The Sig P229 in .40 passed the California drop and safety tests which are pretty stringent.
Were the pistols in the California tests dropped in the hammer cocked position? (DA/SA pistols in the NLECTC drop safety tests were dropped in the cocked position.)
One thing that concerns me about the NLECTC tests is section 5.5.5:
5.5.5 Safety Features Test
Obtain from the manufacturer a description of the design feature(s) included in the pistol to ensure that the pistol will discharge only through the proper operation of the trigger mechanism, the list of parts that implement the design feature(s), and the manner in which the safety feature(s) operate. Verify that all of the safety parts are present, that they operate in the manufacturer's intended manner, and that the feature(s) perform their intended function. Note: This description should be in the user information supplied by the manufacturer (see Sec. 4.2). Chamber a primed case (no propellant or projectile) and attempt to fire the pistol, with the safety device engaged, into a bullet trap or other suitable device to determine whether the round discharges. If a pistol has more than one safety device, disengage all but one to conduct the test. Repeat, using the second safety device. Continue in this manner until all safety devices have been tested. In some designs the removal of parts to disable one safety feature may affect the performance of another safety feature. If assistance is needed to test each safety feature independently, consult with the
manufacturer.
Did they remove parts and disassemble the gun when testing the safety mechanisms? Did they put the gun back together correctly?
It should be mentioned that the P229 .40 drop safety failure would need to be reproducible (this should include testing different P229's) in order for the NLECTC results to be considered scientifically conclusive.
Furthermore, as Redlg155 previously mentioned, drop testing a decocker mounted DA/SA pistol in SA mode seems a bit unrealistic, considering the nature of typical lethal force encounters. But even if a weakness in the SIG SA drop safety design is conceded, proper training (i.e., decocking before holstering, before a foot chase, etc.) should reduce the risks of a drop induced discharge to near negligible levels.
However, with that said, Glock appears to have a superior drop safety design, largely due to the little spring loaded trigger safety lever.
By the way, I didn't start this thread to bash on SIG's. Even if SIG does, in fact, have a small SA drop safety weakness, I still believe SIG's are the finest combat handguns in the world. I have found them to be better handling, more accurate, and more reliable than any other major firearms manufacturer.