Sig P226... whats the big deal? (pics)

[1hogfan83]

I did look at the inside of of my P-01 Tunnelrat. For a $600 metal gun I can't complain. When Navyman installed the srt in his MK25 he took it apart and it was was disgusting. It literally looked like a Taurus on the inside.

[TunnelRat]

When Navyman installed the srt in his MK25 he took it apart and it was was disgusting. It literally looked like a Taurus on the inside.

You sure place a lot of stock in one YouTube reviewer with one SIG.

EDIT: LOL. I just watched it. Because there was TW-25B grease in the hammer group? That makes it like a Taurus? It's white lithium grease. You've lost all credibility with me, I'm sorry. You're making wild accusations and getting to conclusions not in any way based in relevance. The grease is to help mitigate wear, it's a good idea on any firearm. Not to mention as a hammer fired gun owner you should know that grease can make a notable improvement in the feel of the trigger pull. Grease is disgusting? He's a sailor, shouldn't he be okay getting dirty on occasion? This is what happens when you take all of your opinions from one source. Navyman should know what that is and why it's there. That he doesn't is honestly embarrassing.

[Dcope01]

Sig is the top of the line for hand guns. I like the simplicity and accuracy of the designs. Sigs are not cheap guns like the Glock's. Ask yourself when you go to a gun show how many booths do you see set up selling internal parts for Sig? Then compare that to the number of booths selling Glock springs, triggers, extractors and other parts. Out of the ten Sigs I have none of them have ever had a jam, or misfire. I even load my own ammo. I have been into the shooting sports since 1974 and have owned several different types of handguns my two favorites manufactures are Colt and Sig. (S&W fell out of grace in the 1990s when they caved to the gun grabbers will not purchase their products).

Colt Anaconda in .44 Mag is my hunting revolver and any of my Sigs are for self defense. I have been collecting the Equinox variety since they were introduced love the two tones, and the grips.

Remember one thing a Sig likes to get used, the more you use them the smoother they get. once you figure out the combat sighting technique your accuracy will be hard to beat while shooting a Sig.

[gc70]

Originally Posted by mellow_c

What's the big deal?
What makes you Sig Guys such big fans?

I am not a "Sig Guy" but Sigs are my preferred brand of semi-autos. While they are sturdy, reliable, and mechanically accurate, I expect that from any gun I own. For me, the big deal in the classic P series is the control set I prefer; I like DA/SA with a frame-mounted decocker. There is also the quality of "feel" or balance that lets me shoot some Sigs to more of their mechanical potential than other guns. The old models with folded-metal slides all have it and the only models with milled slides that match that feel are the P239 and the stainless-framed P226 and P220 models.

Are Sig prices justified? They are for me - for other people, not so much.

[hemiram]

I see why people like Sigs a lot, I do too, but I'm totally baffled by the 1911 love so many people have. And I guess it's a sign of my age, I don't see the appeal of polymer guns. We all like what we like, and what we don't, we don't..

[qwiksdraw]

hemiram...but I'm totally baffled by the 1911 love so many people have.
...

That's because the 1911 isn't just another gun on the shelf. It's about history and a legacy, it's about a war pistol that became a handgun for everyone. It is one universal style that can be made a one of a kind by each owner. It is about the fit and the feel and the performance. It's about a man, John Moses Browning, and the genius be brought to American firearms and to the world. It's also a story of the American dream. It's a pretty darn fun gun to shoot.

It's a 1911...feel the steel...experience the magic!

[noonesshowmonkey]

That's because the 1911 isn't just another gun on the shelf. It's about history and a legacy, it's about a war pistol that became a handgun for everyone. It is one universal style that can be made a one of a kind by each owner. It is about the fit and the feel and the performance. It's about a man, John Moses Browning, and the genius be brought to American firearms and to the world. It's also a story of the American dream. It's a pretty darn fun gun to shoot.

It's a 1911...feel the steel...experience the magic!

And then spend an inordinate amount of time and money fixing / cleaning / maintaining your handgun.

I don't carry and own firearms to tell myself a story about my life, who I am, or my place in history. They are tools. Period.

1911s? I'll pass.

I'll take a P229, thanks.

[TunnelRat]

And then spend an inordinate amount of time and money fixing / cleaning / maintaining your handgun.

I don't carry and own firearms to tell myself a story about my life, who I am, or my place in history. They are tools. Period.

1911s? I'll pass.

I'll take a P229, thanks.

Some of us do both. It doesn't have to be an either or. Most 1911s don't require an inordinate amount of time fixing/cleaning/maintaining, at least not that much more than say a SIG.

[LockedBreech]

Some of us do both. It doesn't have to be an either or.

+1. That's a false dichotomy, it's certainly both for me.

[NorwegianShooter]

P226 X-Six Supermatch. The best pistol ever manufactured...

[mellow_c]

Thanks for laying out all the numbers Uncle!!! Very helpful!

Ok, a couple more questions for you all...

How does the Sig P226 grip angle compare to a 1911? I remember shooting an HK once, and I felt like it was straight up and down, as if it were a perfect 90 degrees, and I REALLY didn't care for that!

Also... There are some pretty good deals out there for Sig P226's in 40 S&W. I found one used that has night sights and is a two tone, stainless slide, black frame. I thought I could get some wood grips for it and finally have a nice 3 tone pistol!!! But I'm not sure I want to go for a Sig in 40 S&W... I'm sure it can handle the round well... but I'm just more tempted by the 9mm because of magazine capacity, lighter recoil, and cheaper ammo... a 3 tone 40 would be awfully cool though...

What would you all say about 40 vs 9mm in the P226?

[qwiksdraw]

noonesshowmonkey: And then spend an inordinate amount of time and money fixing / cleaning / maintaining your handgun.

Then all mine are really broke, because I don't do all that.

I don't carry and own firearms to tell myself a story about my life, who I am, or my place in history. They are tools. Period.

1911s? I'll pass.

Did my reply to hemiram offend you so much that you were compelled to respond in such a negative and somewhat insulting manner?

You know many of us idiots find room in our lives to enjoy shooting and the guns we use. While also recognizing them as tools, we don't limit ourselves to just one mundane function. It sure makes for interesting discussions!

[ShipWreck]

I just recently got into Sigs. I bought four in four weeks. I just sold the Sig Pro to help me fund an Ed Brown 1911. But, here are the three I am keeping

I never got a Sig before because the 226 has always been too big for my hands... Until they made the E2 grip. Now it is perfect...

[LockedBreech]

I really like the M11A1. It got crap upon release for being a "parts bin" design, basically a 229 forged slide on the 228 frame, but it honestly might be my favorite Sig in terms of weight/size/proportions.

[stephen426]

@noonesshowmonkey,

I used to feel the same way about 1911s and the .45 ACP in general until I got my Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special. I had a P245 that I could not shoot worth a darn even though I had a P228 and I have 2 P229s. I am very accurate with Sigs, but my Thunder Ranch Special will shoot circles around either Sig and reliability has been 100%. The single action trigger pull on a Sig cannot compare to a well tuned 1911 trigger since all it has to do is drop the trigger. This is not to knock Sigs in any way, but a personal observation from years of shooting. Everyone I let shoot my Thunder Ranch Special falls in love with the gun. This includes novice shooters and petite women as well. I have not had to do any more maintenance on my 1911 than I have on my Sigs (which is only cleaning). Try a good 1911 and I'm sure it will change your mind.

[JeffK]

What would you all say about 40 vs 9mm in the P226?

40 means you can shoot 357-Sig with a simple barrel swap, and the 357-Sig version of the P226 is FUN! Big flash/bang. That's the version I have.

[stephen426]

For some reason or other, I was always able to find .40 S&W ammo even when everything else was super scarce. I am not saying there was a ton of it, but I was always able to find a few boxes here and there. I think the .40 is a great round and should be very manageable in a full sized gun like the P226. I am not sure how much of a factor the .357 Sig is for you, but ammo for that is almost twice the price of the .40 S&W. I have a .357 revolver in stainless so if I wanted a hunting backup gun, I'm already covered.

[JeffK]

Just looking at bulkammo.com for 1000-round FMJ examples, Speer Lawman in 9 mm is $285, and 357-Sig is $485. Magtech in 9 mm is $270, .40 is $340. If you reload (I don't), you can get 1000 bullets for $180. So yes, 357-Sig is more expensive, but not enough for me to care, and if I cared that much I'd reload. Fun factor is pretty high.

[TXAZ]

I like the 226/229 family because:
1) very reliable, even between long cleaning cycles
2) the best ergonomic fit for MY HAND and others above (YMMV)
3) smooth action
4) rapid follow up shot, with or without "higher bore axis"
A) a 4 oz light mounted on the rail helps soak up recoil rise
B) with no light the rise is still very manageable.
5) highly repeatable / precision shots
6) seem to hold their value better than Glocks and others

But for me the most important is the ergonomic factor, it just feels like it belongs in my hand, which is supported by smaller groups than my other pistols.

[noonesshowmonkey]

Did my reply to hemiram offend you so much that you were compelled to respond in such a negative and somewhat insulting manner?

Sure, I was being negative. I don't care for 1911s as anything but show pieces.

This is a thread about the P226, and in a way, about other P-series Sig Sauer handguns, and what the big deal with them is.

My response was applicable because the P-series is everything the 1911 isn't:

reliable
simple
high capacity
ammo-independent
light(er) - nobody is going to call a P226 a featherweight handgun, and yet it is still lighter than the 1911!
etc.

Pretty much everything about the P-series handguns is designed to make them a no-frills tool. So, my rubric of 'functional tools' applied to handguns brings me right to Sig's doorstep, and specifically not to the 1911's. Those are my reasons; they do not have to be yours.

When people wonder why such and such a brand has the reputation that it does, there should be reasons to back up the reputation. I am far from a Sig fan-boy. I couldn't give less of a crap whose name was on the slide of my handgun, just in the same way that I don't care who made the maul head that I split wood with, so long as it keeps splitting wood like a thunderbolt from heaven.

[noonesshowmonkey]

Oh, and for anyone in the market, Bud's has CPO .40 S&W P226s for sale at a sickeningly good price: $529.

Certified Pre-Owned Sigs get a factory re-build & refinish. Pretty much a brand-new handgun that shoots like one that is well run in.

[TunnelRat]

Certified Pre-Owned Sigs get a factory re-build & refinish. Pretty much a brand-new handgun that shoots like one that is well run in.

Just to add, they're in 40SW for those interested.

[LockedBreech]

Sure do want one of those CPOs. Nothing like a deal that'd be perfect for you that you have to watch fly by because the money situation isn't right.

[Robk]

Sorry for coming late to the party but.....

For Show.... P226 X5E Classic .40 S&W

Oh, who am I kdding,, this is for Go also




For Go.... P226 DAO .40 S&W



Both very fine firearms. Didn't think I would like the DAO, but it is oh so nice. Just like a very nice revolver trigger, so smooth. Acturate and so far no issues with it even though I bought it used.

As for the X5, well, haven't put more tha 50 rounds down it, most of those I was having problems with my contact lenses, but it felt just right. For those rounds I could see, it was extremely accurate. I don't think I will ever shot it to it's potential.

[LockedBreech]

Dumb question, is there any reason not to use the X5 as a carry/nightstand primary piece? Is there anything about the competition orientation that makes it less suitable for HD/SD?