Sig Sauer P226, any thoughts?

[Idahobound]

I love all my sig pistols. Have many different models. Haven't run into one yet that isn't accurate or reliable. Great guns... Go for it!

 

[slimmer13]

I don't really like the Sig rifles or their striker fired pistols, but I wouldn't hesitate rolling with their hammer fired guns (minus their 1911).

But that's just the opinion of a guy who likes to shoot. Not a "knowledgeable" gunsmith or a super duper secret operator.

 

[wired]

I have several both German and American. Cant tell the difference inside.

 

[powermad]

My understanding is, that like many other manufacturers, SIG produces guns and/or at least some gun parts, in the USA to get around US gun laws on importing guns, and to be able to sell US made guns to LEOs and the military.

I have SIGs that say made in Exeter, NH and some that say made in W. Germany on certain parts. I see no real difference in the quality of either. YMMV, but I like all of my SIGs.

It was more than US import laws.
Sig USA was the importer for Sig Germany (DE) but with the stipulation that they would not sell those guns to certain countries that Sig DE would not sell to.
IIRC it was found out that Sig USA had sold Sig DE P229's to Columbia and that was that and Sig DE pulled the plug on exporting to the USA.
Now there's just a couple places that import them and so far it's just the P226 X5/6 lineup which is a whole other animal and blows the classic P226 out of the water.

 

[Idahobound]

That's interesting info... Was wondering how that came about. I have both German made and American made and don't know if I have just been lucky as all have been high quality and reliable regardless of caliber or whether they were made for military or civilian market.

 

[44s rock]

Except it's not a 228; it's a 229 with m11a1 on the slide to dupe people who don't know any better. 228 is a whole different gun and handles much different. Got 2 west Germans sitting in my gun room. Probably the best pistol sig ever made, if you ignore the origins 210s

Its almost janky as the P225 releases that go for $1000 and are every way shape and form inferior to the surplus P6 that they are copying that go for $400.

As my M11-A1 is clearly marked P228, and as explained to me, a P228 frame and internals with a P229 machined slide, what is your "expert" description of the difference between a P228 M11-A1 and a P229 M11-A1?

 

[powermad]

As my M11-A1 is clearly marked P228, and as explained to me, a P228 frame and internals with a P229 machined slide, what is your "expert" description of the difference between a P228 M11-A1 and a P229 M11-A1?

The 228 M11 is a 228.
The M11-A1 is a 229 with 228 grip panels.
The only thing they share in commonality is no rail. And the stupid 228 grip panels, which is the only thing that is interchangeable between them.
Different barrel, locking insert, slide, frame and internals not counting the phosphate coating.

I have a 228 slide that I can use on my M11-A1 and 229 Select but I have to use a P228 locking insert.

I run it with the SS slide though as it shoots much better and the 228 slide just sits around now.

 

[Idahobound]

228 is more compact and holds fewer rounds in 9 mm. By compact think in terms of comparing a standard 1911 to a commander/ officer model of 1911. 228 was used by a lot of government agencies for carry and concealment considerations rather than carrying full sized 229. Still, the 228 carries 13+1 in the chamber with flush mags in 9mm without giving too much up in accuracy and is mechanically just as dependable as full size 229

 

[powermad]

The 228 and 229 are almost the same dimension and are classed as compact.
4.5" barrels are full size
4" barrels are compact.
3.5" barrels are sub-compact
3" barrels are micro compact.
Of which I have all bases covered in the Sig Line up.

Early 229 9mm used the same frame, barrel and locking insert as the 228.
The 229 started using SS slides in 9mm only.
Then came the .40/.357 and the 229 got a frame with a little bigger mag well and is the 229-1
The .40 and 9mm use the same locking insert on the 229-1 and the 229-1 9mm mags went from 13 to 15 rounds. The gun is still the same size though.

Some say that the Folded slide of the 228 handles better and is lighter but I don't notice it, in fact the SS slide soaks up recoil better and I don't have as much muzzle flip.

 

[MrMillspecer]

I own a p226 and think it's a great pistol. A dependable, durable and accurate duty pistol. Anyone saying otherwise hasn't got a clue. It's well proven with military and police around the world.

The info below is from a rental shop called Battlefield Los Vegas.

Most Pistols Can Handle More Abuse Than You Think - Guns and Ammo

We are fortunate to live in a time when pistols have never been more popular, manufacturing has never been more advanced and there's never been more quality choices.

www.gunsandammo.com

By putting multiple guns through hundreds of thousands of rounds, BLV is able to develop a great picture of what types of pistols last and what don't. The verdict: full-size pistols are where it's at.

The pistols that get shot the most at BLV are the SIG Sauer P226, Glock 17 and Beretta 92. Based on BLV's experience, each of those pistols will go 50,000 to 100,000 rounds before there is a parts failure. It is not uncommon for these guns to continue to function reliably even with a cracked frame or slide. The point of impact might shift, but they still shoot reliably. Many parts failures are only detected during cleaning and maintenance sessions, not from a malfunctioning pistol.

A couple of examples of the above phenomenon are a Beretta 92 that they noticed had a cracked slide during cleaning. It had over 100,000 rounds on it and operated fine. An armorer noticed a small crack in the frame of a SIG Sauer P226 at 150,000 rounds, and it also functioned just fine. Both were pulled and repaired for liability, not because they malfunctioned.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Its hilarious when people spout anecdotal evidence and their once offs, ignoring the complete body of work and a massive same size.

Ask any Respected gunsmith or Gun guru who has been balls deep in this game for 20+ years and they will tell you exactly what I will.

The exception doesn't make the rule. If 60% of the guns they make are good to go, that just means you were either Lucky, don't shoot enough to notice or aren't in tune with your equipment to know the difference.

There is a reason gun collectors don't buy US sigs, for the same reason Kimber is considered trash in the 1911 world. Go over to 10-8 forums and maybe you will learn something from people who actually know what they are talking about.

This is the problem with the gun community. Its no different than society with over half of the population being on the left side of the bell curve. Everyone thinks their opinion is equal, when its not. Its like some high school kid arguing with someone with a PHD is in the subject matter.

Sig has used the same template for 20 Years:
Rush a product to Market
Cut costs anywhere possible
Use their customers as beta testers
When the product inevitably is not salvageable, discounting it and stop supporting it.
New revisions and versions are purposely not backwards compatible so you have to buy all new accessories and mags.
Come out with 50 different versions of the same product. Name the same junk Scorpion , Legion or whatever and charge a premium for the SAME product.
Outsource parts to 3rd world countries who don't have indoor plumbing wherever possible.
Spend more money on marketing and paid reviews than actual R&D and customer support and warranty service (Just like Kimber)

Neat-o.
Now do Colt.

 

[Martini_Up]

My thoughts are: big, heavy and....tall. They work great though.

 

[41mag]

In consideration of overall performance vs out of spec units, I'd like to see production figures of models with an itemized failure of component and/or design feature. Bell curve information corralates well with finding such relationships. Does the fail rate increase 10 fold if you build 10x as many units? Comparative data with comparative specs is important tool. They used to call this mathematical derivative a 'chi square' function IIRC.

 

[The Heretic]

The early 229s were a 228 frame and a 229 slide. Those are sometimes called 228/229 guns, if you see a reference to a mag for them it sometimes says '228/229' vs '229' or '229-1'.

The slide of the 228 was "folded" steel, while the 229 slide is a solid billet machined slide. The reason the 229 slide is 'solid' and not 'folded' steel is because SIG felt they needed a stronger slide for the .40 S&W. But they still had the older 228 frames, so they used the 228 frames with the newer slide. So the main difference between the 228 and 229 is the slide - and yes, most of those do not have the rail on the frame. But then some of the newer 229s also do not have a rail and are sometimes called "Classic Carry".

The other difference is that the 288 frames would not accept the wider .40 mags, but SIG started making 229 frames for the .40 that would accept the wider .40 mags. These are sometimes called 229-1 frames with E2 grips. The magwell is wider, but accepts the smaller/older 9mm mags as well as the newer 9mm and .40 mags which are wider. The slides are the same as the older 229 handguns.

The 226 mags for both 9mm and .40 are the same width and the same width as the older 229 and will fit any 226 or 229. But they will fit a little looser in the newer 229s. SIG made the newer 229 frame magwell wider to fit more .40 ammo in the same length magwell.

You can put a .40 slide/barrel on any 229 frame, but the locking block insert may need to be changed depending on what the frame was originally. You can get a .40 locking block insert for $20 from CDNN.

For a 226 you don't need to change the locking block insert, just put the slide/barrel/recoil spring on and preferably change the mag.

Like I said earlier, the definitive source of info on SIGs is sigtalk.com. I might have left some things out in the info above or got some of it slightly wrong from my memory, but sigtalk will clear it up.

For me, I prefer the 226 to the 229 because of the balance, but also because remembering all of this for the differences is easier and simpler. Almost all of my SIGs have caliber conversion kits between .40, 9mm and .22 LR.

The exception is the 227s which share a slide/barrel and some other parts with the P220. I wish SIG still made the 227s, and that they had made a .22LR conversion mag (the slide would fit, but not the mag), and an all steel gun, but I think the bean-counters decided that the sales were not good enough and that they didn't want to spend the $ to fix the springs in the 14 round mags, so they dropped it.

I don't expect to see any new models in the classic DA/SA metal framed guns - just variations like the Legion, Elite, etc.

That is my main complaint about SIG today; that they are now concentrating on the plastic framed striker fired guns and LE/military markets. I don't like the way plastic framed guns handle recoil - it feels different, and the balance is top heavy compared to a metal frame (especially a steel frame) and I abhor striker fired triggers, plus I like the decocker and the safety of carrying a DA/SA gun.

YMMV

 

[The Heretic]

228 is more compact and holds fewer rounds in 9 mm. By compact think in terms of comparing a standard 1911 to a commander/ officer model of 1911. 228 was used by a lot of government agencies for carry and concealment considerations rather than carrying full sized 229. Still, the 228 carries 13+1 in the chamber with flush mags in 9mm without giving too much up in accuracy and is mechanically just as dependable as full size 229

228 is the same size as the 229.

 

[44s rock]

The 228 M11 is a 228.
The M11-A1 is a 229 with 228 grip panels.
The only thing they share in commonality is no rail. And the stupid 228 grip panels, which is the only thing that is interchangeable between them.
Different barrel, locking insert, slide, frame and internals not counting the phosphate coating.

I have a 228 slide that I can use on my M11-A1 and 229 Select but I have to use a P228 locking insert.
View attachment 689443
I run it with the SS slide though as it shoots much better and the 228 slide just sits around now.
View attachment 689444

My guess is, if it were a true P229 frame it would handle multiple calibers and have the same measurements. That being said, I truly enjoy shooting mine and it fits the PNW weather.

 

[Idahobound]

Different strokes for different folks....everybody has there own preferences, opinions an experience. Every manufacturer has had problems with some guns in their product line at one point or another. Sometime you get a lemon and some manufacturers put out nothing but cheap crap that in my opinion isn't worth buying any of their products. I hate to sound like a hypocrite as I just made a seeping generalization myself, but don't let someone else's prejudice deter you from taking a chance on something you've been eyeing, especially when you get positive feedback from so many people who are very happy with past purchase and use of a particular firearm. We can all be know it all arrogant/ignorant snobs at times.LOL

 

[bshnt2015]

I've own several Sig P226 (made in W Germany including the P220 and P228). The classic wonder nine pistol. The P226 is a large frame pistol, if you're looking for EDC/CCW, it's a big pistol. My preference is the 80's design, folded steel slide vs current solid billet, it's the look. The pistol shot accurately and was well made. It's a pistol you need to "practice" with, because of the slide & de-cocking levers, DA/SA trigger, and high bore sight vs pistols like the Glock, etc.

On the range, it's a fun pistol to use. I would stick with the OEM magazines and replace the magazine springs after heavy use. Even when fully loaded, the magazine will "rattle" a bit, monitor the magazine springs. I sold off my Sig pistols except for the P228, it's part of my wonder nine collection.

All things considered, everyone gave solid information here. If you're looking for a Sig brand pistol as part of a collection, you can't go wrong with a P226(stick with a 9MM). If you're looking for a EDC/CCW consider the P228/M11A1 or the P320 carry model. Good luck.

 

[The Heretic]

My guess is, if it were a true P229 frame it would handle multiple calibers and have the same measurements. That being said, I truly enjoy shooting mine and it fits the PNW weather.

The only dimensional difference between 228/229 and 229 frames are the magwells in the later "229-1" frames. I have a 228/229 and several "229-1" guns. I have 229 and 226 mags in 9mm and .40 that fit in them all, and 229 .40 mags that fit only in the 229-1 and 224.

 

[41mag]

I recently read the report by Colt CEO/or some Big Boss of the company, in review of the New Python released. Don't have the article at hand to confirm the numbers I use here. Someone will have this, as I think it came out of the interview printed in NRA Rifleman issue the last few months. The numbers there as I recall, were "17" warranty claims out of "2700" units produced.....which would be around 0.63% incidence of such claim, on essentially newly built 'improved' product. Whatever the number was, the Colt official seemed pleased the number was as small as it was. As an old Python fan, I was pleased the number seemed so small. It would be nice to see Sig produce similar information.