Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	SIG SAUER GmbH & Co. KG More Info

About the Gun

The P229 is a compact double-stack pistol offered in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG. It features a stainless steel slide on a black hard-coat anodized aluminum alloy frame with the short-recoil locked-breech operating system and DA/SA trigger with decocker. It was the first pistol manufactured at SIG Sauer’s Exeter, New Hampshire facility. Variants include configurations with and without an accessory rail, fixed combat sights or SIGLITE night sights, two-tone and Equinox finishes. Select models are equipped with Crimson Trace laser grips.

Production

Production ran from 2005 through 2012.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $1,050–$1,300. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $800–$1,050.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	.40 Smith & Wesson
Alias:	N/A
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Analysis

The P229 was developed as a more robust compact pistol than the P228, utilizing a stronger milled stainless steel slide that was better suited for the higher-pressure .40 S&W and 357 SIG cartridges. As the first pistol manufactured at SIG Sauer’s Exeter, New Hampshire facility in 1992, it quickly became one of the company’s most popular compact models. Widely used by law enforcement and civilian shooters, it offered an excellent balance of size, capacity, and reliability. The availability of accessory rails, different sight options, two-tone finishes, and Crimson Trace laser grips allowed users to tailor the pistol to specific needs. The base P229 served as a versatile platform for many years before the introduction of more specialized variants such as the Elite, Legion, and SAS models.