Any problems with the Sig M11-A1s ?

[Float Pilot]

I have been thinking about buying a 9mm in the size range of a Glock-19.
Which leaves me with either a G-19 , which is OK, but I am not nuts about the grip angle or the triggers for concealed carry. Or...... maybe a Sig M11-A1.
I have only heard the standard Sig hype and was wondering if anyone has had problems with them? All the Sigs I owned in the past were German made.

 

[lpsharp88]

I had one, sold it to a member of the forum. They're built like a tank and I didn't have a problem with it in terms of functioning. Trigger was good enough, but not a huge fan of the DA/SA, also didn't like the higher bore axis (used to Glock and 1911). Only thing I truly didn't like was that it only came with 2 mags in the box.

 

[bannockburn]

My brother had a P228 which I used as my test bed gun for different handloads I was trying out. Fed everything I ran through it without any problems. Totally reliable and very accurate. I currently have a P229R as my home defense gun.

 

[boricua9mm]

To me, if it doesn't have a stamped & folded carbon steel slide, then it ain't no M11. What SIG is selling is really just a P229 dolled up and marketed as a Military pistol.

I don't think you'll find the M11/229 to be comparable, in either size or weight, to the G19. If you want a DA/SA gun in a G19 size/weight package, I think you should take a long, hard look at the Walther P99. It's going to offer you a better trigger, better ergonomics and more versatility than the other DA/SA poly framed pistols on the market.

 

[Shipwreck]

I had one last year, but sold it to buy something else I really wanted. I missed it, and bought another one earlier this year.

Both worked 100%. Good gun. I do like my Hk P2000 DA/SA a little more, but good gun.

I recently replaced the factory grips with Hogue grips. I like the Hogues more:

 

[Float Pilot]

I don't think you'll find the M11/229 to be comparable, in either size or weight, to the G19

Really? I know the Sig weighs 6 ounces more due to the alloy receiver, but the overall size appears very similar. I stole this photo from an article.

I think you should take a long, hard look at the Walther P99

Isn't it Striker fired...?

 

[JTQ]

Ernest Langdon has been doing some testing with the compact version of the Beretta PX4, as a hammer fired G19 alternative. His reports have been very favorable.

As mentioned above, the HK P2000 is another natural competitor to the G19.

 

[boricua9mm]

Really? I know the Sig weighs 6 ounces more due to the alloy receiver, but the overall size appears very similar. I stole this photo from an article.

When the manufacturer's specs are given for any given gun, they will typically measure the widest/longest/tallest point of the gun. Unfortunately, this doesn't really tell us much about the overall size and subsequent handling of the guns; this is something you will have to experience by comparing them side-by-side. The M11A1 (which I'll call a 229) is a fatter gun in more areas than a compact Glock like the 19.

Isn't it Striker fired...?

The P99 uses a striker mechanism, but they're actually DA/SA guns with the option of being carried either with the striker fully down (DA first pull), with the trigger in SA mode (long, light take-up before a nice, crisp trigger), or in SA mode (short take-up before hitting a wall like you'll find in the Glock triggers). The only thing "lost" with this system is the ability to thumb back the striker like you can with a hammer fired pistol.

If you're not comfortable with the 5.5 lb Glock trigger for carry, then I think you will really appreciate what the P99 has to offer. I consider myself a fan of Glocks, SIGs and HKs first and foremost, but in all honesty the P99 beats them all in terms of ergonomic customization for the user, to include the ability to choose the initial trigger pull. H&Ks P30 offers a lot in grip customization, but the Germans in Oberndorf seem dead set on heavy, spongy triggers in their DA/SA guns.

 

[46Slick]

My M11-A1 D has been flawless. It uses P229-1 mags.

Shipwreck: I like your M11-A1 with the clean chin.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

The M11A1 (which I'll call a 229)

The P228 is thinner then the P229. They are very similar in size but not the same gun. Think of the P228 as a smaller P226.

 

[Float Pilot]

If you're not comfortable with the 5.5 lb Glock trigger for carry

I own a couple Glocks but cannot get myself to love them. Years ago when my agency went to All-Glocks , I managed to get myself grandfathered as one of the departmental FA instructors so I could carry my Sig P-220 instead of the issue Glock until I retired.
I do still carry a 10mm G-20 SF when I fly as my chest holster gun. But even that is a compromise between bear-power with hot 200gr FMJ handloads and enough magazine capacity for the real two legged troubles I run into out in the bush.

I wish I could find another P7 squeeze cocker as a jacket carry. Those things are super accurate.

 

[boricua9mm]

The P228 is thinner then the P229. They are very similar in size but not the same gun. Think of the P228 as a smaller P226.

Like I said before, a 228 has a stamped, folded steel slide with a pinned in breech block. The M11A1 is a milled stainless steel slide in Nitron finish, just like the 229. The only difference is that they use the full height serrations to make it *look* like a real deal M11. Milling away the rest of the half-height of the rear portion of the slide doesn't make it *slim* by any stretch of the imagination.

The balance of the milled slides is completely different than that of the older folded slides. Not necessarily bad, just different. When we're talking about 9mm, that added weight isn't necessarily an advantage, whereas it would be if it were .40 S&W or .357 SIG.

The M11A1 is a far, far cry from a real M11/P228. It is, in fact, a 229 made to look like a 228. They saw the draw to MIL issue pistols, and they tarted up a 229 to make it appeal to those who don't know (or care) about the nuances.

I'm not saying it's a bad gun, I'm just saying it's not an M11 and it's not a P228. If anything, it's a 229 with full height serrations, a rail, and a QR code on the frame.

ETA: I forgot to add that SIG decided that their *new* M11 should have different mags, so legacy 228/229 mags no longer work. Retardation at its finest.

 

[JTQ]

I'm just saying it's not an M11 and it's not a P228. If anything, it's a 229 with full height serrations, a rail, and a QR code on the frame.

No doubt a typo, but the M11A1 has no rail, while the current P229 has one.

 

[Float Pilot]

I forgot to add that SIG decided that their *new* M11 should have different mags, so legacy 228/229 mags no longer work. Retardation at its finest.

Hold the bus.....!

So if a fellow just happened to have a bunch of old West German P-226 magazines, there is a very good chance they would not work in the newer Sigs???

 

[JDR]

I have an M11-A1 I bought used but in like new condition, absolutely love this gun! Excellent Short Reset trigger and the Siglite night sights work great.

The M11-A1 comes with three P229-1 magazines and my P228 mags fit but are loose in the gun. The P229-1 mags do not fit in my P228.

 

[L-2]

Get both. Just decide which one to get first.
They're really close in size, but you already know they'll feel slightly different in the hand with a slightly different manual of arms.

Let us know which you decide to get (first).

I have the similar P229R in 9mm instead of the M11-A1. My P229R has the older frame without the P229-1 mags.

Doing some research, as I considered the M11-A1, I found the P229-1 mags were a bit more difficult to locate and, being somewhat new, on the higher end of pricing. Not totally out-of-line; ~$41/mag at topgunsupply.com.

Do some research on failure-to-extract (FTE) issues with SIG's new long extractor, which the M11-A1 has. I have a long external extractor on my P226R and it began to FTE. New extractor springs cured the problem. This occurred at ~11,000 rounds. I'm not too concerned due to the round count. My other two SIGs don't use SIG's new long external extractor.

 

[Float Pilot]

The FTE problem is what starting me on this thread. I am amazed that nobody else mentioned it.
Of course I futzed around so long that the Sig I was looking at ( $700 ) has been sold. Go figure.

All the sigs I owned in the past were West German guns. It sounds like they are over-complicating their own line-up with different magazine sizes. Sorta sounds like S&W back in the 80s & 90s when they had a new model every month.

 

[Fishbed77]

I have been thinking about buying a 9mm in the size range of a Glock-19.

The Walther P99/PPQ also falls into this size/capacity class.

 

[9mmepiphany]

It sounds like they are over-complicating their own line-up with different magazine sizes.

Actually they are doing just the opposite. They are standardizing on one magazine size for the current production 229s

The 9mm 229 has always used the same size magazine as the 228. As a matter of fact, the slide of the 9mm 229 is different than that of the .40/357SIG 229s and is much like that of the 228. The 9mm 229 should really have been called the 228-1.

With the introduction of the 229-1, the 9mm 229 now uses the same size magazine as its .40 or 357SIG siblings

So if a fellow just happened to have a bunch of old West German P-226 magazines, there is a very good chance they would not work in the newer Sigs???

The 9mm 226 magazines can be inserted into the 9mm 229-1 frames

 

[JDR]

Do some research on failure-to-extract (FTE) issues with SIG's new long extractor, which the M11-A1 has. I have a long external extractor on my P226R and it began to FTE. New extractor springs cured the problem. This occurred at ~11,000 rounds. I'm not too concerned due to the round count. My other two SIGs don't use SIG's new long external extractor.

I thought the FTE issues were limited to the long extractors on certain P220 versions and the X-5 versions. I have not experienced any FTE's with any of mine including my M11-A1.

 

[Float Pilot]

Yesterday I drove north so I could actually found and fondled a M11A1, a 229, a 2022, a Storm and a new Gen 4 G19. All at the same time.
As far as how the felt in my hands, the final choice came down.
1. G19 gen 4, The smallest grip size, no hang-ups for concealment and better machine work. Still made in Austria.
2. Sig 2022 It handled and balanced better than I would have thought.
3. Sig 229, Balanced ok.
4. M11A1 For some reason the single one they had , had huge grips. And did not balance well.
5, Beretta storm, kinda clunky with margin finish work.
6 Spr XD variant of some sort

I noticed a lot of finish work variations on the new US made Sigs that I never would have seen on the old West German made Sigs.

Left the store with the Gen 4 G19. And I am not really nuts about Glocks, although I have owned a few and have been issued a few.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Congrats on your purchase.

Since you've made your choice, I'll close this thread