Used 229 w/ LE trigger, should I buy?

[caz223]

I got a chance to buy a law enforcement trade-in 229.
It had the regular slide, but the gun shop bead blasted the slide, so it's now tu-tone.
It says stainless right on the slide.
I field-stripped it, and it appears to have been shot 300-400 times, maybe.
Broken in, but not much more.
Also, it has the law enforcement trigger.
No stacking at the end of the DA trigger pull, VERY clean break, both in single, and double.
It was a law enforcement turn-in from sig, and when SIG recieves them, they inspect them, and replace anything that needs to be done, before they put them out in service.
$500.00, no mag. (It actually comes with one pro-mag that the store owner took right out of the box to test for function, but I'm not impressed with the mag at all.)
Excellent condition.
Is it a good deal?
Is the LE trigger a worthy upgrade?
If I converted it to 357SIG, would I need those mags, too?
I'm thinking of buying it just to convert it to shoot 357SIG, and keep the .40 barrel for posterity.
What do you guys think?

 

[caz223]

Oh, I forgot to mention.
When I pull the slide back, the action feels like no other I have tried.
I don't know what was done to it, but it sure isn't stock.
It feels like it has roller bearings.
When I pulled back the slide it started calling out to me.
When I pulled the trigger in DA, I almost peed my pants.
the store owner is a good friend of mine, I asked him to hold it for me until next tuesday. (My next day off.)

 

[MK11]

The lack of mags notwithstanding, it sounds like a pretty good deal (but then where I am used Sig P229s regularly go for about $650). New factory Sig mags run around $40-$45.

You don't need different mags for .357 Sig, just drop the barrel in.

If your friend will let you, try a function check. Make sure it's empty, drop the mag, rack the slide, and dry fire it, keeping the trigger back after the hammer falls. Rack the slide again and slowly let the trigger reset.

I don't know anything about the trigger upgrade but it sounds like you like it. Go for it.

 

[10-Ring]

The 229 in 357sig is suppose to be a nice set up...I'd get it & convert that one...good price too buy the way.

 

[CWL]

Why would the gunstore bead blast the finish off of a P229? -Hiding anything? Lots of wear perhaps? Mine's Nitron over stainless.

How can you tell if a sig's been fired 300-400 times? Mine's seen thousands and doesn't show any wear. Saw one with 10K rounds which doesn't show any internal wear.

Don't know anything about LE-trigger, is this same as shortened-trigger job? IMO, P229 trigger is plenty sweet as it originally comes.

If $500 is a good price in your area, then get it.

BUT if you only want to shoot .357Sig from this, what more will it cost you to buy .357 barrel AND magazines? Would this additional cost (say $150 for barrel + 2 mags @ $30/each.) really be cheaper than if you bought a P229 in .357sig in the first place?

-I'm seeing $700+ as actual price.

 

[Peter Gun]

Price seems a bit high. I bought mine (229 nitron, .40) w/3 mags in very good cond for $569. Sig mags are a little pricey, $30-$40. I'm a little suspicious of the bead blasted slide, but it may just be that the nitron scratches pretty easily, so they thought it would sell better than if its all hacked up. I dont know how you judge 300-400 rnds. I have that much thru mine since I've owned it and the barrel looks new. If its showing wear it prob has a lot more rounds than that thru it.
.357 mags are the same as .40 mags.
The action sounds normal. MIne almost feels like it is powered by a cam or something. Often, when I just want to open the chamber to check for a round, it keeps going and ejects the round.
I think I would look for one w/ less use or try and get a lower price.

 

[caz223]

There are no scuff marks where it locks up with the barrel lug.
Same with the barrel, it has the smilie on the outside of the barrel, and that's it, the lockup looks like new.
I figure it was used to qualify twice, and occasional practice.
As for the sandblasted slide, think holster wear.
Nitron comes off with a damp rag.
Also, new 229s are more than $600 in my neck of the woods.

 

[Chugach]

I think CWL has a good point about total cost. NIB SIGs should come with two factory mags and a lockable case.

A new .357SIG barrel will cost you at least $130 - $150, and two factory mags are at least $30 apiece + shipping. On the other hand, if you buy from your gunshop friend, you have a "spare" .40 barrel.

Depends on how severe your itch is...

 

[CWL]

caz223,

I think that you are terribly mistaken about the nitron finish being taken off with a damp rag. Never heard this claim before. Don't hear of many complaints at all from owners of nitron finishes. By all accounts, it is a tough and corrosion-resistant coating. Perhaps you are confusing it with K-cote, an inferior coating.

If you say that new sigs cost over $600, then this $500 sig with no mags isn't that great of a price since the addition of 2 factory mags will bring you close to $600 before you can even fire it. You will do better to pay the same for a new, factory warrantied .357sig gun for the same price.

FYI, in police refurbish guns, the factory usually goes over everything on the gun, including refinishing the gun of any wear marks. I own 2 (HK & Glock), and they came looking like brand new guns. They also usually come with 2 magazines -unscrupulous dealers have been known to remove these mags (especially if hi-caps). This is why I am suspicious of it having been bead blasted as well as missing mags.

As for lockup of parts, this is what Sig Sauers are famous for. All of them fit like this -even after 10-20K rounds.


If you want to, hey, it's your $$, but I feel that you think this to be a better deal than it actually is.

 

[caz223]

I remember seeing reports of stainless sigs with nitron-coated slides that have rust spots, pitting, or see-through spots in the finish.
As far as I can recall, nitron is a blackening process, and has limited corrosion resistance properties.
The grade of stainless they use is very strong, and is of correct hardness for the application, but not the most corrostion resistant I have ever seen.
It is of little consequence to me, because it will be treated like a blued gun anyway.
I could be confusing it with something else, though.
Tricked-out sigs with nights, etc are over $850 new in my area, and a $500 used one seems to me to be a no-brainer, even if it is stripped down, and used.
I am concerned with the value of the LE trigger, currently.
Is this available to an ordinary joe?
At what additional cost?
I'm looking at the LE trigger as a selling point, but if it's not desirable, I may pass on the gun.
The trigger IS really sweet, though.