Carry, Size, weight, range doesn't matter. I am looking to buy a new Sig (.40 most likely) and just wanted to hear some reviews/rants/disgust about any Sig model that any one would care to give.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Looking for a New Sig
- Thread starter iodonnel
- Start date
FWIW, buying a "new" one is nearly unnecessary. You can find plenty of
LNIB sigs floating around out there. Four Seasons and others are carrying
quite a few of them. It doesn't take much to inspect them,
either. All of the sigs I own are all used, and all are in great
condition. My P239 has some minor wear on it but it still runs like a
top. The only reason to buy a new one, IMO, is if you want to do
a DAK conversion to it (only the newer frames will accept a DAK
conversion parts) or if you want nightsights or you really have to have
the accessory rail.
In .40 my choice would be a P229. The P226 is nice as well, but the
P229 is a better pick in MA due to the availiability of normal capacity
preban mags for the gun. There are no prebans for the P226 .40
because it came out long after the ban was passed into
law. (And yes, you can haxor preban P226 9mm mags into working with the
.40, but they only hold 11 rounds (maybe you can do 12 with a modified
follower) and I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life
on that kind of setup. ).
The only thing I -don't- like about SigSauer P series guns is the damned
bar-dot stock sights. I vastly prefer the meprolight night sights that I had
installed on my P239/9mm. The factory bardots are "crude" in
comparison.
One other bit of advice... if you buy a P239, you -must- get some kind of
replacement for either the grip panels, or get yourself a hogue wraparound
rubber grip. The P239's factory setup feels like a 2 x 4 in ones hand. The
only gun that feels more like a block of wood in ones hand is that damned
Beretta 9000S. I hated my P239 initially and almost sold it, then I put a hogue
wraparound on it and it suddenly became one of my favorite guns to shoot.
-Mike
LNIB sigs floating around out there. Four Seasons and others are carrying
quite a few of them. It doesn't take much to inspect them,
either. All of the sigs I own are all used, and all are in great
condition. My P239 has some minor wear on it but it still runs like a
top. The only reason to buy a new one, IMO, is if you want to do
a DAK conversion to it (only the newer frames will accept a DAK
conversion parts) or if you want nightsights or you really have to have
the accessory rail.
In .40 my choice would be a P229. The P226 is nice as well, but the
P229 is a better pick in MA due to the availiability of normal capacity
preban mags for the gun. There are no prebans for the P226 .40
because it came out long after the ban was passed into
law. (And yes, you can haxor preban P226 9mm mags into working with the
.40, but they only hold 11 rounds (maybe you can do 12 with a modified
follower) and I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life
on that kind of setup. ).
The only thing I -don't- like about SigSauer P series guns is the damned
bar-dot stock sights. I vastly prefer the meprolight night sights that I had
installed on my P239/9mm. The factory bardots are "crude" in
comparison.
One other bit of advice... if you buy a P239, you -must- get some kind of
replacement for either the grip panels, or get yourself a hogue wraparound
rubber grip. The P239's factory setup feels like a 2 x 4 in ones hand. The
only gun that feels more like a block of wood in ones hand is that damned
Beretta 9000S. I hated my P239 initially and almost sold it, then I put a hogue
wraparound on it and it suddenly became one of my favorite guns to shoot.
-Mike
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I have fairly recently bought one each P239, P229, and P226, all in .40 S&W.
I like the stainless P226 best as it is quite hefty and makes a nice range gun.
The P229 was bought used and has the nicest trigger that you'll ever pull. It would be my choice if I could have just one. It's about the same size as a Glock 23 and is fairly easy to carry concealed, with the right holster. It is ironic that you can get 12rd mags (preban) for the P229, but not for the P226, in .40 cal.
The gun that I shoot the best, and like the least is the P239.![[hmmm]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/009.gif "Hmm [hmmm]")
I don't like rubber grips at all and put the factory plastics back on. I don't mind the smaller grip but it does increase the felt recoil in .40 cal. My main complaint about the P239 is that it is, except for the thickness of the grip, almost the same size as the P229! Unless you have very small hands and can't grip the P229, you would be just as well off to get a P229.
The P239 9mm and .40cal are different in size and the .40 will not fit in a 9mm holster. There are a lot fewer choices in holsters for the P239/.40.
I happen to like the current production Sig plastic grips. They are very "grippy" with a sharp texture similar to 80 grit sandpaper and will not move around in your hand like the older plastic grips.
Wood grips are available for all three but tend to run a bit expensive, $100-$150. The wood grips are somewhat thicker than the plastics. This may be a problem if you have short fingers because the reach to the trigger is a little long on all of the Sig "P" series guns. A short trigger is also available for about $35, if this is a problem.
There are three different trigger modes available in the Sig P series guns:
DAK - A longer and lighter DAO trigger. Not available on new guns sold to peons in MA because the trigger pull is less than 10 Lbs.
DAO - A heavier and shorter trigger pull found mostly on police dept guns. (Double acton for all shots.)
DA/SA - Standard double action for the first shot, single action after, with decocking lever.
Tritium (night) sights add about $85 to the cost of a new gun or can be bought from Sig for about $200 separately.
I have bar-dots on the P229 and like them. I have night sights on the other two. Since the P226 was bought as a range gun I probably wasted money having the night sights. I doubt that it will ever be fired in low light. You can't just hammer a set of tritium sights in to the dovetails. The glass vials will probably break. An expensive sight pusher is needed to install them.
You can get replacement barrels to shoot .357 Sig in any of the three models. The P226 and P229 will work with the same mags for either caliber. The P239 mags are caliber specific so you may or may not be able to feed .357s through the .40 mags. I've seen reports both ways. There are also conversion barrels that allow you to shoot 9mm from the .40 cal guns. Many folks report using the .40 mags for 9mm without any problem. The conversion barrels are reported to be slightly less reliable than a dedicated 9mm uppper and are generally not recommended for serious social purposes.
Sigs need lube to work properly. They will not function reliably and will wear prematurely if not lubed. The gun will be supplied with a container of grease from the factory. Grease is recommended for range use and oil for carry or light/occasional use. Clean and re-lube 250-300 rds, YMMV.
There is nothing even remotely intuitive about detail stripping and reassembling a Sig P series gun. You absolutely need to buy the Sig Sauer Armorer's Course DVD by Chris Orndorf if you want to detail strip and maintain your Sig P. (or you can ship it back to the factory for their $95 clean & check). The DVD runs about $30.
The Sigs need 800-1000 rounds to break in. The accuracy and trigger pull will start to improve at 250-300 rounds and will keep getting better. If you have a lot more money than patience, there are a few good gunsmiths who specialize in Sig pistols and will do a trigger job for about $100.
My P239 and P229 were bought used and have glass smooth trigger pulls. I'm working on shooting the P226 in.
I have put about 300-500 rounds through each of these guns without a malfunction of any kind. The ammo was a mix of Speer Lawman 180gr and WWB 165gr. I am quite satisfied with the accuracy of all three guns. The P239 and P229 are way more than adequate for personal protection and the P226 gets better each time I shoot it. The groups have shrunk by about half since I started. I think that it is going to be a good target gun.
I like the stainless P226 best as it is quite hefty and makes a nice range gun.
The P229 was bought used and has the nicest trigger that you'll ever pull. It would be my choice if I could have just one. It's about the same size as a Glock 23 and is fairly easy to carry concealed, with the right holster. It is ironic that you can get 12rd mags (preban) for the P229, but not for the P226, in .40 cal.
The gun that I shoot the best, and like the least is the P239.
I don't like rubber grips at all and put the factory plastics back on. I don't mind the smaller grip but it does increase the felt recoil in .40 cal. My main complaint about the P239 is that it is, except for the thickness of the grip, almost the same size as the P229! Unless you have very small hands and can't grip the P229, you would be just as well off to get a P229.
The P239 9mm and .40cal are different in size and the .40 will not fit in a 9mm holster. There are a lot fewer choices in holsters for the P239/.40.
I happen to like the current production Sig plastic grips. They are very "grippy" with a sharp texture similar to 80 grit sandpaper and will not move around in your hand like the older plastic grips.
Wood grips are available for all three but tend to run a bit expensive, $100-$150. The wood grips are somewhat thicker than the plastics. This may be a problem if you have short fingers because the reach to the trigger is a little long on all of the Sig "P" series guns. A short trigger is also available for about $35, if this is a problem.
There are three different trigger modes available in the Sig P series guns:
DAK - A longer and lighter DAO trigger. Not available on new guns sold to peons in MA because the trigger pull is less than 10 Lbs.
DAO - A heavier and shorter trigger pull found mostly on police dept guns. (Double acton for all shots.)
DA/SA - Standard double action for the first shot, single action after, with decocking lever.
Tritium (night) sights add about $85 to the cost of a new gun or can be bought from Sig for about $200 separately.
I have bar-dots on the P229 and like them. I have night sights on the other two. Since the P226 was bought as a range gun I probably wasted money having the night sights. I doubt that it will ever be fired in low light. You can't just hammer a set of tritium sights in to the dovetails. The glass vials will probably break. An expensive sight pusher is needed to install them.
You can get replacement barrels to shoot .357 Sig in any of the three models. The P226 and P229 will work with the same mags for either caliber. The P239 mags are caliber specific so you may or may not be able to feed .357s through the .40 mags. I've seen reports both ways. There are also conversion barrels that allow you to shoot 9mm from the .40 cal guns. Many folks report using the .40 mags for 9mm without any problem. The conversion barrels are reported to be slightly less reliable than a dedicated 9mm uppper and are generally not recommended for serious social purposes.
Sigs need lube to work properly. They will not function reliably and will wear prematurely if not lubed. The gun will be supplied with a container of grease from the factory. Grease is recommended for range use and oil for carry or light/occasional use. Clean and re-lube 250-300 rds, YMMV.
There is nothing even remotely intuitive about detail stripping and reassembling a Sig P series gun. You absolutely need to buy the Sig Sauer Armorer's Course DVD by Chris Orndorf if you want to detail strip and maintain your Sig P. (or you can ship it back to the factory for their $95 clean & check). The DVD runs about $30.
The Sigs need 800-1000 rounds to break in. The accuracy and trigger pull will start to improve at 250-300 rounds and will keep getting better. If you have a lot more money than patience, there are a few good gunsmiths who specialize in Sig pistols and will do a trigger job for about $100.
My P239 and P229 were bought used and have glass smooth trigger pulls. I'm working on shooting the P226 in.
I have put about 300-500 rounds through each of these guns without a malfunction of any kind. The ammo was a mix of Speer Lawman 180gr and WWB 165gr. I am quite satisfied with the accuracy of all three guns. The P239 and P229 are way more than adequate for personal protection and the P226 gets better each time I shoot it. The groups have shrunk by about half since I started. I think that it is going to be a good target gun.
Buy the P229. It was designed around the .40S&W and is a great gun. If you can find a used two-tone buy that model, they were the best I have ever seen personally.
Do you guys know where to buy some pre-ban mags for a 229 in .40? I posted on the SIG Forum a while ago and only got a couple of people trying to sell them to me for huge money. I've also been to a coupl eof the local shops and they didn't have any.
SIGs are my favorite guns. I own several. As far as I'm concerned you cannot go wrong with any of the models although they may not be ideal for some people as a CCW gun. I personally prefer the older stamped slide models if you are looking for a 9mm. I think they are much better balanced.
Jim
SIGs are my favorite guns. I own several. As far as I'm concerned you cannot go wrong with any of the models although they may not be ideal for some people as a CCW gun. I personally prefer the older stamped slide models if you are looking for a 9mm. I think they are much better balanced.
Jim
My procedure is to visit various firearms forums and keep looking. Maybe offer to pay what the person would need to purchase new post-ban high caps so that they can upgrade their magazine selection.
Pre-ban 12-round Sig .40/.357 magazines seem to be the hardest to find. Maybe because they were not made in all that great quantities?
Buy one. Buy any one. Buy them all. You just can't go wrong with a Sig product. As mentioned above, new or used, it doesn't matter. And the Sig SSP is a good deal. FS also has good prices on Sig services and you don't have to pay shipping.
buy my like new 239 in classifieds! it comes with a barrel in .40 and .357!!!
I am sure that you are correct on this point. I remember buying one just before the ban and I am convinced that the dealer took the second magazine out of the package and then sold it to me as an extra. For that reason I avoid that dealer for the most part.
they ran a deal on this a while back for $75!! Can't believe I missed it.
do you know if they install night sights if you don't already have them under this program?
Actually, I think it is $100, but fedex to them is $25. I expect that most
guns sent for this work did not have night sites to begin with (mine did not),
and that this is what makes it a great deal. It took 7 days for them to get
mine back to me and they included proof that they fired several boxes of
carry ammo to verify that my bug was fixed.
guns sent for this work did not have night sites to begin with (mine did not),
and that this is what makes it a great deal. It took 7 days for them to get
mine back to me and they included proof that they fired several boxes of
carry ammo to verify that my bug was fixed.
Well after thinking of how much shooting I would be doing and after looking at a few, I went with the 9mm 226R. Went to the range today and it is verrrrry nice!! Any HiCaps for the 9mm available anywhere that anyone knows of??
Thanks!
Thanks!
+1.... best idea is go in the classifieds section and look
around. Either ask someone selling mags if they have prebans
or post a WTB for prebans. P226/9mm mags are not all that
hard to get.
-Mike
