Picked up a new to me '99/'00 P229 in 40.While cleaning up, took the grips off and the screws were not even finger nail tight, Put things back together and did the screws barely snug. Mag drags and sticks 1/2 way out, not drop free. Loosened grips screws and they drop free. File screws shorter? or are there new ones to fix the problem? Sure don't want to loose them while in use. Anybody have an answer to this problem?

Buy new ones. P228/229 grip screws are very short. They are not supposed to touch and drag on the mags, even when in tightly. You have the wrong grip screws for the model.

Are the lock washers under the screws? The only time I had interference with the magazine was when I bought a used gun and tightened the screws without realizing that the previous owner had lost the lock washers and put the grips on the without them.

No lock washers with P229 factory grip plate screws.
The P220 (and possibly the P225?) use(s) them.

Now that you mention it, I recall the gun I had trouble with was a 220.
Thanks!

An O-ring might space the screws sufficiently while providing the added benefit of minimizing the chance of the screws loosening under use.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
No lock washers with P229 factory grip plate screws.
The P220 (and possibly the P225?) use(s) them.

Yes, P225, also.

Silly question,

You aren't using a P229-1 mag which is wider are you?

I know you mentioned it worked fine with lose grip screws, and having never owned one I only know from selling the mags, but could that be the culprit if the correct grip screws are being used?

Outside chance I know.

The original 9mm P229 magazines were the same as the P228’s, and were narrower than the 9mm P229-1’s mags. The 357/40 P229 magazines are wider than the original 9mm P229’s, but the same width as the P229-1’s (as far as I know). If someone were using a P229-1 mag in a 357/40 P229 (which is what the OP has), it would not be too wide unless I am wrong about how it compares with the 357/40 magazines.

^^^ sigfreund is correct about the mags. This is a grip screw problem, not the mag problem.

thanks for the info. I'm going to order a new set of 229 screws. And the mags are P229 marked.

Suspect incorrect grip screws for 229. Cheap remidy if that is the culpert.