Super confused about the current SIG P226/229 lineup and compatibility with older models.
Context: My girlfriend is getting serious into shooting. She's narrowed down her choices to a 9mm hammer fired, rail equipped, metal framed semi-auto w/decocker only. Her strongest caveat: Gun MUST be NIB. At the indoor range we have a membership at, they have a P226 Mk25 for rent. After 330 rounds of coaching on the Mk25 (some ball'n'dummy drills and teaching the rolling trigger break), she is consistently holding a 2" group at 5 yards with both DA and SA, and 6" at 20 yards. #TDAisImpossibleToShootWellWithoutMassiveDedicatio n
She has not yet fired a SIG P226/9 with the E2 grips. Even though she is shooting the classic SIG ergos very well, we've identified a range 1 hour away which has a P229 w/E2 grips to rent, and she wants to make the trip to fire it.
1) Is the P226 MK25 the only current 226 model that has old style grips? The others all look like they have the E2 grip. Can you retrofit an old SIG grip to the current "P226 Nitron", which appears to have the E2 grips?
2) Are there any mag compatibility issues between the different P226 models/generations?
3) What about the P229? Is the "Combat" the only current P229 with old style SIG grips? If she purchases a base P229 which appears to have the E2 grip...and she decides she ends up liking the old grips better......can she retrofit the old grips?
Remember, she is only interested in purchasing NIB. The only exception would be if she found just what she was looking for from a trusted seller, like some of the guys here. SIGs are plentiful in the WTS section, but it appears there aren't any of the models that she wants.
We are both having a blast...her, because it's like she's finally discovering "America" and she's fully shoving it in her rabidly anti-gun mom's face. Me, because she's genuinely interested in shooting bad people in the face with competency and it's incredibly fun teaching her to shoot well. Because TDA is impossible to shoot well.
Thanks for your help in understanding the current SIG lineup!