Sig 299-22 ?

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burrhead

burrhead

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To start this off, I’m a 50+ year gun owner but have never owned, or know much about, Sig pistols. That said, today in a somewhat convoluted gun swap in which several guns and some cash traded hands, I ended up with a Sig 229-22 among other things. At least I think that’s what it is. The markings on the slide say P229 but the guy I got it from said it’s actually a 226-22. ???

I don’t really care because it’s just a deal sweetener and I like it so far but, I’m curious what it really is. The Sig site is no help in identifying the thing but it’s new, unfired, with the box, docs and other goodies (warranty card, funky holster, etc). The man I traded with is a dealer and I did a 4473 so everything is legal.

So my questions are what do I really have and, since there were so many parts to the deal, I’d guess I have about $400 +/- in it. Is that a decent price? I like it regardless and will likely keep it if it shoots OK.

TIA

IMG_20210505_215105441.jpg
 
It appears to be a genuine sig P229 in .22 long rifle. If it was a regular P229 with a conversion slide added it would have a steel frame. It appears to have a black anodized aluminum frame. You can verify with a magnet. If this is the case, you have a really nice .22 pistol on your hands.
 
It very well could be a conversion slide on a P229 frame but those aren't terrible guns. They don't hold as much value as a dedicated .22 pistol but I have owned them in the past. They tend to like hotter ammunition and the slide doesn't always lock back after the last round. I had a conversion slide for a 1911 and it did great.
 
Well duh, a follow up. I took a closer look at the gun and box this morning and it isn't a conversion but a dedicated 22LR. The bar coded end label on the box says: 229R 22LR 4.5 rail LN with the serial number that matches the gun. I'm pretty sure this is a NOS gun because in came in a large factory cardboard box instead of the typical smaller plastic case and the box is OK but shows some "storage wear". Anyway, I'm pretty happy with it.

Anyone have a guess as to value NIB and/or know the years of production? I can't find much info on the web. Thanks to everyone for their help.
 
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The gun looks a lot like a P229 Classic 22 that was designed so it could be converted to centerfire calibers using Caliber X-Change Kits. Unfortunately SIG discontinued these kits. Is there a label on the box or case? The model number would normally be on one of the labels. The P229 Classic 22 is 229R-22-BSS.

EDIT: Nevermind. I should read all of the entries before posting.
 
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Clean, lubed and shot a couple of mags through it today. Just popped some road apples around the house at 10/15 yards and it's plenty accurate for a plinker. I'll take it over to my range next week and see what it can really do. So far...FUN.
 
burrhead

In case you were wondering this is what a 9mm. P229 looks like. Never saw or heard anything about there being a dedicated .22 version of it. Should make for a very fun plinker to have around!
83s2WqL.jpg
 
After some further research I've learned that Sig use to offer complete uppers to convert them to 9mm, 357 Sig or 40S&W. Though discontinued, they're available on Gun Broker for $350ish. I'd get one except, since I'm a judge, I'm eligible to buy Blue Label Glocks and can buy a G27 for $400. For $50 more it makes more sense to just buy another complete pistol. Interesting though.
 
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I am guessing that your p229-22 was made by Umarex in Germany. They make a lot of .22 caliber versions of other guns. The original M&P22 pistol was made by Umarex for Smith and Wesson. It was a fine example of a .22 understudy.
 
I'm sure it's not made by Umarex. At least the frame is pure Sig and designed to take uppers chambered in 9mm, 357 Sig, and 40 S&W. I doubt Sig would license it's name to a third party to make copies of it's pistols to be used with high intensity cartridges.
 
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Taurus 617 CCW said:
It appears to be a genuine sig P229 in .22 long rifle. If it was a regular P229 with a conversion slide added it would have a steel frame. It appears to have a black anodized aluminum frame. You can verify with a magnet. If this is the case, you have a really nice .22 pistol on your hands.
Click to expand...
SIG's P series frames are an alloy, not steel. I believe the SS versions were the only difference. A magnet will not stick to them.
 
Taurus 617 CCW said:
I am guessing that your p229-22 was made by Umarex in Germany.
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It is always interesting to see how the passage of time distorts history

Let's start at the beginning:
1. SIG originally offered the .22lr conversion kits for their Classic P-series pistols. The most common ones you'll see are for the P226 and P229. The one I owned was for the P226 and I used it on my P226ST.
2. The only issues that arose with them was that they didn't run with all .22lr ammo and the slide did not lock back when the magazine was empty. They run fine with CCI Mini-Mags and there was an after-market follower that would hold the slide open.
3. To meet a demand for a complete gun chambered in .22lr, SIG installed the conversion kits on P-series frames. These were standard alloy frames.
4. There is no model 229-22. The correct designation, as stated above was P229R-22-BSS...commonly referred to as a P229 with .22 conversion.
5. All the SIG center fire conversion kits, for that specific frame, could be installed on these frames and would function reliably.
 
9mmepiphany, I'm trying to determine what kind of slide/barrel combo I can use to convert to 9mm without chasing down a "Classic" kit. Actual Classic kits are hard to find but regular slides and barrel are easy.

The bar code label reads 229R E2 22LR 4.5" Rail LN and another label reads UD 229-22-B1. Does that give you any insight as to which slide I need; a P229 or 226. I'm completely in the weeds concerning Sigs. Never owned or fooled with one.

Thanks
 
burrhead said:
what kind of slide/barrel combo I can use to convert to 9mm without chasing down a "Classic" kit. Actual Classic kits are hard to find but regular slides and barrel are easy.
Click to expand...
Any 229 slide and barrel should fit... a 228 slide might even work. You might have to switch in a 9mm specific locking insert (controls the timing of the action).

Which 9mm magazine will depend on the frame. A 357 SIG/.40 229 or 229-1 frame will accept all magazines (9mm 229 or 228, a little loosely). A 9mm 229 frame will only accept 9mm 229 (as opposed to 229-1) and 228 nagazines
 
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