Movie use of p228

k9870 · #1 04-08-2009, 09:21 PM

Wondering, why is the p228 that much more common than the 229? 228s are much harder to come by in the real world, while the 229 is incredibly common. Wondering why the p228 is chosen as such, I can't image the 229 in 9mil would be any harder to convert to blanks and it would be cheaper to aquire.

MT2008 · #2 04-08-2009, 10:16 PM

Well, you've already heard Pheonixent's and MoviePropMaster's explanations for why 9mm guns are much more common in movies than .40 or .357 SIG.

The P229 in 9mm didn't become available until quite a few years after the original .40 S&W and .357 versions. That's why the P228 remained in production until 2000. Since armorers used to prefer buying 9mm guns for blank conversions, they would have been buying far more P228s than P229s because they simply couldn't get the P229 in 9mm. Years later, even after the P228 isn't in production anymore, they've got so many in inventory that they still get used in shows like "24".

Also, the fact that P228s are no longer produced and harder to come by is irrelevent. Remember that the guns you see in movies/TV shows are usually rented, not bought and converted to blanks specifically for that particular production. The P228s you're seeing in this season of "24" right now, for instance, have probably been used in dozens of other movies and TV shows in the past 10-15 years. As long as the armorers still have them in inventory, it saves them the trouble of having to go out and buy new 9mm P229s when they've already got lots of P228s.

I'm of the opinion that the P228 is a better gun than the P229, anyway.

k9870 · #3 04-09-2009, 12:35 AM

My service weapon is a sig p229dak .40. It's reliable as hell but the DAtrigger is heavy (although smooth) and it has a weird reset (all the way forward is another 6.5lb pull, halfway point is 8.5???? I'd prefer a DA/SA trigger. When I turn 21 i'm going to go for a sig p220 elite. (regualr elite, that platinum series is strange, to say the least.)

I believe the p229 is superior to the 228, simply because It's availible in .40, and I'm not a 9mil guy.

MT2008 · #4 04-09-2009, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k9870

My service weapon is a sig p229dak .40. It's reliable as hell but the DAtrigger is heavy (although smooth) and it has a weird reset (all the way forward is another 6.5lb pull, halfway point is 8.5???? I'd prefer a DA/SA trigger. When I turn 21 i'm going to go for a sig p220 elite. (regualr elite, that platinum series is strange, to say the least.)

I believe the p229 is superior to the 228, simply because It's availible in .40, and I'm not a 9mil guy.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot that you guys are now being issued the P229 DAK. It's a good choice for a sidearm (as a SIG guy, I'm happy to see more branches of the armed forces ditching their Beretta M9s and going with SIGs).

That being said, the reason I like the P228 more than the P229 is because the P228 has the mandrel-stamped slide made in Germany, while the P229 has a CNC-milled slide made in the U.S. Nowadays, all of SIG's other guns (including the P220 and P226) also have slides made using this method. The reason SIG did this was mostly because they were cheaper to manufacture, and this allowed expanded sales volume.

The plus side is that the newer slides tend to be more durable. However, most SIG fans, including myself, find that the older German-made, stamped-slide guns are lighter, point better, and are more fun to shoot than the newer half-American guns. When I bought my P226, I compared one of the newer guns to one of the older German-made guns, and quickly found that I liked the feel of the German gun better. It's not a difference you'll notice if you're new to SIGs, but for longtime fans, the choice is a lot more obvious. I don't know many SIG fans who like the newer SIGs better than the older ones.

k9870 · #5 04-09-2009, 02:05 AM

I like how we use speer gold dots over ball crap. And have a bigger caliber. That said, I think a 226 (longer sight radius) with a DA/SA trigger would have been nice.

MT2008 · #6 04-09-2009, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k9870

I like how we use speer gold dots over ball crap. And have a bigger caliber. That said, I think a 226 (longer sight radius) with a DA/SA trigger would have been nice.

Yeah, Golddots are nice. I keep a magazine full of them beside my P226 at all times. Unfortunately, they're pretty pricey (I paid $25 a box, and this was before the great ammo shortage of 2009 had begun). Of course, I know you must get all you want...

I'm not a big fan of the 226 in .40 or .357. It only holds 12 rounds, the same capacity as the 229. It's stupid to get a full-size service pistol if it doesn't offer any advantages in magazine capacity.

Gunmaster45 · #7 04-09-2009, 02:16 AM

I was reading in Rifleman magazine that some German gunmaker designed a revolutionary new magazine for Berettas and SIGs which can hold 20 9mms do to a new spring system. Also, loading every round is the same amount of pressure, so it doesn't get harder as you load more. Sounds promising, soon military mags will hold double in the same size.

MT2008 · #8 04-09-2009, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k9870

When I turn 21 i'm going to go for a sig p220 elite. (regualr elite, that platinum series is strange, to say the least.)

I don't terribly like any of the "Elite" SIGs, not even the regular version. Mostly because I find it harder to reach the hammer with my thumb over the beaver tail (the grips on the P220 and P226 are a bit too tall for a beaver tail, unlike 1911s).

I do really like the Combat, though (if I buy another SIG anytime soon, it'll probably be one of those).

MT2008 · #9 04-09-2009, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunmaster45

I was reading in Rifleman magazine that some German gunmaker designed a revolutionary new magazine for Berettas and SIGs which can hold 20 9mms do to a new spring system. Also, loading every round is the same amount of pressure, so it doesn't get harder as you load more. Sounds promising, soon military mags will hold double in the same size.

There are already cheaper ways of doing almost the same thing with existing mags, actually.

Also don't forget that if you increase the mag capacity without decreasing the weight of the gun itself, then the overall weight goes up.

k9870 · #10 04-09-2009, 02:28 AM

I really don't understand the p238 though, SAO on a pocket gun?

What does th ecombat due different, are the grips a different texture? I love the elite's grip feel btw, they're just a litte pricy, ya know?

Found out my next drill i'll be shooting if wetahers good, so I hope i can do some .40 plinking. So I can get qualified, and we use 165gr ball on the range, we just put in gold dots (not sure on gr.) for usage (boarding, etc.)