The SIG No One Wanted

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TunnelRat

New member
Hi all,
This is a story of a sad little SIG. At my lgs is a SIG P229 in very nice condition. Judging by the serial number I'd say 2003 or so. It has night sights (pretty dim obviously) and is in very nice shape, 92% or so. According to the lgs it's a police trade in. Here's the kicker: it's in 357 SIG. Now what makes me sad for this SIG is the fact that it has been at this LGS for a long, long time, probably because of the caliber. But because of that the price is pretty interesting: $485.

Now I've been playing around with a crazy idea. I live a short drive from SIG itself and a little longer drive to the Academy. I can get a 40SW barrel easy. At the academy it'll prob run me $150-$170 OTD. That means I could have a P229 in both 40SW and 357SIG for < $700. I'm not a huge fan of the 40SW, but when I had one in the P229 it was actually pretty comfortable (one of the only pistols that holds true for me).

Is this a crazy idea, or a good one? A SIG for $485 is mighty tempting. Should I be worried about it being in 357SIG originally? Will it be relatively beat up because of the caliber, are there areas I should be cautious off? Thanks for indulging this craziness.

-TR
 
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Kevin_d77

New member
Well, you could replace the springs etc, get a the new .40 cal barrel and have basically 2 guns for under 700 and replace the night sights if they're pretty dim for another 100. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Would the 9mm barrel fit as well?
 
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Bluestarlizzard

New member
Funny. Me and Dad where discussing the caliber the other day. We sold off all the .357 sig pistols about five or six years back, and replaced them with 9mm and 40 s&w.

I think I would pass unless I had a stockpile of .357 sig to shoot up.
 
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Vireye

New member
I would jump on it, but I'm also a huge SIG fan (and yet could only afford one :( ) You can pick up a .40 barrel, and I'm pretty sure a 9mm barrel as well.
 
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Mystro

New member
My local has the same type of situation with a Sig P229 357sig. It has been gathering dust and its still not a good deal. I have a lot of Sigs but I have no interest at all for a 357Sig. I'll take a 40s&w every time.
 
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Vireye

New member
Here at least, NIB Sigs are about $899.00 at the cheapest LGS. Usually they run between $950-$1100 from what I've encountered.

So at least from where I'm standing even with all the replacements you come out ahead, but maybe the regular sale prices are different in your area.
 
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sigarms228

New member
.357 SIG is somewhat popular in certain places, such as Texas I believe, but not around where I live.

I bought an unfired since leaving the factory P229 .357 SIG from my LGS a couple years ago and still have not fired it. I do really like my P229 in .40.

I could not pass it up because it was an early P229 with triple serial numbers. I asked my LGS why it was priced so low and they said no one wants a .357 Sig P229. I paid $519 for it. :D It came from the estate of a former FFL that they bought his entire stock of including NIB nickel P228s and P220s and also quite a few NIB 3RD gernation SW. I missed out on getting a nickel plated NIB P228 for $799!!

For the example you are talking about IMO the price is very good and yes it should be easy to pop in a .40 barrel or a Barsto 9MM conversion barrel if they are ever back in stock again.

Here is mine

 
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Technosavant

New member
I'm not in the buying mode right now, but if I had seen that deal it would have come home with me immediately. A simple barrel swap and it's a .40. Switching it over to 9mm is also easy enough.

The P229 is a great platform. The .357SIG is not everybody's ideal round but it is a good one. If nothing else, its relative rarity means that even in panic situations ammo can still be found.
 
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Sgt127

New member
I bought a P239 in .40. Got a 357 SIG barrel and magazines and never shot .40 in it again. The 357 SIG is a neat round, and, easy to get here (Texas).

If you like the gun, buy it. Buy a .40 barrel, the mags and springs interchange, and sell the 357 SIG barrel on Sig Forum or somewhere else if you don't like it. If you can buy a new barrel for $150 and sell the 357 barrel for $75 bucks or so, you are still coming out way ahead.

But....you may just like the round more than you think.....(if you can find the ammo)
 
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Deaf Smith

New member
I'd get it.

I have the 229 and 239 both in 9mm and they are real good guns.

The .357 Sig cartridge is quite powerful and good as any. Funny thing is I see it more on the shelves than .40 or 9mm! Never hurts to diversify your capabilities in case you can't find that 9mm or .40 S&W or .45 stuff.

Deaf
 
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Kevin_d77

New member
You guys are lucky. All I see is shotguns shells in any of the box stores and BS 9mm for $32/50 at the guns shops here in FL!

I still say go for it. I just saw a 229 CPO for like $600 in .40SW. I really love the Scorpion but its $1000 and the CPO is much cheaper......might just save up for the scorpion though....
 
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AK103K

New member
I made out the same way with a Glock 31. Paid $350 for a LNIB gun. The clerk got kind of snarky after he took my money, and said good luck getting ammo for it. I just smiled and said I really liked the round, and was the one who made out in the deal. I had about 5000 rounds of 357SIG sitting at home in unopened cases, and about 2500 rounds in reloads. He shut up pretty quick. :)

I had a couple of P229's in 357SIG, as well as a couple of P226's, and a P239. all were great guns. I also got .40 barrels as a back up for them, but they really never got used. If the gun looks in good shape, that sounds like a great price.

These days Ive switched from SIG's to Glocks. While I like my 9mm Glocks, I no longer have the 31, as it seemed to be beating itself to death on the underside of the slide. My SIG's never showed any sign of the round being an issue.
 
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Pico

New member
Buy it

Buy it
Buy it
Buy it
Buy it
Buy it
Buy it
Buy it
Buy it
Buy it

and, oh yes,

BUY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pico
 
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Noreaster

New member
I bet it's a trade in from my dept. We traded them in last spring. If it was my gun or one of the swat guys, it has allot of rounds through it, (they all had rails and everyone else no rail.) All the rest had about 200 rounds a year for twelve years. Here is the kicker. I put so many rounds through mine that I sent it in to Sig for a refurb. At the time it cost about $65.00 and it came back like a new gun. The Air Marshalls I train with have tens of thousands of rounds through their guns and they continue to march. If you like it I would buy it in a heart beat. I wanted to purchase my gun and the dept. wouldn't let us buy them. Buy the 40S&W barrel and have a ball, same magazines. Bring the gun with you to the Sig shop and I'm sure one of the guys will give the gun a once over and let you know if any springs need replacement.
 
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Microgunner

New member
I bought SIG X-Change kits for my P226. It's now is in four calibers, .22lr, 9mm, .357SIG & .40S&W, with the .357 & .40 sharing everything except barrels.
Don 't know if these kits are available for the P229 but if so would be a solution to your dilema.
I'd say buy any good SIG sold at a good price.
 
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