SIG guys; help with P228

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GLOOB

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Anyone here have a P228, P226, and a P220? I am curious as to how they all shoot for other people. I have heard some people not getting on with the P226, but liking the P228. I hear universal praise for the P220.

Personally, I haven't gotten the P228 to group well, even at 7 yards, despite really, really wanting to like and buy this gun for carry. I have shot two of them, (even trying the range guy's carry gun after suffering my first disappointment) and I consistently get a horrible 2-3 inch pattern at 7 yards. (I put 5 shots from a P220 into a one inch hole at 7 yards the first time I picked it up, and I shoot sub-2" groups at 15 yards with my G21).

Is the P228 less accurate then the P226/P220 or is it me? Is this the normal effect of a shorter barrel/sight radius? Is the difference supposed to be this great or do I need an eye exam? I'm a fairly large guy with no problem with recoil. The grip feels just as good as the other guns to me, and the trigger feels fine, as well.

Do I need to try a new gun or new ammo? I can't imagine any ammo problem could be that noticeable at 7 yards... or is the P228 really finicky?
 
Is the P228 less accurate then the P226/P220 or is it me?
Click to expand...

I have a P228 and I seem to be just as accurate with it as I am with my friend's P220 and P226. That being said your 2 - 3 inch groups at 7 yards is not that bad and it is a self defense, not a target pistol. The P228 is considered by many to be one of Sig's best, nicely balancing concealibility, accuracy and capacity.
 
You might want to have the sights checked. I know I had this problem with a P226 once. Sights replaced, groups improved. Trying different ammo is not a bad idea either.

My P228 is a tack driver. I bought it about 15 years ago and it's still shooting tight groups.
 
You are losing some sight radius on the 228 compared to a 220 or the G-21, so maybe that's part of it, though I don't think the difference is significant enough to turn one-ragged-hole groups into 2-3" groups.
 
Have someone else (who knows how to shoot) shoot the P228 to see what kind of groups they get.
It's possible that the P228 does not point naturally for you. Not all guns fit all people.

I have P228s, P226s, and P220s. I shoot them all really well.
That said, I can shoot consistantly better groups with my P226s and P220s probably because of the longer sight radious.

I've shot three different Glocks and I could not hit anything with them.
Different guns fit different people.

If you are interested in selling your P228, PM me.
 
My 228 shoots even tighter groups after installing meprolight night sites.
Maybe your sight is off?
I get extremely tight groups and can usually put 10 in a 10 ring target at 25 yards.
 
I have multiples of the P226, P220 and one P228. If you've shot two P228's and can't group well with either then I'd say it's probably a shooter issue. It's hard to imagine getting two inaccurate P228's in a row. They are not ammo sensitive. I agree that 2-3 inches at 7 yards with commercial ammo (I assume slow fire) isn't very good. P228's can put them all through the same hole at that distance. An inch or less for 5 shots capability is certain.

As a point of comparison, every 220 I've ever shot has been easy to hold on target and very accurate for me right off the bat. My SIG 9mm's IMO are much more sensitive to trigger control, possibly because of the wider grip but, with practice on my part, I now get consistent results that are nearly as good as my P220's at 25 yards. At 7 and 15 yards they are equals but it took more practice with the 226's and 228's. Go figure.

P228's are highly sought after and revered by most SIG enthusiasts as one of the best 9mms ever. But if they don't work for you then you might just have to try another platform.
 
I would first have someone else shoot it or let a gunsmith check the site.
Do you still have the original dot the i sight ,A 3 dot site is muh easier to shoot.For around 100 dollars you could have meprolight night sites installed on the 228(it is what it cost me).
good luck
jim
 
Bluto, you seem to be a guy with plenty of experience with all three guns. And I find the fact that you don't shoot your P228's or even your P226's quite as good as your P220's at longer distances is somehow not a surprise to me. For the benefit of mankind, you should buy a P225/P6 for comparison to remove the grip factor from the equation! Also, maybe you, and everyone else here making observations, can provide some example group sizes. I mean, I have been to the range, and I know that there are plenty of avid shooters with expensive guns that have relatively poor marksmanship. So for someone to say they both shoot equally good... 4 inch groups at 15 yards!.. isn't very telling.
 
GLOOB - A fair request.

I don't plan on purchasing a P225, but with regards to the grip size issue, I just picked up a P239 in 9mm. It is a single stack like the P225 with a thinner grip. I added Hogue finger groove grips (a must IMO). Although I've only put around 300 rounds through it, that pistol shoots, for me better than any other 9mm (CZ75B, Hi Power, G19, Sig Navy (2), P228) that I own [Hey Glock, CZ, Hi Power fans - those pistols all shoot exceptionally well too]. By better I only mean MY ability to reproduce consistently sized groups at various distances more often and with greater ease.

I believe, in my case, that the wider grip influences my trigger pull because I'm used to shooting .45 single stacks. When I concentrate more on my grip (something that I don't think about while shooting .45's) when shooting double stack 9's, my groups become more consistent. You'll see some notes to that effect on one of the recent target pics of the P228.

Here are a couple of P239 pics to start. I've included P226 targets, P228 targets, A couple of P226 .40 and G22 targets from my last range visit and a comparable target from my Les Baer PII in .45. You'll notice that SIGs OOTB are very, very accurate pistols with the P220 in .45 being theee most accurate of them all. My Glock 22 has a replacement KKM Match barrel and my P226 in .40 just came OOTB dead nuts accurate. Groups are all shot offhand.







 

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GLOOB

I've had all 3; the P220 in .45, and the P226 and P228 in 9mm. I have small to medium sized hands, yet all 3 felt very comfortable in my hand; I attribute this to their fine ergonomical design. If I had to choose one over the others in terms of overall handling, then it would be the P228. All 3 have also been super reliable, the P228 in fact was my test bed for numerous handloads that I assembled, (some were seated too short and wouldn't feed in any other 9mm., but the P228 cycled them all without the slightest problem).
As for accuracy, the P220 was probably the all-time champ, often times equaling similar performances from my Gold Cup. The P226 and the P228 were decent enough too, just not quite in same class as the P220.
 
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Wow~! You Opened Up A Can Of Worms~!

Yes, I own two West German SIG-SAUER Classic P-series pistols~! :cool:

One is a 1990 model 9m/m SIG-SAUER P228, purchased LNIB with
the original box, docs, and test target. The other, is a .45 caliber
P220A, with the same contents. The P228 came with two, 13 rd
magazines; while the P220A came with two seven rounders. Both,
are far more accurate than I am; even tho' I have successfully
qualified with both numerous times. With either, I dare say I can
pick your eye teeth out, from 25 yards out~! :uhoh: :D

As to the stamped, sheet metal slide of the P228-

Probably makes this the best balanced handgun (semi-automatic
type), that I have ever fired. ;)
 
Wow, you really got me thinking about the topic:

My first Sig was the 228, and I shot it okay. I then got a 220 Sport, and I'll put it up against any 1911 that I've ever shot. I followed this with a 226 Sport, 220, 226-X-Five, and 225 (P6).

The 220 Sport is just incredible, but the 228 always has had a special place in my heart because it was my first Sig. However, I never have shot it all that well, but never gave it any thought. I wonder if it is the sight radius.
 
I've owned 3 P228's and all three were tack drivers. Of all the pistols I've owned my Sigs are the only ones I've never had any issues with. At present I own a P226 and P239 and love them both and am hoping to get a P250 this summer.
 
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