It's been a while, but once again I find myself with the urge to sell or trade my P228 and replace it with either a Springfield 1911 Loaded Operator or a CZ-97B. A couple of reasons:

-I still don't shoot it - or any other SIG for that matter - particularly well. Don't get me wrong, I'm much better with it than I was, especially now that I've taken a few shooting classes, but I shoot my 1911 RO Compact much better, and I have a small fraction of the trigger time on that than I have with my P228. Likewise the H&K VP9, Browning Hi-Power, Beretta 92, and Springfield XDM/XD-S The SIG's grip is just a little too wide for me, I think. It feels good to hold, but a high grip on the gun is uncomfortable under recoil, believe it or not. Not painful, just not comfortable. And I ride the slide stop with a high grip too sometimes.

-The damned roll pin that holds the breech block in keeps backing out. Now while I'm shooting it, but when I leave it sitting in the case. Annoying as heck to have to tap it back in place, and I'm afraid I'll somehow bugger the gun up whenever I do.

-I prefer shooting .45 ACP over 9mm. I've come to enjoy a decent 'thump' when I shoot pistols, and the SIG just doesn't do that for me. I don't go to the range nearly as much as I used to anymore, and when I do, I find shooting my 1911 to be a much more satisfying experience. Transitioning solely to .45 ACP will be easier on logistics, and as I said I don't go to the range once a week anymore, so I'd actually be able to afford keeping up the habit.

-I can finally get a good holster for a CZ-97B. I've wanted a CZ-97B since I fondled one at a gun show... last year, I think it was. The custom work (fantastic trigger job, Cerakote, and custom sights) on the example I handled back then put it well outside my price range, but a stock model is well within my reach. And I've found an FFL near me that actually stocks CZs. Fat lot of good that does me since I'm moving to the other side of the state soon, but I digress. My main turn-off from the CZ-97B has been that holsters for the gun are nigh impossible to find (along with aftermarket sights specifically Trijicon HDs, but that's not a deal breaker). However, I just discovered that Ring's makes a Blue Gun CZ-97B "training aid," which means that I could have Luke Adams or Wes Dahl at Privateer Leather build me a rig. Luke, if you're reading this, I love my Texas holster for my 1911 Compact, but there's something about an Askins Avenger style holster that just speaks to me.

So have I gone nuts again, or am I onto something this time. FYI, if I do decide to discard the P228, I won't be putting it up in the forum classifieds since I don't know what the problem with that breech block pin is, and I don't want to unload a bad pistol on you guys. And since I am now officially unemployed, I probably won't be making a final decision on the matter until after I move and find myself a new job, so it'll be a few weeks.

I have not: I've just tapped it back into place. Full disclosure: it's only happened twice in not quite six months. I haven't replaced the pins because I'm very much afraid of damaging the pin, the gun, or both in the process. I have about the same mechanical aptitude as Jeremy Clarkson.

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On the holster front if you want an avenger I can do it for ya. I've been working on one for years now and there are a few out there but it wouldn't be hard to build for ya;)

On the gun I'm a fan of 1911's and 45acp it's my favorite combination if that's the case with you it might be time to get rid of the sig and get another 1911. Also consider picking up an ati 1911 22lr since when 22 is available it's a great way to work on your shooting without spending as much money. Shoot a few hundred rounds of 22 then run a couple of mags of 45 through your other 1911. It's a great tool to get some familiar trigger time on the platform.

Take care!

Luke

^ Yeah.  What he said. ^     The only SIG pistols in my current battery are P 250's which do better for me than anything else in their line-up with the possible exception of the new 320 - which I haven't fired.  The grips on those seem much better suited to my hands and if "thump" is what you're looking for a .40 S&W in the P 250 definitely qualifies.  That said, running .45 ACP through a 97B is a lot like driving a Mercedes-Benz - yes, you're traveling the same direction and speed as the rest of us but the ride is exceptional.   Also, have you considered the big brother to your RO Compact?  Those are some pretty nice pistols in their own right and the learning curve would be just about zero for you.  Just sayin' .   .   .   

You still need new pins.  The whole purpose of the dual roll pins is that the larger, outer pin slides in, and the smaller, inner pin is tapped into it, which forces it to expand and tighten up.  One or both of of them are not working as advertised.  This makes me wonder if the inner pin is even in place...



Kaso

I have not: I've just tapped it back into place. Full disclosure: it's only happened twice in not quite six months. I haven't replaced the pins because I'm very much afraid of damaging the pin, the gun, or both in the process. I have about the same mechanical aptitude as Jeremy Clarkson.

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That's why a small brass hammer, and brass drift punches are an essential part of any maintenance kit.

I like CZ's. But the 97 is a big  gun for my hands, kind of a club compared to a 1911.  And the double action trigger is a bit odd- I used to really like the idea of a striker fired and double action pistols but the older I get, the more I like the simplicity of a single action. And the triggers, by and large, seem to be better.  Since you have a compact, and like it, and the operating system is the same, seems like a 1911 would do you the best.
 In the end, it has to please YOU. It would be good if you could try whatever you decide you are interested in, sometimes something that looks cool loses it's allure when you try it out.

 PS- IMO, The pistol that really shines in the CZ line is the 75B, in 9mm and .40.

If you find us a range we can both frequent, you can run all of your excess 9mm through any of my handguns.  Including the 9mm Springfield Loaded 1911, which is the higher-end version of the RO-9.



Kaso

Went to one of the ranges that I thought had a rental CZ-75. Turns out I was wrong. But the trip wasn't a total waste: I got to chatting with the guy behind the range counter, and he owns a CZ SP-01. Had nothing but good things to say about it, and told me that the grip size is great for people with smaller hands, which is an affliction that both of us suffer from. He also told me that while the CZ-97 is an awesome gun, it's also a unicorn: the shop ordered one for a customer, and it took 14 months to come in. Regular CZ-75s and their variants, on the other hand, the shop can get ahold of in a matter of weeks if they don't already have one in stock. Since I'm not a patient soul (and will almost certainly be moving again come the fall for school), I think I'll just go with an SP-01 instead. Or a P-01. Or a PCR. Or a regular CZ-75. GAH! So many guns, so little money!

That said, I'm going to try to make it out to that second range before I move and see if they have a CZ-75 in their rental case. And they're a big enough store that they might have a CZ of some flavor in their display case...

A CZ75 BD was my first handgun,  it's a solid choice.    I would also consider the Baby Eagle.  It's pretty much the same gun except for some cosmetic differences. 

I'm a little leery of buying used.

On the one hand, I picked up my P228 used, worn finish but in great mechanical shape. No problems whatsoever for something in the neighborhood of 3000 rounds (and probably a hell of a lot more than that) until this roll pin issue popped up, and I'm given to understand that happens in high round count SIGs with the old carbon steel slides.

On the other hand, I bought my P232 that turned out to be broken when I got it and then broke again after just a few hundred rounds. My own dumb@$$ fault for ignoring the big glaring red flags that popped up when I bought it. But it still kind of soured used guns for me.

My "problem," if you can call it that, is that CZs in general are pretty rare in my area. The CZ-75 and its variants are slowly becoming more common, to the point where I almost always see a handful of them at the big Oaks gun show and my preferred range usually has at least one in the display case, and they appear to be going for decent prices both new and lightly used. However, I've only ever seen one lone CZ-97, and that was had been worked over by Cajun Gun Works, so it was way, way out of my price range.

We'll see if they're more common in my new area of operation...

Since you like the RO Compact what about the same gun in 9mm? Cheaper training but you won't have to buy separate holsters or really anything but magazines.

I actually kicked myself when the RO Compact 9mm came out because it would have been perfect for me, since at the time I'd bought my .45 RO Compact I already had a boatload of 9mm stockpiled. That said, I'm pretty happy with my .45, and I'm really not interested in the 9mm version anymore. And I certainly don't want both at the same time, because I'll be the moron that gets them mixed up and tries to load a 9mm mag into the .45 or vice-versa.

Just hunt around on the forum classifieds, gunbroker,  or the various online distributors, you will probably see a deal popup within a few weeks.

That's what I was meaning.  There's NO CZ's, Sigs,etc. (well, a few more recently) in my area, I've bought tons of used guns online, however I stick to sellers with large amounts of positive feedback, and never rush a purchase. 

I have small hands too- a Glock 19 is about the max for me. There are two steel frame 9mm with small grips and double stack 14rd + capacity, that I am aware of . One is the CZ75, the other the BHP.  IMO, there is little point in buying a single stack 9, unless ultimate concealability is necessary.
But there are some very good underrated single stack 9's, like the Star model b. By default, this is a used gun. 
 
 What do you want this weapon for? To carry? Just for fun shooting?