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SIG p229
- Thread starter racedawg
- Start date
oldengineer
New member
I have a P229 and shoot it with Xtreme 180 grain RNFP and agree that it's a great load. My Glock 22 shooting the same round runs a dead heat with it with me.
I have a Sig 229 in .40. It's been a nice pistol and is very accurate. It's also never jammed. These days I dont shoot it much. I was never a fan of the transition from double action to single on that first shot. Also, the bore axis is quite high in the hand compared to other pistol. I prefer my Glock 26 over my Sig 229 but that's just my preference in that it addressed both issues I never really liked about my 229. Shoot one first, with the high bore axis and recoil of the .40, you may fin it slow to get back on target quickly. It tends to roll in the hand more than other .40's.
The P229 in .40S&W is the gun that caused me to catch the SIG bug. I love SIGs, all SIGs (I have a P290RS and a .45ACP P250 Compact right now), but I especially love the classic series, and especially the P229.
It is accurate, reliable, and durable. Many of the older .40S&W pistols were modified 9mm designs and so some people have durability concerns. The 229 was designed around the .40S&W and the 9mm models were modified for the 9mm round so it is more than durable enough for the round.
The P229 I used to own (I bought it used so I have no idea how many rounds went through it before I bought it) never had a single issue in the time I owned it. I'm a teacher, and my old job didn't pay over the summer, unfortunately, some unexpected expenses ate up my summer savings one year and I had to sell it to help pay rent. I've had some nice guns that I've sold and regretted (first year S&W 57, P&R S&W 19, S&W 586, CZ 40B, among others) and I stupidly sold my first handgun (Taurus 82), and I'm not sure that I regret any sale more than my P229.
It may be the best DA/SA auto, and the best .40S&W on the market.
It is accurate, reliable, and durable. Many of the older .40S&W pistols were modified 9mm designs and so some people have durability concerns. The 229 was designed around the .40S&W and the 9mm models were modified for the 9mm round so it is more than durable enough for the round.
The P229 I used to own (I bought it used so I have no idea how many rounds went through it before I bought it) never had a single issue in the time I owned it. I'm a teacher, and my old job didn't pay over the summer, unfortunately, some unexpected expenses ate up my summer savings one year and I had to sell it to help pay rent. I've had some nice guns that I've sold and regretted (first year S&W 57, P&R S&W 19, S&W 586, CZ 40B, among others) and I stupidly sold my first handgun (Taurus 82), and I'm not sure that I regret any sale more than my P229.
It may be the best DA/SA auto, and the best .40S&W on the market.
My 9mm 229 SAS has been flawless and has been the catalyst for 3 other people getting 229s. I would consider being sure the model you are looking at has the SRT trigger in it because it just makes the package right.
As for mags, factory are great and I can say Mec-Gar are gtg as well. I run the +3 for reloads and they have never given any problems.
As for mags, factory are great and I can say Mec-Gar are gtg as well. I run the +3 for reloads and they have never given any problems.
I bought one of the early reconditioned ones from SIG that they bought back from police departments. New nightsights, refinished, looked new. It was one of the early railed 229's in 9mm. I have carried it for years with rounds numbering in not the thousands but over 10,000. Yes shot it a lot.
It rattles now. But it still shoots like a target gun. Has the best DA/SA of any gun of the type I have. And has never not shot.
My other SIG's are German models. But the early 229's rock. I have the whole P-series. The 220 and 229 are my favorites. Heard SIG quality has gone down in the newer guns. Damn shame. One of the finest Combat Handguns ever made.
It rattles now. But it still shoots like a target gun. Has the best DA/SA of any gun of the type I have. And has never not shot.
My other SIG's are German models. But the early 229's rock. I have the whole P-series. The 220 and 229 are my favorites. Heard SIG quality has gone down in the newer guns. Damn shame. One of the finest Combat Handguns ever made.
Bamashooter
New member
I recently bought a used 229 40S&W. Never owned a Sig or a 40S&W until that purchase and can honestly say its one of the finest handguns Ive ever owned. Extremely accurate, very reliable, its just a good gun. I dont think you will regret your decision.
The following is not meant to downplay, Constantine's well reported problems with his used Sig, and Sig's failure to do anything about what is to me an obvious factory defect.
That said, several years ago, I bought a used P290 when they were still fairly new on the market. After a short period of time, the front sight (tritium type) went dark, and I was getting light firing pin strikes resulting in 1-2 failures to fire in each 100 rounds.
A call to Sig (and yes I did tell 'em it was a used gun when I called), resulted in a FEDEX shipping label and Sig fixed both problems in less than two weeks and on their dime. This was 3-4 years ago, so maybe things have changed, or I got an unusually receptive customer service agent. Since then I've had nothing but great dealings with Sig's CS people, albeit with other guns that I purchased new.
As to your choice of a P229...my #2 son has one, and likes it a lot. Other than the typical Sig bulky grip, and the 9mm caliber, I like it a lot as well. I have size "L" hands but still find Sig's in general, have overly round, bulky grips making the reach for the trigger a bit on the long side of things...especially in DA shooting, ie. the first shot for a DA/SA gun.
Hope you like yours if and when you buy it. You might try different Sigs as some have the smaller grip diameter and a better (SRT) trigger. If you find what you want, retro fitting your 229 is an easy job. Too, if you go with a .40, and you're a handloader, brass is easy to find via the LEO or range pick up route...and it's a better SD round with more bullet weight options IMHO.
Best Regards, YMMV....Rod
That said, several years ago, I bought a used P290 when they were still fairly new on the market. After a short period of time, the front sight (tritium type) went dark, and I was getting light firing pin strikes resulting in 1-2 failures to fire in each 100 rounds.
A call to Sig (and yes I did tell 'em it was a used gun when I called), resulted in a FEDEX shipping label and Sig fixed both problems in less than two weeks and on their dime. This was 3-4 years ago, so maybe things have changed, or I got an unusually receptive customer service agent. Since then I've had nothing but great dealings with Sig's CS people, albeit with other guns that I purchased new.
As to your choice of a P229...my #2 son has one, and likes it a lot. Other than the typical Sig bulky grip, and the 9mm caliber, I like it a lot as well. I have size "L" hands but still find Sig's in general, have overly round, bulky grips making the reach for the trigger a bit on the long side of things...especially in DA shooting, ie. the first shot for a DA/SA gun.
Hope you like yours if and when you buy it. You might try different Sigs as some have the smaller grip diameter and a better (SRT) trigger. If you find what you want, retro fitting your 229 is an easy job. Too, if you go with a .40, and you're a handloader, brass is easy to find via the LEO or range pick up route...and it's a better SD round with more bullet weight options IMHO.
Best Regards, YMMV....Rod
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In a former line of work, I've known lots of professionals who carried Sigs. I've never known a single one that complained about a Sig.
The most reliable gun I own, and that includes Smith & Ruger revolvers, is a P-229.
I have personal knowledge of an S&W 5904 fired 10k w/o cleaning or maintenance, and it never failed to fire.
I know that there are a lot of old schoolers who refuse to accept that a modern semiauto is more reliable than a revolver. Were it me, I'd go with a good-quality semiauto every time.
The most reliable gun I own, and that includes Smith & Ruger revolvers, is a P-229.
I have personal knowledge of an S&W 5904 fired 10k w/o cleaning or maintenance, and it never failed to fire.
I know that there are a lot of old schoolers who refuse to accept that a modern semiauto is more reliable than a revolver. Were it me, I'd go with a good-quality semiauto every time.
Quote: "...Other than the typical Sig bulky grip, and the 9mm caliber, I like it a lot as well. I have size "L" hands but still find Sig's in general, have overly round, bulky grips making the reach for the trigger a bit on the long side of things...especially in DA shooting, ie. the first shot for a DA/SA gun..."
rodfac, have you handled a SIG pistol with the E2 grip? I have XL hands and much prefer the E2 grip to the "originals". As a bonus of sorts, both of my Models 227 and 226 have E2 grips and they feel exactly alike.
rodfac, have you handled a SIG pistol with the E2 grip? I have XL hands and much prefer the E2 grip to the "originals". As a bonus of sorts, both of my Models 227 and 226 have E2 grips and they feel exactly alike.
rodfac, have you handled a SIG pistol with the E2 grip? I have XL hands and much prefer the E2 grip to the "originals". As a bonus of sorts, both of my Models 227 and 226 have E2 grips and they feel exactly alike.
Yep, one of my sons has converted over to the E2 grips....much improved in my hands. Just haven't done it to mine as yet. Were I to buy a new Sig, of any model, I'd opt for that grip. Rod
In a former line of work, I've known lots of professionals who carried Sigs. I've never known a single one that complained about a Sig.
The most reliable gun I own, and that includes Smith & Ruger revolvers, is a P-229.
I've own quite a few Sigs from their lowest end model to their very highest. Every one of them has just plain worked and most of them are at the top of their class for both accuracy and reliability. Sig stills makes a hell of a pistol even though I think they ship more dogs now than they ever did in the past. They quit test firing every pistol they ship several years ago and that has a lot to do with it.
As I've said a couple times before the quality of most manufacturers has been going down hill for years, some very drastically. I doubt I would buy a new gun from most of them, the newest pistol I own is an HK.
I'm not a Sig (or any other) fanboy but I've owned two and they've both been fantastic. I stumbled across one at the LGS for $450 a few years ago and snapped it up before someone else did. It was non-railed and in .357 Sig. During the post Sandy Hook panic I traded it for an AR and instantly regretted it. I started haunting the LGS looking for another one and a used one with the rail and also in .357 Sig. showed up a few months later for only $500. I bought a .40 S&W barrel for it and it runs like a champ.
Those two were the first Sigs I've owned and I've since added a P220, also for $500. If you like to buy used and don't mind waiting, good deals can still be had.
Those two were the first Sigs I've owned and I've since added a P220, also for $500. If you like to buy used and don't mind waiting, good deals can still be had.
The Sig P-226 is an excellent weapon. However, unless it has changed, its slide is stamped. The P-229's slide is machined from a block of stainless steel.
While it'll come down to preference, were it me, I'd go with a P-229 with its machined slide. But then again, the reality is machined or stamped, it probably won't matter.
Another consideration is the P-229 was designed for the .40 S&W. Other handguns were simply converted to fire .40 S&W rounds, which caused problems for some.
One more BTW, my preference is .40 S&W with 180 grain bullets. I want penetration and more of it. However, others seem to like the .357 Sig, which, I've read, has either been discontinued or about to be.
I have nothing against hollow point ammo. However, I never expect a hollow point to perform as advertised. Even if they did, I'd still rather have an exit wound. Lets out more blood and lets in more air...
While it'll come down to preference, were it me, I'd go with a P-229 with its machined slide. But then again, the reality is machined or stamped, it probably won't matter.
Another consideration is the P-229 was designed for the .40 S&W. Other handguns were simply converted to fire .40 S&W rounds, which caused problems for some.
One more BTW, my preference is .40 S&W with 180 grain bullets. I want penetration and more of it. However, others seem to like the .357 Sig, which, I've read, has either been discontinued or about to be.
I have nothing against hollow point ammo. However, I never expect a hollow point to perform as advertised. Even if they did, I'd still rather have an exit wound. Lets out more blood and lets in more air...
The Sig P-226 is an excellent weapon. However, unless it has changed, its slide is stamped. The P-229's slide is machined from a block of stainless steel.
New production models have machined slides and have for a few years now. There are many people, including quite a few on this forum, that prefer the stamped slides in terms of the balance they lent the pistols. Sort of a cult following.
Another consideration is the P-229 was designed for the .40 S&W. Other handguns were simply converted to fire .40 S&W rounds, which caused problems for some.
The P229 is essentially an upscaled P228 which is essentially a chopped P226 which is essentially a doubly stack frame P220. The P229 slide was machined rather than stamped, but from what I've read this was more out of a need to control slide velocity rather than just pure strength of the slide to handle the cartridge as the chamber pressure between the two cartridges is very similar (but I have heard differing accounts of this). I completely agree that the P229 handles the 40SW well and for me personally is probably a close second to the HK USP series in 40SW. My point is SIG took an existing design and modified it as needed for the 40SW to work. It wasn't a completely new design on its own.
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Hi TunnelRat,
You're probably right. I've bought one when they were first introduced. I did a lot of research before buying. No buyer's remorse. It's the best handgun I own. It was the best handgun I've carried. It's far more reliable than any revolver I've carried, and that includes a 586.
Before I retired, we were forced to go with the USP .45 ACP. It was a great gun. But it was huge and heavy. While it was completely reliable, so is my P-229. I think that the .45 ACP is the best tactical handgun cartridge, yet I wanted to go back to my P-229 because it was smaller and lighter. Nope. Administrators make administrative decisions without input from cops who have to work with their material. I'd of been a whole lot happier with a 1911A1. But I was told that that was excluded because of the offensive appearance of a cocked hammer. That administrator really believed that Joe Public actually paid attention to the appearance of cops' handguns.
The USP is an excellent weapon, but I can't say that it's better than the P-229. Having carried a USP, I'd rather have a P-229. But it's merely my opinion. And I know that others have their opinions.
Stay safe,
Sans
You're probably right. I've bought one when they were first introduced. I did a lot of research before buying. No buyer's remorse. It's the best handgun I own. It was the best handgun I've carried. It's far more reliable than any revolver I've carried, and that includes a 586.
Before I retired, we were forced to go with the USP .45 ACP. It was a great gun. But it was huge and heavy. While it was completely reliable, so is my P-229. I think that the .45 ACP is the best tactical handgun cartridge, yet I wanted to go back to my P-229 because it was smaller and lighter. Nope. Administrators make administrative decisions without input from cops who have to work with their material. I'd of been a whole lot happier with a 1911A1. But I was told that that was excluded because of the offensive appearance of a cocked hammer. That administrator really believed that Joe Public actually paid attention to the appearance of cops' handguns.
The USP is an excellent weapon, but I can't say that it's better than the P-229. Having carried a USP, I'd rather have a P-229. But it's merely my opinion. And I know that others have their opinions.
Stay safe,
Sans
The USP is an excellent weapon, but I can't say that it's better than the P-229. Having carried a USP, I'd rather have a P-229. But it's merely my opinion. And I know that others have their opinions.
To me a closer comparison to the P229 would be the USP Compact in 40SW. It's a lot more size friendly. I had a P2000 (a refresh on the USP Compact) in 40SW for a while that I really liked. I got rid of it at some point, which was a bad call on my part. Same for the P229 in 40SW. Luckily 40SW pistols can be had for very cheap now if you look.