View Full Version : Sig 229 E2
Can someone confirm a few Sig 229 statements for me?
The new 9mm E2 229 uses the same frame as the .40, which is wider than previous 229s.
The new 9mm 15 round mags are not compatible with older (non E2) 229s.
The new 9mm E2 229 can still use old 229 mags.
MD7305
01-31-2012, 09:02 AM
1. Yes
2. Yes, the E2 9mm (229-1) mag is dimensionally the same size as a .40 mag so the new mags will fit in an older. 40/.357 gun but not an older 9mm gun if that makes sense.
3. Yes, although the mags are different dimensionally older 228/229 mags work in the e2 (at least in my experience with my e2 9mm).
Between your holster question and this, I have an educated guess you're switching from Glock to Sig, JV. I wonder what do you see as a primary difference between a TDA and LEM that makes you think you'll do better with E2 than P30. Sorry for hijack, feel free to make it a separate thread.
At any rate, good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
I have an educated guess you're switching from Glock to Sig, JV. Yup, my 2nd adventure with the Gen4 19 was also a bust and I can't trust the gun. I have a 226 E2 w/ SRT showing up on Monday. I may get a 229 E2 as a backup, but I want to see how the 226 works out first. I wish I still had a hook-up for the "Friends of Sig" program.
that makes you think you'll do better with E2 than P30. I tried the P30 LEM, and just couldn't get used to the LONG trigger pull. There's a lot of things about the P30 that I like (mag release and grip), but I didn't perform all that well with it. What I don't miss is the sporadic parts availability with HK. Maybe a DA/SA P30 would have been better for me ...
At any rate, good luck and let us know how it works out for you.Thanks. I hope to hit 20-30K by the end of the year, we'll see how it holds up. There's a lot of talk about the current production Sig quality ... I guess I'm about to experience it.
Will the new 229 E2 accept standard 226 magazines?
I EDC the 226 E2. I love it. The SRT and short reach trigger rock. I have around 3,000rds through mine w/zero malfunctions, stoppages, or breakages. The reduced frame and grip are great too. I would imagine that the 229 E2 would take 226 mags as I have put 226 mags in a 229 before and if the E2 takes older style mags but older 229's won't take E2 mags, then "older" 226 mags should work in the 229 E2. I love the 20 rd mags for the gun too. I came across some factory ones at my LGS for $20 a pop and bought all 5 of them. They are surprisingly carryable and negate the need for a second mag IMO.
Interesting. I think you'll really enjoy shooting the 226. I shot a pair of 229s for 2009 and had a fantastic experience. Keeping up with dry fire was a pain, but I haven't had as much fun shooting any other pistol. I often think of going back, but I'm no longer as dedicated as I was back then.
Vinh - Do you still have the 229? I was hoping to try one before purchasing the backup gun.
Yes, will try to meet up with you this week at NRA.
98z28
02-04-2012, 10:39 PM
Will be following this with interest. I am testing a P226 w/ E2 and SRT as well. If it runs, I will pick up a backup and switch back to Sig full time. Interestingly, I am also torn between a second P226 and a P229 for the backup. I carried a P229 40 on duty for years and wound up loving the gun. I have stupid big hands though and the P226 always seemed to fit better.
As far as current Sig issues, it seems like they either run out of the box or they don't. Even if they run you still have to watch out for small parts breaking prematurely, especially take down levers and trigger bar return springs. My old agency (around 300 sworn) traded in their old Sigs for new ones a few years back. I spoke to the lead FI and he mentioned that those two parts seem to be the ones to go when something breaks on the new guns. I am thinking I might just replace all of the springs and the takedown lever every 5k when it is time to change the recoil spring.
JV, have you tried the E2 on the P226 yet? I only have around 400 rounds through mine, but I have to say that I am not a fan of the grip. It is far too small if you have big mitts.
Whatever Sig has going on in the QC department, the P series guns are still ridiculously accurate and the DA/SA trigger smooths out very quickly. Despite how popular striker fired guns are, I think a good DA/SA trigger is about as full of awesome as it gets, especially with the SRT. The DA is fantastic for the press out and the SRT offers a short, positive reset.
One thing that I never noticed until spending a long time with Glocks and then going back to Sig is that the P226 feels like it takes forever to cycle. I don't see any difference on a timer, but it just feels slower.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
JV, have you tried the E2 on the P226 yet? I only have around 400 rounds through mine, but I have to say that I am not a fan of the grip. It is far too small if you have big mitts. I have not fired one, but have played with one at the gun shop. I have small hands, having much easier access to the controls was a big selling point.
If the E2 grip doesn't work out, I can always install regular grips, like a set of CT Laser Grips.
One thing that I never noticed until spending a long time with Glocks and then going back to Sig is that the P226 feels like it takes forever to cycle. I don't see any difference on a timer, but it just feels slower. Can you track the front sight just as easily?
Yes, will try to meet up with you this week at NRA.Great, Thanks!
98z28
02-05-2012, 01:16 PM
I have not fired one, but have played with one at the gun shop. I have small hands, having much easier access to the controls was a big selling point.
If the E2 grip doesn't work out, I can always install regular grips, like a set of CT Laser Grips.
Can you track the front sight just as easily?
I could not, but don't read too much into that because:
I have only had it to the range for live fire once.
I only learned to track the front sight about two years ago, and I had already switched to Glock at that point. When I used to carry a Sig for a living, I had never heard of tracking the front sight.
Here is how I recorded my impressions a couple weeks ago (after shooting a Sig for the first time in about five years):
I have not shot a Sig in quite a long time. I was very impressed with the accuracy, but I have completely forgotten how run the gun at speed. In addition to jerking the shit out of the trigger, I had a VERY hard time tracking the front sight. I have spent so much time with Glocks over the past five years that I kept dropping the muzzle too far after each shot. I would have to bring the front sight back up before I could break the next shot. Moreover, the Sig had an odd recoil impulse. It felt like the entire gun lifted in recoil, starting from the muzzle and running all the way back to the grip. With a Glock, the recoil feels sharper, but the front sight lifts and drops back into the rear notch quickly. The Sig felt softer, but sloppier in comparison. I am sure this is simply because I haven't driven a Sig in over five years, but it was very distracting when trying to run the gun with any kind of speed.
I could see the front sight lift after breaking the shot, but I would the loose it and find I had returned it far too low. I have heard some noise about sloppy front sight tracking from the 226 as compared to a 229. At least for me, I suspect this comes down to knowing how to drive the gun. We'll find out over the next couple of months. That is the main reason that I am thinking about trying a 229 as a backup though. I'd like to see what the difference between the two is now that I know what tracking the front sight looks like.
If you have normal or smaller hands, the E2 will probably rock. For reference, I would put the big Hogue wraparound finger groove grips on my P229 and still be able to reach the controls without shifting my grip. The E2 just doesn't give me enough real estate to work in my support hand without compromising my strong hand grip.
The texture of the E2 is just about perfect. Not as rough as the P30, but rough enough to keep a solid purchase even with sweaty hands. Much better (texture wise) than the slippery stock Sig grips.
I split the 226 mag discussion in to a new thread.
98z28
02-17-2012, 04:46 PM
JV,
Now that you have spent a little time with the 226 and 229, do you notice any difference in front sight tracking between them? Any other differences worth mentioning? I am still on the fence about picking up a spare 226 or trying out a 229.
I took the 229 out for the first time today. I wasn't running them side by side, at speed, to notice much difference between the two. They both shot well. I'm waiting for the SRT trigger kit before I put a lot of rounds down the 229. I don't want the sear and hammer to wear together, only to swap out the sear when the kit arrives.
The factory trigger in the 226 is much more smooth than the 229, the 229 isn't bad - but it's not as nice; I bet that varies from gun to gun and not just between models.
One thing that bugged me about the 229 was the E2 grip width around the mag button. On the E2 226, the mag button stick out beyond the grip, I like that. With the 229, it's recessed, and it's harder to hit. Perhaps it's a familiarity issue, but I prefer the 226 grip width. I ordered an extended mag button to solve that issue.
595
The factory trigger in the 226 is much more smooth than the 229, the 229 isn't bad - but it's not as nice; I bet that varies from gun to gun and not just between models.
595
Yesterday at work I received thirteen, NIB, P229R DAK 40 's (2008 production). Ten had decent trigger pulls, one was noticably poorer (rough/gritty) and two noticably better/ smoother than the rest.
TCinVA
02-18-2012, 12:46 AM
I've seen that on Sigs I've fondled as well. Knowing that in the past Sig has managed to make trigger bars that don't work with their grips and that they jerry rigged a "fix", giving the gun's internals a good look-see for obvious issues like that might be worthwhile.
Too bad Ernie Langdon stopped doing trigger jobs...
98z28
02-21-2012, 01:27 PM
I took the 229 out for the first time today. I wasn't running them side by side, at speed, to notice much difference between the two. They both shot well. I'm waiting for the SRT trigger kit before I put a lot of rounds down the 229. I don't want the sear and hammer to wear together, only to swap out the sear when the kit arrives.
The factory trigger in the 226 is much more smooth than the 229, the 229 isn't bad - but it's not as nice; I bet that varies from gun to gun and not just between models.
One thing that bugged me about the 229 was the E2 grip width around the mag button. On the E2 226, the mag button stick out beyond the grip, I like that. With the 229, it's recessed, and it's harder to hit. Perhaps it's a familiarity issue, but I prefer the 226 grip width. I ordered an extended mag button to solve that issue.
595
That's just...silly. It's not like you might ever need to hit that button in a hurry or anything.
The trigger variation has been true of Sigs as long as I have been around them. My old issued P229 had one of the best Sig triggers I have ever felt. A co-worker had a P229 of the same vintage with one of the worst Sig triggers I have ever felt. I stupidly traded my P229 for a P220 after a couple years (we had our choice between 225, 239, 226, 229, and 220). My P220 also had one of the worst triggers I have ever felt on a Sig. But it was a supper deadly 45ACP! These were all guns produced from early- to late-1990's.
I am sure that this is not the case with your gun JV, but I'll put it out there anyway:
TCinVA is right. If the trigger doesn't seem quite right, it is worth taking the right grip panel off to make sure that the trigger bar or trigger return spring isn't rubbing on the inside of the grip. Sig has changed the design over the years and not all grips work with all vintages. I have also seen examples where someone put the trigger return spring in the wrong spot on the trigger bar. That can make the trigger feel a bit heavier than it should, if it works at all. :eek:
TCinVA is right. If the trigger doesn't seem quite right, it is worth taking the right grip panel off to make sure that the trigger bar or trigger return spring isn't rubbing on the inside of the grip.
There's definitely nothing "wrong" with it, I just really like the one on my 226. The SRT kit should arrive today, we'll see how it feels after the install. Let's see how it feels after 20K rounds ... :cool:
98z28
02-21-2012, 03:36 PM
There's definitely nothing "wrong" with it, I just really like the one on my 226. The SRT kit should arrive today, we'll see how it feels after the install. Let's see how it feels after 20K rounds ... :cool:
The best trigger job available, IMHO.
The SRT kit has been installed.
The great news is that I found the source of the roughness in the trigger. It was the top of the hammer strut. It was quite rough and uneven. After a quick file & and polish job ... voilą, a clone of my 226 trigger!
The extended magazine release is too long. It measures 1.275", the standard release is 1.100", something in the 1.190" would be perfect. When I get some time, I'll trim it down and checker it.
Kyle Reese
02-21-2012, 07:21 PM
The SRT kit has been installed.
The great news is that I found the source of the roughness in the trigger. It was the top of the hammer strut. It was quite rough and uneven. After a quick file & and polish job ... voilą, a clone of my 226 trigger!
The extended magazine release is too long. It measures 1.275", the standard release is 1.100", something in the 1.190" would be perfect. When I get some time, I'll trim it down and checker it.
Bring it tomorrow so I can...um....ensure it's safe to shoot. :D
Bring it tomorrow so I can...um....ensure it's safe to shoot. :DOK.
Can you compare/contrast the 229 to a G19 as a carry pistol in terms of AIWB carry, results on known drills, 25 yard and longer accuracy, etc?
I've only had 4 range trips with the Sigs, and only 1 was with the 229. So, it's a bit difficult for me to compare them with such different familiarity levels.
I have less than 1250 rounds, combined, through both guns - but I managed some 5.30 FAST runs on my 2nd or 3rd range trip. I don't yet have the consistency in performance that I have with the Glocks, but that was my best yet.
My splits are in the same ballpark as the Glock 19 (within .03s or so). I haven't practiced many Bill drills or 5"/5Y/5Shot drills, and I have a strong dislike (ok, it's hate) for the Sig night sights. I hope to fix that over the next few weeks.
Since I'm now Gagdetless, I like the Sig for AIWB because I thumb the hammer when holstering. That, combined with a heavier DA pull, makes me feel more confident when holstering.
The long range accuracy sucks, but that's all on me. I'll bench the gun on Friday and post up some targets.
Can you compare/contrast the 229 to a G19 as a carry pistol in terms of AIWB carry, results on known drills, 25 yard and longer accuracy, etc?
A few more details. I find that the 229 doesn't seem to shoot as "flat" as my 226, but I don't think it matters. I have a real hard time driving the 226 quickly. I've been doing a lot of 5" @ 5Y (5 shots) drills lately, and my splits are very often .25-.27s with the 226. If I really grip the gun hard and try to go fast, I can get them down to .23 or so but it requires a lot of effort and concentration on my part.
With the 229, I'm getting .21-.22s fairly easily with roughly the same number of hits. I have a lot more trigger time behind the 226 than the 229, but I like the 229 a lot more.
Side note: Don't take my mention/talk of splits as an indicator that I care about my split times, I really don't; It's a data point which illustrates my ability to drive the 229 faster, and with less effort, and that's what I care about.
How would you compare both the DA and SA trigger on the 229 to the LEM on your P30? Overall impression of how you shoot the 229 compared to the P30?
How would you compare both the DA and SA trigger on the 229 to the LEM on your P30? Overall impression of how you shoot the 229 compared to the P30?IIRC - The last time I shot a P30 was about a year ago, and I'm a better shooter than I was back then. So, comparing the two is a little unfair.
98z28
03-17-2012, 10:02 PM
Any further updates on the P229? I eventually want to get one to A/B against the P226, but I'm a little concerned about being a first adopter on the new extractor. Have you had any issues?
PPGMD
03-17-2012, 10:04 PM
Any further updates on the P229? I eventually want to get one to A/B against the P226, but I'm a little concerned about being a first adopter on the new extractor. Have you had any issues?
I have 5,000 rounds through a slide (from the 9mm x-change kits that were released before the E2 shipped) with the new extractor. No issues, wish I could tell you more but I switched to the M&P series shortly after I got the new slide.
I'm at 1400 rounds, that's 1 months worth of time and 5 range sessions.
I had four of instances where, during slow fire, the short reset wasn't short. I seem to have successfully cured my 226 of this problem, so I'm hopeful I can fix the 229 as well. It's just a simple stone/polish of the safety lever.
98z28
03-18-2012, 01:51 PM
All good data. Thanks guys.
Last night I noticed that my front sight is dead.
Guess it's time to figure out what I'm going to do for replacement sights ... I need something fairly soon.
The Heinie 335P sights (.190" front) raise the POI 2" (@ 15Y) over the factory 8/8 sights. The ones designed for the 229, part number 338P, should maintain the same POI since they have a taller front sight (.210"). My gun was hitting 1.5" low @ 15Y with the 8/8 and a center hold. It was POA/POI with a drive-the-dot sight picture - which drives me nuts.
I know there aren't many Sig shooters around here, but there's a lack of good data points for POA/POI with Heinie sights.
taadski
03-22-2012, 06:49 PM
I'm a bit of a Sig geek. They're mandated for work so I've done my best to embrace them for training/competetive shooting too. Re the discussion; I have a couple 226s in 9mm. One is my duty pistol and the other is a trainer/game gun. Both came printing "behind the dot" with 8/8 Mepros. I remedied the situation on the former with Straight eights (.220 rear/.190 front) and POI is at the top of the blade at 20 yards. The other wears a Warren rear (.180 tall) and a .150 tall Dawson FO up front. It also prints at the top of the FSP at 20 yards. I don't know if that helps you or not, but I figured I'd come out of lurking mode and put it out there.
T
Thanks. I was wondering about the Warrens, I have one - but haven't mounted it yet.
cdunn
03-22-2012, 07:26 PM
do you still have the p30?i'd like to try it out sometime.
FotoTomas
05-14-2012, 11:29 PM
We had a bunch of 229's (40 of'em) came in three years ago. About 15 had the AFU prefix. All of ours were 9mm. One of those AFU prefix guns had a barrel break at about 1500 rounds. I sent it back and SIG fixed it right up. Within the last six months SIG sent us a replacement barrel for each of our AFU pistols. They requested we replace them all and send the original barrels back to them. I had heard that several of our sister offices also had the odd barrel break from their new SIGs. I guess it became a problem rather than an inconvenience for them. They stood up and initiated the replacements. I wonder however if I find a AFU pistol on the street if it was provided an updated barrel?
At our main training facility I am told that the instructors and staff are NOT happy with the SIGs in general. Seems that they have more issues than the original Berettas we used and some of our offices still use around the country. I for one think the new rules requiring "green" ammo at the main indoor range is the culprit. The SIGs do not seem to like it as much as the Berettas.
Be that as it may I recently bought a 229 for myself to use for personal off duty carry and training. We shall see how mine does.
Timbonez
05-18-2012, 12:16 PM
Where was the barrel breaking?
John Hearne
05-20-2012, 08:11 AM
Where was the barrel breaking?
I don't know if it's the same issue but Sig release a bunch of 9mm P229 barrels in which the locking lug would shear off. It was supposedly limited to that particular caliber and model but I was asked to inspect a P220 of the same vintage.
FotoTomas
05-20-2012, 10:26 PM
I don't know if it's the same issue but Sig release a bunch of 9mm P229 barrels in which the locking lug would shear off. It was supposedly limited to that particular caliber and model but I was asked to inspect a P220 of the same vintage.
That was our issue. The lug sheared clean off. 9mm 229R DAK, AFU prefix in the serial number.
I have some photos somewhere that I took before I sent it back to Melissa. Will try to find them and post.
FotoTomas
05-20-2012, 10:36 PM
That was our issue. The lug sheared clean off. 9mm 229R DAK, AFU prefix in the serial number.
I have some photos somewhere that I took before I sent it back to Melissa. Will try to find them and post.
I found the images but they are on the work computer and Photobucket is a big NoNo at work. No access.
I will try to get a couple posted when I get home or access to a non work computer.
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