Sig P226 .40S&W

[USAF_Vet]

Crossing my fingers, wish me luck, next Saturday I'm taking the first step into a career in Law Enforcement. Provided everything turns out in my favor, and I'm very hopeful it will based on my background, experience, demeanor, etc. and I'm offered a job with the Kalamazoo (MI) Department of Public Safety, I would be issued a Sig P226 in .40 S&W.

I do like the Sig, I've rented one on a few occasions in 9mm, so I'm fairly familiar with the pistol. I'm not at all familiar with the round.

I've got no experience with the .40, being strictly a 9mm and a .45acp kind of guy. An intermediate round between the two never made a lot of sense to me. That's personally, professionally, I'll have no choice.

I don't want to start a caliber war, I'd like to know what to expect with the round. I have zero experience with .40 S&W, extensive experience with 9x19mm, and moderate experience with the .45ACP.

Can I expect it to perform somewhere between the two, as I'm currently assuming, or it a whole different animal and I'd be better off chucking my expectations and preconceptions out the window?


Oh, and I'd also get a Remington 870 and a Colt M4. Hopefully they have a left handed Rem870, I'm more of a Mossberg guy.

 

[Psa1m144]

The .40 can take a bit of practice to get used to it. Most say the recoil is harder to tame than either the 9mm or the .45. IMO, it does feel to be of a different "breed" but it's not a bad thing, I personally like the .40 and that is what I shoot most often. I recommend heading to a range and practicing, most ranges will have a glock 22 for rent or something else in the .40 caliber.

 

[papa_bear]

I find the .40 very difficult to shoot. What grain ammo is issued? I like the feel of the 180's better. The 165's Give me the most trouble.

 

[Alex23]

It's a personal thing obviously but .40 feels noticeably different the 9mm or .45 when I shoot it. 'Snappy' is a cliche I'd agree with.

With practice it is fine and the ballistics are good.

 

[Dean1818]

The 226 in 40 is a fantastic shooting piece

I had one for a few years and loved it

The trigger is a beautiful thing

 

[webbee]

The easy way to test pistols/calibers is to put your favorite pistol in your non-dominant hand and what ever test pistol/caliber in the dominant hand. Begin firing down range, alternating shots between hands. Empty both pistols, reload, swap hands, re-shoot the test.
It's quite enlightening. I know if it's a keeper, usually without the hand switch.

I don't find there is much difference between the three calibers in so far as controlled shooting any of them is concerned. Even in the non-dominant hand. .40 is a bit “snappier” than 9 but not much. You'll have it mastered in a few mags.

 

[Jenrick]

The .40 overall has a more muzzle blast, flash, and recoil then either 9mm or .45 acp. With that said in a full size service pistol like the 226 it's not horrible. I personally prefer the 226 in 9mm, but if you're stuck with .40 it's certainly nothing to cry about. Just remember your basic mechanics and you'll be fine.

Good luck, you'll be at the academy teaching new recruits yourself sooner then you think.

-Jenrick

 

[trex1310]

I have a Sig P226 in .40S&W and I like it very much. I like the
Federal bonded 165gr the best and it is the most accurate for me.
Best of luck.

 

[Dr_B]

The P226 is a fantastic weapon. A P226 9mm protected my father for almost 20 years after the switch was made from revolvers. Now a P226 9mm goes most places with me. I've been thinking about getting a .40 conversion kit.

 

[9mmepiphany]

My department issued the 226 in .40 (180gr JHP) and while it was a very nice platfrom the chambering wasn't my favorite...My favorite platform for the .40 is the Beretta 96.

The .40 has a steeper pressure curve as they are trying to extract light 10mm performance for a shorter case. It's recoil is often perceived as snappier/sharper than either the 9mm or the .45. Racking the action usually took a bit more force as the spring was tighter...I personally found both the 165 and 155 gr slugs easier to control. I've had several students who chose the .40 for a HD gun and shooting one well is simply a matter of using the correct technique.

Now a P226 9mm goes most places with me. I've been thinking about getting a .40 conversion kit.

While you can convert a .40 or 357Sig 226 to shoot 9mm, with a conversion barrel, you can't upgrade a 9mm to handle the larger casings

 

[armsmaster270]

I carry a 226 all the time when I bought it it was a 40 and I bought a spare 357Sig barrel for it as it is just a barrel swap as the recoil spring and magazine is the same.

 

[Dr_B]

While you can convert a .40 or 357Sig 226 to shoot 9mm, with a conversion barrel, you can't upgrade a 9mm to handle the larger casings

Yes, but unless I am mistaken, you can buy a new slide, barrel, and recoil spring (i.e., a kit) and put that on the same frame. The .22, 9mm, .40, and .357 SIG frames in the P226 are all the same as far as I've been told.

 

[9mmepiphany]

AH...I thought you were referring to just the barrel.

You still might want to check the ejector's inward projection

 

[Casefull]

Thanks for the service USAF. I own and shoot all the pistol calibers and reallly like the P226 in 40. I can load it with 180g to 10mm velocities or 155g bullets for velocity. Very nice shooting pistol sa/da advantage over my glock. I shot a tree squirrel for my lab today with the gun. It definitley made a nice wound channel the length of the rodent...It was quite high in the tree so the sa trigger was nice as I squeezed it off. Very accurate pistol.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Thanks for the replies.

so snappy recoil is more or less what I should expect? Snappy as in .380 snappy?

I do like the P226, it is a great gun and I'm not at all dissatisfied with the depts. choice in side arm.

I can deal with the recoil with practice. I like to shoot, so I'll do my best to increase the 2013 budget for the departments ammo costs (provided I get hired)

 

[Sonic82]

I have a SIG P229 in .40. It handles the round like a Cadillac, so should the P226. I think SIGs tame recoil better than most in that round.

 

[AZGlock13]

My Sig P226R Elite Stainless .40S&W handles like a dream.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The .40 has a steeper pressure curve as they are trying to extract light 10mm performance for a shorter case. It's recoil is often perceived as snappier/sharper than either the 9mm or the .45.

Agreed. I dislike it in compact pistols. However, this is much less noticeable in a full size gun.

 

[Sonic82]

I can't help myself...gotta post a pic. It's not a P226, but it's a SIG and it's a .40.