OG Sig P229 Review (in 9mm): Worth the Girth
Part of me feels compelled to say the OG P229 is “overbuilt” for 9mm.
But I won’t (say that).
Because it would suggest that 9mm is, in some sense, inappropriate for the P229. And I’m here to tell you that shooting 9mm out of this hulk of a handgun is not only appropriate… it is…
Glorious.
This second-hand leather jacket is big, bulky and awesome—much like this second-hand P229.
It is endearing. It is fulfilling. It is captivating. It is what “Willis” was talking about. It is what Chuck Norris dreams about (if Chuck Norris slept). It is everything you didn’t know you wanted in a magnificently massive—yet somehow still “compact”—handgun.
So, one gun hipster to another, I wanna tell you alllll about it.
What makes the original P229 hipster worthy?
While the OG P229 was specifically designed to handle the higher pressures of .40 S&W and .357 SIG, its requisite bulk makes it an addictively smooth and stable 9mm launcher.
I’ll be honest here.
The P229 isn’t exactly… graceful. In terms of ergonomics, it falls somewhere between a Beretta 92 and a Coke can. Its slide evokes the dimensional sensibilities of a brick. Its bore axis is high. Its trigger reach is long. And it points a little bit like a hairdryer.
But here’s the thing…
You won’t give a _uck about any of that when you’re shooting it.
The P229 ratchets out 9mm slugs like a tactical Pez dispenser. Its trigger break is deftly crisp. Its recoil is nonexistent. And even with a ratty old recoil spring (that probably should’ve been replaced in the Clinton era), the thing is absolutely unflappable. And it makes you feel… absolutely unstoppable.
“But who asked for this?” you may wonder. “Who asked for 30+ oz. ‘Tacti-Brick’ in 9mm parabellum?”
Well, no one. But people did ask for the 10mm auto. And that’s where the story of the Sig P229 begins.
Yes, that’s a random plastic bag in the background. But you came to see the gun—not my mess.
It All Goes Back to 10mm
After several agents were shot to pieces by heavily armed criminals in the infamous Miami shootout of 1986, the FBI embarked on a crusade for a new “wonder cartridge.” Something that could deliver revolver-esque power in a semi-auto form factor. Something that could turn every nascent FBI agent into a veritable Sonny Crockett.
Something like… the 10mm auto.
In 1990, the feds formally adopted the big Smith & Wesson model 1076 to chamber the big 10mm cartridge. But, as they soon learned, the cartridge—and the gun—were just too big.
So, the FBI started underloading the 10mm cartridge to about 2/3s of its ballistic potential. After a year (or so) of this, Smith & Wesson had an epiphany: “If we’re not fully loading the 10mm casing, couldn’t we just make the casing… SHORTER!?”
I’m guessing it was intern who had that idea. You know, the only people in corporate America who are still un-jaded enough to suggest good, solid, common-sense ideas they truly believe in. But I’m sure some dick in a pin-striped suit took all the credit.
Anyway…
The result was the .40 S&W—essentially a shorter, less powerful 10mm. But… it’s still more powerful than 9mm AND short enough to be chambered in 9mm-sized guns.
More power? Same size? “Yes, please,” said the police departments of America.
And the FBI? The people who started this roller-coaster ride through caliber wonderland?
They just went back to 9mm.
There are times when we all need a picture of an old-school P229 in a window.
The Forty Factor
As I’m sure many of you know, Glock actually beat Smith & Wesson to the market with the very first .40 S&W handgun: the Glock 23. Regardless, the cartridge gathered steam with law enforcement and soon became the de-facto standard of U.S. police in the ‘90s.
But where was Sig Sauer?
Somewhere behind a gigantic hydraulic press, in Eckernförde Germany. Because the guns they’d been making since the 1970s all used stamped/folded/welded sheet-metal slides—none of which could stand up to the pressures of .40 S&W.
So, Sig designed a new pistol, using the compact(ish) P228 as a template. However, unlike all of Sig’s previous pistols, this new gun would feature a slide machined from solid stainless steel—inherently stronger than the sheet metal slides found on P228s, P226s, P225s and P220s.
L to R: P229, P245, P225 & P239. The P229 and the P239 have machined slides. The P245 and the P225 have stamped slides.
But Sig didn’t stop there. They designed a new short external extractor and they added flared “reinforcing bands” to the lower half the slide, further increasing the weight (and thickness) of the reciprocating mass. The cocking serrations were then cut into these reinforcing bands, only going halfway up the slide.
So, in 1992, Sig unveiled the glorious girth of the P229, chambered in .40 S&W. In 1994, they began offering the P229 in their own house-made super caliber, .357 SIG—which is also based on a shortened 10mm casing, but bottlenecked down to a 9mm-sized projectile.
Then, finally…
Later in ‘94, Sig started making P229s in the lowly, plebian 9mm.
Probably another intern idea.
But before we get into why in hell anyone would want to shoot 9mm mosquito farts out of a 30 oz. beast like the OG P229, let’s clear a few things up in the size and weight department…
Down With the Thickness
Just how fat is the slide of an old-school P229?
Interestingly, it’s more-or-less the exact same width as a Beretta 92 slide. Holding the slides up to each other, bottom to bottom, I couldn’t tell a difference. Slide-width measurements sourced from the internet suggest that the P229 slide might actually be a fraction of a mm wider than a 92 slide:
Pre-2009 “Legacy” P229 9mm: 28.5mm (sourced from Sigtalk.com)
Pre-2009 “Legacy” P229 .40/.357: 28.6mm (sourced from Sigtalk.com)
Beretta 92: 28.2mm (sourced from AR15.com)
P229 slide on a Beretta 92 slide—they’re basically the same width.
Other slide-width measurements, for reference:
P228: 25.6mm—basically 1 inch (sourced from Sigtalk.com)
Post-2009 P229 9mm: 25.8mm—basically 1 inch (sourced from Sigtalk.com)
Post-2009 P229 .40/.357: ????? (I couldn’t find measurements on this—but I have read they’re wider)
Ruger P89: 27.0002mm (sourced from thefiringline.com)
The stamped slide of the P245 on the P229 slide. You can see the P229 is notably thicker.
This means the OG P229’s slide is wider (~3mm) than every other P2XX Sig. All of which have pretty much the same ~1-inch slide width. Hell, the OG P229’s slide is even wider than a Ruger P89’s slide (but not the frame).
Now, it’s important to note that Sig changed the design of the P229, starting in 2009.
First of all, they eliminated the wider “reinforcing bands” that had always been present on P229 slides. This means that post-2009 9mm P229s now have a slide width that’s about the same as all other Sigs. I have read that newer .40 & .357 P229s still have slightly wider slides, but without the prominent “reinforcing bands” found on earlier P229s. Sig also gave the new P229 (all calibers) full-height slide serrations for the first time in its history, as well as a newly designed “long” external extractor.
Furthermore, Sig standardized the frames between calibers. 9mm P229s had always used P228 frames (more or less), whereas the .40/.357 P229s used a slightly beefed-up version of that. Newer P229s ALL use the .40/.357 sized frames now. 9mm magazines were also changed to fit these new frame dimensions—namely the roomier mag well.
Newer 9mm P229s are often called “P229-1s” to reflect this change.
Apparently, the -1 ONLY applies to 9mm P229s. I have read that newer P229 9mm mags are marked “P229-1.” However, aside from appearing on mags, the whole “-1” business isn’t really meant to be a consumer-facing “thing.” At least I don’t think it is.
At the time of the 2009 transition, P229s were generally all American made—and they had been for a while (at least in the USA). Throughout the ‘90s into the early 2000s, P229 frames had been imported from Germany while the slides had ALWAYS been made in New Hampshire. You may occasionally come across a rare all-German, triple serial-numbered P229 in the US. But, as a rule, they didn’t bring many of those to the states. In fact, I tend to think many/most European P229s may also have US-made slides. But I’m not 100% sure on that. If you’re in Europe and you know, please enlighten us!
_ucking get up and get DOWN WITH THE THICKNESS!
One other thing about the “Legacy” (pre-2009) P229s…
.40s & .357s have even BEEFIER slides than the 9mms. But I don’t think the .40/.357 slides are wider overall.
Let me explain…
From what I can tell, older .40/.357 P229s have slightly taller slides than the 9mm versions. Furthermore, the “step” above the flared reinforcing band seems to come in more on the 9mm P229s. So, I THINK the top half of the slide is thicker on the .40/.357s, but not the bottom half. On the newer P229s, I’m not sure how the slides are different between calibers.
Yes, that’s a lot of information. So, here’s the breakdown:
Pre-2009 P229s:
Often called “Legacy” or “Legacy Slide” models
Thicker slides with reinforcing bands (~28.5mm width on all calibers)
Half-height slide serrations
Short extractors
Slightly different frame for .40/.357 vs. 9mm
Beefier (but not wider!) slides on .40/.357 vs. 9mm
Post-2009 P229s:
9mms are called “P229-1s” (but not the .40s & .357s)
9mms have thinner slides with no reinforcing bands (25.8mm width)
Anecdotal evidence suggests .40s & .357s are wider than this (but couldn’t find measurements)
Full-height slide serrations
Long extractors
Standardized frame for 9mm and .40/.357
I’ll talk more about Legacy P229s vs. newer P229s later. But for now, back to the review…
The 9mm Beast
So, yeah…
Back in the early ‘90s, some starry-eyed intern had this bright idea to release the P229 in 9mm.
“Stop slide shaming—I’m NOT too fat for 9mm!”
And, like most intern ideas, it was a _uckin’ great one. Compared to the P228 on which it’s based, the Legacy P229’s wider, beefier slide adds roughly 2 ounces to the total weight to the pistol (26.1 oz vs. 28.1 oz, in 9mm). No, that’s not a huge difference.
But again, it’s just in the slide.
I’m no physicist. I’m no engineer. I don’t even own any power tools (except a Dremel). But in my experience, greater mass in a pistol’s slide does help it feel more stable as you’re shooting. I had a P228 and a P226. I do perceive a difference, with the P229.
BANG!
There’s a slight push. But it’s hard to describe that sensation as “recoil.” It’s seamless. It’s transparent. Even with the high bore axis, you barely feel the muzzle rise.
BANG! BANG!
You get the sense you’re not just shooting. Because the Legacy P229 isn’t just a gun—it’s a launch pad. A staunch bulwark of highly engineered metal, grounding and stabilizing every shot you take.
BANG!
The single-action trigger breaks with an understated—yet satisfying—snap. The big, broad trigger shoe gives you a very tactile point of leverage against the sear. And if you can time the reset correctly (which is fairly long, in stock form) double taps are a breeze.
Plus, the double-action trigger is fantastic. Basically no stacking or over travel. I would say it’s the most shootable DA I’ve ever experienced in a Sig. In fact, it rivals the smoothness and consistency of the DA pull on my Smith & Wesson 5906—which, for me, is best in class.
Note: Someone did update the hammer strut on this P229 (and the takedown lever). That definitely helps the DA pull. Don’t worry—these are stock, factory parts (in case YouTube is reading).
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The shots come quick and steady. Your grip remains intact. Your aim holds true. And your desire to launch untold quantities of projectiles through this thing intensifies. Shot after shot. Mag after mag. Box after box.
My first few mags through the P229 @ 10 yards. All single action. Dead on, windage wise—though a few went high.
In 9mm, the OG P229 is a ballistic opiate.
You just want to shoot it.
It makes you happy. It makes you glad you own it. And with its endearingly stout heftiness—crammed into a clean, compact form factor—there’s something satisfying about holding it. Handling it. Shooting it. Something you just _ucking like. It’s dense. It’s solid. It’s well-made. It feels like Sig Sauer at its best.
But, all that said…
I can’t say it’s my best shooting pistol…
It’s All About Communication
Yet.
I mean, I’ve had this thing a grand total of a month.
Even so, I put up some solid groups and gave the 10-ring hell. Also, DA to SA transitions are sublimely smooth and intuitive with this thing. The gun simply excels in that regard. But, in some cases, it slips just a bit left of POA. Not an uncommon problem for me—even with pistols I shoot well.
My second range trip. 50 rounds @ 10 yards, single action. Tight group—though a little left.
As I’ve said in other reviews, I find that some guns are just more communicative. The recoil impulse seems to keep you “in tune” with where, and how, your shots are hitting. The Beretta 92 excels in this regard (for me, anyway).
Now, don’t get me wrong: the P229 feels absolutely fantastic as you’re shooting it. As I said, the whole recoil impulse is seamless and transparent. But, in that, I think you sorta lose your “sense” of the shot—just for a nanosecond—after the trigger breaks.
My experience with the P228, P226 and P225 has been similar, in this respect; I honestly shoot the P239 best of all the classic 9mm Sigs I’ve owned (which is pretty much all of them). Though I think that is mostly a function of the P239 being more suited to small hands.
I actually prefer the Hogue rubber grips to the stock plastic grips. Both are girthy. But at least the Hogues are grippy.
Well, that and the fact that I’ve been shooting P239s for years.
I will also say that I do NOT have the best-est, most up-to-date-est setup in terms of grips and sights for this P229. I didn’t really wanna spend $200+ on extra shit (G10 grips, sights, short-reach trigger, etc.) before writing this review.
So, the gun still has the factory bar-dot sights (“Von Stavenhagen” for Sig nerds) and factory hard-plastic grips. I also have Hogue rubber grips, which came with the gun. Both grips are comfortable, but fat (phat?!). Both are probably less than ideal for my munchkin hands. And I’ve never found Sig bar-dot sights to be all that precise.
In the ~350 rounds I put through it, I used both the factory plastic grips as well as the Hogue rubber grips. And while both are girthy, of the two, I think I prefer the rubber grips. In the absence of an aggressive texture, they just “stick” better. And I don’t think you gain all that much in terms of trigger reach with the factory plastic grips.
Did some DA to SA transitions @ 10 yards. Very easy to keep them all in a head-sized area—you might say it’s a “no brainer” :)
Obviously, anyone seriously using a P229 in 2022 is probably going to be using Hogue G10 grips. And I probably should be, too. They’re shallower and slimmer than the stock grips, with an aggressive texture that is much better at keeping the gun anchored in your hand. Though I can’t say I love the flat, slab sides of the Hogue G10s. They’re fine, but I just prefer a bit more contour.
Regardless of grips and sights, the OG P229 is a pure joy at the range. And while I might be a bit more precise with my P239s (and my P245—that thing is a laser), I think I enjoy shooting the P229 the most. Even compared to the P226 and the P228.
I guess you could say it’s… worth the girth.
But will I carry it?
Hmmmm…
A P229 in Your Pants?
The P229 is officially a “compact.” But…
Is it?
Yeah, it’s shorter than a P226—both in the grip and the slide. But it weighs about the same. And, since we’re talking Legacy P229s here, it’s definitely thicker.
Compared to a P226, the shorter grip does give you more leeway in terms of how it carries. But, as we all know, thinner guns are just more comfortable to put in your pants. For instance, my Walther P88c—which is kinda in the same size “genre” as the P228 & P229—is shorter, thinner and lighter. And probably more accurate at the end of the day.
The Walther P88c (left) is MUCH less bulky than the P229. The P88c makes a great mid-size, DA/SA carry gun.
As an aside: if you’re looking spend a little dough and you want a fantastic mid-size DA/SA carry gun… P88c. Track one down. You’ll love it.
Another thing that’s interesting about the P229…
I compared the height of my P229 to my Beretta 92. They’re the same height, almost exactly. Yes, you understood that right: the 92 is shorter than the P226 and it’s the same height as the P229. I mean, it’s not like I plan to EDC my 92. But, that’s the point I’m making here: I probably ain’t gonna EDC this P229 either.
I found it interesting that the Beretta 92 (right) is basically the same height as the P229. The P226 is taller than both.
That said…
The P229’s stock DA trigger is superior to that of the 92. And obviously that’s important on a DA/SA carry gun. Plus, it’s 100% reliable (not that the 92 isn’t). Granted, I’ve put less than 400 rounds through this P229 so far, but I’ve found all the classic 9mm Sigs I’ve owned to be 100% reliable. And I’m sure this is one is no different.
Certainly, a P229 would make a fine carry piece if you don’t mind the bulk. And if you want more of a middle-ground / do-it-all / shoot-a-lot / carry-sometimes kind of a gun… I think P229 would be great. But when I can carry a P239—which I honestly shoot at little better at this point—I will.
A shoulder holster is a comfortable way to carry a big gun like a P229. The Galco Miami Classic (248) fits all my P2XX Sigs.
Go Legacy? Or Go Home?
Nothing gets gun hipsters more riled up than the “old Sig vs. new Sig” debate.
I actually owned a later-production P229 in .357 SIG, entirely made in the USA. Interestingly, it still had the Legacy slide—but the locking insert (the thing that cams the barrel), the takedown lever, and probably most of the other small parts were all MIM. It could have been from a special run of Legacy P229s, post 2009? Or maybe Sig was already making most parts from MIM at that point?
In any case, it was 100% reliable and it shot very well. The only reason I sold it was because I just preferred my P239 in .357 SIG and…
How many guns in .357 SIG does one gun hipster really need?
Now, it’s worth noting that the newer 9mm P229s (i.e., P229-1s) will give you a thinner slide profile. That might make a difference for you in terms of carry. It might also mean giving up some of that glorious girth that makes the Legacy P229 so dreamy in 9mm. But I can’t say for sure—I’ve never shot a P229-1. And, as I mentioned, I have read that newer .40/.357 P229s do have thicker slides. But I couldn’t find measurements to qualify that.
For me, the Legacy slide just looks right with the P229. YMMV.
Also, there are more outsourced parts in modern Sigs—especially the MIM parts. In fact, I’m not sure there were any MIM parts on Sigs until the mid 2000s. My 2006 P239 (all US made) had all machined parts.
Does any of this make a difference? Who knows. For what it’s worth, though, I believe you’ll get a good gun if you buy a brand new P229.
But you will also pay $1,000+. More for Legions and Elites.
This one I have? Cost me $549. Sure, there’s a little wear on it. But it’s old school Sig Sauer goodness, through and through. But hey—the new ones are nice too. So, you make the call.
Regardless…
I Shoot P229s to Feel Joy
And that’s really my big takeaway, here: The P229 is just an easy gun to love. A blast to shoot, with addictively mild recoil and a wonderfully satisfying heft in the hand. It simply feels great. And with enough trigger time and a few upgrades, I’m sure I’d shoot it just about as well as anything.
A little patina, but she’s still got it. Or… he? Actually, I don’t know how this P229 identifies. We’ll go with “it.”
And, as the OG in the illustrious lineage of the P229, I feel like it’s a gun hipster must have; I do, indeed, love “having” it. So, coming full circle, I can say—without any shadow of a doubt—that the old-school P229 is 100% worth every ounce of its girth.
Especially in 9mm. Get one. You’ll dig it.
What are your thoughts on the P229? Experiences? Opinions? Scathing condemnations on my review? Feel free to share below…
#hiptac
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