Springfield XD Forum banner

P229 back in the stable, finally.

2K views 30 replies 15 participants last post by  Snaphook 
#1 ·
A couple of years ago I picked up a Sig 229 CPO in 40 for around 500 bucks. It was in excellent condition, really like new, I added the SRT and was a fine shooting gun. I added a 357 Sig barrel to it and for a while it was my nightstand gun. Then, in order to fund something or other I sold it and regretted not having a 229 ever since. As much as I love the 226 the 229 is a really nicely sized gun that you can carry if you want and is still plenty accurate enough for range fun.

So a few months ago I started snooping around for another 229, thinking to pick up one used and have some fun with it. I picked one up from CDNN for 480 but wasn't happy with it from day one, it was more beat up than I wanted and it just wasn't a good shooter. I wound up trading it in with a dealer towards the X5 I recently got and since I got my money back I was happy enough.

Then a few weeks ago Cuda PM'd me would I be interested in trading my FNX 45 for his P226 in 357 Sig straight up? I liked the FNX but like most polymer guns I eventually lost interest in it and it was just sitting so I figured what the heck and made the swap with Cuda. And a side note, Cuda is a pleasure to do business with and a very honorable guy, I would buy or trade with him again in a nanosecond. So now I've got the 226 in 357 Sig from Cuda and I ran a couple of boxes through it and it ran great, but still wanted the 229.

So now a couple of weeks ago a dealer buddy has in a 229 Extreme that Sig is running a special on, it's the Extreme series with the front serrations, G10 grips, and the SRT, but only a cardboard box for mid 700's. He gave me a very fair trade number on the 226 from Cuda and here it is, my new 229 in 40. I also had the 357 Sig barrel I bought for the CDNN 229 so I'm set with 5-6 mags and both barrels. Now all I needed to do was add the 9mm barrel, which I picked up from BarSto, and some 229 mags in 9mm that I picked up.

The BarSto barrel is "semi-fit" which didn't fit my gun at all, so I had to very CAREFULLY file down the barrel to fit the gun, using the 40 barrel that came with a gun as a template. But, you don't want to file down the BarSto exactly like the existing barrel because you lose the hand fitting you get from working with the new BarSto. So after several days of working on it, slowly removing material, polishing areas, then running the gun to check the fit, polishing some more, running the gun to check the fit, etc., I've got a fitted barrel specifically for my gun that just fits in all the critical dimensions. I REALLY enjoyed fitting the barrel and I think the results are excellent.

I got the gun to the range and ran all 3 barrels and all 4 loads. I continue to not be much of a 40 fan but if ammo gets crazy again I have the option of buying and using 40. I do dig the 357 Sig loads, the recoil isn't bad and you get a nice flame and very loud pop when shooting the gun, good fun. But in 9 with the BarSto the gun really shines, it's quite accurate and after the first couple of mags it ran several hundred reloads and factory ammo with zero issues of any kind. One of the pictures below is of the 229 in 9mm, 2 mags (30 rounds) worth of shooting at 25 feet. For a relatively short barreled gun that's fine performance. The grips are Hogue Chain Link, which are about my favorite P series grips (I have them on both my X5's) since VZ stopped making their Kraken grips.

Here's the obligatory phone pics:
 

Attachments

See less See more
4
#4 ·
Thanks Evil, Yellow. I came very close to an M11-A1 as my P229 replacement, it was the anniversary model and I really liked the engraving but it was over a grand and I decided I didn't like the engraving that much. The Extreme promotion Sig is running is hard to beat.
 
#7 ·
Nice one, Snap. Nice write up, too.

It's funny--I feel the same way about the 226 as you feel about the 228/229...in fact, I traded my M11 to a buddy recently. They're great guns, but I just like the way the full-size Sigs work for me.

And by the same token--Snaphook is a great guy to deal with as well...I'd trade or buy from him again, no hesitation.

I'll have to do a write up on the FNX one of these days, as well as a couple others that have recently joined they stable...
 
#9 ·
Glad you were also able to take advantage of that promo and I was wondering when you were going to post pics of the 229. Nice work fitting the barrel and nice shooting. Congrats!

Did you have to wait for the barrel or did they have it in stock?
 
#10 ·
They didn't show it in stock but it delivered in like 5 days, so maybe their inventory was wrong or they built it that fast. I enjoyed the barrel fitting process and I think I wound up with a better shooting gun because of it,
 
#14 ·
Haha, I'm experiencing that. My wife is even coming around to the P226 but she still doesn't like the price and can't comprehend that it was a steal! I would still like a MK25 but I'd go with the 229 before that. It's a high price but the quality is there.
 
#17 ·
The grips are Hogue Chain Link, which are about my favorite P series grips (I have them on both my X5's) since VZ stopped making their Kraken grips.

I really like the look of those grips. I have been contemplating getting some new ones for my p228 and might have to find a set to try out. Are they a hard grip or rubberized?
 
#23 ·
They're the hard G10 material, laminate like the VZ's are. It's a very aggressive grip texture (which I like) that really locks your hand in place. Plus I love the look.
 
#18 ·
Awesome deal Snaphook, I'm glad for you that it all work out for you, I too love the way my P229 shoot also. My came with the .40 but I order a .357 barrel from the factory so now it setup in the .357 sig, I love the .357 sig rounds. I bought two almost back to back, my last Sig was the M11-A1 which I love how it feel in my hand and the night sight is a plus.

I have two Sigs and now I'm looking on getting the P302C .45 acp which is on order now, man I got to stop at some point but it's all good. Be safe Snap and watch your six at all time.
 
#19 ·
Congrats! I'm really liking my 229 Extreme.
 
#25 ·
Congrats, I enjoy shooting my 229 Extreme. Now we just need to persuade you to buy a few Glocks :lol:. I owe my decision to you, evilspringer, yellow, mojo, and a few others.

My favorite additions this year have been the Sig and a CZ75B, both very nice shooters. I also picked up a used XDm 4.5 9mm last month, and It is a pleasure yo shoot. I'll probably get a PRP trigger for it later to reduce the looooong pretravel and reset.
 
#28 ·
I've had the 229 with the BarSto out once and I was impressed with the results, so based on limited experience I would say the BarSto, fitted, is more accurate than the standard Sig barrel. I'm going to shoot it more this weekend and I'll have a better idea.

But, as anyone who shoots 1911's knows the lockup of a gun is a great contributor to accuracy. When the BarSto for my 229 came it didn't fit at all, the notches on the rear of the barrel wouldn't line up with their mating points on the slide, the barrel dimensions were too large. So by filing down just a bit at a time, then polishing, you're able to get a dimension that's a few thousands bigger than the stock Sig barrel while still running in the gun. Same thing on the top of the barrel, the area that the slide locks up with, the overall dimension on the BarSto won't to into the top of the slide, so by working it slowly you get it to lock up and be a bit bigger than the stock Sig barrel would be but still functions. Then the top to bottom dimensions where the feed ramp comes up to the locking block, on the BarSto it wouldn't fit there and allow you to close the gun up until it was filed and polished to fit precisely. So on the 3 points where the barrel locks up into the gun on the finished BarSto each dimension is more, by just a few thousands, than a stock Sig barrel which gives you a more precise lockup when the gun is in battery.

There's a reason a gunsmith hand fits a barrel for target work and this is basically the same thing. Just be patient and the calipers are your friend.

As to the quality of the BarSto itself, I do think it's an exceptionally well made product so barrel to barrel it's probably better than a stock Sig product.

Hope this makes sense!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top