Sig Sauer P226

The P226 is an incredible gun and has been proven for many years. If you like DA/SA triggers it has one of the best out of the box. I have a 1988 West German P226 that will shoot circles around my Glocks and 1911s. I'll be buying a MK25 to have something more modern and I would recommend the MK25 to anyone looking for a new SIG because IMO it's one of the best offerings they have right now. The Legions are also worth a hard look, the aesthetics aren't for everyone but the trigger is phenomenal on them and they come with neat sights.

Get a used older one. I have 2 W. German P226s. If you don't like it you can sell it again for what you paid for it. I like mine so much it is my main carry gun. I've taken it through a number of shooting courses and I can hang with the best of whatever else is there. The SRT trigger is a worthy upgrade.

The P226 is an incredible gun and has been proven for many years.

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+1

The variants are really just up to you for what you are looking for. If you are going DA/SA I would look at one with the SRT already installed. I have it on my 229 EDC and it is very nice.

My 226 SAO is not quite a high end 1911 trigger but is very close.

I have one for sale actually. An MK25 in FDE. Light not included.

Have a legion p229 in 9mm that I carry and really don't shoot the 226 much anymore. It resides on the night stand.

Yep, a stellar very top tier combat pistol that comes in various configurations. I am extremely pleases with my plain Jane P226.

Started out with a P226, then borrowed my brother's P228 for a number of years, and finally got myself a LNIB P229R for home defense duty, along with a SIG STL-900L laser/light module. All have been reliable and durable guns with great triggers, exceptional accuracy, and excellent design ergonomics.

I think a 226 is the only thing on my "pistol I must have" list.
Not an option at this time, though.

Anyone have any spare change?

Ironicaintit said:

I think a 226 is the only thing on my "pistol I must have" list.
Not an option at this time, though.

Anyone have any spare change?

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You may want to consider police trade-in guns. I bought a LE trade-in West German P226 for $425 from Widener's when they use to stock them.

Possibly the finest, or one of the finest, service/combat pistols ever manufactured.

Mine include a West German triple-serial number original, an Exeter U.S.-made police two-tone, a MK-25 and a Legion. Aside from the 1911, my favorite all-time pistol. A winner.

One of the easiest pistols out there for shooting, historically one of the most accurate out-of-the-box no matter what version or where made, and always, always, 100% reliable.

Hard to go wrong ever buying any incarnation of the P-226.

Police trade-ins are the way to go - much cheaper than new, plenty of life left in them, and you don't have to worry about putting the first scratch on an expensive pistol. I have four classic SIGs and they're all ex-LE guns. I recently acquired a former Swiss police P226 that I still need to shoot. If I were going to buy new I'd probably get a MK25, mostly because I don't like the E2 grips on the standard model. The Legion has some nice features too, if you can stand the finish or the goofy marketing.

The P226 is an excellent piece of kit. It's a top tier pistol that's been proven by military and LE units all over the world. In regard to variant, that kind of depends on your budget. Personally, I'm not crazy about the E2 grips, but I could live with them if I had to. From the current lineup, I'd recommend the P226 Extreme or the Legion. The Mk25 is very nice, but with it having a true 1913 picatiny rail, it's not compatible with all Sig P226R Holsters. Same for the P226 Combat. The Legion is also a great option. I have a Legion P226 and Legion P229. For some reason or another, everything just seems to function a bit smoother out of the box on them...though that could be my subconscious trying to justify the extra couple hundred bucks that these set me back vs. a standard Sig.

If you want something super special, try and track down an old West German P226 with no rail. I'm trying to track one down myself.

Winkman822 said:

If you want something super special, try and track down an old West German P226 with no rail. I'm trying to track one down myself.

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Yep. I was fortunate to score a minty specimen before all the SIG-nuts decided the W. German pistols were so highly desirable.

Old Dog said:

Yep. I was fortunate to score a minty specimen before all the SIG-nuts decided the W. German pistols were so highly desirable.

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Gorgeous Sigs there. For the time being, I'll just have to be happy with my German P245.

I've owned a few but my favourite is the Legion DA/SA I currently own. I posted some thoughts and more details in this thread.

They are nice guns, but pretty pricey for what they are. A basic Beretta 92 will provide similar or even better performance at about the same construction, size and weight for about $200 less. Add $5 for a light mainspring.

Hewwww boy.

The P-226 and it's variants are probably the best 9 mm. handguns out there. My preference is for the early German-made guns with the folded steel slides. They balance better in the hand and are not as top-heavy as the newer guns with SS slides. You might want to look at the P-228 which is essentially the same gun but a bit smaller for carry. This is a P-228 in El Paso Saddlery leather.

DA/SA seems to be a lost art - which I attribute to the liability driven aversion to them for LE application. Civilian trends tend to follow LE trend, whether it makes any sense or not. Personally, I'm a huge fan of DA/SA pistols, and I'm also a huge fan of SigSauer. I was anti-sig for many years, as a "made in America" type, but they won me over with product performance.

I have P226's with 9, 357, and 40 barrels and mags, I often teeter back and forth for what I prefer to shoot and carry. Can't go wrong with any of them, but the 9mm is the bread and butter workhorse.

I have one I bought some time around 1990 or so. Great gun. As has been pointed out, the SRT trigger is worth it.

They are very nicely engineered pistols. Very reliable. The night sights are worth it.

One of my favorite 9mm auto pistols. I much prefer da/sa pistols and the SIG has one of the nicest da trigger pulls commonly available imo. The Model 226 is a very reliable, well-made pistol and I love the E2 grips, even with my larger than average size hands.

IMHO the bore axis is too high for comfortable shooting and I don't like the DA/SA trigger system (on any pistol). Take a look instead at the Sig P320. My son owns one and it is a great shooter.

My preference is for the E2 grip. I really like the fit of it. The SRT trigger kit, short reach and short reset, are upgrades well worth a look. I will offer a small warning. The 226 is set up for a combat sight picture. I wanted mine more for target work and desired a center mass sight picture. Adjustable aftermarket sights were easy to find, went with True Glow Tritium, however finding a capable shop with the right sight pusher was not. The sig sights fit very tight and I had a shop that supposedly had the correct tools, put me through the works first breaking the front blade, taking 2-1/2 months to get another front bladed, and then I spent a great deal of time cleaning all the brass off of the slide after the sights were installed with a vise and brass punch. End result worked out OK with no damage to the slide but the process gave me a few white hairs.

finding a capable shop with the right sight pusher was not. The sig sights fit very tight and I had a shop that supposedly had the correct tools, put me through the works first breaking the front blade, taking 2-1/2 months to get another front bladed, and then I spent a great deal of time cleaning all the brass off of the slide after the sights were installed with a vise and brass punch.

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I would find another shop, one that had the correct sight pusher for a Sig. Using a vise and a brass punch is how "Goober" does it.