Sig Sauer P229 And HK P2000 Pistols

[Killer Angel]

For those of you who have both had any experiences with the Sig Sauer P229 and HK P2000 pistols,how do they compare to each other?What are the Pros and Cons of each over the other?And lastly,which pistol do you personally prefer?And why?
Thanks.

[billybronco]

i'm halfway there...

i own a 229 Equinox in .40 S&W and a P30....can't speak on the 2000 though.

both have decockers which i like and both are DA/SA.

my 229 came with trijicons - the P30 has those BS sights with the "luminous paint" on them.

229's trigger is nicer.....ergonomics on both are outstanding.

both are so accurate it's stupid.

good mag capacity....

honestly, the vote is 6 for one and a half dozen for the other.

can't go wrong either way.

[jhs1969]

For those of you who have both had any experiences with the Sig Sauer P229 and HK P2000 pistols,how do they compare to each other?What are the Pros and Cons of each over the other?And lastly,which pistol do you personally prefer?And why?
Thanks.

I have owned two 229's in .40 and .357 and I have also owned five different 228's which is basically the same pistol, just a stamped slide 9mm. I have owned a USPc in .40 but the one I currently own and trust my life two is the P2000 in 9mm. I have been more happy with the P2000 than any other pistol I've ever owned and I have owned a bunch. I'm a little different than most people in that so many prefer the short triggers of a 1911 or Glock or M&P but the TDA of Sig's and HK's don't bother me at all but since your are trying to compare the 229 and P2000 I assume it does not concern you either. It will basically come down to your personal choice, there is no one pistol that is better than every other. That being said, I find no discernable differences in triggers between the two, they both have smooth triggers in both DA and SA. The HK will be a little lighter of course and in my opinion a little more durable due to the polymer frame vs the alloy frame of the 229. Mag capacity is comparable.

Now a few differences, the HK is thinner. The Sig has always been a little thick for me, in particular near the decock lever, so much so that it forces me to modify my grip when using a double stack Sig. The P2000 also has interchangeable back straps to better fit different hand sizes. The decock lever on the Sigs forces the slide release lever further back on the frame, enough that it causes many people to deactive the slide lock, meaning that the thumb maintains pressure on the slide release/lock so that the slide does not lock back on the last shot. You can get around this by changing your grip but it is something that many, including me, must work around when shooting a double stack Sig. The HK's decock lever is on the back of the slide, just to the left of the hammer. This is a different location than is considered traditional and some people have a little trouble with it, for me I find it no problem at all. The mag release is also different on the HK, it is at the lower rear of the trigger guard and is ambi. Again some people have trouble with it but again I have no trouble at all and acutally find it works a little better for myself.

As you can see, each person will have their own opinions and each item of any piece of gear. The best advise I can give is to compare the two side by side and shoot both if possible, it may be the only way (other than spending money and taking a chance) answer your questions. Again, after many years and many guns I have chosen the P2000 and am very happy, now I can't wait to add a P30 to the stable.

good luck

[IrishDevil]

I'll start by saying if you are looking for 9mm, go P30. In .40, it's a toss up for me, though I prefer the P2000 for decocker location. The 229 in .40 is IMO one of Sig's best guns. I prefer the 229 in 40 over the 226 version, it shoots softer for me. There was a time when I was certainly Pro-Sig, but starting with the P2000, I started warming up to HK. It may be lunacy but the P2000 and now the P30 are my DA/SA guns of choice. Holster choices are better with the Sig, but not shabby with the P2000. Both of the guns are really similar in regards to accuracy, capacity, and quality. I'll have to recommend the standard shoot both if possible, then decide. I've lost interest in .40, and mainly shoot 9mm, so I'm into my P30 and P30L. If HK builds a P30 in .40, I may trade in my P2000.

[Abraxas]

I have not owned either, but I have shot both and I personally loved the P2000 and disliked the P229 in comparison. Just my .02

[ToddG]

Mustang or Camaro?

They're so much more alike than different. Both are available as TDA or quasi-DAO.

I find the triggers on the SIGs slightly better, and they can be improved. I don't know anyone doing serious trigger work on H&K pistols. The SIG also shoots a little softer/faster for me.

The H&K has better ergonomics and is both smaller & lighter. While H&K has had its share of production/QC issues, it's never been anything like the trouble SIG's been having for the past year or two. The number of people who have problems with H&K pistols out of the box is probably about as low as any company in the industry.

If I were to go out and buy a TDA pistol today, it would almost certainly be an H&K P30.

[John_Wayne777]

Another note about the P30:

I handled LAV's Bowie customized P30 at the Vickers pistol 1 course this month and I was sorely tempted to run out and buy one myself. I believe it is a VAST improvement over the stock P30's that I've handled on other occasions.

[YVK]

How was a reset on Bowie's P30? I thought it was way too long on stock P30.

[John_Wayne777]

How was a reset on Bowie's P30? I thought it was way too long on stock P30.

IIRC he installs an overtravel stop which helps out a great deal.

[sigmundsauer]

HK's P2000 has virtually replaced all of my SIG P-series pistols. I have a couple of P228's and a Navy P226 for nostalgia's sake, but I prefer my P2000s in almost every way. They are light, compact ('specially with the low profile base plates), and ultra reliable.

I have a couple V2's and V3's. Trigger reset is longish, but the LEM trigger is my preferred configuration and they reset quickly in my hands on account of the heavy trigger return spring. I really consider the LEM to be a long two-stage single action trigger more than a DAO. It behaves as such far better than say, SIG's DAK, which I have had problems with light primer strikes.

HK's V3 is good too, though. And I have a P30 V3 that rocks. I simply can't make these pistols choke. They are tough pistols. I give the SIG's a slight edge in pure mechanical accuracy though.

I wouldn't call HK's LEM the fastest trigger system available. Glocks, 1911s, and Walther's P99 will probably fight over that title. But the LEM is an ideal blend of speed, accuracy, and safety. The LEM does take some getting used to because it is so different than other systems out there. But if you give it a fair chance it has some serious advantages, not the least of which is absolutely rock solid reliability. It lights EVERYTHING set underneath it.

Tim

[bullitt5172]

For those of you who have both had any experiences with the Sig Sauer P229 and HK P2000 pistols,how do they compare to each other?What are the Pros and Cons of each over the other?And lastly,which pistol do you personally prefer?And why?
Thanks.

I've had both (as well as many other Sig and HK pistols) and they were decent guns. I never really warmed up to the SA/DA triggers and the LEM/DAK triggers were not much better. I've long since sold them and I run Glocks now. IMO there is no better pistol. If I had to choose between the Sig and HK I would definately pick the Sig.

[xray 99]

I have a SIG 229 .40 and two P2000s: one in 9, the other a .40. The P2000 9mm is my favorite pistol - the grip feels just right to me. I like the LEM trigger too, though others curse it. The P2000 .40 is not for the recoil-sensitive. The 229 is a better choice in .40.

[NiceHK]

Another note about the P30:

I handled LAV's Bowie customized P30 at the Vickers pistol 1 course this month and I was sorely tempted to run out and buy one myself. I believe it is a VAST improvement over the stock P30's that I've handled on other occasions.

Could you elaborate on the differences between LAV's Bowie customized p30 and the stock p30's that you have handled? I've shot the P30 and enjoyed it very much. I am excited to hear that Bowie can improve the P30 to the extent that it makes such a big difference.

[fred]

I had a SIG 229 in .357 for a year, put a lot of rounds through it, and never had a problem. The muzzle flash was like a flamethrower during low-light shooting, but that may have been our training ammo. I really liked that gun.
Currently I'm on my second P2000 (LEM). The first one was deadlined at about 8800 rounds due to a broken "shaped spring." I don't have my manual in front of me but I think that's what it's called. This diagnosis was after replacing two slide stops. The right side slide release lever can be a problem also, it is mounted in the plastic frame in such a way that the plastic can break and then you need a new frame. I've seen quite a few broken frames.
I like the 229 over the 2000, and I like the USP Compact (LEM) .40 over both. I could not break my USP Compact by shooting it. I believe that in .357, you can break the SIG, but in .40 I'm told it's more reliable. We used to be authorized the 229 in .40 but I blew it and did not get one when I could. All my buddies that did, preferred it over the HK, and this with a DAO trigger that had no reset.
Just my opinion.

[JonInWA]

I don't really think that there's a bad choice to be made between the two guns. When choosing between the two personally, I chose the P229 DAK over the P2000 LEM; I found the SIG's trigger to be smoother.

I've had very pleasent experiences with my SIG-Sauers, and with the SIG-Sauer after-market support for over 16 years. Whenever it came down to my choosing between as SIG-Sauer and a HK, SIG usually won out, primarily due to better triggers and superior support.

Notwithstanding the recent QC issues evinced by Todd (which I believe primarily concern a defective take-down component), my observation is that SIGs seem to shoot well in most aspects right out of the box, while HKs seem to need further massaging to realize their potential, either action-wise or ergonomically. HK's factory aftermarket support also has, shall we say, a somewhat spotty reputation...

Best, Jon

[John_Wayne777]

Could you elaborate on the differences between LAV's Bowie customized p30 and the stock p30's that you have handled? I've shot the P30 and enjoyed it very much. I am excited to hear that Bowie can improve the P30 to the extent that it makes such a big difference.

Actually Mr. Vickers would be a better source than me since it's his pistol....

You can see more detail about it here:

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=16558&highlight=bowie

My personal take is that the reshaping of the trigger guard is a good improvement and I prefer the stipling to the standard H&K grip....but I don't have much time behind the trigger of the P30. I dryfired Mr. Vickers' pistol a few times and the overtravel stop seems like it would offer better resets than the stock trigger. I don't know if Mr. Bowie did any trigger work on Mr. Vickers' pistol beyond the overtravel stop.

From just handling several P30's the stock shape of the trigger guard and that little channel in the trigger guard would annoy me greatly...and that's without doing something like a 1,000 round course with it.

[NiceHK]

Actually Mr. Vickers would be a better source than me since it's his pistol....

You can see more detail about it here:

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=16558&highlight=bowie

My personal take is that the reshaping of the trigger guard is a good improvement and I prefer the stipling to the standard H&K grip....but I don't have much time behind the trigger of the P30. I dryfired Mr. Vickers' pistol a few times and the overtravel stop seems like it would offer better resets than the stock trigger. I don't know if Mr. Bowie did any trigger work on Mr. Vickers' pistol beyond the overtravel stop.

From just handling several P30's the stock shape of the trigger guard and that little channel in the trigger guard would annoy me greatly...and that's without doing something like a 1,000 round course with it.


Thanks for the feedback. I am most interested in the trigger work. I guess I am lucky as the trigger guard does not bother me. I have heard whispers of HK working on a match trigger for the P30. When I do pull the trigger on a P30L hopefully the match would have made its debut by then or Bowie or some other fine pistol smith will get my work.