Home Reviews P99 Maruzen P99 Version 2 Review

Maruzen P99 Version 2 Review

by Arnie

Stock
Specifications
FPS
250
fps (134a) >300
fps (22)
Length:

178
mm
306 mm (with silencer)
Weight: 660
g

Ammo
capacity:

20 Rounds
(Standard Mag)

Maruzen
P99 Version 2

Review

by
JamesWilson (aka Jimmy)
images/edited by Arnie


Comparisons
Having originally decided to get this model to replace the original
Version 1 P99 I had I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the
extra features the second version included.

The metal suppressor
seems to be of high quality and the metal barrel adds to the realism
somewhat. The slide also seems to have a different finish to it compared
to the older P99s, making it look less shiny, and more like the tennifer
finish on the real thing.

This P99 does stray from
reality in one respect, however. The real steel P99 must have an extended threaded
barrel installed to be able to use a silencer, but for some unknown reason (possibly
so as not to spoil the original lines of the pistol) Maruzen have done it a
different way.

They have used an internal
thread on the outer barrel and a thin extended thread on the suppressor to
join the two, leaving the barrel the same length as normal. I personally would
have preferred the extended outer barrel, but it doesn’t make all that much
difference.

The
Looks

This new P99 also has a different cylinder to the old version, the inner
brass part having been replaced by aluminium. The frame of this model
is almost indistinguishable from the real thing, which is also made
of a polymer plastic. The markings on the frame are also the same as
on the real steel, apart from the “made in japan” sign on
the right front end.

The slide also sports
the notice “JASG 6mm Maruzen” on the front right-hand side,
where the calibre would be in real life. Apart from these 2 differences
all the Walther trademarks and banners are present, including various
serial numbers on the ejection port and frame, and due to it being a
“limited edition” this second version seems to have an extra
serial number on the slide, just below the ejection port.

Having never used
or handled a real steel P99, I am going from pictures I could find on
the internet, but I can’t see any other differences in appearance between
the airsoft model and the real one except the hole for the gas charging
valve in the bottom of the magazine. (Arn’s note: it’s been confirmed that the real P99 has a hole in the bottom to aim in cleaning and servicing. Thanks go to Chad for the tip)

Size/weight specifications
for the P99, (read straight form the manual) are: 17.8cm long, 13.1cm
tall, 2.9cm wide and 30.6cm long with silencer, weight is listed as
660g .

Ergonomics
The P99 is, according to Walther, the most comfortable pistol ever,
and I’d be inclined to agree with them on that. The grip is perfectly
contoured to fit your hand, with a small thumb rest on each side as
well. The texture both on the front of the grip and on the sides ensures
that your hands won’t slip, even with gloves on, and also makes drawing
the model from a holster easier, as it naturally takes the right position
for firing in your hand.

The backstrap can
be easily removed by taking out the small split ring pin at the bottom,
and a smaller or larger backstrap can be put in its place if you find
the normal one is not the right size. I’m pretty sure the real steel
Walther ones will fit, but I think Maruzen makes some cheaper ones as
well.


The controls of
the P99 are somewhat different to most conventional pistols, such as
the Colt 1911 and Beretta M92.
The
most noticeable difference is the lack of an external hammer, a design
made famous by Glock.

The P99s hammer
is internal and the only visible part is a small pin, with a red-dot
on it, which can be seen through a small hole in the rear of the slide
when the pistol is ready to fire.

An internal hammer
prevents problems caused by the hammer being snagged on clothing or
holsters and also helps prevent accidental discharge of the weapon.

The de-cocking lever,
which isn’t actually a lever at all, but a small panel set into the
top left-hand side of the slide, can be used to release the hammer to
its safe position and will also reset the trigger to its “double
action” position.

This brings me on
nicely to the next interesting feature of the P99: the trigger system.
The trigger has 2 distinct positions, double action position and single
action position. If you cock the pistol and pull the trigger back about
a centimetre you will hear and feel a click and the trigger will stay
in that position if you release it. This allows for a short, quick trigger
pull and more accurate firing, as there is less force needed to pull
the trigger.

However it is far more
likely for the pistol to go off accidentally, if it is dropped, or the trigger
is caught on something. Therefore its probably a better idea to cock the model
and then leave the it in its longer pull “double action” mode, which
takes a lot more force to pull and is very unlikely to be set off unless you
want it to be. This mode will, however, make your first shot slightly less
accurate, as the extra force used to pull the trigger will most likely shift
your aim a small amount. Still, it’s better than shooting yourself in the
leg by accident!

The magazine release catch
is also different to most conventional pistols, although it will be familiar
if you have used a Heckler & Koch USP or Mk23 SOCom. It consists of a
small lever at the point where the trigger guard meets the handgrip. To release
the magazine you simply reach forward slightly with your thumb and push down
on the lever. The mag release is ambidextrous, as with all the controls, although
to use the de-cocking lever left-handed you need to alter your grip on the
model somewhat.

Field
Stripping

The safety catch can be engaged by pressing the small metal square on
the upper frame towards the left-hand side and disengaged by doing the
opposite.

This safety catch
also acts as the disassembly catch. In order to field strip the model
you must first remove the magazine, then de-cock the hammer if it is
cocked.

Next you pull the
disassembly catch downwards on both sides and then pull the slide and
barrel assembly off the front of the frame. The barrel can then be slid
forward out of the slide for cleaning or access to the cylinder nozzle.

Replacing the slide
and barrel is slightly harder. First simply slot the barrel back in,
making sure the out barrel is inserted correctly.

Next, holding the
slide upside down (and therefore the frame as well, obviously) slide
the rails into the gaps in the slide.

When the slide reaches
about 3/4 of the way along the frame you need to push down a small silver
triangular piece, on the top of the hammer, and make sure that the disassembly
catch is still pressed down so that the slide goes on properly.

Once the slide is
all the way onto the frame you can turn the P99 the right way up again,
rack the slide the whole way once and then pull it back a short way
again, pushing the disassembly catch up again. All finished.


Performance
“Get to the interesting bit, already!” I hear you cry
in a fake New York accent. Well ok then, keep your hat on, here it comes.
Despite Maruzen not having a reputation for making decent GBBs I guarantee
you won’t be disappointed by the P99, especially not the new version.

I only ever use
American Eagle or HFC Green Gas in my blowbacks and with either of these
the P99 shoots at just over 330fps, better than any Tokyo Marui GBB,
most KSC ones and equal to most Western Arms pistols.

The kick which the P99
gives out is also superior to any Marui GBB and almost all KSC Hardkick models.
I have found that when compared side by side with a Western Arms Infinity
4.3″ there is very little between the strength of the recoil. Range is
much the same as most other gas blowbacks, although I’m not terribly good
at judging distances, so I can’t really give a figure for it.

Another
thing you’re likely to notice about the P99 is that its’ quite a bit louder
than most other models, at least it is without the suppressor. There’s
also a rather nice metallic chink noise whenever the slide moves back
and forward, especially noticeable when you cock the P99 manually. With
the silencer screwed on the shots are slightly quieter, and the sharp
edge is taken off the “bang” noise. I think this reduction in
noise is probably equally due to the fact that the additional weight of
the suppressor slows down the cycling of the slide marginally as it is
to the silencing capabilities of the tube. The inside of the tube is cone
shaped, getting wider as it gets further away from the gun and the inner
surface is coated in foam, presumably to absorb the sound.

The magazine takes
20 rounds and when filled with American Eagle the gas will last almost
exactly double that. Another good thing about the P99 is that even when
its very low on gas the slide will still lock back at the end of a magazine,
unlike some others which make that rather annoying pop sound and only
cycle the slide half the way back.

This may be partly
due to the metal recoil spring guide I have fitted, which incorporates
small bearings in order to make the slide cycle smoother.

I
bought it more for its aesthetic value though, as it’s a nice stainless steel
colour, and the fact that it enables you to install different strength recoil
springs, as I thought there might be some problems using the model in cold
weather. I haven’t noticed any problem so far.

Faults
I can find very
few things wrong with the P99. Perhaps the slide could be more realistic,
as I have found that the after-market Zeke metal slide is poorly manufactured
and doesn’t fit. The black finish on the controls such as the slide release
and mag release starts to wear off after a while, although this does make
the model look nice and authentic.

Weighing in at about 700g
this piece is slightly light for some people, but it’s very close to the real
weight, so it doesn’t bother me all that much. With my old P99 I had a slight
problem with the metal rails which keep the slide on the frame coming slightly
loose, causing the model to misfire occasionally, but this hasn’t happened
to the new P99 yet (touch wood).

One of my magazines also
started leaking gas, but this hasn’t happened to any of the new ones.

Conclusion
In
conclusion the P99 fits me like a glove, it suits my needs perfectly
and is normally the only pistol I take into games, as I can carry it
easily in a Blackhawk horizontal draw shoulder holster.

I can also fit a
spare mag and the silencer in the double mag pouches on my righ-hand
side to balance it out perfectly.

The positive aspects
of this model far outweigh the negative ones and if you like the looks
then I would strongly recommend thinking about buying one. Buy a P99
– be James Bond. :o)

Appearance

4/5

Build
Quality

3/5

Performance

4/5

Value
for Money

4/5

Overall
Potential

4/5

External
Links:

RedWolf
Review
– RedWolf’s personal review of the Carl Walther P99

http://www.carl-walther.de/englisch/
defense/defense-36.html
– The real-steel
link, if you want to see what the real thing looks like, and how it performs

BlackHawk
Holster
– A link to the holster mentioned in this review

AirsoftZone
P99 Preview
– A rather old and inaccurate preview of the P99 on
AirsoftZone

Comment
on this review in the forums


Last modified:
Wednesday, May 9, 2001 9:37 AM copyright 2001 ArniesAirsoft
Images from the “James Bond: World is Not Enough” © MGM and
used with permission from RedWolf Airsoft




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