Smith & Wesson SW99
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| S&W SW99 | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin |  Germany United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Rock Hill Police Department |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Walther arms |
| Manufacturer | Smith & Wesson |
| Produced | 1999[1] |
| Variants | SW99, SW99QA, SW990, SW990L (Full and compact sizes) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 700 g (unloaded) |
| Length | 180 mm (7.1 in) |
| Barrel length | 110 mm (4 1/4 in) |
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| Cartridge | 9x19mm Parabellum .40 S&W .45 ACP |
| Action | Recoil operation |
| Feed system | Detachable magazine capacity;
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| Sights | Adjustable three-dot iron sights |
The SW99 and Walther P99 are manufactured by Smith & Wesson and Walther. While the Walther gun is manufactured entirely in Germany, the Smith & Wesson rendition is manufactured as a joint collaboration with the frame being manufactured in Germany by Walther, and the slide being manufactured in the United States[2].
[edit] Description
The pistol itself is highly modern, with an internal striker (rather than an external hammer)[1] and no external safety. A cocking indicator is present at the rear aspect of the slide, and in lieu of a safety lever, the gun features a manual decocking tab at the top left rear of the slide, permitting the gun to be safely decocked into double action mode.
The gun's grip was designed by noted Italian match pistol grip designer Cesar Morini, and is adjustable via three varying rear grip inserts to accommodate various hand shapes and sizes. This grip permits a comfortable, naturally pointing grip for most shooters. Like the somewhat similar Austrian Glock pistol the frame is made of modern polymer, allowing for light weight and reduced cost.
Unlike the Glock, the trigger design of the P99 (termed by the manufacturers as "anti-stress") permits a combination of traditional double-and single action fire. Also unlike the Glock, the SW-99 features a fully supported chamber design[1]. This is a safer chamber design since no portion of the loadedround is left exposed. The chambered round is fully surrounded by steel and should a casing head rupture it is less likely to destroy the gun and injure the shooter.
