Sig Sauer P229 Elite 9mm
Model: E29R-9-BSE-R2
Sig Sauer P229 Elite 9mm
Model: E29R-9-BSE-R2
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Sig Sauer P229 Elite is a compact hammer-fired 9mm built for duty and plainclothes carry. It is a current model, and from 2024 the optics-ready slide has been standard on it, where an earlier P229 Elite came with a solid slide. Sig's short reset trigger is fitted as well, which shortens the forward travel before it will fire again.
The box holds two 15-round steel magazines. The first shot is a long double-action pull and the rest are single action, with a decocking lever to put the hammer down. There is no manual safety, and the gun relies on an automatic firing pin safety lock instead. The grip is a one-piece textured E2 polymer wrap, so nothing comes off it to shorten the reach to the trigger. The rail is Sig's own pattern, not Picatinny, so a weapon light has to be built for it.
If you're cross-shopping, the Sig Sauer P229 Legion weighs 31.1 oz against the Elite's 29.8 and runs 7.4 inches overall against 7.1, and it comes with a Grayguns trigger, G10 grips and a third magazine. The HK P30 has an MSRP of $949 and holds the same 15 rounds at 26.08 oz, 3.72 oz lighter, with interchangeable backstraps and side panels, but its slide has no optic cut.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The stainless slide wears a Nitron finish over a hard-coat anodized alloy frame.
- Both magazines in the box are full-length 15-round steel units.
- The P229 was the first pistol Sig manufactured in Exeter, New Hampshire.
- Earlier P229 Elites came with a solid slide, so a used one bought for a red dot may still need milling.
- The frame is 1.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches tall, the same across as the full-size P226, so the shorter slide is all that makes it a compact.
- Nothing on the grip adjusts, so a short trigger finger has no thinner backstrap to fall back on.
Category Rankings
How the Sig Sauer P229 Elite 9mm ranks among compact 9mm Luger handguns.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can it be carried cocked and locked?
No. There is no thumb safety, and the decocking lever is there to lower the hammer.
Does it share magazines with the P226?
No. The P229 uses its own shorter 15-round steel magazines.
What is the barrel made of?
Carbon steel, inside a stainless steel slide.
Will P229 holsters from an older model fit?
The frame and slide dimensions have not changed, but a holster cut for a solid slide can sit against a mounted red dot.
