The P99 and caliber conversions

[SIGfiend]

I have been told to buy a P99 in .40 not 9mm because the .40 can supposedly convert into .357 Sig and 9mm. If this is true is it a thicker outside diameter 9mm barrel than the one in the factory 9mm version?

Thinking that the factory 9mm has a smaller hole in the slide since 9mm is a smaller caliber and therefore a smaller barrel, does that mean the 9mm barrel used to convert from the .40's large diameter slide needs a thicker 9mm barrel?

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes.
You need a purpose built conversion barrel, not just a stock barrel out of the 9mm version. I do not know if they are made for P99, they are available for Glock and Sig-Sauer.

Then you get to hope the extractor has enough reach for the smaller case head diameter. Then you get to buy 9mm magazines or hope the .40 mags will feed 9mms.

This is for informational purposes only, I have no use for caliber conversions. Or .40 or .357 Sig, for that matter.

 

[SIGfiend]

so they don't have a thicker factory 9mm barrel?

i wouldnt trust a .40 mag to feed 9mm but i've heard a .40 mag will feed .357 in most guns. is this true?

 

[Jim Watson]

I, too have heard that a .40 magazine will feed .357 SIG. Some brands - I don't know for sure about Walther - are even marked for both. I doubt there is a factory "thicker" 9mm barrel. Why would they? They'd rather you bought a new gun.

Who told you to buy a .40 and what do you think the convertability will do for you? I'm telling you to buy a gun in the caliber you want to shoot and to shoot it.

 

[tostada]

The factory .40 barrel has a wider outer diameter than the factory 9mm barrel. The 9mm has a smaller hole in the slide for the barrel, so you can't convert 9mm to .40. To convert .40 to 9mm you need an aftermarket barrel which has an inner diameter of 9mm and an outer diameter of the factory .40 barrel.

Here's the Bar-Sto barrel:
http://www.impactguns.com/store/BAR-WALP99MM.html

Here's a guy that says he did it:
http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?postid=4968625

But it seems like a bad idea to spend more than half the price of a gun for a conversion barrel. Just get a 2nd gun.

 

[trueblue1776]

I have a sig conversion, the .40 mag works for .40S&W, .357sig, AND 9mm.

It's a pretty simple operation, gun shop guru's usually don't know though, you are asking at the right place for sure.

 

[Shipwreck]

I am a super, super P99 fan - everyone on any of the forums know that. But I just don't think the P99 in 40 cal is as good. The high bore axis makes the gun less fun to shoot. The design was made for 9mm originally. Go with that. U can always shoot +p if ya want.

 

[SIGfiend]

shipwreck - me too, I just don't have money to buy the same gun twice.

if I were to buy the .40 it would allow me to have 3 calibers for the price of one practically. I agree I like the 9mm way more but it's nice to have 3 calibers to throw off forensics (just kidding).

would the axis problem you speak of still haunt me if i turned the .40 into a 9mm?

 

[Shipwreck]

No, it wouldn't - but I do not think U will find a 9mm barrel with the dimensions U are talking about. Unfortunately, Walther does a crappy job of pushing the P99. There used to be more aftermarket barrels for the gun, but some companies stopped selling them because they were not selling.

Go here and ask:

http://www.waltherforums.com/vb/

 

[Martini13]

The reason the 40S&W and the 357mm fit in the same mag IS the 357 casing is a 40 necked down.


____________________________________

Common Sense...The Rarest Of All Senses

 

[trueblue1776]

357mm, my concealed pistol when the USS Ronald Reagan is stalking me.