New Sig 226!

[ShipWreck]

I rented a Sig 226 today, and then bought one afterwards. My first Sig handgun I have ever owned, despite owning tons of different makes and models over the years...

Gun is very accurate, and doubletaps very well. I also have a strong preference towards rubber grips. However, with this new smaller grip the 226 comes with - the texture is rough enough that I don't need rubber grips.

Now, I fired 250 rounds thru the gun. One strange thing initially. The slide never locked back when I shot the gun 2 handed, but ALWAYS when I shot it one handed. I talked to one of the shop employees, and he came out on the range with me (the store also has an indoor range). He tried it and it worked fine. He then watched me shoot. The slide release is so far back on a Sig that it is easy to hit with your thumb in a 2 handed grip.

Sure enough - that was it. I fired another 100 rounds thru it, and if I watched my grip, it never did it.

I prefer my standard holding grip - but in a self defense situation with only one 15 round magazine in the gun, I can shoot it like I normally do and it would be a non issue. But on the range, I just gotta pay a bit more attention to it.

Here it is:

(Has night sights on it already)

It is the 226 Legacy configuration. Supposed to have the same frame as the MK25. However, I do not know how that differs from a standard 226 frame

[Uncle Malice]

Congrats! They are wonderful. A contender for my favorite gun of all time.

[sigarms228]

Congtrats ShipWreck!!

What a beautiful P226.

The P226 and P228 are my very top favorite 9MM pistols with my Walther PPQ just behind them. I have two P226s - a non rail stainless steel slide and a German folded carbon steel slide.

The P226 is such a soft sweet shooter not to mention terrific trigger and terrific accuracy.

[ShipWreck]

Yes, I put several shots in the exact same hole as the round before it.

I did find that this pistol shoots a bit more with a 6 o'clock hold. All my other guns are "cover the target with the dots." So, it too me a little while to stop shooting high.

[Dave P]

One of my all-time faves. Try it in 357 SIG.

[ShipWreck]

Well, I prefer 9mm...

I really like the Sig 220 Scorpion pistol as well - but all my handguns are 9mm right now.

Generally, I shoot 9mm more consistently. Plus, 45 ammo is pretty expensive now. And, everytime I get a 45, I generally end up selling it - one of the reasons is ammo costs. I used to shoot 200 rounds per session in 9mm. With ammo costs now, I typically only shoot 150 rounds. WIth a 45, I'd likely only shoot 100 now. So, I decided to just stick with another 9mm.

[Microgunner]

Congratulations on your choice of a fine pistol.

[dgludwig]

The slide release is so far back on a Sig that it is easy to hit with your thumb in a 2 handed grip.

Yep, thumb riding/interfering with slide release-a fairly common reason that many semi-autos have premature slide lock-backs (though your experience seems the opposite if I'm reading you right). In any event, the possibility of my thumb getting into trouble with various levers (slide release, decocker, safety, take-down lever, etc.) is the biggest reason my two-handed grip involves my support hand thumb over-lapping my strong hand thumb. This grip is the same I use when shooting revolvers too-it keeps my support hand thumb in position to cock the hammer when firing single-action without disturbing my hold.
There are many different ways to grip a handgun correctly, depending on an individual's preference. The mode I use has worked well for me.

[ShipWreck]

Well, the slide release on other semi autos aren't that far to the rear as a Sig. That was an issue

[dgludwig]

The issue is-keeping your thumb out of the way of the slide release. And it's not just SIG pistols that folks can have a problem with if they're not mindful of the possibility of their thumb interfering with the slide release during recoil.

[Mystro]

Great choice. They are sooooo smooooth.

[ShipWreck]

Thanks Mystro

The issue is-keeping your thumb out of the way of the slide release. And it's not just SIG pistols that folks can have a problem with if they're not mindful of the possibility of their thumb interfering with the slide release during recoil.

I won't say publicly how many different pistols I have owned since 1993, but it is a LOT. This was the first and only time it has been an issue for me on ANY gun.

[Beat Trash]

So when will we be seeing "The Wheel of Sig's?

[ShipWreck]

Haha, not quite :P

I considered selling 1 Beretta to pay for it, but found another way to cover it. I just can't bare to lose anymore Berettas

[marine6680]

The Mk25 frame has a standard rail, the normal rail on a Sig is a Sig only rail type.


I love my Sig 226. I have the G10 grips.


I finally held one with a E2 grip, and while it feels good in the hand, the trigger reach changes and I don't like the feel.

[TunnelRat]

The Mk25 frame has a standard rail, the normal rail on a Sig is a Sig only rail type.

That's a bit untrue. The Mk25 is a standard 1913 style rail. The rail on the typical P226 will still mount non-Sig lights and whatnot, it just has a bit of curvature to the rail sections.

[marine6680]

Its still a Sig design.

Many lights still work on it. So its not "Sig only" in the sense that only Sig accessories will work.

Maybe I should have clarified a bit more.

[sigarms228]

I put the SIG factory aluminum grips on one of my P226s.

SIG had big sale on them for $65 three or so years ago. I did not think I would like aluminum grips but I just adore them.

[Mystro]

Wow.... $65 for Sig aluminum grips are a steal. I love mine on my P229 Elite Dark. I do have a set of E2 grips for cold weather carry.

Point of interest: The Aluminum grips are the thinnest grips you can get on a Sig.

[dakiwi13]

great choice, i wish i had known exactly that i would be a sig person when i first started out buying.

went through at least 2 dozen different guns from walthier to beretta before i found my first sig. now i have fine tuned my stash to just what i find the most comfortable and what i can afford. in fact i still have my very first sig

went through a lot of money buying and then selling/trading off guns that i didn't like. but it was a great learning experience. found out that (despite what every other person in my town says) glocks really aren't all they're cracked up to be.

[ShipWreck]

I hear ya about the Glocks. I will only buy DA/SA guns from now on too. I'm at a point in my life where this is my preference. I will admit that when I was younger, I didn't like that trigger system as much as I do now.

As for the grips - the E2 grip is the reason I like the Sigs now. Most of the standard grips have always made the gun too big for my hands. The E2 grip is perfect. And, I put rubber grips on ALL my handguns. The E2 grip texture is rough enough that I don't have to. It's fine as is.

I still prefer my 92s, but only by a small margin

[dgludwig]

Quote:
The issue is-keeping your thumb out of the way of the slide release. And it's not just SIG pistols that folks can have a problem with if they're not mindful of the possibility of their thumb interfering with the slide release during recoil.

I won't say publicly how many different pistols I have owned since 1993, but it is a LOT. This was the first and only time it has been an issue for me on ANY gun.

I find it interesting that a thread started by Idaho636 on this page pretty much parallels your experience. Regarding his issue with his newly acquired Kahr model PM40 pistol, Idaho reported, "My grip...was causing my thumb to bump the slide release and lock the slide back. I've never had that happen once prior to shooting the PM40 (using the same grip that I've used for years and years shooting pistols and never had an issue)... I just found it interesting that a certain gun/grip combo (coupled with the recoil characteristics of this pistol) can cause issues where shooting 100+ different handgun designs and thousands of rounds over the years using the same grip never caused an issue before. Live and learn."

I'm not saying that the problem is necessarily a common one (though you'll see it mentioned often enough in the auto pistol forum to realize it's not exactly a rare event for more than a few folks and doesn't just involve SIG pistols); only that it happens often enough "to be mindful of the possibility". I also found it interesting that the "fix" for Idaho was to "adjust my grip by bending my thumb downwards"; sort of the same advice I proffered earlier in this thread.

[dgludwig]

As for the grips - the E2 grip is the reason I like the Sigs now.

The E2 grip configuration is now on the relatively new SIG Model 227-giving this double-stack Model 220 .45 ACP a grip difficult to distinguish from the Model E2 226. I own both and, blind-folded, you'd be hard-pressed to tell one from the other by just the feel of the grip.

[silverstang23]

Nice purchase. Two thumbs forward is for sure a problem with a sig. It's probably not the right way to do it but I put my back thumb on the side of the front side to still be two thumbs forward. It's makes for an easy transition from glock to sig

[Uncle Malice]

Nice purchase. Two thumbs forward is for sure a problem with a sig. It's probably not the right way to do it but I put my back thumb on the side of the front side to still be two thumbs forward. It's makes for an easy transition from glock to sig

Yup, that's how I run mine too.