Will a Legacy P229 slide in .40/.357 work on a P228R frame? The P228R is 9mm of course.

Here's why I'm asking....Because I don't have anything in 40 or 357 in my collection, I feel the need to fill this hole. Was looking at a older P229 CPO, but those seem to be in the $550 range on up on GunBroker. I did come across a P229 Legacy slide with a 357 barrel that peaked my interest. Wondering if it will work without issue on my P228R frame. I do understand that the P228R is not a real P228 and was really just Sig's method of capitalizing on the 228 popularity and get rid of a bunch of older 228 slides...or at least that's what I heard.

I do like the idea also of a single frame that can handle 9, 40 and 357 even though it's with 2 slide assemblies?

Any insight is appreciated!

I don't own a SIG P228 or a Legacy slide, so I can't comment from direct experience.

However, my concern would be in using a 9mm locking insert for .357SIG/.40 S&W recoil forces. Perhaps you might find an aftermarket conversion barrel, and I'm a little skeptical of even that, but I strongly doubt a factory barrel would work. I suppose another alternative might be to find a suitable locking insert, or perhaps if you could locate a donor frame and swap the .357 SIG/.40 S&W locking insert for the 9mm one, but I've never attempted that and can't be certain that the two would fit in the same frame. It would require dissassembly/ reassembly every time you wanted to switch between the calibers.

Come to think of it, I'm fairly certain that the .357 SIG/ .40 S&W mags won't fit in your frame either. Now, if you were going from a .357 SIG/ .40 S&W frame and trying to add a 9mm conversion barrel, slide, and mags it would be a little more doable.

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Come to think of it, I'm fairly certain that the .357 SIG/ .40 S&W mags won't fit in your frame either.

You can say absolutely certain. So, everything else is irrelevant.

Thanks MDS and 12131. I was under the impression that all P229 frames were the same and that the 228R is really a P229 frame. Obviously, there's a lot I don't know about Sigs, even though I own 5 or so which is why I'm here asking. Well, that's alright. I'll just keep the 228R as is and start the search for a nice, used complete P229 in 40 or 357 with the legacy slide withOUT the rail!

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Originally posted by batex:
Thanks MDS and 12131. I was under the impression that all P229 frames were the same and that the 228R is really a P229 frame!

It is a P229R frame, but for 9mm. This is before the time SIG decided to use the .40/.357 frame for the 9mm, also.

The 40/357 frame has a wider mag well.

The newer 9mm frames are the same. The ones which take the -1 (stepped) mags.

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Originally posted by 12131:

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Come to think of it, I'm fairly certain that the .357 SIG/ .40 S&W mags won't fit in your frame either.

You can say absolutely certain. So, everything else is irrelevant.

Thanks for the confirmation! After considering the mag issue I was %99 certain that they wouldn't work...but I've never owned a P229 chambered in 9mm and I have the damndest time trying to keep straight which frames work with which mags.

I miss the good ol' days when there were only a few Classic P series SIGs and a couple variants and I could keep those models, their finishes, their sights, and their mags straight...now you kids get off my lawn!

If you REALLY wanted to try it, I think it would work if you installed a .40/.357 P229 locking insert and used P226 (of course they would stick out) .40/.357 mags. I am pretty sure all of this would work together, but I disavow any responsibility and liability because I have never seen it verified anywhere whether the P229 .40/.357 frame was reinforced over the 9mm one.

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Originally posted by wgsigs:
P226 (of course they would stick out) .40/.357 mags.

With the right mags, the X-grip would solve the gap problem.

https://www.topgunsupply.com/x...p-sig-p228-p229.html

Trying to remember, one locking insert will work with both barrels. The other one will only work with the barrel which has the shorter feed ramp. Photo's of the differences have been posted before, but I can't seem to find it. The longer feed ramp hits the taller insert and won't allow the slide to be pulled all the way back, in order to be locked into place.

IIRC, the original 9mm barrel has a longer feed ramp and the 40/357 locking insert is the taller of the two. But the new M11 9mm barrel has the shorter ramp like that of the 40/357 barrel.

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Originally posted by Excam_Man:

IIRC, the original 9mm barrel has a longer feed ramp and the 40/357 locking insert is the taller of the two. But the new M11 9mm barrel has the shorter ramp like that of the 40/357 barrel.

The M11-A1 barrel is a P229-1 barrel and is not the one in a P228R. That is why a .40/.357 locking insert would be needed.

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Originally posted by wgsigs:

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Originally posted by Excam_Man:

IIRC, the original 9mm barrel has a longer feed ramp and the 40/357 locking insert is the taller of the two. But the new M11 9mm barrel has the shorter ramp like that of the 40/357 barrel.

The M11-A1 barrel is a P229-1 barrel and is not the one in a P228R. That is why a .40/.357 locking insert would be needed.

The 228R has the original 9mm barrel? With the longer feed ramp, yes? If so, it has the shorter version of the locking insert. Which should work with both types of barrels. The taller insert is the one which won't work with the longer 9mm barrel feed ramp.

Unless, there's something else different about the locking inserts(?) I'm only aware of the different front heights.

The 9mm is on the left.

I don't know anything about shorter or taller inserts. What I know is the original 9mm barrel uses a 9mm locking insert while P229-1(9mm) and .40/.357 barrels use the "universal" insert which I believe is the same as the original .40/.357 locking block.

Anyway, we are probably engaging in an academic exercise since it appears the OP has made his decision. I think the additional cost of a locking insert and using P226 mags makes this an unsatisfactory solution.

^^^ It's more for curiosity than anything. I'd really like to know if there's any other differences that would create problems.

One of these days, I'm gonna have to pull a coupe locking inserts and do some measuring/comparing.