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SIG Sauer P226 Review

P226The Chosen SIG Sauer P226 is proven in combat as a serious pistol and therefore has been selected by the US Navy SEALs. It is extremely durable, very reliable and highly accurate. For these reasons, this firearm tops the list for best full-size, metal-frame pistol.

You will find that the P226 is available in a variety of configurations and calibers. At the time of this writing, you can get the pistol in 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. A caliber conversion kit is also available from SIG to convert the pistol to fire the inexpensive .22 LR.

Ergonomics and Recoil
Shooters will find that the recoil is light in 9mm and very manageable in both .40 S&W and the .357 SIG. This is due to the weight of the pistol and the excellent ergonomics of the gun.

Old SIG P226 pistols fit large hands very well, while being somewhat difficult for small-handed individuals. However, SIG introduced the E2 update, which greatly improved the handling characteristics of these pistols. The E2 update gives small- and medium-sized shooters better finger placement on the trigger and the overall grip. Shooters with larger hands will experience greatly improved handling characteristics of this gun.

Trigger and Accuracy
The standard trigger configuration is a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) configuration, meaning your first trigger pull is long, while your subsequent shots are light with short pulls. You can also find other trigger options, including single-action only and a double-action-only (DAO). Also available is the DAK (double-action Kellerman) system, which is a light DAO that is similar to a very smooth revolver trigger.  The DAK is proprietary to SIG Sauer.

Reloading and Disassembly
You will find that reloading the P226 is easy, with a standard magazine release button located on the left side of the pistol’s frame. You can easily reach the button by either thumb, but it is not exposed, which prevents accidental activation.

You can easily field strip the P226 by locking the slide to the rear of the gun and rotating the take down lever 90 degrees. The slide assembly then slides easily off of the full-length rails.

Reliability and Durability
Legendary reliability is associated with the P226. Combat troops carry this in all possible conditions, from the arctic to the desert, from the skies to deep underwater.  The SIG P226 just keeps working, which is a testament to its durability.

In an age of polymer pistols, there are many state police and local law enforcement agencies carrying this pistol into violent encounters every day. Even after years of service while carried exposed to the elements, these guns still perform well when called upon.

Final Verdict
While no gun can be the perfect firearm for all people in all circumstances, the SIG Sauer P226 is closer to perfection than its rivals. It has the rugged reliability that troops in combat rely on. It offers ergonomics to fit most people and the accuracy that makes a competition shooter happy. It is the clear winner when matched up against any other metal frame, full-sized handgun on the market today.

Ranked #1 of 10 in our Best Metal Handgun Comparison

SIG Sauer P220 Review

The SIG Sauer P220 was introduced in 1976, as a full sized handgun that launched the company to the forefront of modern pistol design. This pistol is extremely accurate and easy to operate. This design influenced many future pistols including the top metal-framed pistol: the P226.

Today, you can find the P220 is available in .45 ACP. A European version of the P220 is available in 9mm as a competition pistol. In the past, the P220 was also available in .38 Super. The vast majority of the pistols have been made in .45 caliber.

Ergonomics and Recoil
Most shooters will find that the P220 has very good ergonomics, fitting most hand sizes without a problem. The good grip works with the pistol’s size and SIG engineered it to create very mild recoil. Some claim the .45 ACP is a hard-recoiling cartridge, but most shooters rarely notice the recoil when shooting this pistol.

Trigger and Accuracy
You will find the accuracy of the P220 is exceptional. Sub-2-inch groups at 25 yards are readily made without the use of a rest. Like other traditional SIG Sauer pistols, the trigger options are double-action/single-action, single-action, double-action-only and DAK (double-action, Kellerman.)

 

Reloading and Disassembly
You will find that all modern P220 pistols use a push-button magazine release on the left side of the pistol. Once you push the button, the magazines all drop free. Older P220 pistols made in the 1970’s and 1980’s were made with either a button magazine release or a heel clip release. The heel clip release pistols were primarily found on European guns and not many were imported into the United States.

Like other traditional SIG handguns, you will find that taking the gun down is a straightforward process. The shooter should clear the weapon, lock the slide to the back and rotate the slide release lever down, perpendicular to the slide. Once done, the shooter merely eases the slide forward and off of the rails.

Reliability and Durability
SIG handguns enjoy a reputation of being ultra-reliable. Shooters find that this gun is no different, in fact, it helped build the legend. The P220 has seen action in combat all over the world, and it has proved itself as a superior performer. The guns are very durable and easily withstand anything thrown at them.

Final Verdict
The SIG Sauer P220 is a rock solid handgun. A shooter looking for a full size handgun with a metal frame that is chambered in .45 ACP would do well to consider this pistol. It will not fail when called upon.

Ranked #3 of 10 in our Best Metal Handgun Comparison

Sig Sauer SP2022 Review

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A Swiss company with factories and partnerships in Germany and the US, SIG has long held a solid reputation over the past few decades with their P-series pistols. Members of this series include the 220, 226, 229, et al. These guns are well liked from such high-level operators as the SEALs, British SAS and others around the world. The downside of the P-series is that they are heavy (even in the ‘slim’ P225 version) and are priced high for those who aren’t using a government purchase order. This is where the SP2022, SIG’s full sized polymer framed pistol, comes into play.

Ergonomics and Recoil

The same issues with the rest of the SIG P-series are still evident in the SP2022. It’s the same general width and length as the P229, and comes in at 29-ounces, which is pretty heavy for a polymer gun. The internals are much as the P-series as is the trigger, but the controls are slightly different. The slide lock is huge and feels like a lever from the AK-47. It’s always had replaceable backstraps, which leads you to wonder why it took Glock so long to figure it out.

With such a heavy pistol (only a few ounces less than a Colt 1911), the recoil was marginal and the gun comes back on target rapidly.

Trigger and Accuracy

The SA/DA trigger of the SP2022 has respectable 10-pounds of pull double action with a good bit of travel. Once fired, single action breaks at 4.4-pounds, which isn’t bad but still has a lot of travel. It works, but could be better, and is actually one of the worst in ourcomparison. However, there is still a four-point safety system on the pistol, which is nice for a gun that isn’t striker fired with a safe-action trigger. This thing is not going to go off by accident.

With a shorter sight radius and barrel than most of the comparison pistols, you would expect the SIG to throw rounds, but it doesn’t. It is designed as a military service weapon as is the standard sidearm of several NATO forces. You don’t get that if you can’t hit the target – and this gun can.

Reloading and Disassembly

The large 15-shot (in 9mm) steel mags have the look and feel of a P226 mag but with witness holes on the rear instead of the side. Loading and reloading are no problem. The gun inherited a lot from the P-series aspects but sadly does not have the same simple take down lever for disassembly. To field strip, you have an empty and safe pistol, then pop out that giant AK slide stop (which is probably why it’s so big!), and the gun comes apart for cleaning and maintenance. No tricks or problems with this gun.

Reliability and Durability

Early SP2022′s and the guns it was derived from had a few issues, but the design has matured over the years. Other than the Glock, it is the oldest design in the comparison with more than 15-years of solid use around the world. SIG has a lifetime warranty and a factory here in the United States, which is value added over many of the other guns in the comparison. SIG, like Glock, also has a huge factory-trained armorer program so odds are that most medium sized towns should have at least one SIG smith lurking around. This gun will most likely outlive its first two or three owners.

Final Verdict

The SP2022 is seen as something like the ‘budget P226′ or the ‘SIG for the masses.’ SIG themselves tried to replace it with the P250 a few years ago but was unable to and the SP2022 still reigns as the company’s polymer hope. It’s a little dated, but it works, and at $400-ish, you really can’t beat it on the price point. The only reason it finished at the 10th spot in a 10-pistol comparison is that someone had to, and the other nine were just incrementally better.

Ranked #10 of 10 in our Best Polymer Handgun Comparison