I picked up a Vedder kydex for my P239 and am pleased. Sadly, they don't make one for the P229 in .40/357sig, so I started looking elsewhere.

Many have the 229 listed but not for .40/.357, No Rail.
Any recommendations?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dsiets,

Did you call them? It may be that they just don't have the mold.

quote:

Originally posted by az4783054:
Did you call them? It may be that they just don't have the mold.

I corresponded w/ Vedder via email and was told "Unfortunately, we do not have the .40/.357 variants at this time to mold holsters..."

Discouraging as the .40 IS the original P229.

I had a similar response w/ another holster maker that has the "chat" box pop up when you peruse their site.

R&R Holsters on Amazon. $29 bucks. I have a couple and they are good to go. Especially for 29 bucks.
They list a 229 no rail model.

What year is your 229?
The Vedder web site lists the 224 which is a compact slide 229.
Looking at another holster manufacturer--he states there is a difference between the 9 mm 239 and the 40 239. He then goes on to say there are 4 variations of the 229--straight trigger guard vs curved trigger guard, Legacy slide vs full serration slide. It seems the 40 229 slide is slight wider than the 9mm.
Reforming a kydex holster with heat is a possibility for slide tolerances.

I'm a fan of High Noon Holsters. I recently got the Patriot for my P229R DAK. They have 229 and 229R in their model list.

https://www.highnoonholsters.com/patriot

They're also running a 30% off sale now.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGfourme:
What year is your 229?
The Vedder web site lists the 224 which is a compact slide 229.
Looking at another holster manufacturer--he states there is a difference between the 9 mm 239 and the 40 239. He then goes on to say there are 4 variations of the 229--straight trigger guard vs curved trigger guard, Legacy slide vs full serration slide. It seems the 40 229 slide is slight wider than the 9mm.
Reforming a kydex holster with heat is a possibility for slide tolerances.

I have a pair of the "original" P229's. I purchased a .40 in '94 and .357sig in '95. They are the curved trigger guard, half serrations.
Reforming is probably a last resort for me.

I'll check the other suggestions out. Thanks.

I've got non railed versions of Sig 229's in 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 Sig. I've also got a Sig 228 (non railed). With slight adjustments in tension, I've found they all fit in the same IWB kydex holsters.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobofbone:
I've got non railed versions of Sig 229's in 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 Sig. I've also got a Sig 228 (non railed). With slight adjustments in tension, I've found they all fit in the same IWB kydex holsters.

Hi Bobofbone
May I ask which IWB kydex holster(s) in which this works? I'll check it/them out.

My email response from Vedder seemed to indicate this would not work.
" Thank you for contacting Vedder Holsters! All of our holsters are molded using the exact gun model listed on our website. Unfortunately, we do not have the .40/.357 variants at this time to mold holsters with, we currently only have the 9mm to mold off of. We have found the .40 is slightly wider and not compatible with our holsters. Our product development team is always working on adding additional gun models to our list of holster options and I will be glad to forward your request to add it in the near future. I can't provide an exact release date at this moment, I apologize! "

Disappointing as I really like my P239 .40 Vedder holster because of the claw "thing that goes up", that pulls the gun in tight.

I pretty much use a FIST 1AK, ultra thin kydex with a clip for any weapon I carry. Very thin and the clip is very strong. I carry my non railed P229 everyday without any issues. I love how thin and sturdy it is.

Raven Concealment may be able to hook you up

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog021:
Raven Concealment may be able to hook you up

Thanks, but I'm not seeing any offered in 229 .40 no rail.

quote:

Originally posted by dsiets:

quote:

Originally posted by Bobofbone:
I've got non railed versions of Sig 229's in 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 Sig. I've also got a Sig 228 (non railed). With slight adjustments in tension, I've found they all fit in the same IWB kydex holsters.

Hi Bobofbone
May I ask which IWB kydex holster(s) in which this works? I'll check it/them out.

My email response from Vedder seemed to indicate this would not work.
" Thank you for contacting Vedder Holsters! All of our holsters are molded using the exact gun model listed on our website. Unfortunately, we do not have the .40/.357 variants at this time to mold holsters with, we currently only have the 9mm to mold off of. We have found the .40 is slightly wider and not compatible with our holsters. Our product development team is always working on adding additional gun models to our list of holster options and I will be glad to forward your request to add it in the near future. I can't provide an exact release date at this moment, I apologize! "

Disappointing as I really like my P239 .40 Vedder holster because of the claw "thing that goes up", that pulls the gun in tight.

I've been using a Sig 229 for quite some time, with a number of holsters. After seeing your above question, I did a bit of looking, measuring and trying what I have available.

Looking at everything I've used and what's in my safe, I measured and tried a West German manufactured Sig 228 (9mm), a Sig 229 SAS Gen 1 in 9mm, a Sig 229 SAS Gen 2 in 9mm, a Sig 229 in 40 S&W and a Sig 229 in .357 Sig. As an added bonus, I also had a non licensed air soft Sig 229 copy. All are without rails. The frame dimensions are, on inspection pretty much identical. The difference between all is in the slide dimensions, with the 9mm slides being slightly smaller in width. The Sig 228 was also manufactured differently, with the slide made by bending steel over a mandrill, and pinning the firing block in place. All the Sig 229's have a milled slide from a block of what I believe is stainless steel. All were measured in width on the upper portion and the lower portion, the latter being slightly wider. All were also measured in length and by the combined height of the frame and slide at the middle of the area of the frame between the trigger guard and the distal end of the frame. This would have been the dimensions that affect fit in a holster. They measured in inches as follow:
Width, Height, Length
Sig 228 (9mm) 0.890/1.005, 1.675, 6.25
Sig 229 SAS Gen 1 (9mm) 0.954/1.118, 1.656, 6.25
Sig 229 SAS Gen 2 (9mm) 0.912/1.118, 1.656, 6.25
Sig 229 (40 S&W) 1.028/1.132, 1.690, 6.5
Sig 229 (.357 Sig) 1.028/1.132, 1.676, 6.5
Sig 229 (Air Soft) 0.908/1.089, 1.676, 6.75

Other than the SAS models (and the Sig 228), all were base model Sig 229's with the 40 S&W and the .357 Sig obtained used. From the above, the dimensions in the slide were all similar, with the 40 S&W and the .357 Sig slides being slightly larger and heavier.

How did they work in Kydex holsters? Well, I've used all of them as carry guns or fairly frequently in matches in USPSA in production class and IDPA in SSP class. Originally, I used a Milt Sparks horsehide leather holster which, if I recall was supposed to be made for a Sig 229 in 40 S&W. Many years ago at one of his courses, Louis Awerbuck mentioned that he had gone from leather to Kydex holsters because he had a pistol become very stuck in a leather holster. He didn't elaborate further. I had a similar occurrence, in the summer while perspiring heavily on a leather holster under concealment in fairly hot (100F +) weather. I talked with one of the manufactures about the problem. They advised that this could happen with any leather holster, was probably more likely with an IWB configuration, and could be minimized by properly breaking in the holster before use (I had already done so), and using a good wax on the inside and outside of the holster. They had one of their wax products that they said would work, but also volunteered that a good quality carnuba auto finishing wax would work as well and cost less. That has helped, but, like Mr. Awerbuck, I now use kydex IWB holsters for carry.

I had 4 holsters available and checked the fit in all, with all of the above handguns. I had a Blade-Tech Nano IWB holster. This has 2 staps on either side facing outward, has adjustable tension and is somewhat thinner than the others. It's very comfortable, and has a sweat guard towards the body. I used it for several years for carry, but the front portion now has a small crack. I corresponded with Blade-Tech and asked how to fix it. They offered a refund if I returned it with the orignal sale and packing slip (how many years do you keep those?). They also don't make holsters any longer for a Sig 229. Not too helpful, as I needed a holster, not a refund. Since it's no longer available, I used it to check the fit, but I had to look elsewhere for another Kydex holster. I also tried a High Noon Reaction Extreme IWB holster. The Kydex is thicker, it has a single loop (that doesn't stabilize as well as 2 loops or a properly fitted clip) and is not adjustable for holster tension on the firearm. It also doesn't have a sweat guard on the body side. I find sweat guards also keep T-shirt fabric out of the way when holstering firearms in an IWB holster. Personally, I like them. I also tried a DANA Custom Kydex IWB kydex holster with a 1.5" curved clip to secure the holster. The kydex material is also thicker, the holster has two screws that are used to adjust tension of the firearm, and has a sweat guard. I found the clip tends to hold a belt and pants tightly, but also holds holster in place well during use, drawing and holstering. The last holster I tried was a Mild Sparks Summer Special, in black horse hide (leather) ordered for a Sig 229 in 40 S&W. While it's not kydex, part of the question was in holster fit between different Sig 229's. Again, note that none of the above had rails. I checked fit by trying all handguns in each holster. Concerning fit, all of the above Sig 229's went into all the above holsters. All could be inverted (placed upside down) and shaken without the handgun falling out. All could be drawn relatively easily. The only exception was the airsoft gun. It fit okay in the High Noon holster, but would not seat completely in the others, or would go out of battery.

The final conclusions:
While the dimensions are slightly different, the Sig 229's compared fit in all the holsters (with the exception of the airsoft pistol). If possible, I'd suggest having the holster made specifying the caliber you plan to use, but it may not be completely necessary. Also, don't use an airsoft gun for serious carry. It may not fit well, and the orange end would make the wrong people laugh.

Hope you find this information useful.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobofbone,

^^ Thanks for the work involved in that post, Bobofbone.
I keep coming across new holster makers and ideally I hope to find what I need in a holster made specifically for my caliber and frame, but I may not have that luxury.
And if I find one that works, I'm tempted to get a second so I don't have to do this again.
Thanks again.

This might work....

https://grayguns.com/product/grayguns-iwb-holster/

Contact LAG Tactical. They have an option for the non-railed 229, but don't specify caliber.

They offer many options from material thickness/color, to holster cant as well as placement in
relation to the hip, belt loop size, etc.

IIRC, turn around time from order to delivery was 10 days for me.
Quality material and finish.

PJ Holsters has a 229 no rail listed on his site. Possibly give him a call and ask.
I can say I got a holster from him for my Glock 48 and it's fantastic. Usually a leather guy and I like this holster.

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
PJ Holsters has a 229 no rail listed on his site. Possibly give him a call and ask.
I can say I got a holster from him for my Glock 48 and it's fantastic. Usually a leather guy and I like this holster.

I'll wholeheartedly second this. Recently ordered one for a G19. Both the G19 and P229 (own a P229 .40 no-rail) are blocky guns and this IWB holster conceals even better than my VM-2 and is comfortable. Specify the closed loop option, since it provides good stability on even my 1 1/4" belts.

https://pjholster.com/products/iwb

I'm a Sparks guy since the early 1970's and this is my first Kydex IWB. Totally satisfied. A quality product and has two adjustment screws for tension.

I had some questions and emailed Paul at PJHOLSTER@GMAIL.COM. Unlike many outfits, he responded within two hours.

Very good Web site, lots of options, reasonable pricing and fast response to inquiries and elapsed time for delivery.

I went with a Steathgear Ventcore AIWB holster after seeing others recommend it.
The backing allows for the different slide dimensions.
I ordered two for a 229, railed and no rail.
One of these day's they will show up and I will be able to see for myself.
One is for my M11-A1 and the other is for my 229 Select with a Legacy .357 slide

I'll post back when they show up.

JM Custom Kydex has a few options for a P229 non-rail.