Sig P226 or P229 ?

Mush

Mush

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Hello there !

I am going to pass rPAL this week-end and soon (I hope !) I'll be able to figure in your CGN handgun club !

I would like you to discuss something about those 2 pistols listed in the title.
I want the gun to be .40 cal.
The gun will only be a range gun.
And PLZ don't suggest something smaller, I'm already proefficient with my friend's XD Tact at 21 yard.

I fell in love with the beauty P229 Elite stainless. But I have problem to differenciate between the 226 and 229 (both elite stainless).

Would you help me with that ?

What I know from now:

P229 was designed around the .40 cal.
P229 double stack and 226 single stack , right ?

I will probably have to mail order , are they readily available ? What could the cost be, (i have to prepare girlfriend) .
I'm interested to know what you like and don't like about these two.

Thanks you.

Mush
 
I am not going to make a recomendation on which one to get, but I have seen several of those floating around the EE lately. You could probably get a good deal there!
 
The P229 is basically a compact P226. Both have double stack mags. costs for comparable models are the same.
 
If the 229s were available without the extended barrel, I would get one in a heartbeat. But I do not like the look of the extended barrel at all, so my vote would be for a 226.
 
Mush said:
Hello there !

I am going to pass rPAL this week-end and soon (I hope !) I'll be able to figure in your CGN handgun club !

I would like you to discuss something about those 2 pistols listed in the title.
I want the gun to be .40 cal.
The gun will only be a range gun.
And PLZ don't suggest something smaller, I'm already proefficient with my friend's XD Tact at 21 yard.

I fell in love with the beauty P229 Elite stainless. But I have problem to differenciate between the 226 and 229 (both elite stainless).

Would you help me with that ?

What I know from now:

P229 was designed around the .40 cal.
P229 double stack and 226 single stack , right ?

I will probably have to mail order , are they readily available ? What could the cost be, (i have to prepare girlfriend) .
I'm interested to know what you like and don't like about these two.

Thanks you.

Mush
Click to expand...

Well, I like your taste in guns. I have the 229 in 9mm, and I have the 239 in 9mm. I actually used to have two of the 229's in 9mm, but I just sold one to finance something a bit different. I'm a big fan of the 229 myself, but I like the 226's too. The difference is not huge. They just have a bit different feel to them.

From what I can tell, the only 229 Elite's we have gotten in Canada have been the blued 9mm's - which is great looking gun in my book. Several of the site sponsors sell them. Sounds like you really want the Stainless Elite in .40 though. I think Questar (and maybe some other dealers) would put that together for you, but it will be prohibitively expensive in a 229 (as you will pretty much be buying a $250+ barrel that you will not be able to have... and you'll be buying another 106mm barrel that you can have). Get one as a 226 then. Definitely the more cost effective way of doing it anyway.

One nice thing about Elite's is they all have the SRT (short reset trigger), which I think is a desirable feature. Since I got my 239 TAC with SRT, I am not that keen on getting any SIG that doesn't have it. Although I will admit, it is not really a better or worse situation, it is what you get used to. You can certainly still rapid-fire double-tap away with the regular DA/SA trigger. For myself I think I would rather get used to SRT than stick with the traditional DA/SA though. It seems a bit nicer.

You can look at the U.S. website topgunsupply for some good pics of these guns. Keep in mind that all the Elites (and these days, I think all new SIGs) are stainless steel slides. Some have the stainless look, some blue/black treatment on them. The frames are all alloy, including on the stainless Elites. Guns with steel frames are around, but not as an "Elite" model. They are called SL's (and a few other things... SA's?)

Both the 226 and 229 are doublestack mags. In the SIG world:

Single-stack: 210, 220, 225, 230, 232, 239, 245, GSR, Mosquito... maybe some others.
Double-stack: 226, 228, 229, 250, SIG Pro

E-mail Questar (or Shooting Edge or P&D or whoever you want to deal with) and get some idea of what it is going to cost to bring in a stainless Elite in .40. I hate to break it to you, but it is probably going to come in at $1,500+ for the 226, $1,800+ for the 229 unless SIG puts some of the stainless Elite .40's together with "Canadian" barrels at the factory. As I say, so far I don't believe they have done this... just regular 229R in 9 or 40, Equinox in .40, Gen 1 SAS in .40, and blued Elite in 9mm.
 
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Ok , you guys knows something that I wasn't aware, the barrel lenght of those guns. I don't really like when the bbl extend way beyond the slide. If I understand correctly, to rectify this I must buy an illegal barrel on the 229, right . No way.

Looking at the Sig web page, they don't mention changes to ''canadian guns'' versions.

Could someone remind me of the minimum bbl lenght here in inches. In the rPAL books they only state millimeters and that is not clear.

As for price I can afford something under 2 grands well equiped.

Thanks for the help.

Mush
 
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I don't like the look of extended barrels either, but as you can see from the pic of my 229, it really isn't that bad:

sig5-1.jpg
 
Mush said:
Ok , you guys knows something that I wasn't aware, the barrel lenght of those guns. I don't really like when the bbl extend way beyond the slide. If I understand correctly, to rectify this I must buy an illegal barrel on the 229, right . No way.
Click to expand...

Yah. You can't rectify it. It is... either the gun has a barrel length over 105mm (4.13 inch) or it cannot come into the country to be owned by a individual (whether you are a cop, military, or the King of England). End of story.

The 99mm SIG 229 barrel is a "prohibited device" (s. 84 of the Criminal Code). Just being in possession of it in Canada is a criminal offence (s. 91(2) of the Criminal Code) without having the appropriate license.... which you can't get.

Mush said:
Looking at the Sig web page, they don't mention changes to ''canadian guns'' versions.
Click to expand...

They don't mention it there, but they do ship some 229's to Canada with 106mm barrels (4.17 inch), as those are the only ones that are going to be registered into the CFC for transfer to individuals. They look like this (below). Some like it some don't. I personally think they look great. Either way, some form of extended and/or threaded barrel is the only way you'll own a 229 in this country (unless there was a political revolution or something! :D VIVA!!)

SIGS5.jpg

SIG6-2.jpg


Mush said:
Could someone remind me of the minimum bbl lenght here in inches. In the rPAL books they only state millimeters and that is not clear.
Click to expand...

A handgun that "has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length" (4.13 inch) is a prohibited firearm. (That is s. 84 of the Criminal Code again).

SIG are great guns though - whether the barrel is 99mm (229 in the U.S.) or 106mm (229 in Canada) or 112mm/4.4 inch (226 everywhere), they are awesome guns and I recommend them highly.

It is a shame that sport and target shooters have to concern themselves with all this mumbo-jumbo... but unfortunately for us... this mumbo-jumbo is the law, and if you don't follow it your firearms will be gone and you'll probably be in jail.

On a lighter note...Ah.. hem.... this is me shooting a 229... it is fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynl7RwFME3I&feature=channel_page

And it is accurate too... if you pick your spots!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpeu0mfHUW0&feature=channel_page
 
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Just get a P226. The only practical reason for choosing the P229 over it's older brother is the fact that the slightly shorter slide and barrel make it easier to conceal. Since concealed carry is not a realist possibility for 99.9% of Canadian gun owners, the only thing going for the P229 is the novelty factor.
 
capp325 said:
Just get a P226. The only practical reason for choosing the P229 over it's older brother is the fact that the slightly shorter slide and barrel make it easier to conceal. Since concealed carry is not a realist possibility for 99.9% of Canadian gun owners, the only thing going for the P229 is the novelty factor.
Click to expand...

Maybe I imagined this, but does the P229 not have a slightly shorter length between backstrap & trigger? I don't have a P226 to check it against. I seem to remember reading a PDF file which listed different trigger reach lengths for various pistols, but can't seem to find it.

When I went into P&D and was handling pistols, the P229 fit much better in my hand than the P226. I could reach the controls fine on the 226, and I could definitely get a proper grip... but the 229 felt better. It might be an illusion because of the weight and/or shorter sight radius... but the P229 balances for me much more comfortably.


One thing to note... depending on where you buy your 229 and what model it is, the barrel you get might be longer than 106mm. Cerdan's picture shows the 106mm barrel, which I think looks fine. It doesn't bother me at all, it's a fine trade off for a smaller gun. But the guns that came with either stainless Barsto or Fire Dragon barrels (someone correct me if I'm wrong) are usually longer than 106mm and look hideous.
 
sogetthis said:
Maybe I imagined this, but does the P229 not have a slightly shorter length between backstrap & trigger? I don't have a P226 to check it against. I seem to remember reading a PDF file which listed different trigger reach lengths for various pistols, but can't seem to find it.
Click to expand...
You could always put a short trigger on the P226 if trigger reach was a problem.
 
capp325 said:
You could always put a short trigger on the P226 if trigger reach was a problem.
Click to expand...

thats what i did, and i love it

perfect fit, , and yes the 229 is a bit shorter all around for smaller hands.
although to me the extended barrel turns me right off.. besides if i could have any it would be the 228.. that was my fav. 229 just loses all its character for me.

get a 226, great gun and if you must have a stainless frame get the elite stainless .. they are easier to get than the 229 your after.

on another note, since you are new. READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
and try things out before anything.
when your in a hobby/sport like this just because you dont know the law. doesnt make it ok. read everything over and over until you are the expert it be a shame to lose a 2000 dollar pistol and never be able to see it or any again. because you didnt know the law.

and . somethings up here we just cant get, or have. dont ask why. just deal with it. were lucky we have anything at all.

good luck with the sig search. post pics of what you get when you get it.
 
With more thinking and your answers, I think it is gonna be a P266 Elite with the short trigger (I have small hands). I'll try to have it in stainless tho.

Is it possible to buy the gun with the short trigger factory installed or do I have to have it install by a gunsmith ?

Thanks

Mush
 
When I write short trigger I don't mean SRT, I mean the trigger that have smaller lenght of pull.

Thanks

Mush
 
you can install it yourself, not very hard at all. or just get a gunsmith to install it, cost ya like 20-30 bux and the trigger is like 40-45bux its not a big deal when your forking out 1500 for the gun already.
and no i have never seen the short trigger come from factory...
i did on a few cpo's, but they come with the normal standard trigger from factory.
 
I don't think that SIGStore will ship anything to Canada... unfortunately. I have tried, so have other guys on here.

Brownells stocks the short triggers, but they won't ship most gun parts to Canada (and no SIG parts of any kind as far as I can tell. I used to get lots from them, but I started getting all gun part orders cancelled beginning in September of last year (2008)).

Numrich still ships to Canada but they don't seem to stock the short triggers.

I bought a SIG short trigger here in the EE awhile ago. They come up once in awhile, but not too often. I have mine on a Norinco NP-34/SIG 228 mutant gun I have been working on (NP-34 frame and internals, 19lb. reduced weight Wolff mainspring, SIG 228 slide and grips, SIG short trigger, SIG mags.... I just need some SIGlite night sights and it should be a great gun).

One weird thing about the short trigger that I never would have thought about before I got one... it is so skinny you can actually pinch your finger between the back of the trigger and the frame. It is no big deal... and no I do not have total sausage fingers... but I never would have thought of that.

The short trigger is not a real big deal. Don't make it a deal breaker for your purchase. The only real use for it is, it gives smaller hand people a tiny little advantage on the DA. I can't really see any practical application to the SA. And it is just a skinny trigger, which some people like the look and feel of better. My actual preference for SIG triggers right now is the normal trigger with the SRT system, but you will find your own preference as you go.

The only gun I have ever heard of coming from the factory with a short trigger already installed is the "U.S. Coast Guard model" 229. It is basically just a plain jane 229 with DAK, night sights plus the short trigger. I'm not sure if it has an anchor on it or anything, like the "Navy" 226. I doubt we can get any of these in Canada. They have a picture on topgunsupply, but no stock. I guess I can hotlink to this, since none of us can order from these guys anyway:
http://www.topgunsupply.com/sig-sau...ights-dak-short-trigger-u.s.-coast-guard.html

So, what I would suggest is... buy the Stainless Elite 226 in .40 (since it sounds like that is what you want). They have one in stock at site sponsor P&D right now, by the way:
06525 Sig Sauer 226R Elite, Stainless, Night Sights 40 S&W 1,350.00 NEW

Then just ask a dealer to get you a short trigger... I would guess that Shooting Edge in Calgary might even have some, as they seem to stock some SIG parts.

Good luck with your PAL and your new purchase. Post some pics when you get it.
 
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