Sig Sauer P229 “Legion”, by Pat Cascio

It’s almost like belonging to an exclusive club, with the Sig Sauer “Legion” line of handguns. They are custom in many ways, and we’re checking out the P229 Legion model today.

Sig Sauer

Anyone who knows even a little bit about firearms, knows that the Sig Sauer line of firearms are some of the best-made guns, period! The workmanship is second to none, and they are all super-accurate, too. I’ve never had any Sig that passed through my hands, used or new, that had a problem of any kind. The Sig Sauer Legion line of handguns are as close as can be to being custom-made. Additionally, they have some features that can only be found on the Legion lineup.

The Legion P229

The Legion P229 has a proprietary Legion gray PVD coating on the frame and slide, and it’s some tough stuff. It also comes with custom G-10 grips, and there is a Legion medallion in the middle of the grips that’s nice looking. In addition, the Legion comes with something Sig calls Electro-Optics X-RAY high visibility night sights. They are different from the SigLite night sights and are hard to explain, but they are better than the SigLite night sights. Each Legion also ships with three 15-rd mags, and it comes in a standard polymer Sig carrying case. However, once you register your Legion, Sig will send you a challenge coin, and another custom molded carrying case for your Legion and the three mags.

Nice Touches

The Legion P229 also has a bit of a beaver tail on the frame, but it isn’t overly big, and it allows for a higher hand hold on the gun, to help reduce felt recoil. Its front strap is also checkered, not serrated, and there is checkering on the underside of the trigger guard as well. The trigger guard is also undercut a bit more than on the regular P229 handgun. So they won’t snag on your clothing when drawing the gun, the front of the slide not only has cocking serrations on the rear but also on the front of the slide, which is a very nice touch. An extremely nice touch is the decocking lever and slide release that are also smaller. I wish they did it on all their handguns.

Trigger

Of course, the P229 Legion also has the Sig SRT, Short Reset Trigger, making it fast on follow-up shots. It’s also polished, so the trigger pull in DA (double action) is smooth, just like in SA (single action). This trigger is designed by Grayguns Inc. and is designated P-SAIT trigger. On top of it all, there is a solid steel guide rod that adds more weight out front, instead of a plastic guide rod. My P229 Legion came in 9mm.

A Full-Sized/Compact DA/SA

The P229 is considered a “compact” handgun by Sig but just barely. It is more along the lines of full-sized/compact, compared to other similar designs. As already mentioned, the gun is DA/SA. That means the action is double action for the first shot, unless you cock the hammer first, and it’s single action for all the rest of the shots, and during shooting strings you can de-cock the gun any time you want by simply pressing down on the de-cocking lever. It’s very safe and easy to to.

The slide is stainless steel, and the frame is an alloy. As already mentioned, both are coated in that gray colored PVD coating, which is exclusive to the Legion lineup. There is an accessory rail on the dust cover for adding a light or laser. The trigger pull is about 12 lbs in double action and 4.5 lbs in single action. Needless to say, the gun is super accurate.

Barrel length is 3.9 inches, making it “compact” front to rear. The gun weighs in at 34.4 oz and is 1.5 inches wide and 5.4 inches tall. I do like that Sig has redesigned their mags so they now hold 15 rds. Well, Sig doesn’t make their own mags, but the mag maker redesigned the follower to accommodate a few more rounds; more is better. However, the Legion will also take all P229 9m cal mags that hold fewer rounds, too.

Undercut Trigger Guard and Extended Beaver Tail

One thing I really liked on the P229 9mm Legion is the undercut trigger guard, allowing a higher hold on the gun. I wish Sig did this with all their DA/SA handguns. It makes a big difference in faster follow-up shots. The slightly extended beaver tail on the frame seemed to also keep the gun from bouncing up/down under recoil and was another nice touch by Sig. Maybe this will be one we’ll see on the regular lineup.

Night Sights

The night sights have a great big green front dot that also glows brightly in sun light, and the sights has horizontal serrations. That helps reduce glare when shooting in bright sunlight, too. The sights are about as snag-free as can be too.

Retail

I made no changes to this Legion P229 pistol, none! I loved it out of the box and wish I had gotten one sooner, a lot sooner. However, full retail is $1,413. My sample was as-new, at least 99% as-new, without any dings or scratches on it. So, I got it for $989, and it was a deal, if you ask me. I’m a big fan of buying used firearms, good used firearms that have not been abused. It saves me money over buying brand new.

Blackhawk Holster

I packed the P229 Legion around for two weeks in a Blackhawk Products leather belt-slide holster. It allowed the gun to ride high and tight on my belt. No one noticed I was carrying concealed with my cover garment– a loose-fitting button down shirt that I never button. I also tested the Legion in a Blackhawk  SERPA tactical thigh holster that also had two spare mag pouches attached to it. In this configuration, I wore it around my homestead and hiking on a logging road. It’s one of the best tactical holsters to be had. Many in the SpecOps circle use these holsters, as do many SWAT police officers, and even some street cops like this holster.

Ammo Used For Testing

As usual, I had a great selection of 9mm ammo on hand for testing the tough-built P229 Legion. From Buffalo Bore , I had their 147-gr subsonic heavy load, that is standard pressure JHP, 147-gr Outdoorsman Hard Cast FN +P load, 115-gr Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point that is +P+ rated, and their 124-gr FMJ FN Penetrator +P+ load, which really penetrates deeply.

From Black Hills Ammunition , I had their HoneyBadger 100-gr all-copper bullet that has to be seen instead of explained and that is +P rated, and I had their 125-gr HoneyBadger subsonice all-copper bullet, their 115-gr JHP +P, 124-gr JHP +P, 124-gr EXP hollow point, and their 115-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point +P load. So, I had more than enough ammo for testing, as well as some reloads that were given to me by the guys at the gun shop. I had no idea what they were or who loaded them, but I fired them all without a hitch in the P229 Legion.

Accuracy Testing

My accuracy testing was at 25 yards, and the gun was rested on a sleeping bag over the hood of my Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. I’ve learned to turn it around so the empty brass doesn’t ding up my windshield. Three were zero malfunctions of any type with the P229, and none were expected either. Sig’s are famous for their reliability and accuracy. If I was on my game, I could keep 5-shots in less than three inches with all the loads, and several loads came in right at 2.25 inches. I think the gun can do even better than that. After several hours of shooting, I’m a bit tired, and I know a gun can shoot better than I’m capable of shooting.

It was a dead-tie for first place, between the Black Hills 124-gr JHP +P load and the Buffalo Bore 124-gr FMJ FN Penetrator +P+ load, and I mean a dead-tie. I couldn’t measure the difference in the size of the loads. I’m thinking both loads can get down there below two inches with more practice. However, my range time is limited, and repeated trips to the range aren’t advised because of the expense involved in gas and the expenditure of even more ammo. Rest assured, I’m sure this Sig can easily cut groups down under two inches with loads it really likes. And, the +P+ loads from Buffalo Bore were a piece of cake for the P229 to handle.

A Superior 9mm Handgun With Extra Bells and Whistles

In the end, if you are in the market for a superior 9mm handgun that has a few extra bells and whistles, check out the Sig Sauer P229 9mm Legion. It might just be all the gun you’ll ever want or need, so join the Legion Club.




8 Comments

  1. Great article. I just feel that I have an obligation to say that I own three Sig Sauers (which I bought new) and all three of them had problems out of the box. The P290 I bought had magazine release issues where it was so sensitive, the jolt of the round firing released the magazine. I called Sig and they acted like they never heard of the problem (even though it was all over the internet). They did fix it (even though I had to pay shipping for both directions, about $80). They sent it back to me relatively quickly, with a new completely different mag release, almost as though they had a fix waiting for me…Hopefully the latest generation (P290RS) doesn’t have this problem.
    My MPX, which I love, has several small issues (which again are common). Although they are annoying, they don’t cause operational problems. Not a big deal, but for the high cost, they shouldn’t be there.
    Finally, my first generation Mosquito is EXTREMELY picky with ammo. I understand inexpensive semi-auto .22s can be this way (I’ve owned a few), but this Mosquito in particular is so bad it is pretty much unusable and certainly unreliable. In my opinion, the only thing I can do with it is turn it in at the next “buy back” since I wouldn’t feel right selling it to anyone.

  2. I have a Sig 226 in 40 S&W and really don’t care for it. I bought my Sig for around $250 with 4 mags (couldn’t say no for that price) but it isn’t going to be my primary EDC. It is in my get home bag that goes everywhere I do. I can buy 40 S&W ammo cheaper than 9mm right now at my local Cop shop ( CCI Gold Dots. Winchester Rangers, Federal HST, or any of the major brands of fmj). They are trade ins from department that are leaving the 40. So I bought it cheap and I am stacking it deep. Super nice firearm, fit and finish is second to none on a production pistol. But the high bore axis makes recoil control a lot harder. I have a 1911 in 10mm and it is more controllable that the Sig and that is with true 10mm loads. I advise anyone who wants a Sig to shot one first along with another pistol they are wanting in the same caliber. With all the articles I read about the 226 the high bore axis and recoil management is seldom mentioned. Recoil management is the only Con I can find about the Sig. If I could only afford 1 handgun it wouldn’t be a SIG.
    I am 57 years old and have been lawfully caring since 1995 and shooting since I was around 4. Guns are my passion next to my family ( my wife will say different ). If I put things in order it would be God, Family, Guns, and Ham Radio.

  3. I have a P229 in 357 sig that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I’ve shot it for over 20 years (made in Germany) without one malfunction. I bought a P938 for a back up and my wife liked it so much I had to buy her one to get mine back from her. I did change out the grips to G10 and put night sights on it-great improvements-but other than that it’s original. I love my Sigs.

  4. I have a P229 in 357 Sig that I have shot for over 20 years. Made in Germany. No malfunctions of any kind. I did upgrade the grips to G10 and added night sights-great improvements- but other than that it’s all original. I got a P938 as a back-up and my wife liked it so much I had to buy her one to get mine back. I haven’t had any problems with the P938’s but the P229 gets more range time.

  5. I have a Sig 220 Elite in 10mm. I have to say it is big and heavy, which I expected, and very nicely finished. Never had any malfunctions at all shooting it with all the different bullet weights I reloaded for it. The one complaint I have is the mag release is very stiff to operate. In fact it is the stiffest of any handgun I have ever owned. Since this is not my primary EDC no big deal. It is for hunting and bear defense. I really almost choked at the price ( about 1200.00 ) but figured what the heck, you only live once ( at least on this earth ) . I also once owned a first gen P220 in .45ACP. Liked it but sold it off. I wanted a .45 with more rounds, so bought a Ruger SR45. Many would say that was dumb, but the Ruger is very nice in my hand, holds 3 more rounds, and also is finished very nicely and never had a single malfunction. But yeah Pat is right, Sig pistols are very well made and have a significant cool factor.

  6. I have a Sig 220 Elite in 10mm. I have to say it is big and heavy, which I expected, and very nicely finished. Never had any malfunctions at all shooting it with all the different bullet weights I reloaded for it. The one complaint I have is the mag release is very stiff to operate. In fact it is the stiffest of any handgun I have ever owned. Since this is not my primary EDC no big deal. It is for hunting and bear defense. I really almost choked at the price ( about 1200.00 ) but figured what the heck, you only live once ( at least on this earth ) . I also once owned a first gen P220 in .45ACP. Liked it but sold it off. I wanted a .45 with more rounds, so bought a Ruger SR45. Many would say that was dumb, but the Ruger is very nice in my hand, hold 3 more rounds, and also is finished very nicely and never had a single malfunction. But yeah Pat is right, Sig pistols are very well made and have a significant cool factor.

  7. I carry a beretta 21 bobcat. It’s the most compact pistol of high quality we’ve found. But they don’t make it anymore. How do women carry anything bigger? I don’t believe I could conceal anything bigger. But there doesn’t seem to be anything smaller of quality on the market anymore.

  8. I have been shooting guns for 45 years and owner of many hand guns. FN45 Brownind high power 9mm, Russian Makarov 9.18 Colt Python 357 -6inch Lama 380 just to name a few. I carry SIG 220R -45 however the sig is fussy about the ammo only problem is steel casing cause a FTE a couple of times. Never had any problems with brass. Other than that I’m never going to use any other weapons for personal protection.

Comments are closed.