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Converting a 40 S&W P229 to 9mm?

6K views 21 replies 18 participants last post by  ca survivor 
#1 ·
Hello!

Can a 40 S&W P229 be converted to 9mm as simply as a P320, just using an X-change kit or appropriate barrel, slide, and magazines?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
P229 .40/.357 slides are slightly different from P229 9mm slides. If you want it to be the same as a factory P229 9mm best bet is to look for an X-Change kit or slide from Gunbroker, etc.

If it's just for the range or you want to take on vetting the reliability you could look at getting a conversion barrel. Such as from Barsto and others.
 
#4 ·
In a 229 a conversion barrel is all you need. I ran a storm lake conversion bbl for years until my daughter talked me out of the gun. I used stock 40 mags at the range (worked fine), bought a couple true 9mm mags for carry. You do not need an exchange kit at all.
 
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#7 ·
#8 · (Edited)
Why switch? Allow me a diatribe about what I call "The Great Caliber Debate". Some may agree, some not.

Most of us have both 9 and 40 (and .380, 22 and 45). I went thru a period of time where I considered converting my .40 pistols. Or selling them. Then logic prevailed. There's really no reason in my opinion to abandon .40 caliber.

It makes no difference to me what the FBI decides to use for duty weapons. I am not in law enforcement. Their standards and studies may be important for people who carry a badge, but are pretty much meaningless to me. We have all seen the copious gelatin test videos on the web. While this is kind of stuff is interesting for those into the science of shooting, ballistics, etc. It really doesn't mean doodly squat to the everyday, practical aspect of self defense.

In a self-defense scenario, if you train properly it doesn't make a nit of difference if you are carrying a 380, an 9mm or a .40 cal. Most self defense ammo in these calibers are pretty good at doing the job they were intended for: Neutralizing a threat. To illustrate this point, "But a .380 wont properly penetrate a heavy jacket" Really? Do not try this at home. But if it is a concern just aim a little higher.

I'll go on. If you dont want bullets going thru drywall and hitting the someone in the apartment next door, buy frangible or other ammo designed to minimize penetration. BTW: If a round goes thru the drywall it means you missed the bad guy. Aim every shot and own every round. In short, train more :).

Military standards for firearms and ammo are also a whole 'nuther thing. Not much in common with the average citizen's self-defense requirements.

I don't imagine myself being in a scenario where I have to take down a bad guy with a rifle who is wearing armor. I guess it could happen but I don't plan or train for it.

On the range or in a match, shoot what you have and enjoy. Or upgrade to a better pistol. There are some awesome prices now on new and trade ins of high quality .40's from Sig and others.

That's my two cents. Ok. Maybe it was six cents. But in my opinion selling or converting a .40 to a 9mm makes no cents.
 
#11 ·
+1 What he said.

Once again; I'm going to beat the dead horse that the buzzards are circling: "It ain't the arrow; it's the Indian." While I would prefer not to rely on .22 or .25; I can assure you that they've cancelled a lot of Czechs. That aside; it's shot placement. Pure and simple. If you nick someone with a .44 Magnum, it's not going to do you any good. A well placed .32, or .380? Stiff Stadium. Bigger isn't always better. Especially, if you can't control it. Let's face it: We aren't all created equally.

Find a reliable pistol that you are comfortable in shooting accurately, and controllably. Then practice, practice, and more practice. Then, practice some more. And, don't stop. It may be like riding a bicycle, but the longer you wait between range times, the slower you'll regain your balance. This past Saturday was a hair over a month since I'd been to the range. Normally; at least twice a month. Even if it's 50 rounds. It took me 50 rounds to get spot on >99% of my shots. I don't like that. You aren't afforded the luxury of time in a self-defense situation.

And, speaking of such; situational awareness is absolutely essential. Not only to avoid confrontations, but to build a mindset to survive. That feeling of the hair on the back of your neck standing up? Trust it. Best case; avoid being in that environment. There are tons of resources on the topic. Read 'em. Find what works for you and practice some more. It's the cheapest life insurance you can buy. And; the bill is fun to pay.
 
#9 ·
The OP lives in a state that tightly restricts pistol ownership. Buying a pistol in the PRNJ requires a lengthy permitting process and IIRC, they are restricted to one a month. Perhaps the OP wants a way to enjoy another, less expensive, caliber without jumping thru the hoops needed for another serial number. I have a setup neatly packed in a small pelican that allows 9/40/357/optic with just an upper change on a 229. It’s a very convenient range setup.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I didn't consider location. Point taken. I lived in NJ a long time ago - before all that regulation was implemented. My sympathies to the OP.

Two things:

1. The cost of the conversion impacts the actual savings of switching. Unless you are going thru an awful lot of ammo at the range. 9mm is a little cheaper but it's not a huge difference
2. Changing calibers affects the character of the pistol. Hard to master it and improve your shooting if you are switching between 9, 40, and 357 Sig.

Other than minor tweaks like polishing feed ramps and stuff like that, I'm really hardcore about sticking to the design features of a firearm. Basically, keeping it factory. Including mags. That's just a preference of course. Changing calibers, using slides or mags not meant for a particular caliber concerns me from a reliability standpoint. But for a range gun, there's obviously no risk.
 
#12 ·
As noted by P229R, I do live in NJ. My most recent round of permits took two days shy of one year from application to permit issuance.

I do like the idea of being able to interchange cartridges. I know that in order to fire 357 Sig, I only have to swap out the barrel. I don't know IF I would convert my 229 to a 9mm, I was merely questioning what was involved. While I do reload, I don't know if I want to reload the bottlenecked 357 Sig.

Contrary to popular trends, I am not influenced by FBI studies on bullet performance. Ninety-nine percent of the time, my targets (paper) could care less what they get hit with. At the moment, I am looking solely at cartridge flexibility.
 
#13 ·
Fair enough. As a hand loader, you know the main advantage of the 357 Sig over the .40 is it shoots flatter and hits harder at longer distances. Some say the muzzle blast from the 357 Sig is blinding in a dark environment. Feeding is supposedly better with 357 Sig, but honestly there are no fundamental flaws in the .40 that make it feed poorly. Except maybe with a cheap gun or low quality factory ammo. My .40's shoot like they were dipped in butter.

I have passed on 357 Sig because I don't need to hit anything at 100 yards with a pistol. I would never take a shot that long with a handgun. Send a round 50 yards in self defense and one may have some 'splainin to do with the DA afterwards. My choice would be leave the area and live to fight another day. Target, match shooting... different story. Same goes for law enforcement. Different situations than mine.

Everybody has opinions and preferences. There's no right or wrong in what somebody likes or don't like. The main thing is are ya havin' fun.
 
#15 ·
That's definitely the best way to do it.

But it costs a whole lot more.
 
#16 ·
Being disabled, in the event of a self-defense situation, I have very little choice on distance of engagement. For intentional long shots with a handgun, I'll defer to either my 357s or my 41 Magnum.

My goal is to be able to keep every handgun I own within a 10" paper plate at 50 yards.
 
#20 ·
I’ve just started looking into this with my P229 .40. I’m a big fan of guns that are able to be converted to other calibers easily. I reload for every caliber I shoot, so it’s not as much about cost savings as versatility. I have multiple barrels for my Glocks. Just bought my first Sig, a P239 in 357 Sig. As soon as I found out I could swap calibers with just a barrel swap I got 9mm and .40. Very happy with it. Now I’m looking into it for my new to me 229.
 
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