9mm

[steverjo]

I am considering purchasing a new pistol. I currently have a S&W model 12 airweight 38special and a Sig Mosquito 22LR. I am considering a Sig P226Blackwater - 9mm. The purpose is home defense and informal target shooting. Any comments pro or con? I want something that is different from what i already have.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I have two 226s. One's a DAK. The other is a LE turn-in W. German model. I've looked at the Blackwater and even been tempted to buy. However, a fair number of people who have them complain about the night sights. Apparently, Sig, in their wisdom, put RED tritium inserts in the front sight and green in the rear. Most believe this is this exact opposite of the way it should be. This is largely due to the fact that any manufacturer's red is dimmer than the standard green. So, this basically made the front hard to see and the rears stand out. Most prefer a front that stands out.

There have been some gripes about the grips. They're nice and I actually like the logo. But these are really more show grips and many owners change over to the standard 226 grips after buying the gun.

You're paying a premium for the logos on the slide, grips, and nightsights that are considered by many as disfunctional. Honestly, I'd go for a standard 226 with night sights which, around here, goes for about $200 less than the Blackwater.

 

[steverjo]

Thanks for the info. Apart from the sights and logo, how does this firearm compare with others of different manufacturers?

 

[Black Majik]

The P226 BW is gonna be a great gun, as are all SIG pistols. But you'll have to try one out to see if it's what you really want. Since you asked how it compares to other platforms, the only real way to find out is to fire a bunch from different manufacturers. All platforms will feel differently, point differently, handle differently, shoot differently, have different triggers, different actions etc... What you'll have to do is pinpoint what you want in a pistol and go from there.

If you want DA/SA action, the SIG is one of the best. SIGs usually have clean triggers out of the box. They're accurate and easy to shoot. The BW grips are a little thick, I'd probably put the factory plastic grips for shooting, or Hogue recheckered grips since they feel more comfortable to me. Don't stop at the SIG however, keep shopping around and see if there are other platforms that may fit you better. For 9mm options take a look at:

HK USP
HK P2000
Glock 17/ G34
CZ-75
Beretta 92FS
S&W M&P
XD9

All those would be quite different from what you already own. They're all excellent platforms that deserve a consideration.

 

[Jimmie]

The Blackwater version might be worth big bucks in a few years!