Rather than load down the thread with pictures, I put all the high res versions at: http://sdrv.ms/WPl8YQ
I picked up the P229 SAS at Jensen Arms in Loveland, CO a week or change ago to provide a larger alternative to my previous concealed carry firearm, which was a Glock 27. Even with an extension on the bottom of the magazine well, while I could fire the G27 fine, my confidence just wasn't there because I never found a comfortable grip that did not feel like the bottom of my hand was hanging into space.
The P229 SAS has the same reliability thus far with a few hundred rounds through it that I associate with my prior Sig Ownership (including a P250 that is my bedside gun). The SAS - or Sig Anti Snag - is considered a "custom" gun from Sig with the custom shop logo on the slide. Each of the primary lines associated with potentially causing a snag or a cut in a carry scenario has been hand radiused. Also, to address its intended use as a concealed carry firearm, the P229 SAS has night sights already installed.
On almost all of the edges, the craftsmanship is actually quite good. There are just two areas that I would say were slight deviations: the lines around the trigger area have a combination of blends which are a bit awkward when you look at it. It just looks "off" at first glance, is hard to put your finger on until you look closely and see how one line and another come together, and figure out thats what you are seeing. It does not interfere with the trigger pull at all, and this handgun actually feels quite nice in the hand.
The other issue is a bit more of an annoyance to me. For some reason, they did not radius/blend the curves on the front of the slide from the side of the barrel, just below the center line, back to the frame/slide connection. When so much work has gone into making this an "anti snag" firearm, it feels like these were just overlooked, as it would be simple childs play to put a subtle bevel or radius on edge. In the photo of this particular area linked above, you can see how every other edge in the area is modified but this one is not.
Overall, I have to say that I am really happy with how this gun feels in the hand. I am one of those people cursed with large but stubby fingers, and one of the challenges I have had with handguns like the Beretta 92/96 and even the Springfield XD is that the length from the backstrap to the trigger can be long enough that it is just borderline for me to get the appropriate placement of the pad of my trigger finger naturally onto the trigger.
The controls on the P229 SAS are all easily accessible, and the new "E2" grips provide positive traction on each angle of the grip surface, augmented by milled lines in the front strap of the frame. The stippling of the grips is somewhat aggressive without necessarily crossing into "abrasive" such that my hands were affected from a large number of rounds in my range session.
Cleaning of the Sig is the same as any other Sig, with a field strip requiring only locking back the slide, turn the lever, release the slide, etc.
Aside from the mostly cosmetic things I noted above for the anti-snag blending, only two functional areas really require consideration from future buyers:
1) This is a DA/SA handgun. It works well but some may not care for the fact that the DA mode requires a substantially higher tension on the trigger. Some may not want to put the training in to address the difference in feel and trigger control between the double action and single action modes. On the upside, this DA/SA configuration does include a short reset on the trigger, so there is no sloppy early pull, the trigger does not travel past the short reset position when the hammer is back.
2) The recoil spring in this model feels somewhat over-strong. This may be a personal preference thing, but when drawing back the slide to chamber a round, you are fighting both the recoil spring as well as the spring on the hammer. It is strong enough that my wife had trouble manipulating the firearm when I was instructing her in its use. For me, it doesn't really pose a problem as the function is quite crisp and weapon manipulation should be part of any training regimen at the range (and/or dry fire drills).
All in all, I am very happy with the purchase, and would recommend this as a carry option based on my experience so far. As with any firearm you have to consider fitness to your particular purpose, and its weight may turn some off to use of the P229 SAS as a carry option. I look forward to continuing to prove the P229's reliability as I gear up to making this my daily carry.
I picked up the P229 SAS at Jensen Arms in Loveland, CO a week or change ago to provide a larger alternative to my previous concealed carry firearm, which was a Glock 27. Even with an extension on the bottom of the magazine well, while I could fire the G27 fine, my confidence just wasn't there because I never found a comfortable grip that did not feel like the bottom of my hand was hanging into space.
The P229 SAS has the same reliability thus far with a few hundred rounds through it that I associate with my prior Sig Ownership (including a P250 that is my bedside gun). The SAS - or Sig Anti Snag - is considered a "custom" gun from Sig with the custom shop logo on the slide. Each of the primary lines associated with potentially causing a snag or a cut in a carry scenario has been hand radiused. Also, to address its intended use as a concealed carry firearm, the P229 SAS has night sights already installed.
On almost all of the edges, the craftsmanship is actually quite good. There are just two areas that I would say were slight deviations: the lines around the trigger area have a combination of blends which are a bit awkward when you look at it. It just looks "off" at first glance, is hard to put your finger on until you look closely and see how one line and another come together, and figure out thats what you are seeing. It does not interfere with the trigger pull at all, and this handgun actually feels quite nice in the hand.
The other issue is a bit more of an annoyance to me. For some reason, they did not radius/blend the curves on the front of the slide from the side of the barrel, just below the center line, back to the frame/slide connection. When so much work has gone into making this an "anti snag" firearm, it feels like these were just overlooked, as it would be simple childs play to put a subtle bevel or radius on edge. In the photo of this particular area linked above, you can see how every other edge in the area is modified but this one is not.
Overall, I have to say that I am really happy with how this gun feels in the hand. I am one of those people cursed with large but stubby fingers, and one of the challenges I have had with handguns like the Beretta 92/96 and even the Springfield XD is that the length from the backstrap to the trigger can be long enough that it is just borderline for me to get the appropriate placement of the pad of my trigger finger naturally onto the trigger.
The controls on the P229 SAS are all easily accessible, and the new "E2" grips provide positive traction on each angle of the grip surface, augmented by milled lines in the front strap of the frame. The stippling of the grips is somewhat aggressive without necessarily crossing into "abrasive" such that my hands were affected from a large number of rounds in my range session.
Cleaning of the Sig is the same as any other Sig, with a field strip requiring only locking back the slide, turn the lever, release the slide, etc.
Aside from the mostly cosmetic things I noted above for the anti-snag blending, only two functional areas really require consideration from future buyers:
1) This is a DA/SA handgun. It works well but some may not care for the fact that the DA mode requires a substantially higher tension on the trigger. Some may not want to put the training in to address the difference in feel and trigger control between the double action and single action modes. On the upside, this DA/SA configuration does include a short reset on the trigger, so there is no sloppy early pull, the trigger does not travel past the short reset position when the hammer is back.
2) The recoil spring in this model feels somewhat over-strong. This may be a personal preference thing, but when drawing back the slide to chamber a round, you are fighting both the recoil spring as well as the spring on the hammer. It is strong enough that my wife had trouble manipulating the firearm when I was instructing her in its use. For me, it doesn't really pose a problem as the function is quite crisp and weapon manipulation should be part of any training regimen at the range (and/or dry fire drills).
All in all, I am very happy with the purchase, and would recommend this as a carry option based on my experience so far. As with any firearm you have to consider fitness to your particular purpose, and its weight may turn some off to use of the P229 SAS as a carry option. I look forward to continuing to prove the P229's reliability as I gear up to making this my daily carry.
