Is the P229 viable as a carry gun in 2024?

[Sero Sed Serio]

I was lucky enough to stumble across one of the special run all-stainless P229s new/old stock a couple of years ago. It was manufactured in 04-06 based on the serial number, and the model number on the case is P229-40-S. I have it pictured here next to my alloy frame .357 SIG P229, which was manufactured in 94-95.

I love my classic SIGs, and still have a handful from the late 90s and early 2000s when they were turning out elegant, high-QC handguns. I carried 9mm P229s exclusively from 2006 until around 2011, and was impressed with their reliability and shootability. To answer the OP's question, yes they are effective reliable, durable, and accurate. Yes, they are also somewhat capacity-to-size ratio inefficient, but not enough to be a handicap if the gun works well for you. It's similar in size to a G45, with a loss of 2 rounds in 9mm if you use the Mec-Gar 15 rounds. With the original 13 round mags (assuming we are talking about a short extractor older gun) you lose 4 rounds.

In .40/.357, I feel it is an excellent choice. However, with the 5th Gen. Glocks addressing the downsides of the previous generations of .40s, I don't know that it is as strong a contender over Glock that it used to be. Of course, H&K and S&W also make solid .40s if that is what you are looking for.

Now the downsides:

SIG QC is hit or miss, and I would want a lot more vetting with a current-production gun than with the older pistols. Likewise, replacement parts for an older gun will be newer-production MIM, which, while perfectly serviceable in other models, is not as good as the older machined small parts with SIGs.

I also have not handled a current production gun that has the amazing double-action triggers that my older German guns have, particularly the mid-to-late 90s samples.

The .40 and .357 are out of production. While still readily available, particularly with LE trade-ins, replacement parts will likely get harder to find as time goes by. .40 mags can be difficult to find new, and last I checked Mec-Gar was only producing 14-round mags with essentially a +2 floorplate for the .40/.357 guns.

For me, my SIGs are relegated to passion of the gun shooting, and not something that I routinely carry or put high round counts through. A Beretta 92 Compact, particularly worked over by LTT, would address all of the downsides that SIG has, in a package that is truly G19-sized, and if I were looking for a metal frame DA 9mm pistol for carry, that's probably the way I would go. If I were looking for a .40, my first choice would probably be a Glock 22/23 (since I primarily shoot Glocks), or a USP/USP Compact if I wanted DA. At the same time, if I found myself in a gunfight with one of my SIGs, the only complaint I would have would be losing it to an evidence locker.

[TheNewbie]

The SP2022 prices seem to have increased since I last looked at them.

[Sig_Fiend]

Between Gray Guns, Armory Craft, and The Sig Armorer you can now replace almost all of the critical fire control parts (e.g. trigger, hammer, hammer strut, sear, etc) in a classic SIG with higher quality components.

That gets pricey but, I think it's given those guns a bit of a new lease on life for the time being, at least as far as fixing the poor quality MIM issue. About the only thing I don't think anyone makes are aftermarket extractors for any classic SIGs.

[LtDave]

The SP2022 prices seem to have increased since I last looked at them.

Undoubtedly. I bought mine off GunBroker in 2013 and 2015. Prices then ranged from $400 to $500.

[Stephanie B]

Between Gray Guns, Armory Craft, and The Sig Armorer you can now replace almost all of the critical fire control parts (e.g. trigger, hammer, hammer strut, sear, etc) in a classic SIG with higher quality components.

That gets pricey but, I think it's given those guns a bit of a new lease on life for the time being, at least as far as fixing the poor quality MIM issue. About the only thing I don't think anyone makes are aftermarket extractors for any classic SIGs.

I don't know what the current thinking is (maybe @Mas can opine on it), but I'm planning to use my P229 as a carry gun, once I get a decent holster or two for it. So other than maybe changing springs for wear-and-tear reasons, I'm inclined to leave the internals alone.

[GJM]

I was lucky enough to stumble across one of the special run all-stainless P229s new/old stock a couple of years ago. It was manufactured in 04-06 based on the serial number, and the model number on the case is P229-40-S. I have it pictured here next to my alloy frame .357 SIG P229, which was manufactured in 94-95.

I love my classic SIGs, and still have a handful from the late 90s and early 2000s when they were turning out elegant, high-QC handguns. I carried 9mm P229s exclusively from 2006 until around 2011, and was impressed with their reliability and shootability. To answer the OP's question, yes they are effective reliable, durable, and accurate. Yes, they are also somewhat capacity-to-size ratio inefficient, but not enough to be a handicap if the gun works well for you. It's similar in size to a G45, with a loss of 2 rounds in 9mm if you use the Mec-Gar 15 rounds. With the original 13 round mags (assuming we are talking about a short extractor older gun) you lose 4 rounds.

In .40/.357, I feel it is an excellent choice. However, with the 5th Gen. Glocks addressing the downsides of the previous generations of .40s, I don't know that it is as strong a contender over Glock that it used to be. Of course, H&K and S&W also make solid .40s if that is what you are looking for.

Now the downsides:

SIG QC is hit or miss, and I would want a lot more vetting with a current-production gun than with the older pistols. Likewise, replacement parts for an older gun will be newer-production MIM, which, while perfectly serviceable in other models, is not as good as the older machined small parts with SIGs.

I also have not handled a current production gun that has the amazing double-action triggers that my older German guns have, particularly the mid-to-late 90s samples.

The .40 and .357 are out of production. While still readily available, particularly with LE trade-ins, replacement parts will likely get harder to find as time goes by. .40 mags can be difficult to find new, and last I checked Mec-Gar was only producing 14-round mags with essentially a +2 floorplate for the .40/.357 guns.

For me, my SIGs are relegated to passion of the gun shooting, and not something that I routinely carry or put high round counts through. A Beretta 92 Compact, particularly worked over by LTT, would address all of the downsides that SIG has, in a package that is truly G19-sized, and if I were looking for a metal frame DA 9mm pistol for carry, that's probably the way I would go. If I were looking for a .40, my first choice would probably be a Glock 22/23 (since I primarily shoot Glocks), or a USP/USP Compact if I wanted DA. At the same time, if I found myself in a gunfight with one of my SIGs, the only complaint I would have would be losing it to an evidence locker.

I hear QC mentioned a lot in connection with "Cohen P series pistols," but in my experience with over a dozen 226/229 9mm pistols over the last decade, I have not had a single issue. Compared to the 92, the 226/229 pistols have better optics mounting systems with factory slides and pistols available, the mag wells are more forgiving, and they have fewer sharp edges. I would much rather carry an optic 226/229 over a 92.

[fatdog]

I don't know what the current thinking is (maybe @Mas can opine on it), but I'm planning to use my P229 as a carry gun, once I get a decent holster or two for it. So other than maybe changing springs for wear-and-tear reasons, I'm inclined to leave the internals alone.

There are two mods that are factory standard things in certain models like the current M11A1 (actually a 9mm P229) and some of the Legion guns that might be the exception. First is the factory short reach trigger, makes it easier for many people because of hand size to get the correct finger placement. Second is the factory short reset trigger kit which replaces the factory sear with a different factory sear that shortens the reset distance.

Neither of those is doing something "reckless" like an aftermarket set of parts could be perceived to be doing, but both stand to improve performance without creating a dangerously light trigger. Like I said both are standard equipment on some models from the factory.

[Mas]

I don't know what the current thinking is (maybe @Mas can opine on it), but I'm planning to use my P229 as a carry gun, once I get a decent holster or two for it. So other than maybe changing springs for wear-and-tear reasons, I'm inclined to leave the internals alone.

If you're good with the size package, the P229 is definitely good to go. I've been very happy with my P229 Legion 9mm, which came out of the box with SIG X-Ray sights and a trigger SIG attributes to Bruce Gray. So long as the single action pull is above four pounds, I don't see any potential liability issues. Even in the time of polymer pistols we still see quite a few SIGs in class including current production versions of the classic series and they work fine. I've run across only one bad one, a P220 that went back to the factory.

[Sig_Fiend]

I don't know what the current thinking is (maybe @Mas can opine on it), but I'm planning to use my P229 as a carry gun, once I get a decent holster or two for it. So other than maybe changing springs for wear-and-tear reasons, I'm inclined to leave the internals alone.

I'm sure the stock internals will be just fine. I'm just salty from my experience a decade ago. Most of the problems I've seen seemed to be with P229's and P226's from roughly the ~2010-2014 era, give or take a year or two. That was maybe a few dozen with problems between range rentals, customer sales, and guns that had to be sent back to the factory. Small sample size compared to some here, so take it with a grain.

More often than not it was external issues like front or rear sights loose enough to push out of the dovetail. Some broken takedown levers. I think a few broken extractors. I seem to remember a few other broken internals but can't remember what. After about ~2015-2016, I haven't really seen that same level of issues and newer classic P-series seem to be just fine.

[SwampDweller]

Between Gray Guns, Armory Craft, and The Sig Armorer you can now replace almost all of the critical fire control parts (e.g. trigger, hammer, hammer strut, sear, etc) in a classic SIG with higher quality components.

That gets pricey but, I think it's given those guns a bit of a new lease on life for the time being, at least as far as fixing the poor quality MIM issue. About the only thing I don't think anyone makes are aftermarket extractors for any classic SIGs.

Don’t HK and Glock use MIM parts in their current duty guns that work just fine? I don’t understand the problem with MIM specifically with SIG but not other brands. They’re just about all filled with MIM parts now. This is a genuine question, maybe SIG’s MIM parts aren’t done right or something, that’s why I’m asking.