I was a little bummed to say the least after I heard the recent news over the PPQ "M1" being discontinued here in the U.S. The PPQ was going to be my next 9mm purchase. After a lot of internet searching and phone calls to local (and not so local) gun shops without any success, I basically gave up on the idea of owning a PPQ.
I was going to replace my Glock 26 and 17 with a PPS and PPQ, respectively. However, now that the PPQ is near impossible to find for less than like $7-800, my next thought was, "Okay, what about that older P99 design?" I've actually owned a fullsize P99 .40 with the A/S trigger configuration at one point, but sold it rather quickly because I was not a fan of the .40s&w in that platform. Otherwise, I absolutely loved the gun and always wanted one in 9mm. Just never got around to buying one...
Until now that is! I really thought about what I wanted in a compact-sized 9mm and I decided the P99 A/S in 9mm would serve me better than the PPQ, so I found one LNIB with < 200 rounds and 5 Walther magazines and bought it for $600 shipped! Here's what I like better about the P99 A/S:
- It's not fully pre-cocked like the PPQ. A FULLY pre-cocked striker scares me, even if it has a FPB safety and a trigger safety. I like that the P99 has a harder, but still smooth DA 1st trigger pull and it's fully de-cocked, which significantly reduces the chances of an AD under stress or a ND if it gets dropped. Sure the PPQ has a consistent and still really nice trigger pull from the first shot to the last, but the single-action mode of the P99 A/S trigger is still better IMO. I think the PPQ is better suited for competitive shooting scenarios with its consistent trigger pull, while the P99 is better suited for actual concealed or duty carry.
- No front cocking serrations. Need I say more?
- Paddle style magazine release. I'm a big fan of this system over a push-button for speed and also for reliability in defensive situations (no chance of accidentally pushing the mag release and ejecting a mag while the gun is holstered).
- While not quite as contoured as the PPQ grip, the P99 grip is essentially the same shape and still feels really darn good.
I just wanted to share my thought process and buying decision with everyone else because I know I'm not alone on this one. There are probably hundreds of people frantically trying to hunt down a PPQ as I type this...so my advice is STOP and think about what you really need. Maybe the PPQ isn't the best gun for the job at hand!
That being said, I think the new 5" PPQ M2 would make for a fantastic competition gun and I will likely pick up one of these in the next year as well. I still wish it had the paddle style magazine release, but it might be possible to put the 5" slide on an original PPQ frame to get the best of both worlds. I guess time will tell if this is going to be possible or not. Even if it isn't, I suspect I'll end up buying the 5" M2 instead of the Glock 34 I was planning on buying.
Anyways, just wanted to share! Happy shooting!
I was going to replace my Glock 26 and 17 with a PPS and PPQ, respectively. However, now that the PPQ is near impossible to find for less than like $7-800, my next thought was, "Okay, what about that older P99 design?" I've actually owned a fullsize P99 .40 with the A/S trigger configuration at one point, but sold it rather quickly because I was not a fan of the .40s&w in that platform. Otherwise, I absolutely loved the gun and always wanted one in 9mm. Just never got around to buying one...
Until now that is! I really thought about what I wanted in a compact-sized 9mm and I decided the P99 A/S in 9mm would serve me better than the PPQ, so I found one LNIB with < 200 rounds and 5 Walther magazines and bought it for $600 shipped! Here's what I like better about the P99 A/S:
- It's not fully pre-cocked like the PPQ. A FULLY pre-cocked striker scares me, even if it has a FPB safety and a trigger safety. I like that the P99 has a harder, but still smooth DA 1st trigger pull and it's fully de-cocked, which significantly reduces the chances of an AD under stress or a ND if it gets dropped. Sure the PPQ has a consistent and still really nice trigger pull from the first shot to the last, but the single-action mode of the P99 A/S trigger is still better IMO. I think the PPQ is better suited for competitive shooting scenarios with its consistent trigger pull, while the P99 is better suited for actual concealed or duty carry.
- No front cocking serrations. Need I say more?
- Paddle style magazine release. I'm a big fan of this system over a push-button for speed and also for reliability in defensive situations (no chance of accidentally pushing the mag release and ejecting a mag while the gun is holstered).
- While not quite as contoured as the PPQ grip, the P99 grip is essentially the same shape and still feels really darn good.
I just wanted to share my thought process and buying decision with everyone else because I know I'm not alone on this one. There are probably hundreds of people frantically trying to hunt down a PPQ as I type this...so my advice is STOP and think about what you really need. Maybe the PPQ isn't the best gun for the job at hand!
That being said, I think the new 5" PPQ M2 would make for a fantastic competition gun and I will likely pick up one of these in the next year as well. I still wish it had the paddle style magazine release, but it might be possible to put the 5" slide on an original PPQ frame to get the best of both worlds. I guess time will tell if this is going to be possible or not. Even if it isn't, I suspect I'll end up buying the 5" M2 instead of the Glock 34 I was planning on buying.
Anyways, just wanted to share! Happy shooting!
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