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Howdy,

Full disclosure: this is not really my cup o' tea arena. My carry gun a-horseback is a Remington 1890.

Looking for honest knowledge/actual experience regarding this gun. SIG P229 Equinox, .40 Smith.

I have the Blue Book, so have the specs and "relative" values, etc. I note that it was a custom shop gun and has a barrel (4.4") longer than standard. I have a chance to score one and may consider it for my "21st Century" carry gun or car gun. Looking for ACTUAL experience with this gun or any such regarding the 229's of any type. Accuracy, reliability, etc. Thanks in advance for all efforts in this regard.
 
You can't go wrong with a P229 in any flavor.
All depends on what you want. Rail , no rail, tail no tail ...
I have all three calibers for mine.
Started as a 9mm , then I got a .40 slide assy and a .357 Sig barrel.
Then I put a P228 slide on it .
Looking to get another frame for the. 40 slide assy.
 
The P229 is a great handgun for carry. I carry one IWB in 9mm exclusively after retiring the CZ P-01.

The accuracy is acceptable, as in better than you probably need in a defensive situation. Do I have more or less accurate handguns? Yes. Do I think the P229 is lacking? No.

In 357 Sig or 40 Smith, there's quite a bit more muzzle flip than in 9mm, but it isn't terrible. Some might highlight a high bore axis, but I think that's oversold as a shortcoming.

I've had 0 reliability issues with any of my Sig handguns which is quite surprising seeing how I have quite a few and some are used.

With a short reset trigger, the P229 is superb carry gun for any century (until we get lasers or something).
 
A P229 has a 3.9" barrel unless it's threaded. Which the Equinox isn't.
A P226 has a 4.4" barrel.

Either one is an outstanding pistol.
But for a carry or truck gun I would go with another version.
The Equinox is a sharp looking gun but it has the skinny trigger and no SRT installed.
Most find the skinny trigger to be a biter. I swapped mine out immediately.
If I were to get any of the custom shop guns it would be the SAS
Like this one. Sig Sauer P229 SAS Custom 2-Tone .40S&W Pistol - Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com : 801783461
Standard trigger, SRT, looks great and will wear well for a carry piece or truck gun. Has those cool grips too.
But if you like the Equinox and it's a good price I don't think you'd be disappointed.

There are P229 .40 police trade ins all over the place as well for a decent price.
Or mix and match to make one with the features you want.
 
No experience or real knowledge of the Equinox, but I like my 229s, my 226s, my 224 and my 227.

I have a 229 in .40 and one in 9mm. Anymore I prefer to get SIGs in .40 then I just get a barrel for 9mm. If I get them in 9mm then generally I have to get the barrel & slide, which is more expensive. I like the .40 better than the 9mm, but the 9mm will be better for SHTF as ammo will be cheaper and more available and others will have the 9mm so ammo swapping is more likely.

The 229 is a nice size compromise, especially for .40 which has more recoil. My 224 is a nice carry size for concealed, but noticeably harder to control than the 229 and harder to find parts for, it not being made anymore. It is a toss up which I like more, my 229 in .40, my Mk25 in 9mm or 40, or my 227 Tactical. Probably the best for SHTF would be the Mk25 in 9mm, but the 227 would be the most effective as long as I had ammo - the downside being it would be the least likely to be able to swap mags with someone else, and less likely to swap ammo.

The .40 is a good candidate for a suppressor as is the .45 ACP.
 
I appreciate the responses and supporting testimony of actual use and experience. Should I want to try another caliber in this gun, is a barrel swap all that's necessary, or entire slide assy, different recoil spring, etc.? A friend is a Sky Marshal and carries the .357. That intrigues me, but I think the only louder pistol I've ever fired is a Blackhawk .30 carbine.

Accuracy comment from MrRob especially valuable. My Kimber Match Target (.45 M1911) covers the top of that spectrum, and my Smith 59 dwells somewhat toward the basement.

For Powermad: this puppy definitely has the longer barrel. Gun is unaltered with box and all.
 
For Powermad: this puppy definitely has the longer barrel. Gun is unaltered with box and all.
If the barrel is 4.4" it's a P226
There are longer P229 barrels for Canadian guns that are 4.1 i believe. It sticks out about 1/4" past the slide.

P226 Equinox. Buy Sig Sauer P226 9mm Equinox for $1,099.99 | E26R-9-EQ
P229 Equinox. Buy Sig Sauer P229 .40 Equinox for $1,049.99 | E29R-40-EQ

If it starts as a .40 then all you need is a .357 Sig barrel and use the same recoil spring (blue)
Bar-sto has 9mm conversion barrels, use the 9mm white spring for that. Get some 9mm mags and you have a triple caliber.

My M11-A1 started as a 9mm. I had to get a .40 slide assy to convert. Also picked up a .357 barrel.

P228 slide on top.
M11-A1 slide (P229 9mm) mid
Wearing the P229 legacy slide with .357 barrel installed.
wt6AXr4l.jpg

P220 top, 4.4" barrel
P228-A1 bottom, 3.9" barrel
To use the P228 slide you have to use the P228 locking insert as well.
NljPoLul.jpg
 
As mentioned, all you need are the correct barrels. For .357 SIG, just the standard barrel will work as the outer dimensions are the same, and the rest (breechface, extractor, locking insert) is the same too.

For 9mm you need a 'conversion barrel' or a conversion kit. EFK, Barsto and a few others make the barrels, SIG sells the kits (barrel, slide, etc.) or you can buy spare parts to make up the kit.

A barrel and and slide from a 229 in 9mm will fit, and a 40 slide/barrel will fit on a 9mm, but you need the correct locking insert for each to make them work right (or to fit the slide on all the way).

CDNN SPORTS - SIG SAUER P229 40/357 LOCKING INSERT

The locking insert reinstall/replace is a little tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't bad.
 
SIG Educators:

This guy is getting off the fence and definitely wants to sell. What is a fair market price for this gun? (Again, I have the books, but geographical factors affect pricing as well as "trends" and "desirability")

For those of you who have bought or sold in this gun's arena recently, What is the going rate for a Like New In Box gun of this type? and, of course: What would be a bargain? Thanks in advance for this contribution and thanks again for the lessons delivered.
 
I'd have a hard time spending more than $800. And I'd have to want it pretty bad for that much .
I'd have to factor in how much I would have to spend to get it where I want as well .
There are other models that interest me more so I'm probably biased in that regard.
 
First of all, you were right: it is NOT the longer barrel. (I have the gun in hand now). He's asking 600. Fair deal? Ballpark figure for a .357 barrel, and best to go with SIG or aftermarket (you mentioned Barsto)? Any other manufacturers of decent quality?

Just as you stated, I'd prefer to go .357, but need to figure in how much I have to spend to get it where I want.
Continuing Thanks.
 
Probably not helpful, but I've built 3 80% p229's (and a p220). They were the only pistols that I built that I would carry for personal defense because they were that good and reliable. I think that says to the quality of the parts that sig makes. I can imagine they be even better if Sig made the receiver instead of me.
 
$600?....SOLD....
That's a pretty good deal IMO
Barsto for a 9mm conversion barrel and Sig for the .357
I got my 357 barrel lightly used for $75.
 
For .40 it should have a #6 front and a #8 rear.
.357 and 9mm both typically take an 8/8

If it has 6/8 your POI may be a bit high with .357, but probably not enough to notice.
 

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