sig p229 vs 226

[AngelKing]

Ive owned the 229 in 40 and regretted selling it...it was jamproof, easy to maintain etc...everything youd want in a handgun. that said, I didnt care for the feel of the 40 and found the grip to be a bit large for my hands.

a question I have, is the 226 -- is it smaller in terms of the grip or is it the same or wider than that 229?

 

[drgrant]

It is just as big in terms of grip circumference, although the mag-frame of the gun is a little smaller on the P226, but not by much.

IMHO if you get a P226 get a 9mm. There are preban mags available and the gun is better suited to that cartridge. The P226 .40/.357 is kind of a hack job- they didn't bother changing the frame to accomodate a mag that had better capacity density for the cartridges. (eg, even a normal cap .40 is only 12 rounds in the P226, which is kind of absurd for how big the handgun is.... the P229 has a shorter frame and holds the same amount of ammo!)

Another thing to keep in mind is the E2 grips.... get those on a Sig and they will feel much better than stock, at least the guns I've held felt that way. It still won't correct the high bore axis, etc, but if you find the regular P series too big in the grip it will definitely help... gets rid of the hump off the backstrap.

-Mike

 

[jdesro]

IMHO if you get a P226 get a 9mm. There are preban mags available and the gun is better suited to that cartridge.

-Mike

Agree 100% with this.

the 9mm 226 is one of those pistols I have always wanted, but never got around to getting.
Accurate and reliable.

I had a 229 and it was OK, but if I were to buy another SIG, it would be the 226 in 9mm.

 

[ThePreBanMan]

It is just as big in terms of grip circumference, although the mag-frame of the gun is a little smaller on the P226, but not by much.

IMHO if you get a P226 get a 9mm. There are preban mags available and the gun is better suited to that cartridge. The P226 .40/.357 is kind of a hack job- they didn't bother changing the frame to accomodate a mag that had better capacity density for the cartridges. (eg, even a normal cap .40 is only 12 rounds in the P226, which is kind of absurd for how big the handgun is.... the P229 has a shorter frame and holds the same amount of ammo!)

Another thing to keep in mind is the E2 grips.... get those on a Sig and they will feel much better than stock, at least the guns I've held felt that way. It still won't correct the high bore axis, etc, but if you find the regular P series too big in the grip it will definitely help... gets rid of the hump off the backstrap.

-Mike

I don't know if I would call it a hack job... I have a 226 in 40 cal and have fired nearly 4K rounds through it. Never had so much as a single failure. I have been fortunate to have the 226 in both 9mm and 40 cal. I kept the 40 and got rid of the 9mm. Although I do regret that decision. I should have kept both! They both shoot very well. I have feed all kinds of ammo through my 40 cal 226. It takes it all and likes it - never complains. Like I said - thousands of rounds - never a failure.
Your point about mag capacity is valid though.. But in MA, you can either have 10 rounds of 9mm or 10 rounds of 40 cal. So that played into my decision when it came time to trade the 9mm for something else. (pre-ban mags excluded naturally).
You are correct about the availability of pre-ban mags in 40 cal. I believe production of the 226 in 40 cal began in 1996. So its absolutely post ban.