need a fast price check- P228

[Grayfox54]

I have a chance to buy a NIB Sig P228. Made in Germany 1994. Includes box, all paperwork and holster. Seller says its been a safe queen and never fired. Asking price is $800. I'm thinking that's a little high. 

What y'all think is a fair price? 

Need to know by tomorrow morning or I'll miss my chance. 

Edited November 24, 2019 by Grayfox54

[Steelharp]

Book value at 100% is $700. 90% is $450... and it doesn't take much to get it down to 90%.

[TomInMN]

If it truly is NIB condition, with everything it should have from the factory, it might be worth $800 now. If it stays that way, it'll probably be worth that or more in a few years.

So, are you looking for a good gun to use or an investment?

[Grayfox54]

That thought has crossed my mind. I don't believe in safe queens. I shoot every gun I own. IDK maybe when I'm standing in front of him with cash in hand he'll feel more like haggling. 

[Guest BCR#1]

I gladly paid $760.00 for a 94 dated West German made 228 in 98% condition as I collect West German made Sig pistols and now have a complete collection of them.

Bill

[A.J. Holst]

8 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

That thought has crossed my mind. I don't believe in safe queens. I shoot every gun I own. IDK maybe when I'm standing in front of him with cash in hand he'll feel more like haggling. 

Christmas is coming, tis the haggling season!

I'm like you, hard to justify paying top dollar for a perceived collectible when I don't collect, but rather shoot all my stuff.

My "collectibles" are slowly being sent to Best Gun Buddy to hand down to his son / my godson.

[DaveTN]

There are plenty of articles on “Made in Germany” sigs and how people get scammed. You might want to check those out if you are paying a premium for that.

[Grayfox54]

Well I did a bunch of research yesterday and placed the value at $700. I called the guy this morning and offered him that. We haggled a little and settled on $750. We met, I looked the gun over real good and bought it. 

This thing is almost perfect! A few light marks on the barrel from operating the slide, but nothing more than you might find from it being handled in a gun store. Otherwise there ain't a mark on it. Easily 99%. Spare mag was still in the factory wrap.  As soon as I got it in my hand I knew I wanted it. 

Ok, I may have paid a little too much. But I won't be selling it in the near future either. So when that day finally comes, I'm sure I can at least get my money back. 

BTW: the seller called back after I had already left to say the he had reconsidered and just had to have $800. But I didn't get the message, so he honored his word on the $750 price. 

Weather forecast calls for it to be wet and chilly for the next week. No Idea when I'll get a chance to shoot it. Maybe I'll use the time to put a SRT kit in it. 

[DaveTN]

55 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

Weather forecast calls for it to be wet and chilly for the next week. No Idea when I'll get a chance to shoot it. 

They have these things they call “Indoor ranges”...I know, its crazy!! But they turn on the heat and let you shoot inside the building!

[Grayfox54]

Well it might come to that. Winter is upon us.  But I already have a membership at an outdoor range where it doesn't cost anything to go as many times as I want. Not real big on indoor ranges anyway. Much less the extra expense. 

[DaveTN]

Yep, they are expensive. I’m going to have to bite the bullet though. I need to shoot some guns and I’m not real big on the cold. At least my local indoor range has stayed at $20 a day instead of $20 an hour like some.

[TomInMN]

3 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Well I did a bunch of research yesterday and placed the value at $700. I called the guy this morning and offered him that. We haggled a little and settled on $750. We met, I looked the gun over real good and bought it. 

This thing is almost perfect! A few light marks on the barrel from operating the slide, but nothing more than you might find from it being handled in a gun store. Otherwise there ain't a mark on it. Easily 99%. Spare mag was still in the factory wrap.  As soon as I got it in my hand I knew I wanted it. 

Ok, I may have paid a little too much. But I won't be selling it in the near future either. So when that day finally comes, I'm sure I can at least get my money back. 

BTW: the seller called back after I had already left to say the he had reconsidered and just had to have $800. But I didn't get the message, so he honored his word on the $750 price. 

Weather forecast calls for it to be wet and chilly for the next week. No Idea when I'll get a chance to shoot it. Maybe I'll use the time to put a SRT kit in it. 

Can you do me a favor? Can you go register on the Sig forum, post about what you found, and that you plan to unwrap the spare may, take it shooting in the rain, and replace a bunch of parts? Then report back here with a link so we can enjoy the show?

[Grayfox54]

Oh No! I ain't falling for that.    IIRK, Sig Forum has a bit of a reputation for being snobbish and unfriendly. 

Although, I have thought about checking the place out.  

[TomInMN]

2 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Oh No! I ain't falling for that.    IIRK, Sig Forum has a bit of a reputation for being snobbish and unfriendly.

Although, I have thought about checking the place out.  

That's kind of how I remember it, and pretty much the reason I suggested hitting them up.

I guess, to be fair to them, as a group they're really passionate about something and just think everyone ought to feel the same way.

[Erich]

Congrats on a nice find. The book and the street dont seem to reflect cult following the same. They arent making anymore of those, and that does look to be in pretty nice shape. Seems a fair price that someone looking would be happy to pay.

That forum isnt that bad, as long as you own a Sig and dont talk kindly about most other guns in a Sig specific forum. Lots of really good folks and great resource if you need it. I've had members send me top ends for comparison and measuring, so some great enthusiasts.

Couple things that might be pointed out if you post pics. The mag has a good number of dings in the baseplate which is not consistent with an unfired safe queen but that one may not be its original mag if they owned other 228's. The barrel hood shows a bit more finish wear than I'd expect for a gun that was only test fired at the factory with minimal dry firing. To be fair, the old Sig barrel finish did show wear quickly unlike the modern finish, which can take well over a thousand rounds to show wear depending on lube and cleaning. Either way, you dont see them in that shape very often.

Enjoy.

[NickinTN]

On 11/24/2019 at 1:56 PM, Grayfox54 said:

Oh No! I ain't falling for that.    IIRK, Sig Forum has a bit of a reputation for being snobbish and unfriendly. 

Although, I have thought about checking the place out.  

Nice purchase, sometimes when you handle a firearm and you just have to have it the matter of whether or not it's a "good" buy goes out the door! 

 

FWIW - I found the Sig Forum (or at least the one I'm a member of) to be very helpful and for the most part friendly.  

[Grayfox54]

As a matter of fact, I did go over and joined the Sig Forum. And I did post about my new P228. So far its going just fine. 

Maybe all the grouchy folks have left?  

[Guest BCR#1]

On 11/24/2019 at 9:13 AM, DaveTN said:

There are plenty of articles on “Made in Germany” sigs and how people get scammed. You might want to check those out if you are paying a premium for that.

I just went and checked all of my "German" made pistols. The 228 is actually a 92 date code, not 94. All four have the rolled steel slides w/pinned removable breech blocks that are acceptance stamps/date codes on the slides chin. All "real German" made guns. The 226 even has a Herndon VA stamp.

Bill

 

[Grayfox54]

When I joined up at the Sig Forum I started researching the German vs U.S. Sigs.  According to the experts over there, there's not one iota difference in the quality. Both are excellent, well made guns. However, the forged slides of U.S. made guns does slightly shift the balance and for the most part the German guns just "feel" better. From a collector viewpoint, the German guns are more desirable.

That's cool with me as Sig is my preferred brand in DA/SA semi-autos. This 228 makes my fourth Sig pistol. Three of them are German. 

[Magiccarpetrides]

I think you got a great buy for the condition.  Those do have a cult following and a certain feel to them that just makes the 228 a great gun...plus that's when Sig still cared about their customers and their product and didn't beta test all of us.  SRT trigger would definitely be an upgrade.  I love my old Sigs...and even some of the new ones...but I feel the old ones definitely were built by people that gave a sh*t.

Right now I have a:

P220 Sport (the resident evil compensated poster gun)

P229 Sport (357sig compensated)

Sig 1911 POW/MIA (stainless)

and a P365 I carry most of the time.  

I used to have a bunch more including a p228, 229, 225, and 226

I think the 228 was one of my favorites.