I own a S&W MP9, Sig P225/P6, Sig Mosquito, Ruger MKII 22lr, S&W 30-1 (32 long). If I could'nt carry the P6, I would carry Mosquito with CCI stingers.
So now you know my favorites. First you don't want a gun that doesnt feel good and or you can't hit anything with. Find out as much as you can about any issues (google is you friend). Choose your caliber with caution, how many people or walls will the bullet pass through before it stops. IMO sig is the way to go never put a price of your safety. Remember a well placed rock will also drop a 300lb man.

Sig 229 is a good carry gun that comes chambered in a 357 Sig. Have you actually shot any pistols in that round? It has a good bit of ass behind it and will get your attention if your not used to it. Anyway. the 229 is a little smaller and easier to carry than the full size ones. I have one and it shots really nice. Nine is a 40 but I have been wanting to get a 357 bbl for it being I can use the same mags for both rounds.

I have not shot any sigs because the gun shops in this area do not have a range. I'm going by feel at this point as well as ballistics for the caliber. Originally years ago i was set on .40 S&W, however at this point i think the .357 sig seems to be the best as far as penetration and stopping power goes. I am also considering the 250 as it seems to be the replacement for the 2022.

brant0n

I'm not a fan of polymer guns since the days I owned Glocks and HKs. Though they're nice and very reliable, I'm just partial to metal framed guns.

While the P226 is a great gun, it may not necessarily be the ideal CCW of choice since it's a full-size pistol and you indicated that you may eventually elect to start carrying. In this case, I'd go with the P229 in the .357 SIG or .40S&W caliber; the latter will be cheaper to shoot and reload. You can always buy a drop-in barrel to have both calibers at a later time. I will admit, the .357 SIG is my favorite caliber which I swap out with my .40S&W barrel every time I get some range time.

Find a P229 and see how they feel. I have a few P229s variants in .9mm, .40S&W, and .357 SIG and enjoy shooting all of them. But my night stand gun is a P220R ST .45. with a Streamlight TLR-2 light/laser attached.

Ultimately you should consider finding a range that carries the guns that interest you and shoot them, then decide. You'll save yourself time and money by doing so.

Finally, SIG Certified Previously Owned (CPO) pistols can be had for $550-600. Check out Summit Gun Broker or Top Guns Supply for some great deals.

Good luck.

If it's for defense, go with the one that performs best in *your* hands. I'm not a Glock fanboy but, as it turned out, I was a better shot with the G30 than the other dozen or so guns I tried out (including Sig, XD, 1911s, revolvers, etc.). Since I was buying a self-defense gun (as you are now) I went with the one that gave me the best odds at putting rounds on target. It sounds like you may have found that in the 226.

Not sure what my next pistol will be, but I've always wanted a good old G.I. 1911 like the one in my dad's old Army photos.

I've always liked the 1911's myself as well. I plan on heading out later to see whats in stock at some local stores. Turns out there is one that has a range. So, hopefully i will get to test out some of the guns im interested in. That is doubtful though as the gun stores around here seem to have so little in stock. Thanks for all the advice, i'll put it to good use.

Does your Grandfather in Law already load .357 Sig?
The bottleneck case makes them a bit more difficult to process than straight wall cases.

I know that he has the necessary equipment i'm not sure if he has any experience loading the .357 round. However his 226 is a .357 so i believe he does. When i went on my gun search today i really liked the S&W M&P. I'm leaning that way at the moment. One benefit is that the barrel to convert it to a .40 is only about $90. So I guess a Sig might just have to be my second purchase.

As you can see from my Sig line I own the Pro2022, a few P226s, and an M&P.

I love my Sigs, but I have to say the M&P is one of my favorites. I have both a full size and compact in .40 S&W. They handle felt recoil as well or better than most guns I own.

I love all my firearms, but the M&P is in the top three. Of course the P226STs are too.

The good news is that no matter which way you go, you won't go wrong with any of the firearms you are considering.