Obviously, the gun is effective, reliable, durable, and accurate.
But does it make good sense as a carry gun in 2024? Is it too heavy? Is the capacity to size ratio wildly inefficient?
I’ve been eyeing one for a bit, but I’m curious what people think.
Thanks!
On paper, sure, more modern guns are lighter and smaller for the same capacity.
But no one can make the choice for you. You’re the one that will deal with the bulk and weight.
It’s still a safe and reliable gun.
You have two questions in your one.Originally Posted by consumer_ignorance
One is about the gun itself.
The other is about you using and carrying the gun.
Answer the second first, then if that turns out positive, analyze the first question.
Personnally, for various reasons, the second question is answered in the negative but I do think the gun is quite good.
" La rose est sans pourquoi, elle fleurit parce qu’elle fleurit ; Elle n’a souci d’elle-même, ne demande pas si on la voit. » Angelus Silesius
"There are problems in this universe for which there are no answers." Paul Muad'dib
I think @cheby carries a p229?
It's not a light gun, at 34oz. It's also thick, which can make CCW more challenging.
My main carry is a CZ P-07, roughly the same size as the 229 but a bit thinner (similar to a Glock 19) and lighter. I'm not a huge guy, and can carry it all day long without problems. When I'm in grizzly country I usually carry a Glock20, which is bigger in every dimension. That's fine for a week or two, but I would get really tired of lugging that thing around full time. And concealment is more challenging.
Clear as mud?
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
Inefficient as opposed to what? That's quite a rabbit hole to go down.
A gun like a SIG P365 XMacro might be seen by some as more "efficient" because it holds more rounds, weighs less, and is thinner, but if you shoot the P229 better and have more confidence in it then what do those stats on paper matter?
Don't go down that rabbit hole.
I carried a P228 for a little while on and off duty. Looking back it was a fantastic gun.
If you like the P229, shoot it well, and are confident with it, then there is absolutely no reason not to carry one today.
I carried one and made it only a few months. The weight and size got to me, it just carried more difficulty than a guns that have similar capability.
With that said, da/sa is a very safe system to conceal and p229s, especially older ones, are very reliable guns
Ignore what I said, what he said is the better way to think about it. If you like it, feel safe carrying it, and feel capable. Who cares what any of us think.
I will agree with others above, having carried a P228 and P229 for a lot of years as an issued pistol, I'd really prefer to carry almost anything else nowadays. They're reliable and accurate, but heavy, thick, and capacity challenged. And, unless you've got a very nicely worn in version or are willing to replace some springs, the DA trigger is likely to be on the heavy side, and could be less smooth than you'd like.
Lastly, unless you're willing to spring for the Legion version, optics are strictly a custom-mill scenario.
BUT, if you don't mind the weight and width, and you can shoot it well, I would carry it and not look back. I would definitely not lose sleep over 13 rounds in the mag versus 15.
How the hell would I know? I carry a 1911.
Do I personally think there are better options for carry? Yes. But, it certainly *can* work for carry. Heck, I carried a P226 Legion SAO for a while and it was fine. I have a bigger frame and used a quality holster and it was no problem.
I carry a G19 now and find it to be my favorite combo for reliability/shootability/accuracy/capacity/size. A P229 is certainly heavier and a bit wider, but it can be done. If I were wanting to run a DA/SA, I’d be running a P07 basically exactly how Clusterfrack has his set up.
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