Is the P229 viable as a carry gun in 2024?

[Borderland]

On paper... I think it's hard to make strong case for a 9mm P229 these days. For reasons many have already mentioned.

But stats on paper aren't what make us love and connect with handguns.

I've owned and shot many DA/SA guns in the P229ish size range (PX4 Compact, CZ PCR, HK P2000) and while the P229 isn't any smaller, lighter or more accurate than any of them...

It offers a uniquely solid, reassuringly stable feel that's just satisfying. The recoil on a 9mm P229 is sooo mild. There's some muzzle rise, yeah. But the thing just feels absolutely unflappable, running through mag, after mag. It feels good. It feels right. It inspires confidence. And, at the end of the day, it still feels kinda special.

Does any of that matter, from a purely practical standpoint? Probably not. Nevertheless... I still like my P229. I like it better than the HK P2000 I had. It seems less ammo sensitive than the CZ PCR and CZ RAMI I had. And, as phat as it is... it's still not as thicc as a Beretta PX4 Compact. Though the PX4 wins handily in terms of pure shootability.

Attachment 117001

No rail for a light if that matters. One of the reasons I sold mine and replaced it with a p-30 SK. I think some of the new P-229's have a rail.

The P-F gun Jesus is seldom wrong.

A few years ago I think I purchased my p-229 new for <$700. That was a good deal. Police trade ins are in that price range now.

[Joe in PNG]

No rail for a light if that matters. One of the reasons I sold mine and replaced it with a p-30 SK. I think some of the new P-229's have a rail.

The P-F gun Jesus is seldom wrong.

Pretty much all the new productions 229's have rails except for the M11A1 version.

[HCM]

How did the P229 in your agency hold up?

I know you don’t like the DAK, but I do. Though my experience with it was mostly in the P226 platform. There are good condition DAK P229s out there.

I’m not a fan of the DAK, but the trigger mechanism was not really material to how well the guns held up.

They were accurate and reliable. In .40/357 you need to keep up with recoil spring changes. You should be changing the recall spring every 3,000 to 5000 rounds. If you don’t, around 7-8k you’ll start seeing some take down levers break. At about 22k without recall spring changes we saw the nose is the slide break off.

If you do the recall spring changes as prescribed, I’ve seen some 229s go to round counts of 80k or more.

[Rex G]

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!

Short answer: Yes. I might well still be carrying P229 pistols, had they been 9mm, instead of the snappier .40 S&W. (I got old.)

BUT, I might rather have used the P226, instead of the P229, had PD policy not limited me to the P229, at the time I transitioned. There were four approved duty pistols, at the time, one each from four manufacturers.

My $0.02: “Eye” and handle a P226, before deciding to buy a P229. Preferably side-by-side, with magazines inserted. Do notice that the P229 is about as tall as a P229, when each has its magazine in place. Notice the “decocker hump” area of each pistol. If I recall correctly, the P229 is thicker, at the decocker hump. The P229 is NOT simply a reduced-size P226. The barrel and slide are lightly shorter, but otherwise, the P229 is a chunky, high-volume pistol.

I transitioned from the P229 in 2015, shortly after my then-chief authorized 9mm to be an alternate duty cartridge. It was too late in my career for me to want to buy a 9mm P229, and I wanted to switch to a duty pistol with a lower bore axis, too, anyway. A “blue label” G17 was the more-sensible purchase.

[dogcaller]

Short answer: Yes. I might well still be carrying P229 pistols, had they been 9mm, instead of the snappier .40 S&W. (I got old.)

BUT, I might rather have used the P226, instead of the P229, had PD policy not limited me to the P229, at the time I transitioned. There were four approved duty pistols, at the time, one each from four manufacturers.

My $0.02: “Eye” and handle a P226, before deciding to buy a P229. Preferably side-by-side, with magazines inserted. Do notice that the P229 is about as tall as a P229, when each has its magazine in place. Notice the “decocker hump” area of each pistol. If I recall correctly, the P229 is thicker, at the decocker hump. The P229 is NOT simply a reduced-size P226. The barrel and slide are lightly shorter, but otherwise, the P229 is a chunky, high-volume pistol.

I transitioned from the P229 in 2015, shortly after my then-chief authorized 9mm to be an alternate duty cartridge. It was too late in my career for me to want to buy a 9mm P229, and I wanted to switch to a duty pistol with a lower bore axis, too, anyway. A “blue label” G17 was the more-sensible purchase.

This is all well said. I don't find the 229 to be easier to conceal that a 226, and I find the 226 easier to shoot and a bit more svelte. In my experience, any cover garment long enough to conceal a 228 in an OWB is long enough for a 226. I prefer IWB and with that, I actually prefer the slightly longer bbl.

[Leroy]

Current 226 andd 229 are identical in width. The only noticeable dimensional differences other than grip and slide length is the shorter beavertail and smaller radius on the front strap of the 229 which does make the grip feel slightly larger.

[Stephanie B]

And now the fun begins.

[Joe in PNG]

I've mentioned before that I still regret selling my 229 9mm back in the 2000's, and will regularly ask to buy it back from the guy I've sold it to.
And he regularly tells me no.

[TGS]

Viable? Yes.

Ideal or even competitive? Not really.

I was only issued the P229 for a few years before we switched to Glock, and it was getting a bit annoying to carry it concealed everyday. If our policy had allowed us to carry the P239 as our primary on duty instead of being restricted as a BUG/off duty, I probably would've carried the P239 everyday and only carried the P229 for enforcement ops and protection. There were people who were doing that anyway, out of policy...

[MattyD380]

No rail for a light if that matters. One of the reasons I sold mine and replaced it with a p-30 SK. I think some of the new P-229's have a rail.

The P-F gun Jesus is seldom wrong.

A few years ago I think I purchased my p-229 new for <$700. That was a good deal. Police trade ins are in that price range now.

Bless you, sir.