Differences in Sig 228/229

F

fed168

New member
Are there any differences in the 228 and the 9mm 229? Does Sig still make the 228, or does has the 229 replaced it? I just picked up a 228 which is my first Sig. Anything to look forward to?
 
I'm not a SIG armorer and I don't play one on TV, but I can tell you what I've heard from various sources. The slide on the 229 is machined from a solid block of steel while the slide on the 228 is made by taking thick sheet metal and bending it into shape. There are also some cosmetic differences on the outside of the slide, particularly around the groove cuts on the back of the slide where you are supposed to grip it to chamber a round. Also, I don't think the magazines from the 228 fit the 229 and vice versa.
 
First of all welcome to the Sig family. To those who do not own one, they may not understand, but to those of us who own, carry and shoot Sigs, we do. The Sig line of pistols is one of the finest built. It is considered to be top end equipment by any serious and objective firearms owner. You can look forward to many years of accurate and reliabile service.
I believe that the P228 is no longer manufactured by Sig. The P229 differs in that it's slide is machined out of a solid chunk of stainless steel, while the 228 slide is made of folded steel and pinned. Most of the other parts are pretty much the same. The clips for the 229 sig in .40/.357 are slightly wider than the 228/229 9mm mags. However they will fit and i have used 228 hicap mags in my .40 P229 to shoot .40 ammo. They will only hold 10 round though.
Good luck with your new pistol and good shooting.

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The 229 has a heavier one piece slide, the 228 a lighter two piece slide. The 228 hicap 9mm mags do work in the 229/9mm BTW. The 228 fits in the Fobus SIG holster, the 229 did not. If your 228 holster is leather and a tight fit, the 229 probably will not fit. Same for the new v old 226s.

AFAIK, SIG still makes the 228, it just isn't always available in the US at all times.
 
Riddle, the SBI is in the process of switching to 220s I think, and their previous weapons (228) are for sale cheap. Very light holster wear, standard capacity mags, and Trijicons. Priced at about $400. Mine came with two mags. Anyone know of a source with factory mags?
 
Greeting's and Welcome To The Sig Family:

As riddleofsteel said, you can look forward to many joyous
hours of shooting with your new P228.:) Being the owner of
models P220, P226, and P228; I can tell you right now FWIW,
I have never seen a bad Sig!!!:D I much prefer the compact
P228, over the P229; as the 229 seems a bit top heavy.:(
Accuracy, from any Sig is remarkable to say the least. Keep
in mind, we are talking about a weapon designed for combat;
not target shooting.:rolleyes: Next, you will want to add another Sig to your collection; as "Sig Fever" is very
contagious!!!

Happy Shooting;
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
BrokenArrow is correct...

...the P228 is still made and marketed in the USA. You can confirm by visiting the international site: http://www.sigarms.ch

This year, however, is scheduled to be the last in this country for the P225, the downsized version of the 9mm P220. Supposedly the last run will be ~2000 pistols. Get 'em while you can; the P225 may be the best balanced of all the classic SIGs and is a great shooter.

BTW, the mags to fit both the P229 and P228 in 9mm are identical...in fact carry the same SIGARMS part number. If you want higher capacity, try to find 9mm Mec-Gar mags in the 15- or 17-round models.

Rumor has it they will feed .40 and .357 SIG rounds, too. :cool:
 
The P228 is still being made, but seems to be in short supply because of demand, especially from the military. After the US adopted the Beretta 92 as the new military side arm (called the M-9), there were a lot of requests for a smaller handgun for concealed carry and for those with smaller hands, especially women. The P228 was adopted as the secondary side arm, called the M-11 by the military. Since that happened, new P228s have been a little harder to find.

I have a P228 in 9mm and a P229 in .40. The height and length are virtually identical. The P229 is wider than the P228, just enough to notice. The P229 is noticeably heavier than the P229, because of the machined slide.

High cap mags are hard to find and very expensive. Not worth it in my humble opinion for a few extra rounds. Just bought some new MecGar nickle 10-rd mags for $12.99 from http://www.cdnninvestments.com
MecGar makes the factory mags for SIG, and they are the best.
 
Phillip, I came across the deal in NC. Our State Bureau of Investigations is switching weapons, and alot of times they end up in local police supply stores.
The phone number is 919-779-6141, and the company is Lawman's Safety and Supply.
They also have a batch of 226s (N/S, standard cap mags, and lots of holster wear). These too came from a local agency switching to the 220. They are priced in the mid 300 range. The biggest downside to them is the finish, it needs refinishing.
Has anyone changed springs out? The DA pull on mine is stiff. Is this characteristic of the Sig?
 
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