What's the best Sig Sauer pistol you would buy?

liv4spd · March 23, 2024, 06:53 AM

I'd like to buy a hammer-fired Sig Sauer. What would be the best model? It seems that they have so many models and within each model they have so many trims. I saw a P226 Pro Cut in the store and really liked it. I heard the P229 series are also very nice.

PzGren · March 23, 2024, 07:05 AM

I have a lot of utility handguns and an older P220 but ever since I had the privilege of visiting the SIG Sauer factory and see the almost loving care and time that the master gunsmiths invested in putting the pistols together it triggered my interest in shooting them. I have shot the 9mm and .45s, 220S and 226S.

It's a world apart from the service pistol.

MC 1911 · March 23, 2024, 07:16 AM

Best is subjective but mine is the M11a1. Spring change & flat trigger & it's perfect. Next would be the P220 sas.

liv4spd · March 23, 2024, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC 1911

Best is subjective but mine is the M11a1. Spring change & flat trigger & it's perfect. Next would be the P220 sas.

I've never heard about M11-A1. Sig list it along with other P229 models. I wonder what's the difference between M11-A1 and P229s?

liv4spd · March 23, 2024, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PzGren

I have a lot of utility handguns and an older P220 but ever since I had the privilege of visiting the SIG Sauer factory and see the almost loving care and time that the master gunsmiths invested in putting the pistols together it triggered my interest in shooting them. I have shot the 9mm and .45s, 220S and 226S.

It's a world apart from the service pistol.

Thank you for sharing the pictures. I wonder what is your favorite Sig pistol model? I'm mainly interested in those that are still in production.

PzGren · March 23, 2024, 08:20 AM

Quote:

I'm mainly interested in those that are still in production.

That is where our interests part. When it comes to carry guns I can very well live with any current compact or sub-compact, like a Glock 19 or cheap SIG Sauer P365 but when it comes to enjoying firearms, I am looking for the best quality and performance.

My youngest son, who is master handgunner uses a subcompact Shadow Systems as his off-duty CCW and likes it for its accuracy and quick shot recovery, another factor for him is that it is basically the same platform as his duty gun.

Let me ask you for which purpose you want to get a SIG Sauer. Range toy, truck/car gun, or CCW. I know from the other threads that you are interested also in the Beretta 92 and CZ 75 line. Those guns have the accuracy potential to shoot over 90% on the ISSF pistol target at 25m and I see the biggest limitations on practical accuracy in the sights and trigger characteristics.

I just discussed the choice of a .45 ACP pistol with a friend that shots master class in the precision game, we discussed the SIG 220S, HK Expert, HK P9S, and both agreed that for his performance level a Les Baer would be necessary to replace his long slide Les Baer after selling it for a very nice sum of money.

If you would want to know which CZ 75 clone is the best in my opinion, that is easy to answer. The Swiss Sphinx AT2000S!

sevt_chevelle · March 23, 2024, 08:36 AM

P210
P226 SAO
P226 X series

44caliberkid · March 23, 2024, 08:45 AM

Sig 220 Legion full size 10mm, on my current want list, after that 220 45acp, of which I already own one.

jar · March 23, 2024, 08:45 AM

Which of your children is the best?

There is no BEST Sig Sauer. But what I tend to carry the most of my Sigs is the p239.

Top row P226 P239. Bottom row P230 P229 P220

As an entry level introduction to Sig pistols today I'd suggest starting with a SP2022. It's a polymer frame with all the characteristics of the hammer fired P series and right now being sold at really attractive prices.

RickB · March 23, 2024, 10:24 AM

The P210 is the only SIG that much interests me, though for range use, rather than any sort of carry or duty, just about any model would be a good choice.
I'm not a fan of anything DA/SA, but a buddy's P220, worked over by Grayguns, is a nice shooter.

ZoieBarnett · March 23, 2024, 01:05 PM

The Sig Sauer P226 is a classic and time-tested pistol that is known for its durability and accuracy. The P226 Pro Cut offers improved ergonomics and customizability, making it an attractive choice for athletes and recreational shooters.
On the other hand, the Sig Sauer P229 is a compact version of the P226, making it more suitable for concealed carry or use as a duty weapon. It also has excellent accuracy and reliability.

MC 1911 · March 23, 2024, 01:22 PM

"I've never heard about M11-A1. Sig list it along with other P229 models. I wonder what's the difference between M11-A1 and P229s?"

Very little. The a1 is a hair thinner & shorter & only comes in 9mm. The p229 is available in different calibers so very little difference. Probably Sig's creative ad market. I've had both and the M11a1 just feels a little better in my hand.

Screwball · March 23, 2024, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC 1911

"I've never heard about M11-A1. Sig list it along with other P229 models. I wonder what's the difference between M11-A1 and P229s?"

Very little. The a1 is a hair thinner & shorter & only comes in 9mm. The p229 is available in different calibers so very little difference. Probably Sig's creative ad market. I've had both and the M11a1 just feels a little better in my hand.

The M11A1 was built off the P229-1 design…

Long/short of it, there used to be two frames for P229s; 9mm and .357/.40. The -1 took the .357/40 frame and had the 9mm use it for one common frame. It also gave them the ability to move up to 15 round 9mm magazines in the P229-1.

Shy of that, the new guns are pretty much identical to the older ones, minus magazine and conversion ability between the two generations.

bac1023 · March 23, 2024, 01:41 PM

Hard to beat a Mastershop P226 X-Six Super Target.

jmr40 · March 23, 2024, 06:37 PM

The M11 is basically the military designation for the Sig 226 platform. The M9 is just a Beretta 92 and the new M17 and M18 are basically the same gun as the Sig 320. There are some minor changes, but it's just the military designation.

If it had to be hammer fired any version of the 226 is my choice. Not just with Sig, but if I were buying ANY hammer fired pistol from any manufacturer.

I'm OK with a hammer fired target pistol, but for self defense or combat make mine a striker fired gun. They stopped designing new shotguns and rifles with exposed hammers over 100 years ago for good reasons. We are just now starting to figure out that those same advantages apply to pistols too.

FITASC · March 23, 2024, 06:52 PM

An older Swiss-made 210

bac1023 · March 23, 2024, 07:10 PM

Quote:

]An older Swiss-made 210

Not a Sig Sauer though

radom · March 24, 2024, 01:27 AM

Best is very debatable as everyone has a different use idea on that. Here I do like the P-229r .40 .357 combo but also like the P-239 and the 938 9mm mini.

44caliberkid · March 24, 2024, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bac1023

Hard to beat a Mastershop P226 X-Six Super Target.

What a piece of art, beautiful. Will they still make those?

bac1023 · March 24, 2024, 05:12 PM

Unfortunately the Mastershop is no longer open, from what I understand.

liv4spd · March 24, 2024, 06:21 PM

I'm sure that beauty is out of my price range :-)

Many thanks all for the recommendations. I think I still like the P229 the best: hammer-fired, all metal, light weight, compact size, Sig reliability.

MC 1911 · March 25, 2024, 05:10 AM

Still an excellent choice!

PzGren · March 25, 2024, 06:55 AM

SIG Sauer in Eckernförde is closed since a few years and the proof house that rented space in their basement is also closed. Reasons for the insolvency were given in 2020 as a lack of government orders and lower domestic demand. The law suit of the German government, however, was the main reason and the German government proudly destroyed hundreds of good jobs when SIG Sauer closed.

J.P. Sauer & Sohn, the branch producing hunting rifles in Isny, is still open.

https://www.sauer.de/en/sauer-world/270-years/historie/

Loupgarou · March 25, 2024, 08:25 AM

The best Sig I've ever owned was the P228, bought new more than twenty years ago. I gave it to my daughter a few years ago, precisely because it was so good. I've kept the single-stack P225, bought in 2001. I will not buy a Sig of contemporary manufacture. So that was it for good for me.

bamaranger · March 25, 2024, 01:23 PM

In a previous post the comment has been made that the M11 pistol is the service designation for the P226. That is not correct. Intended for those needing a pistol smaller than the Berretta, (or the P226) it is my understanding the M11 was not widely issued. The M11 was the P228 pistol.

The P228 was a compact version of the P226 and had a shorter barrel and slightly less mag capacity than it's bigger brother. Think something along the lines of a Commander or Officers Model SIG. I am of the belief it was only ever produced in 9mm. Certainly all the M11 pistols were 9mm only. P228 mags will not work in a P226, having insufficient length to lock in place. But the opposite is true, P226 mags will lock and run in a P228. The P228 used the stamped and pinned slide common to earlier P-series pistols before the advent of milled slides to deal with .40 SW pressures. The P229 introduced with the .40 chambering got a milled slide and began to be offered in 9mm, and the P228 was dropped. Additionally, the P228 used the internal extractor common to the P220/226 w/ stamped slide.

The M11a1 offered later used the milled slide and is a M11 wannabe. The milled slide guns are a bit heavier across the family. Additionally, the M11a1 uses the external extractor common to the milled slide series like the P229. The ejector differences are clearly visible on any image of a stamped v. milled P-series pistol.

March 23, 2024, 06:53 AM	#1
liv4spd Member Join Date: January 28, 2024 Posts: 93	What's the best Sig Sauer pistol you would buy? I'd like to buy a hammer-fired Sig Sauer. What would be the best model? It seems that they have so many models and within each model they have so many trims. I saw a P226 Pro Cut in the store and really liked it. I heard the P229 series are also very nice.

March 23, 2024, 10:24 AM	#10
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	The P210 is the only SIG that much interests me, though for range use, rather than any sort of carry or duty, just about any model would be a good choice. I'm not a fan of anything DA/SA, but a buddy's P220, worked over by Grayguns, is a nice shooter. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

March 23, 2024, 06:37 PM	#15
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,811	The M11 is basically the military designation for the Sig 226 platform. The M9 is just a Beretta 92 and the new M17 and M18 are basically the same gun as the Sig 320. There are some minor changes, but it's just the military designation. If it had to be hammer fired any version of the 226 is my choice. Not just with Sig, but if I were buying ANY hammer fired pistol from any manufacturer. I'm OK with a hammer fired target pistol, but for self defense or combat make mine a striker fired gun. They stopped designing new shotguns and rifles with exposed hammers over 100 years ago for good reasons. We are just now starting to figure out that those same advantages apply to pistols too. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

March 23, 2024, 06:52 PM	#16
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	An older Swiss-made 210 __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

March 25, 2024, 08:25 AM	#24
Loupgarou Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2002 Location: Nunya Posts: 113	The best Sig I've ever owned was the P228, bought new more than twenty years ago. I gave it to my daughter a few years ago, precisely because it was so good. I've kept the single-stack P225, bought in 2001. I will not buy a Sig of contemporary manufacture. So that was it for good for me. __________________ I know who I am. I'm the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude.

March 23, 2024, 07:05 AM	#2
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	I have a lot of utility handguns and an older P220 but ever since I had the privilege of visiting the SIG Sauer factory and see the almost loving care and time that the master gunsmiths invested in putting the pistols together it triggered my interest in shooting them. I have shot the 9mm and .45s, 220S and 226S. It's a world apart from the service pistol.

March 23, 2024, 07:16 AM	#3
MC 1911 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 373	Best is subjective but mine is the M11a1. Spring change & flat trigger & it's perfect. Next would be the P220 sas.

March 23, 2024, 08:36 AM	#7
sevt_chevelle Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Posts: 324	P210 P226 SAO P226 X series

March 23, 2024, 08:45 AM	#8
44caliberkid Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2017 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,104	Sig 220 Legion full size 10mm, on my current want list, after that 220 45acp, of which I already own one.

March 23, 2024, 01:05 PM	#11
ZoieBarnett Member Join Date: February 15, 2024 Posts: 23	The Sig Sauer P226 is a classic and time-tested pistol that is known for its durability and accuracy. The P226 Pro Cut offers improved ergonomics and customizability, making it an attractive choice for athletes and recreational shooters. On the other hand, the Sig Sauer P229 is a compact version of the P226, making it more suitable for concealed carry or use as a duty weapon. It also has excellent accuracy and reliability.

March 23, 2024, 01:22 PM	#12
MC 1911 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 373	"I've never heard about M11-A1. Sig list it along with other P229 models. I wonder what's the difference between M11-A1 and P229s?" Very little. The a1 is a hair thinner & shorter & only comes in 9mm. The p229 is available in different calibers so very little difference. Probably Sig's creative ad market. I've had both and the M11a1 just feels a little better in my hand.

March 23, 2024, 01:41 PM	#14
bac1023 Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 1,107	Hard to beat a Mastershop P226 X-Six Super Target.

March 24, 2024, 01:27 AM	#18
radom Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2000 Posts: 1,358	Best is very debatable as everyone has a different use idea on that. Here I do like the P-229r .40 .357 combo but also like the P-239 and the 938 9mm mini.

March 24, 2024, 05:12 PM	#20
bac1023 Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 1,107	Unfortunately the Mastershop is no longer open, from what I understand.

March 24, 2024, 06:21 PM	#21
liv4spd Member Join Date: January 28, 2024 Posts: 93	I'm sure that beauty is out of my price range :-) Many thanks all for the recommendations. I think I still like the P229 the best: hammer-fired, all metal, light weight, compact size, Sig reliability.

March 25, 2024, 05:10 AM	#22
MC 1911 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 373	Still an excellent choice!

March 25, 2024, 06:55 AM	#23
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	SIG Sauer in Eckernförde is closed since a few years and the proof house that rented space in their basement is also closed. Reasons for the insolvency were given in 2020 as a lack of government orders and lower domestic demand. The law suit of the German government, however, was the main reason and the German government proudly destroyed hundreds of good jobs when SIG Sauer closed. J.P. Sauer & Sohn, the branch producing hunting rifles in Isny, is still open. https://www.sauer.de/en/sauer-world/270-years/historie/

March 25, 2024, 01:23 PM	#25
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,318	M11 In a previous post the comment has been made that the M11 pistol is the service designation for the P226. That is not correct. Intended for those needing a pistol smaller than the Berretta, (or the P226) it is my understanding the M11 was not widely issued. The M11 was the P228 pistol. The P228 was a compact version of the P226 and had a shorter barrel and slightly less mag capacity than it's bigger brother. Think something along the lines of a Commander or Officers Model SIG. I am of the belief it was only ever produced in 9mm. Certainly all the M11 pistols were 9mm only. P228 mags will not work in a P226, having insufficient length to lock in place. But the opposite is true, P226 mags will lock and run in a P228. The P228 used the stamped and pinned slide common to earlier P-series pistols before the advent of milled slides to deal with .40 SW pressures. The P229 introduced with the .40 chambering got a milled slide and began to be offered in 9mm, and the P228 was dropped. Additionally, the P228 used the internal extractor common to the P220/226 w/ stamped slide. The M11a1 offered later used the milled slide and is a M11 wannabe. The milled slide guns are a bit heavier across the family. Additionally, the M11a1 uses the external extractor common to the milled slide series like the P229. The ejector differences are clearly visible on any image of a stamped v. milled P-series pistol.