Police "trade-in" 9mm Sig P229s/P228s: almost all retail 9mms long gone?

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Ignition Override

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Having owned nothing chambered larger than 9x18 Makarov until a few weeks ago, I'm very late to owning a 9 mm, and not just due to my age.

Bought a superb used CZ 75 PO1 (compact), but am also very impressed with the P229 I rented last week. This is not about the differences, just Retail availability.

Google produces several choices of firms which sell trade-ins, but almost every gun is in .40--not 9mm, and they seem to be other Sig series.

The 9x19 types must have been sold out by retail dealers many months ago, as many departments or federal agencies must have finished converted from .40 to 9mm a while ago.
I'm quite familiar with Armslist, having made about ten gun deals using it, with two-three more possible.
 
You aren't going to find a surplus 229 (9mm) anywhere. People seek them out and hold them once they get them. 229 might be the most popular Sig on the market. They come in two flavors. The old 229 classic in 9mm only or the new one with a rail that can accept 40 and 357. The frames and magazines are different. I found a new 229 classic about a month ago for under 700 and was all over it. That offer didn't last very long.
 
CoalTrain49 said:
You aren't going to find a surplus 229 (9mm) anywhere. People seek them out and hold them once they get them. 229 might be the most popular Sig on the market. They come in two flavors. The old 229 classic in 9mm only or the new one with a rail that can accept 40 and 357. The frames and magazines are different. I found a new 229 classic about a month ago for under 700 and was all over it. That offer didn't last very long.
Click to expand...
I have a 229 SIG w/o the rail that I bought a .357 SIG bbl for. Are you telling me this will not work?
 
Last week I picked up a LNIB Sig P239 SAS Gen2 9mm for $550.00. I really don’t think this gun was ever fired. This was the best holiday deal on a “used” gun that I really wanted so I pounced on it.

I also saw a good deal on a lightly used Sig M11-A1 for $595.00, which is a new model P229 with all the right upgrades on it. I have one myself & I really like it.
 
I own a P320 Carry in 9mm and was thinking of getting a conversion kit to 40 or 357 SIG when they come back out. However the price seemed high for now. I found a sweet P229 at my LGS in .40 that was just setting there not moving. Was able to put it on layaway for $439.00. I'll get a .357 barrel later for it and will have a nice platform. To be honest, when we had the last "panic" 9mm was hard to find around here, but .40 was everywhere at regular price.
 
How about standardizing both 'higher-power' handguns on the 9mm cartridge? It seems to make sense using one type of ammo in both the CZ 75 PO1 (compact) I have,
and also in my Next handgun, which will be whatever Sig 229 or 228.

Both guns (CZ/Sig) certainly use very different magazines, but other than most 9mm Ammo usually being a bit cheaper (steel-cased .40 can be .20-.25/rd.), is there otherwise any Real advantage to having one's pair of larger handguns in the same chambering? Let's exclude that a double-stack 9mm can hold 4-5 more rds.

Maybe a standard chambering is only a hard-headed idea with no merit, besides some ammo costs. I only use commercial ammo-no more tedious reloading.
 
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If you are limited to store bought ammo it makes sense to me to own both a 40 and a 9mm. If there's ever another run on ammo like the post-Sandy Hook banic you may not be able to find 9mm in the store when you want it. Being able to shoot 40 or 357 Sig is an advantage is this circumstance.
 
Elkins45: That's an interesting angle. Will contemplate that.
The P229's recoil in .40 could be not much stronger than in 9mm? Will try to rent the .40 version.

The reason I bought three Makarovs (Bulgy, two EG) in 9x18 and a commercial .380 Russian, was in case we ever see a huge tariff, or total ban on ammo imported from Russia.
 
Don't forget the big-bore SIG P220 .45 ACP police trade in pistols:

20171007_144738.jpg

This is mine and boy it's a peach. LOVE it. Got it for $400 and something a couple months back from SOG, basically new in box.
 
Just rented a .40 cal. Sig P229 at the range which has the 9mm version. Superb design and production!

I expected much more of a recoil than with the 9mm Sig P229, and did not notice more than a little bit. Very nice surprise.
Such a smooth trigger in this .40, and has what Appears to be the same frame/slide as the 9mm, the gun's size is nearly identical with my CZ PO1 Compact.

There are so few vendors listed on Gunbot with .40 S&W ammo at .25/rd., or less, it's hard not to want just 9mm types.
 
I found a 228 trade in at a gun show (for under $400) last year. It was in with a bunch of trade in .40s, I guess I was the first one to actually look through them for a 9mm. The trade-in/used market is flooded now with all things .40.
 
9mmepiphany said:
Depends on if it is a 229 or a 229-1.

The original 229 was actually a 228 with a stainless slide. The 229-1 uses the same frame/magazines as the .40 and 357Sig models
Click to expand...

That's also my understanding. The 229-1 has a different frame. My neighbor has a 229-1 and they aren't the same as my 229 Classic. 228 mags work in my gun so it must be the same frame size.
 
Elkins45 said:
If you are limited to store bought ammo it makes sense to me to own both a 40 and a 9mm. If there's ever another run on ammo like the post-Sandy Hook banic you may not be able to find 9mm in the store when you want it. Being able to shoot 40 or 357 Sig is an advantage is this circumstance.
Click to expand...

There's probably dusty boxes of 357 Sig in the back rooms of every gun store in the country.:D Some people have never even heard of the cartridge already.
 
Ignition Override said:
Elkins45: That's an interesting angle. Will contemplate that.
The P229's recoil in .40 could be not much stronger than in 9mm? Will try to rent the .40 version.

The reason I bought three Makarovs (Bulgy, two EG) in 9x18 and a commercial .380 Russian, was in case we ever see a huge tariff, or total ban on ammo imported from Russia.
Click to expand...

My crystal ball is a bit cloudy but I see trade embargoes looming on the horizon. No more cheap E. bloc ammo or firearms. I always figured the fed would find a way find a way to stop the trade of arms and ammo from those countries. Looks real now.
 
I just sold an AMD-65 (AK deriv. from Hungary), about to sell two of my Makarovs: always in person/FTF.

Will hope to buy a guy's 228 when we are over in Nashville in a few weeks.
If that falls through and there is no Very discounted, Used .40 cal. Sig 229 near Memphis, I'll probably use all of the cash to --literally-- buy a 4,000 rds. mix of Russian 9mm and 7.62x39 ammo for the 'possible Import Ban/retirement' stockpile. Not kidding.
 
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CoalTrain49 said:
There's probably dusty boxes of 357 Sig in the back rooms of every gun store in the country.:D Some people have never even heard of the cartridge already.
Click to expand...
My least favorite part is when you squint to find .357 magnums on the shelf and you see ".357... SIG" :cuss:
 
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