Posted: 5/25/2004 10:37:46 AM EDT
| I heard something interesting and it has got me curious. I have a SIG P228 in 9mm (only way it comes as far as I know). The SIG P229 is the same basic gun, but available on either 9mm, .357 SIG , or .40 cal. Now here is where I get curious, I heard the P228 can be changed over to a .40 cal by swapping the barrel. I have read where other pistols, Springfield XD .357 SIG and the .40 cal version can be changed over with a simple barrel swap. Is that true for the SIG P228 and SIG P229, or would it requre a full slide swap out? |
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The P228 is 9mm ONLY. It, along with the early P220 and P226 has a stamped carbon steel slide. Sig designed the P229 with a stainless forged slide to better handle the high pressure of the .40SW round. They also began building the P226 with stainless slides when that pistol was first offered in .40SW as well. Most .40SW pistols, all Sigs included, can be switched to .357sig with only a barrel swap, and vice versa. If you want a multi caliber pistol the size of your P228, get a P229 in either .40 or .357, and then the other barrel. I have heard that BarSto makes a 9mm barrel for these as well, but that it is not 100% reliable. Hope this helps. |
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The actual dimensions on the recoil lug in the P228 frame is different than a P229 .40/.357 lug. You can't swap Sig barrels between the two. Additionally, the original P229/9mm slides and recoil lugs were actually different dimensions than the .40/.357 slides. The .40 is beefier. I would assume it's the same today, though I haven't actually looked at a P229/9 and /40 together for years. Sig did this on purpose to prevent the very thing you're thinking about. You also can't fit a P220 slide on a P226 frame, the disconectors are in different places. If you have a P229/40 or /357 you can shoot 9mm out of it with a Bar-sto barrel as mentioned. Supposedly it works pretty good, but once you start altering Sig engineering, you're asking for trouble. Ross |