm no longer interested in the SIG P226. I tried one out briefly at the range and wasn't the biggest fan of it. It's ok, it seemed pretty accurate, but the decocker is hard for me to use as my right thumb can't reach it and I don't like the placement of the slide release. I felt it didn't shoot as well as my Beretta 92FS.
 
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I hate to bring the old guys down as I am an older guy too , but the Canik TP9DA is an awesome gun ! In my opinion and shooting it , the Canik TP9DA is better than the Walther P99.
 
rs525 said:
Quick update: I'm no longer interested in the SIG P226. I tried one out briefly at the range and wasn't the biggest fan of it. It's ok, it seemed pretty accurate, but the decocker is hard for me to use as my right thumb can't reach it
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Use your left thumb
 
PzGren said:
Mark,
that very nice gun is no P08, it is a Swiss 06 Parabellum pattern. The P08 is named after the year of its adoption by the Wehrmacht, the Swiss adopted their's in 1906 and the German Navy had adopted their longer version in 1904.
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learn something NEW! I like the name Swiss 06 better!

tell you what about Lugers… don’t become a collector, TOO EXPENSIVE, buy 1-2 and be done
 
I had collected Parabellum pistols at some time, never owned a Stoeger Luger, though. All I have left is a 1942 Mauser P.08 and a Mauser 06/29 in 9mm. Both were chosen for accuracy.

I am expecting a new 06/29 in 9mm Para and am looking forward to shoot it.
 
Buy all 3.


No but seriously… these guns do different things. A Luger can be very reliable. But after 80-120 years they often need some massaging to get there, and that can be a frustrating experience when we’re used to modern guns that pretty much just work.

A P38 is probably more likely to be reliable “out of the box” compared to a Luger, but they’re now no longer cheap (WW2 examples are now regularly over 1k… Luger territory) and are known to sometimes suffer slide failure when shooting (maybe due to wartime QC.) Action-wise they’re very similar to a Beretta 92.

I enjoy shooting modern guns and I enjoy shooting my Luger. My P38 doesn’t see the range as often because it’s pretty collectible and I enjoy other guns more (but I don’t dislike the P38 per se.)
 
Walther P99, P38, and Luger are leaving me confused. Two classic collectables and a modern wonder 9. Depends on your use I would have to say. Not sure I would every carry the later two. A Walther P99, would surely make my short list.
 
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