I really like SIG pistols. They are well designed, they are always flawless in fit and finish and they tend to be very accurate. I began using them in P229 form when the .357 SIG cartridge was introduced, and have continued on adding .40 S&W capability through the use of a second factory supplied barrel.
The only components of the gun I didn’t like were the sights, which I replaced with a Tritium type, and the cheesy plastic grips, which I retired for a set of very nice factory walnut grips. The P229 has a stacked magazine which provides 10 shots in civilian form and 12 rounds in law enforcement configuration. The grip is hand filling, but feels just right when I pull the gun into my hand. Unfortunately, my wife who easily handles the .357 SIG cartridge, feels uncomfortable with the wide grip and has consequently taken possession of all of my 1911 type pistols. Recognizing I lost my .257 Weatherby Ultralight under similar takeover circumstances, I suggested we might stop at the gun store.
Diane was initially impressed with Kimber. We have a Gold Match that is very accurate presents a pretty slick package. She liked the Ultra CDP, but on close inspection, we passed on this gun. The model was overpriced and under finished, with just a little touch of discolored plastic trigger housing to make you feel as though you’d be a sucker to buy one. Laying a P239 down on the counter next to the Kimber made the decision pretty easy to make.
The black stainless slide and alloy frame were flawless in fit and finish. The gun felt solid, the slide actuation was uniform and smooth in cycling and every button and lever operated as intended. Some people think SIGs are ugly. We tend to think of them as a well executed piece of machinery.
The SIG P239 is everything the P229 is, only without the overly wide grip problem. The P239 has a single stack magazine for 7 rounds and is proportionally more narrow than the P229. In most other aspects they are very close.
The P229, top, is considerably larger in the grip than the P239. The factory walnut grips are really no wider than the plastic grips they replace. There were a couple of notable differences between the two guns: A) the P229 uses a common magazine for 357 SIG and .40 S&W cartridges, but the P239 requires a different magazine for each, B) When you buy a SIG from a legitimate store, they come with two magazines. When you buy one from a slimy dealer, particularly when the name begins with “National” or “Excellence”, they may steal the second magazine from the customer’s gun and sell it as an extra or replacement, maybe even to the guy who just bought the gun.
The photo at the right just about wraps up the grip/magazine story. The shooter loses about 1/4″ of pinky grip length, but the overall grip is much better. I’m going to see if I can dig up a set of walnut grips for this one also.
All of the gun’s controls are in the same place as the P229: slide release, decocking lever, magazine release etc. The smaller grip does not make any of this paraphernalia any easier or more difficult to reach. The magazines are made in Italy, so I’d guess they might be made by Mec-Gar.
The rest of the package isn’t all that different from one model to the other. The overall length is 6.6″ for the P239 compared to 7.1″ for the P229 and the barrel difference is only .300″. The P229 weights 2 oz more and is .200″ higher.
I don’t see any of these dimensional differences as being significant in concealment, or vary speed in draw, or be enough to have an impact on cartridge performance. In fact, there was no discernable different in muzzle velocity or accuracy, however, my wife was able to group more closely with the P239, probably as a result of better control of the smaller grip. She was able to stay under a couple of inches at 25 feet, which isn’t bad for a performance cartridge like the .357 SIG is a relatively light gun. I don’t believe the size of the groups I short are relevant at this particular point in time.
The trigger pull for the P239 is 10 lbs in double action and 4 lbs in single action, or half a lb less than the P229 in both modes. Actually, the trigger on the P239 was very close to factory spec, but felt much lighter and the single action trigger cocked position seemed a good deal shorter than the P229.
The P239 trigger guard is formed differently, more streamlined and missing the knuckle clearance groove at the grip, and the finger flat and striations at the front of the guard. I’d miss that. The trigger guard on the P229 is perfect for a one or two handed grip.
The P239 permits barrel and cartridge swaps like the P229, however, the P239 needs to have a magazine swap as well. You can pick up a P239 in .357 SIG or .40 S&W for about $525, and get the alternate barrel for $175. The matching magazine runs about $25 more. For about $525 you could have a quality SIG. For about $1,100, or $575 more, you could have a Kimber Pro CDP pistol. Of course, if you bought the SIG and saved your money, you’d have enough to buy a brand new Hornady Lock-N-Load auto progressive loading press, or a full set of tires for your car, a Marlin 1895 in .45-70, a very nice 27″ Sony TV, a…..
Thanks,
Joe
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