View Full Version : SW99... inquiring mind wants to know
Treating myself to a birthday gift. Going to buy my first 45 and decided I can't afford an HK45 :( so with that in mind and a budget of 600 bucks I'm probably going with the M&P. But the SW99 has sparked a bit of interest and was wondering if anyone has any experience with them and why they didn't sell real well. I'm guessing here, but is there a DA/SA version or just the OL/DAO? Or should I just forget the SW99 all together and just go with the M&P?
Business_Casual
01-02-10, 17:32
The M&P is newer and incorporates design advances, the SW99 has a less than stellar reputation.
However, the best return on your money would be to go here:
http://www.tigerswan.biz/course_info/2_day_tactical_pistol.html
with your existing pistol instead of buying a new one.
M_P
John_Wayne777
01-02-10, 18:06
Treating myself to a birthday gift. Going to buy my first 45 and decided I can't afford an HK45 :( so with that in mind and a budget of 600 bucks I'm probably going with the M&P. But the SW99 has sparked a bit of interest and was wondering if anyone has any experience with them and why they didn't sell real well. I'm guessing here, but is there a DA/SA version or just the OL/DAO? Or should I just forget the SW99 all together and just go with the M&P?
The SW99 could well be the worst product S&W ever turned out. They performed horribly in police issue. NCPatrolAR was issued one for a while so he can tell you the trials and tribulations his department suffered with the guns.
In general they weren't reliable, broke a lot, and generally weren't duty quality handguns.
The M&P would be a much better purchase. Training, of course, would be an even better investment of the money.
NCPatrolAR
01-02-10, 18:21
Treating myself to a birthday gift. Going to buy my first 45 and decided I can't afford an HK45 :( so with that in mind and a budget of 600 bucks I'm probably going with the M&P. But the SW99 has sparked a bit of interest and was wondering if anyone has any experience with them and why they didn't sell real well. I'm guessing here, but is there a DA/SA version or just the OL/DAO? Or should I just forget the SW99 all together and just go with the M&P?
The SW99, in 40, was a flaming pile of dog crap for us. We had around 1,500 of them and had problems from day 1 with them. Ours were the DA/Sa models, but we had guns that would only fire DA or not fire at all straight from the box. Later, as the guns had more rounds put through them, we started to have sear housings crack and render the gun inoperable. Guys on the range would drop a mag and internals from the gun would fall out immediately after the mag did.
We ditched the 99s and went to the M&P and everyone is more than happy with them. I only know of one or two people that wished we had kept the 99s. There is a chance that some of the 99s out on the market now are our old ones. If that is the case, I would run away from those and never look back.
The SW99, in 40, was a flaming pile of dog crap for us. We had around 1,500 of them and had problems from day 1 with them. Ours were the DA/Sa models, but we had guns that would only fire DA or not fire at all straight from the box. Later, as the guns had more rounds put through them, we started to have sear housings crack and render the gun inoperable. Guys on the range would drop a mag and internals from the gun would fall out immediately after the mag did.
We ditched the 99s and went to the M&P and everyone is more than happy with them. I only know of one or two people that wished we had kept the 99s. There is a chance that some of the 99s out on the market now are our old ones. If that is the case, I would run away from those and never look back.
:eek: WOW!! Thanks for the heads up. Enough said...thanks for the insight.
NCPatrolAR
01-02-10, 19:51
:eek: WOW!! Thanks for the heads up. Enough said...thanks for the insight.
No problem....we had the chance to buy ours when we got rid of them. While I did buy my first duty pistol (Smith 4046) I wouldnt take a SW99 if they gave it to me for free.
I'm not one to talk crap without a pistol without reason. I was issued an SW99 40 S&W (three actually since they kept breaking) and I can say without a doubt they are one of the biggest pieces of trash ever produced in the firerams industry.
My department had 210 issued at once. The first batch of 210 had to be exchanged with S&W for entirely new pistols. Sights fell off, guidrods snapped, firing pin plungers became stuck..all sorts of glorious problems.
...and I'm just talking reliability. This doesn't even address the awkward decocker location and the horrible DA trigger.
I had two guns that automatically decocked themselves at random. It was great. The third one I was issued sat NIB unfired in my locker. I wouldn't even touch it. Out of all the guns issued I think we had a grand total of 25 officers actually carrying the gun and they were the guys/gals that just didn't give a flip. No one trusted it and no one carried it. We actually had senior officers giving loans to newbies to buy Glocks and H&K's. It was crazy.
When we traded ours in for our M&P's not a single person bought their SW99.
Good riddance!
I have a Walther P99 that is a great gun; I don't know if they are that much improved over the SW99 or I just got a good one, but it has been flawless.
That being said, I'd definitely go with the M&P over the SW99 for no other reason than availability of parts and accessories. Finding magazines, holsters, and other stuff for the SW99 is going to be a major pain.
I have a Walther P99 that is a great gun; I don't know if they are that much improved over the SW99 or I just got a good one, but it has been flawless.
That being said, I'd definitely go with the M&P over the SW99 for no other reason than availability of parts and accessories. Finding magazines, holsters, and other stuff for the SW99 is going to be a major pain.
The Walther P99 and the SW99 are NOT the same gun.
My friend had an all German Walther P99 9mm the same time I was issued my SW99. The quality of build was light years apart.
That said I still think Glocks and M&P's are better pistols.
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