Sig P229 RX: a prescription for duty and personal defense

By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor

Sig-Sauer is riding the wave of optics-ready handguns and has gone one better. The SIG P229 RX is optics equipped, making it combat ready as issued. The SIG P229 9mm handgun enjoys an excellent reputation for reliability and accuracy. Adding the Romeo red dot sight makes the piece even more capable. This isn’t a competition handgun but a pistol designed for duty, personal defense and tactical use. This P 229 may be the best suited for service use of any presently available optics ready handgun. The price point isn’t cheap at $1300 MSRP but considering the combination of a first class handgun and optic, the price is fair. (At Cheaperthandirt.com the SIG cost $1,099-considerably less than MSRP-so shop around!) The pistol is supplied with a Romeo 1 reflex sight fitted to the slide. Handguns offered with various plates for mounting a red dot accept some but not all of the popular red dots. The factory SIG combination is good to go as issued.

The SIG P229 RX is the Rx for personal defense!

For all around utility the pistol is fitted with suppressor ready SIGLite tritium night sights. They co-witness with the red dot sight and offer true 24 hour capability. One sight or the other is ready for instant use. I am familiar with the capabilities of the SIG P229 pistol and have considerable experience with the type. The double action first shot trigger is smooth, perhaps the smoothest in the industry. The single action trigger breaks at 4.25 lbs. offering excellent accuracy potential.

Firing off hand the SIG P229 RX exhibited excellent results. SIG’s P229 RX is both powerful and controllable.

After just over 1,000 rounds I am only beginning to understand how to apply the capability of the red dot equipped P229. Part of the advantage of the RX combination is that the Romeo 1 was designed for handgun use from the beginning. It has proven capable of taking the pounding of a powerful cartridge and reciprocating slide. Interestingly, the optic’s internal parts are seated in a modern epoxy to keep them in place. The Romeo 1 weighs less than an ounce, incredibly light considering its performance. The Romeo 1 enjoys a high water resistance rating as well.

Recoil is modest in spite of +P 9mm power.

Two buttons control the Romeo 1’s features. The sight uses a modern feature called Motion Activated Illumination. Draw the handgun and bring it on line, it is ready to fire without any type of control activation. The red dot is turned off after three minutes without use. While you may adjust the sight windage and elevation the Romeo 1 came properly sighted from the factory for 124-grain loads at 15 yards, ideal for most situations. I have fired the pistol with a good mix of ammunition including standard pressure, +P and +P+ loads with excellent results. For this evaluation I broke out the SIG and a good supply of 9mm ammunition.

Firing from a standoff cover position the SIG P229 RX gives the shooters many advantages including speed and accuracy.

First up in both the SIG P229 magazines and longer SIG P226 magazines was the Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain FMJ. This is an affordable loading that offers good economy, a clean burn and high accuracy potential. After running through the smooth double-action first shot the pistol is cocked for single-action fire. Excellent hit probability allows hits on steel plates well past 25 yards. Put the red dot on the plate, press the trigger properly, and you have a hit. The Black Hills 115-grain EXP (Extra Power) load gets the most from a 9mm without going to +P power. Just the same velocity over 1200 fps! This loading offered good results in the SIG and is more than accurate enough for personal defense.

I took the pistol to Sharpshooters Range in Greenville, SC, for a bit of fast work. The weather was terrible outside but warm and comfortable inside—an advantage of the indoor range. My old friend JR led me in the right direction and soon I was firing at 7, 15 and 25 yards. Putting the red dot on the target resulted in a hit. At a long 25 yards I put the red dot on the target and ate the head up with 15 rounds, all centered in the brow region and stretching less than four inches across. The optics ready pistol is clearly viable for personal defense and in this case offer a clear advantage for aging eyes.

SIG’s night sights co-witness with the Romeo 7 red dot.

Moving to a solid bench rest and firing for accuracy I loaded two proven loads. The Black Hills Ammunition 124-grain JHP offers a good balance of expansion and penetration—favoring penetration. Recoil is modest and accuracy excellent.

I also fired a load that offers service grade performance. The Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain JHP +P breaks about 1,300 fps. The bullet used offers good expansion and penetration. Each of these was fired for a five-shot group at 25 yards. The average five-shot group was 1.5 inches. This is an accurate handgun that will serve well in the hands of those who practice. I used the iron sights for absolute accuracy. They co-witness with the red dot and offer a back-up or are ideal for pinpoint accuracy at long range.

The Blackhawk! belt slide offered real speed and comfortable carry. It is fully ambidextrous and affordable.

During this session I used Walker Game Ears’ new EXCEL muffs. These are quite comfortable and come with a pair of omni-directional microphones. In short, you may hear normal conversation but the blast of gunfire is muted. If the mikes are not turned on the Walker EXCEL performs like a regular hearing muff. The controls are simple to operate and the muffs offer a real advantage at an affordable price.

As for carrying the piece concealed I used a Blackhawk belt slide that worked well under a covering garment. The combination is an innovation and one well worth your time and effort to investigate.

West Pointers win SIG pistol event

The US Military Academy at West Point Combat Weapons Team earned the top honor of being named the 2019 SIG Relentless Warrior Champions, according to a press release from Sig Sauer Inc.

On Saturday, March 30, ninety cadets from the United States Air Force Academy, United States Naval Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Military Academy at West Point, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Texas A&M, and the Merchant Marine Academy competed in the SIG Relentless Warrior Championship at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH.

The course of fire consisted of seven mission stages that tested the marksmanship and leadership skills of the nation’s future military leaders.