On the first day of MSPO, Minister of National Defence Bogdan Klich took part in the premiere of the new P99 Rad 9-mm self-loading pistol offered by Fabryka Broni Radom, and was the first person to test it on the shooting range.

Minister of National Defence Bogdan Klich officially unveils the case with the new P99 Rad pistols. The minister was the first person to try out the new gun on Bumar’s containerised shooting range.

The new version of the P99 has a plastic frame and is fitted with a Picatinny (MIL-STD-1913) integrated mounting rail for extra accessories, such as a laser target positioner or a light. The name of the model, Rad, continues the codes used in the Polish Armed Forces for small arms (such as Wanad, Tantal, Beryl, Onyks, Bor, Tor, Lantan, Tytan, Neon, Piryt, Hel, etc.) as well as being a reference to the home town of Fabryka Broni - Radom.

The 9-mm (9 mm x 19) P99 Rad pistol without magazine weighs 0.61 kg. The gun’s length is 181 mm, height – 135 mm, width – 29 mm, barrel length – 102 mm, aiming line – 159 mm. Muzzle energy 480-520 J depending on the ammunition. The gun takes 15-, 16- or 20-round magazines.

The P99 Rad is fully adapted for right- and left-handed shooters, and is one of few designs to have double levers for releasing the breech mechanism from the reverse position after all ammunition has been fired as well as extended magazine latches on both sides of the trigger guard. The gun can be better adjusted to the hand thanks to exchangeable panels in the back part of the grip. The texture of the grip itself has been modified to ensure a stable and sure hold under any conditions.

The pistol has automatic safety devices (including a trigger lock and a firing pin safety catch), and its firing mechanism allows it to be carried safely with a bullet in the chamber, ready to fire immediately upon being pulled from the holster. The DAO firing mechanism guarantees equal pressure of about 38 N on the trigger with every shot, at trigger travel of 14 mm.

The P99 Rad’s features include a new frame fitted with a universal mounting rail fully compatible with the MIL-STD-1913 standard, and a breech mechanism with different diagonal cuts in the front and back for easier grip when cocking

The P99 appeared in Poland in the early 2000s as a pistol for the police force. Orders for this gun for the uniformed services today are estimated at 75,000 (and there’s a chance that the smaller version, the P99c, will win a tender for about 1,700 subcompact pistols for the police). Launching the P99 Rad, the manufacturers are trying to attract the interest of the most demanding and sophisticated users - soldiers from the special forces.

Photos: Remigiusz Wilk