Sig Sauer (P226) Questions and Insights

Well, my 226 is my only gun to not have a malfunction of any kind yet, but I've only got 5K or so through it. Pretty much all handloads. Doesn't care about weight or bullet type at all where some of my other guns didn't like flat nose 147 grain fmjs (Gen 5 Glocks, Wilson CQB, Sig 225A-1) and the rest I guess is mostly luck as the only common failure other guns have is bad primers, though most will fire on a second strike (even though they have good dimples initially) so it's luck of the draw or a better hammer strike, who knows.

I can say, even though I carry a different gun, that if I had to reach for one 9mm in a survival situation, I'd probably grab the 226 over one of my Glocks.

el Godfather said:

@JR24 Did you take a look at the two videos I referenced?

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I knew before looking which videos you found.

To be frank, I put more stock in how my guns run than the torture tests MAC does. Mine has run fine in wind and rain, in sand pits with blowing sand. I had a basic 226 that ran just fine on the frozen tundra in well below zero winds (my Hi Power didn't like to run all that well at -15 or colder, my 226, 225 and 220 ran fine. Usually were my trapping backup options).

Tighter tolerances on guns, like the Legion (though it's not even close to good 1911 tight) are going to be more susceptible to bogging down when full of mud, sure, but that's a pretty extreme ask and, heck, the boring 226 has been in service for various militaries and special operations groups for how long, been in plenty of LEO holsters as well. If there was a systemic reliability issue we'd know about it, and it built it's reputation for reliability on something.

But again, I mostly go by how my individual guns run and don't worry about the rest, MAC in particular seems to find problem guns with shocking regularity (see his 365 videos), suspicious regularity if you ask me.

el Godfather said:

It contains two videos of malfunctions. Kindly comment on them as well.

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My comment is that the videos must be recordings of the only two malfunctions that have ever occurred in a SIG P-226. The MAC guy games his "testing" and has been exposed for a while.

Seriously, though, one doesn't need to look at YouTube videos to get a clue about the 226's reliability record. And anyone with any experience with the 226 will tell you that regardless of vintage or model variation, the 226 is easily one of the two or three most reliable semi-auto pistols ever produced. That's not hyperbole, folks.

I agree old dog.

El godfather, house hold dust and pocket is a none concerned. I have proven that twice with the P226. unless the barrel is plugged tight, there will not be an issue.

I have only seen one P220-series gun choke when being fired... and that was because a .380 fmj round was tossed into the 9mm ammo can at my former agency. The round fired but the gun didn’t cycle fully.

These guns are stake-your-life-on-it reliable with a minimum of care. But, like any firearm, if you abuse one or put it into some wazoo, crazy unrealistic situation like some “torture testers” may do for you tube clicks then you’re bound to make it jam up.

Stay safe.

el Godfather said:

Hi
I have a *FEW of questions regarding my P226. While I ask my two questions I would like to hear more about Sigs from you all as well. Any positive as well as negative experiences with your Sigs please share them. Even if you have any fixes or any techniques that are particular to improving performance of your Sig pistols.

My two issues are: 1) I have owned a few Sigs and now finally settled with a 9mm P226 Elite. I like the way it shoots. I like the package which included 3 magazines and night sights. I like the SRT trigger, and decocking is great. It has the rail so I can use it as nightstand weapon with laser/light. Even a bit heavy but very reliable to say the least. However, after a few magazines through it, I start feeling a slight bite on the tip of my trigger finger. It feels like as if there is vibration of some sort that starts taking its toll after a while- leaving the tip of the finger slightly numb. What am I doing wrong, and how can I fix it?

2) I am concerned about the overall finish. It just wears off every time its used in a holster. Seems like the finish is not made to last. I am not saying that everything comes off just that new gun glare that comes off of Sigs very easily compared to other pistols. Any thoughts?

*3) I came across these two videos. They show SigP226 malfunctioning in sand and mud. So some this may not be an issue as they keep their guns squeaky clean, but to some of who use the handguns as survival tools it may mean a lot. Please comment on this as well:







Thank you

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As far as the trigger slap goes my wife seems to have this problem with some guns. She tends to use the very tip of her finger on the trigger. I believe it may be something she was told or shown to do at one time. We have worked on her grip and finger placement and it has all but disappeared.

IMHO, torture tests are slightly gimmicky. I am not sure how many people would ever experience that level of mud, sand, dirt and water immersion. I would be more concerned with dropping or falling on my pistols and damaging a frame or slide and having a firearm jam on me. Just my opinion though. YMMV.

The 226 is about as reliable as any machine can be.

I know it's anecdotal but:

I've been using the same pistol (replacing springs as necessary) for more that 10 years for shooting competition and training. The grip still has Utah mud on it from 2016/17/18. Last yeah in Fallon Nevada it was all dust. Still ran perfect for me.

The thing about reliability and firearms is that if you shoot enough, you will get a stoppage at some point. Doesn't matter what machine it is.

el Godfather said:

Well it is not the pinch. I thought of it first but no. Its the trigger slap. Sort of a sharp jerk like vibration after the trigger pull.

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For what its worth, the only time I get trigger slap is with two finger guns. They rock more in my hand under recoil and slap my finger. I haven’t noticed it with any full sized or compact pistol.

What helps me is to hold on tighter. Less movement = less slap.

GOT SIG ?

I had a P226 MK25 until recently. It is a great pistol, shoots well and every time you pull the trigger. These was typical holster type wear and barrel block wear but nothing unusual. With that said, I did not carry it and only holstered during action pistol competition. My only reason for selling it was I was not happy with the feel in my hand. Great pistol just not right for me.

Sig 226s and 229s with big time holster wear, surpassed by 1911s and BHPs only, always look like they have a story to tell.

Love 'em, I do.

9mmepiphany said:

I've tried the Short trigger on a couple of my 226 and didn't really care for it...it allowed too much of my trigger finger to wrap around the trigger face.

I'm also not a fan of the "E squared (e2)" grips which slip on from the rear of the frame. They are thinner to allow more of your hand to wrap around the grip, but they also force your hand lower down on the frame as opposed to up under the beavertail

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I agree on both points—and I’ve got small hands. The mid-size trigger on my now-sold P226 Legion fit much better. And while I really liked the texture on the E2 grips but the revised geometry did not suit me.

el Godfather said:

but to some of who use the handguns as survival tools it may mean a lot.

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el Godfather said:

Then the question is how much of household dust and lint will amount to the same condition.

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I like watching MAC's youtube channel. However, getting firearms to fail is part of the appeal of his channel. People (myself included) find enjoyment in watching things fail. He has devised "The Gauntlet" as a way to make virtually every tested firearm fail in some way. Some firearms are more susceptible to debris in the rails, causing out of battery failures, FTE's, and dead triggers. If a person decided to choose a firearm based success in his tests, it would favor the firearms with the sloppiest tolerances. Many great firearms would be considered inadequate if that one criterion - ultimate reliability - was the only deciding factor.

That is because most people want a balance between accuracy and reliability - and you can't have both extremes. Either the firearm has tight tolerances and better accuracy, but is more susceptible to debris OR it has loose tolerances, lesser accuracy, and more margin for that debris to reside while still allowing function. Most want both and are willing to settle for good reliability and good accuracy.

The P226 is a great firearm and someone who cleans it only somewhat regularly, let alone after every time it's fired, is not going to have an issue. Even a survival situation does not compare with the gauntlet. The worst lint imaginable with a firearm soaked with creek water has nothing on intentionally pushing sand, dirt, or mud into the recesses of a pistol. That test is more than just dropping the firearm in a mud puddle. It is a torture test where the user is willfully sabotaging the firearm with debris in an attempt to cause a failure.

cougar1717 said:

People (myself included) find enjoyment in watching things fail.

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Some people like watching videos of train wrecks and go to automobile racing events hoping there's lots of crashes. Frankly, after watching the first MAC video, I'd seen enough and decided there is no reason to watch him keep abusing guns.

Hit the “Like” button if you believe there should be 4) & 5) multiple choices;

4) if it’s a West German model without the cheese-grater rail, I’m all in

5) if Sig gives me a deep discount on a Legion SAO and I already have a nice example of “4)” above, then I’m really all in!

Old Dog said:

Some people like watching videos of train wrecks and go to automobile racing events hoping there's lots of crashes. Frankly, after watching the first MAC video, I'd seen enough and decided there is no reason to watch him keep abusing guns.

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Straw Man with an implied ad hominem fallacy! haha. Attack a position the opponent doesn't hold. Then, vilify them with implication that the opponent desires to see massive destruction and possible loss of life. Sorry, no one should buy into the logic that watching MAC's tests equates into a twisted desire to revel in destruction. Ok, ok. Maybe I've watched Monster Jam once or twice - haha.

Don't forget other motorsports like rock crawling, organized drag racing, mud bogging, or off roading. People break and wear out all kinds of parts more expensive than a gun just trying to go as fast as they can or attempting to traverse obstacles in the name of performance, accomplishment, and fun....AND the incredibly vast majority of people go home intact.

MAC doesn't even do destructive testing. The firearm still functions after the gauntlet. He just washes it out under the water spigot.
What he does is test the limits of one criterion, in this case the ability for a firearm to cycle. Does this cause accelerated wear? Probably. But so does testing the limits of a sports car.
If anything, MAC takes something that is incredibly reliable, and in Mythbusters fashion, asks "What does it take to make it fail?" There are varying results, but the generic answer is willful sabotage.

It has my vote:

I had to sell my P229 (and a bunch of other guns) in the 08’ housing crash to keep a nice roof over my family’s heads. Tomorrow, the 10 day wait is over for my replacement P229. I really like that gun.

The OP is way over thinking this. Even in an end of the civilized society are you going to be sleeping in a mud bog? If you are you are going to die of infection and Dysentery before your Sig fails on you. I like MACs videos in general but his torture are the dumbest part of his channel. His tests and others border on absurd.

All finishes wear. Blued, Ion Bond, Nitried, hard chrome etc... Again you are focusing on the wrong thing. If it is the end of days do you care what your side arm looks like. It can have all the wear in the world on the exterior finish and still function.

If the gun stings or bites you it is more about the Indian than the arrow. IMHO. If it really does that when you shoot get something else. Don't shoe horn yourself into something that does not work for you no matter what the internet tells you.