# P99 In The Mountains- Report



## Highside (Jan 20, 2007)

My first range report on my new P99AS was my impression after a weekend at the local ranges, if you missed it, to sum it all up- I love it.

Usually I shoot in the mountains. Much less restrictive than our local ranges which don't allow rapid fire or even doubletaps. weather kept me near home last weekend ,but it's clear skies now.............so off to my secret proving grounds in the Sierras :smt033

Actaully I have a number of spots to go but this is one of my favorites just a few miles from the Yosemite border, a clearing down by a river. During summer sometimes folks camp here as it just requires a high clearance vehicle for access, but this time of year I usually have to cross snow patches an a few deep mud bogs that will require an off road vehicle, or my choice, a dual sport motorcycle. This keeps the yahoos out and makes for a nice private shooting range. No sign of anyone else all day, even with the warm weather an little mud/snow.

I haven't posted pics of my new toy yet, because it's just an ordinary P99. But here's a couple of it in it's PROPER environment










And another










Besides making cans dance and making fruit explode an all that fun stuff, I actually like to set up targets at marked distances. I generally use a few paper plates with a clothespin on a stake. I find this is fine for practicing fast shooting as it's a 9" target with an 8" center which tells me what I need to know for practica shooting exercises. You can see I've set up distances at 7 yards, 15 yards, and 25 yards. This is good for consistency in watching improvement at different distances as opposesd to guessing how far. I also like the stakes as shooting "stations" because if I shoot in the same direction all the time I will have three piles of spent brass to look for instead of just carpeting he wole clearing. I pick up my brass, leaving a mess in areas like this gets them shut down to shooting (or all access).

Here's the "range"









Now down to the shooting. First guys, don't take this to seriously as I was just out for fun, personal improvement and just seeing what I can make this gun do. I've already seen what others can do......an I'm just not that good with an auto (yet), still to much revolver background. My revolvers are plenty accurate, I buy autos to shoot fast. Finding the balance between speed an accuracy is what days like this are all about.

The P99s trigger reset is one of the best features of this gun. It's the best I've ever felt in a DA/SA pistol. I blasted through the first hundred or so rounds just seeing what kind of speed I could get out of it by feeling the reset point. This thing is fast! Alot closer to a good single action pistol than I imagined. My HK usp could not keep up that pace reliably. Certainly not the most accurate way for me to shoot, even at 7 yards, but trying it at 10 feet had devastating effect to a 9" plate. Even at seven many were on, an the others were close. But I have to admit that shooting like this was as much for fun as any practicality:mrgreen: Slowing it down slightly, just a little, brought all the rounds on the plate at 7 yards.

At 15 yards shooting a bit slower at 2 rounds per second kept them all on the plate as well. This recoil is so easy to handle on this gun that getting a sight picture comes in quick.

Next I really wanted to play more with the double action an see what I could do. I first fired some very slow controlled shots in DA an found that I was almost as accurate at short range as in SA. But I don't need DA for target duty, DA is for carrying safely and then shooting fast under stress. I practiced "drawing" ,and I use the term VERY loosely here as I don't even have a holster for it yet, but holdin the gun at my side and raising it is good practice for aquiring sight picture. I found I could get quick an fairley accurate if I started pulling the trigger slightly before I was all the way to where I could get a sight pic.

I've also never had a problem with the transition from DA to SA as some seem to. Again that may come from a lot of revolver shooting going fro SA to DA. No big deal. At 7 yards I was able to consistently double tap from DA to SA with about a 3.5"- 4" group. Good enough for anytime I would NEED DA. Here's three targets shot one after another DA to SA doubletaps










And here's one for the "it has to be a consistent trigger pull guys":mrgreen: This is two shots from 15 yards going DA to SA. I'd be lying if called it a true doubletap, but it was two shots within 2 seconds. BTW- I can't do that everytime.










So over all I'm very impressed with the ability of this gun to aquire targets an shoot quickly. One thing that bothers me, an this is ME, NOT the gun, is my ability to get tight groups at 25 yards. After eating lunch an a quick nap I felt rested and decieded to go or some 25 yard groups. Honestly I have to work hard to get a 6" group that far...not really good. I tried a few things different. First I shot 5 round groups instead of ten. I think I get shakey towards the end of a mag. I also realaxed a lot more on my push/pull grip, sorta revolver style, I havent noticed this gun sensitive to limp wristing (I've tried to make it fail). My groups started coming in. I still need to be more consistent, as I had some really bad flyers here an there andofte one would destroy a good group.

Then FINALLY










A real 3" group. Now I know some of you guys can post pics of a quarter size hole at 25 yards, but from a standing position this is the best I've shot with this gun. Nothing like the feeling of satisfaction by getting a new personal best.....especially because it had been buging me. What a geat day, shooting better in the mountains than at a controlled range!

So here's to a great day










The gun functioned absolutely flawless under all conditions! 500 rounds down the tube, that brings my total round count to 1500 without a single issue in one week. I dry fired (with a snap cap) about 1500 times before I even shot her , so a total of 3000 trigger pulls and the trigger is smooth as butter. when in SA (short) if I let off the trigger there is NO griity feeling at all in the take up anymore and I can breeze through the take up fast with no resistance to the break point where I can hold an aim. I just can't say enough about this firearm. My favorite DA/SA auto by far. And after the paces I've put it through I have full confidence in it now.....enough to trust with my life.

If you hadn't noticed already this report is not just about specs and the mechanics of the gun. It's about the whole experience. A day in the mountains, being in Gods country, where I just feel right. I got to take one of my motorcycles on some fun trails, shoot a bunch, and even play around with a small intrest of mine, digital photography. Does it get any better? Not much really. And this was a pretty average Saturday for me. I don't NEED any more guns really, but this is the type of experience that keeps me coming back for more. This stuff is just plain out FUN!

Heres a really short, real low quality video I took with my digital camera having FUN trying to learn the trigger reset of this gun. Remember, don't take it to seriously.....it's just for fun :smt071

http://desertdave.smugmug.com/photos/130329255-O.mpg


----------



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

U da man :smt023 

I've also found that when carrying the P99 thru the mountains and countryside, bears bow down and let you pass without any problems. :mrgreen:


----------



## The Hound (Nov 25, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> U da man :smt023
> 
> I've also found that when carrying the P99 thru the mountains and countryside, bears bow down and let you pass without any problems. :mrgreen:


Actually, in my experience, the bears want to shoot it too.:mrgreen:


----------



## SigZagger (Aug 16, 2006)

Question: What is the AG and squiggley lines before the serial number mean? My P99 is older and really looks different. The Smith & Wesson is laser engraved on the slide. Not so many serrations (and cut different). Plus, my magazine release looks nothing like yours. Is that the new look or is it because it's an AS model?


----------



## jenglish (Dec 29, 2006)

SigZagger said:


> Question: What is the AG and squiggley lines before the serial number mean? My P99 is older and really looks different. The Smith & Wesson is laser engraved on the slide. Not so many serrations (and cut different). Plus, my magazine release looks nothing like yours. Is that the new look or is it because it's an AS model?


The markings are the same that are on your's, on the accessory rail. Yours are located here:










The new P99's have this laser etched on the right side of the slide. The proofs consist of the "eagle over N", the date code, and a stag horn. The stag horn means it was proofed in Ulm.

Sig - Highside's P99 is what all current production P99's look like.


----------



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Also, since 2005, the mag release lever was lengthened...


----------



## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Very good range report and I think it's the first I have seen on this site with a little video to go with it. You are a very lucky man to be able to have such a great place to shoot. Good luck with your new 99.


----------



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Baldy said:


> Very good range report and I think it's the first I have seen on this site with a little video to go with it. You are a very lucky man to be able to have such a great place to shoot. Good luck with your new 99.


When ya gonna buy one, Baldy? :smt082


----------



## Highside (Jan 20, 2007)

Baldy said:


> You are a very lucky man to be able to have such a great place to shoot.


Yeah, I think so. The best part is there's a lot of places just like this close by. Here we are in the middle of winter an it was pushing 70 degrees in the mountains :smt023 . Truth is I wouldn't shoot nearly as much if this kind of shooting wasn't available to me. Next I'll do a P99 desert report......where we pull out the heavy artillery and really tear it up :smt070

As for the video, my camera has that feature an I need to use it for somthing:mrgreen: Really it's fun to look back an see if the video matches my memory, especially with the shot timing.


----------



## Highside (Jan 20, 2007)

Shipwreck said:


> ...... bears bow down and let you pass without any problems. :mrgreen:


"Let" me pass? I just turn the throttle :mrgreen:


----------



## PX (May 14, 2006)

Just an "ordinary" P99? 

No such thing.. In my limited experience it seems ALL P99's are EXTRA-ORDINARY!

My 2 are for sure..

Best Wishes,

J. Pomeroy


----------



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

PX said:


> Just an "ordinary" P99?


Yes, you are right. 1 of mine has a built in plasma screen behind the backstrap, and my compact P99 has a cookie dispenser in the box  :smt082


----------



## mw1311 (Feb 7, 2007)

Nice Report!


----------



## SigZagger (Aug 16, 2006)

jenglish,



> Sig - Highside's P99 is what all current production P99's look like.


Thanks so much for the explanation. I wasn't aware of the change. Mine is 5 years old. Though I must admit, I like the original design best. As subtle as it may be.


----------



## Hevchev50 (Dec 24, 2006)

Nice atmosphere Hillside. Down here in SoCal we go into the San Bernardino mountain range or the high desert. Either location is not far away. A few days ago it was about 78 up there before the rain and snow came in the day before last.


----------

