Gun: Sig Sauer P229

Sig Sauer P229(R) .40 Caliber
Specifications from manufacturer

Barrel Length: 3.9 inches
Capacity: 12 rounds
Sights: Standard front blade rear notch
Action: DA/SA

The Sig Sauer 229 is the first pistol I bought.  I bought it to have a weapon to improve my shooting skills.  At the time I was attempting to get an armed security position at an institution that carries Glock 22 .40s.

At the time I was not personally a fan of Glocks.  Glocks are well built, very dependable, generally great guns.  Just never been a fan.  Personal preference for grip angle and weight.  I am presently reevaluation this decision.

I decided I needed a pistol that would have a resonable number of rounds with a semi-shortened barrel so I could concealed carry the weapon.  I have a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms (Concealed Carry Permit).

My other options were the Glock 23, HK USP Compact, and Sig Sauer 229.  These 3 were primarily options because of their notoriety.  I knew about the Glock 23 because of the guys I worked with carrying the shorter 23 in place of the 22s they  carried on duty.  The USP Compact is carried by Jack Bauer on 24.  The Sig 228, the previous generation of the 229 if you will, is carried but many of the agents on  NCIS, NCIS LA and also by Michael Weston of Burn Notice.  However the 228 is only available in 9mm while the 229 is chambered for 9mm, .40 Smith and Wesson, and .357 Sig. 

As previously mentioned I was not a fan of the Glock, so that was out.  My other thought, the HK USP in .40 was hard to find.  I choose the 229 because I was able to find one at what I thought was a good price with a nice package.  The package I intended to buy was the 229R (Rail) which is now standard with SigNite Sights and 3 spare magazines.  I was unable to buy the pistol there because it was a Law Enforcement package and I am not an active duty Law Enforcement officer.  Understandable but still not what I wanted to hear.  So I ended up purchasing my 229 with the rail, standard sights and 1 magazine, no spares, for more money.

If I were to do it again I would probably shop around more and Definitely make sure to get the SigLite night sights.  I real prefer the night sights for low light and dark target acquisition.  It was actually on a Beretta but the Trijicons on it made a huge difference for me.

I am not a good shot but I shoot a lot.  A few of my friends who shoot with me have shown that my 229 is accurate.  It shoots great.  Not exactly sure what it is, but I just love the way the gun shoots.  the Double Action/Single Action standard is nice.  Concentration and practicing skills the single action is very nice.  The hammer drop, mentioned in the next paragraph, lets you shoot ever shot double action for a consistant pull every time. 

In my opinion the Sigs are great guns.  There a few things that make it stand out to me.  First of all, the hammer drop in place of a manual safety.  Lets the operator drop the hammer safely after firing a round.  Manually trying to decock a fire arm is tricky and dangerous because you can slip on the hammer and have an accidental discharge.  The hammer decock allows you to depress the lever and the hammer lowers to a safe position to be carried.  Second, disassembly is a breeze.  I may have only had to strip and clean a few weapons but of the pistols I have cleaned the Sig is the easiest.  No tools are needed to disassemble or reassemble it and it is very simple to take apart.

the standard Sigs, (220 226 229 etc.), all have the same characteristics for disassembly, controls and trigger pressure.  The Sig 1911 is not included in this because although a Sig, as far as I understand it, does not share many of the Sig standard characteristics but instead those of various brands of 1911s.

I am currently thinking about buying another Sig.  This time the full size P226 in .40.  I no longer have the need to the carry the 229 concealed as I have a shortened Springfield .45 which I prefer as my carry gun.  I am looking for the 226 mainly as a target pistol and maybe for home defense.  Definitely will wait to find a model with the SigLite night sights.  Haven't decided yet whether I want the light rail or not.  May be nice just to have the option of adding a light if I come across one in the near future.  Hopefully I will be able to improve my shooting skills with the improved 226.  It will be an excellent target pistol because of the shared characteristics of the 229 that I already love in additon to an extended 4.4 inch vs the 229s 3.9 inch barrel for a little more accuracy.

I will have to look into it but I am wondering if I can just outfit a 226 slide and barrel on the 229 frame as they are the same caliber and the frames are very similar.  I just like the way the mag recesses into the grip of the 229 better than 226s semi flush mag.  I feel the same way about my Springfield and the 7 vs 8 round mag. to be mentioned in my post on the Springfield Armory GI Champion in the near future.