# P229 or P226?



## Psycho-82 (Dec 27, 2008)

So im thinking about getting a handgun when i return from thislovely deployment. I want a .40 size round for home defense as its a happy medium to me versus the .45 ACP,and the 9mm. I want something that will be good all around for these 3 things; CCW, Home Defense, and range fun. The two im looking at obviously are the P229 Elite, or the P226 Elite. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.


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## Growler67 (Sep 8, 2008)

Any handgun you choose to own for the range and/or SD can easily be employed fore HD. There shouldn't be any distinction between SD and HD in my mind. The caliber you choose is also a personal decision to be made based on your individual needs and wants.

You will not get much of an arguement from me on either of your intended choices. However, have you fired either? I mean to say, have you ever had either of these in your hands? Some people these days go the "High School Popularity" route when making their choices in: cell phones, hair styles, political candidates and firearms just to name a few examples. Popularity should only be a porchlight drawing your attention, it shouldn't be a means to base a decision.

If you have handled these and fired them in the caliber you are interested in, then you know how they "feel" to you when you shoot them. Fit and comfort level are, IMO, where your decision making process should be based. It's where I start. Then again, it is my belief that if it doesn't fit and feel good in your hands, you will not be able to shoot it as well as if it does.

I have and continue to shop and shoot (when the opportunity presents) many makes and models of handguns. There are many I do not like for many different reasons and there are some I really like for just as many reasons.

The primary difference between the two you mentioned is that the P226 is the full sized version and the P229 is slightly shorter in length and height. I do not know your size nor build and these are two factors that will play into whether or not they would carry well. Where you intend on living and the weather conditions will also play a factor. ANYTHING you choose for carry or SD/HD will always make a good range gun. Unless you consider an "old beater" you can abuse for a range gun, then in that case I don't think you should be spending this amount of money at a range gun. The CPO market may be a better option if this is what you wish.

More information would be helpful and the longer you hang around here and similar places, the better the "residents" will get a feel for who you are. Specific questions will get you better answers than generalized ones, generally and the more we get to know you the better our advice and suggestive offerings can be.


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## Hank98498 (Oct 6, 2008)

Psych;
1) Thank you for your service to our country - from an old Vietnam Vet.
2) Why discount .45 and 9mm? The 9mm Parabellum (AKA: 9mm Luger or 9X19) is an exceptional round that has been around for almost a century and is still going strong in both police and SD work. .45 ACP has similarly been around a long time and is well respected. There is nothing wrong with .40 cal per se, but please don't throw out 9mm or .45, either.
3) Is there a range near you where you can try out different guns? There are a couple near me, and a few more not very far from me. When I began looking, I bought a couple boxes each of .38, .357, 9mm, .40, and .45, and then went out playing. I had other considerations (work requirements) but I found that the gun made the difference to me, not necessarily the calibre. I also noted prices for ammunition. I finally settled on 9X19 as my primary cartridge, and I bought the Sig that felt best to me (and met my other criteria). I eventually bought a Kel-Tec PF-9 (9X19, too) as my CCW/SD/HD gun. And just last month I bought a Springfield XD-45 (.45 ACP) because I enjoyed shooting it so much, and it didn't have all that much more kick than either of my 9mm's.
4) Get your hands on some examples; if not to shoot then at least to see how they fit and feel in your hand. That means a lot more to me than the calibre. And it'll at least give you a head start on loving your choice.
Enjoy!
Hank "Fred"



Psycho-82 said:


> I want a .40 size round for home defense as its a happy medium to me versus the .45 ACP,and the 9mm. I want something that will be good all around for these 3 things; CCW, Home Defense, and range fun. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.


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## Rastus (Dec 10, 2008)

Thank you for your service!

Both guns are excellent for your stated purposes. Either will serve you well.

If you intend to carry the gun on a regular basis, the P229 will be a little bit easier to conceal and weighs slightly less. Otherwise, the differences of the "feel" of the gun in your hand, and how accurately you shoot it, will be *very* small. The half-height cocking serrations on the P229 bother some folks.


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## Psycho-82 (Dec 27, 2008)

Well as im currently deployed and not due back until April (yay only 3 months left!) i cannot go to any store and check them out so i am doing as much checking as i can on the net. That way ill have a very good ideaof what i want. I know the feel is the most important and i intend to check them all out and see which one "feels" best to me. I chose .40 becuase its a happy medium of punch versus round count. The .45 ACP on the weapons i was looking at didnt have enough IMO. I want 10+ rounds. The 9mm IMO does not have enough stopping power for what i want (dealing with the barreta has put a bad taste in my mouth). Now as far as my size... im 6'3" 210lbs, so im not the smallest guy on the block, which could cause some issues for a semi-compact or compact carry for the size of my hands. I also did look at the prices of ammo, and that was another deciding factor for my hoice as again it was a happy medium for what i am expecting to pay. Im stationed out of El Paso (Ft Bliss) Texas and there is a nice rod and gun club along with plenty of open space to go ou and have fun, along with some nice stores to shop around and check them all out. Anyways thats what ive come up with so far heh.


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## Growler67 (Sep 8, 2008)

SiG has a .45 prototype that is double stack. No idea how far along in R&D it is or if it'll ever make it onto the market. There are a couple of .45 double stacks available. Compromise is a tricky mistress. Get what you want to have because compromising things one way or another, this way or that will lead you into an ambiguous world.

I personally have tried the .40 in many. I am still not impressed with it in anything I've tried it in. Your hands, your choice. When you get back, check ammo prices and availability. Go to the range and try as many out as you can whether they be rentals (if available) or friends going to the range or whatever.

Your experience with 9mm is limited to ball ammo only due to the Geneva Conventions. Modern JHP's are an entirely different animal than your experience allows judgement for. Ball ammo is good for punching holes in paper. In a SD/HD situation, it has little if any place being used. Choose any of the more decent JHP's on the market and you'll be much better off.

9mm is still widely available and the cheapest to boot. I am an advocate of shot placement over the caliber in the "Great Debate" and stopping power is non-existant in most handguns. It's a term specifically for high powered rifles and shotguns that has been bastardized by magazine article writers and transferred onto handguns in an attempt to validate a bias one way or another. Short of a Desert Eagle or TC or other large caliber only type of handgun, "stopping power" is meaningless.


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## jediwebdude (Nov 30, 2008)

I really, really like my P226 Elite .40. I haven't carried it yet, so can't tell you if that extra half-inch in barrel length is problematic. Since this is primarily a home def weapon, accuracy is more important to me than compactness.

Either way, I applaud your choice for getting an Elite. One thing I really like about my Elite is the SRT feature. 

What I would like to get is the P229 Equinox. Then I'd be the happy owner of a 226 and a 229, each in an attractive style.

-PJ


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