There is an undeniable truth in the handgun business. First you come up with a gun and then, as sure as God made little green apples, it will be stretched, or shrunk or both. Compact is in and even if it does nothing but make the gun harder to shoot that’s okay with lots of consumers. The latest example of this truth is the SW-99 Compact.
I have frequently said that I like the original Walther P-99 and its offspring the SW-99 in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. It is only logical that they would shrink an already reasonably compact pistol to meet the demands of a consumer who has bought into the idea that small and light is the way to go when you want to carry a gun. Whether or not it is the best plan if you ever have to shoot it is another issue.
The new compact SW-99 Compact doesn’t fall into the “dread to shoot it” category at all but it is rather more rambunctious than the full size versions. We tested one in .40 S&W although a 9mm Luger chambering is also available.
The differences are few but obvious. There wasn’t anything wrong with the middle portion of the pistol so all the lockwork, trigger, takedown and other mechanical stuff is the same as the full size pistol. The barrel shrank from 4.1 to 3.4 inches, These dimensions are based on measuring test guns (don’t be surprised if the book says 4.0 and 3.5 inches). The magazine capacity fell from 10 to eight and the weight declined from 25.1 to 22.4 ounces. Gone is the light rail... yee hah.
