Sig P226 - A few questions

[JustAVoter]

Well, I think the long search for my first serious handgun has come to an end - and I'm really liking the Sig P226. It fits perfectly in my hand, and I love the feel of the trigger. This won't be a carry weapon - it will mostly sit in my nightstand and be taken to the range for a good time.

A 1911 for carry will hopefully follow shortly - I'm mainly interested in getting a hi-cap handgun right now to stave off any legislative bans of the future.

As I get ready to "pull the trigger" on this one, a few questions:

Thumb Cocking - The DA pull doesn't particularly bother me, but it's a bit much for my wife. Is it "safe" to thumb cock this weapon? If, say, my finger slips as I go to cock it, could I have a ND and chopped up thumb on my hands (well, hand)? This isn't a deal killer necessarily.

Magazines - a major stumbling block for me in my decision was the high cost of the mags - $40 a pop. As the possibility of yet another ban looms over us, I plan on purchasing a large stash of mags (12 or so) for the coming drought. Is there any way to get new, hi-cap, factory mags cheaper than this? If so, please share your secrets.

Hammer bite - anyone ever experience it with this pistol? So far I'm good... and it doesn't seem likely, but I'm just curious.

Any other advice you can give on this particular weapon would be great.

Thanks.

 

[dsk]

I had a P226 for a short time, and unwisely sold it when something else came along. As I remember, shooting it was like riding in a Cadillac. Soft recoil and a very comfortable grip. I wouldn't advise thumb-cocking it, not because it would cause a ND (not likely) but because you could lose your grip on it. There are gunsmiths who can add a thin trigger to reduce the length of pull, and polish the interior components to make the pull lighter for your wife's sake. I might mention however that, confronted with an intruder I doubt your wife is going to care about the trigger pull!

Good mags are expensive. Glock is about the only brand I know for which genuine replacement mags are $20. Even quality 1911 mags are around $30 or so. Buy 3-5 factory mags and take care of them. If it matters much, Mec-Gar is an OEM supplier to SIG so their mags might be slightly cheaper. Avoid other brands, however.

I've never had hammer bite with a SIG. Like I said they are very comfortable to shoot.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Is it "safe" to thumb cock this weapon?

Manually cocking a hammer can be fumbled under stress and pretty much requires the use of your other hand, which might not be available in such times. But as long as the gun is in good working order it will not cause a AD/ND. The internal firing pin block safety is only deactivated when the trigger is pulled.

Magazines - a major stumbling block for me in my decision was the high cost of the mags - $40 a pop.

I don't mind paying for quality, but why pay more than you have to?Ivanhoe Outlet shows factory magazines for $32.95. (Note: I don't have personal experience with this company.) Midway (which I do endorse) shows Mec-Gar 17-round 9mm mags for $26.49 (albeit backordered), and SIG factory for $35-ish.

Hammer bite - anyone ever experience it with this pistol?

None with the P220, P228 and P239 I owned.

 

[Old Dog]

As the OP notes, the 226 is simply one of the best ever semi-autos from the ergonomic standpoint -- fits many different sized hands so well, feels good to most shooters and is well-balanced.

There is virtually no reason I can imagine to ever thumb-cock a SIG; the DA first pull would actually be probably what one would want most in any defensive "threat management" situation. If one needs to shoot in a defensive situation, the fact that the first shot is DA is not going to be a factor ...

As the last poster noted, Mec-Gar mags are the best deal going for SIGs (see Top Gun Supply, links in this forum, good prices, fast service).

Hammer bite with a SIG? I've never heard of it, nor experienced it with my 228, 226s, 220 ...

 

[Lonestar49]

Great Gun, no worries about thumb-cocking

...

Excellent choice for both you and the little lady..

When I have the wife's SA EMP 9mm out with me, I leave her my Sig P229R 9mm with Crimson Trace Laser Grips. She's chkd out with it, so she understands the feel of a full DA pull and just like the Sig P226 hammer, it sets back of the firing pin and makes for very easy thumb-cocking into SA mode.

I have advised her, if you/she has time, then thumb cock into SA mode, as the trigger pull is much less and, the shot will be more on target, with any repeated shots as necessary.. And she knows how to decock it out of SA mode back to DA mode, in-which the hammer falls short, softly, the same short distance IF she, or myself, somehow lost it on a full thumb cocking and the hammer fell.. That space is a safety space and the hammer will stop there, as designed, not touching the firing pin with no AD or ND occuring..

Great guns, dependable, reliable and accurate right out of the box along with one of, if not, the easiest guns to disassemble, inspect, clean, and reassemble out there, bar none.. KEY


Ls

 

[jmr40]

The Sig is easier to thumb cock than most other semi-autos because of the shape of the hammer. I don"t have a problem with it myself. The gun won"t fire if the hammer slips unless you are cocking it with the trigger pulled. People have been firing revolvers by first cocking them for over 100 years with no problem.

I have found www.CDNNinvestments.com to be a great source for Sig mags at great prices. I have bought some of their law enforcement marked mags for $30 I think.

 

[paperpuncher49]

226 is the favorite pistol in my arsenal!

You asked:

"Any other advice you can give on this particular weapon would be great."

I have a P220 that functioned flawlessly from day 1, but had several feeding problems (jams) when I first got my 226, with various brands of ammo. Maybe that is unusual for a Sig, but they are not without their problems. I managed to get through the first 400 or 500 rounds and it now functions like my P220.

I would suggest you spend a couple of days at the range to make sure the pistol is "broken in." If it is a home defense weapon, you don't want a problem when you most need it to work properly.

 

[Ala Dan]

If you lay out the cash (approximately $939 + sales tax) right now for a
NIB Blackwater SIG P226; you won't have too worry 'bout the cost of any
extra magazines for the time being, as this firearm comes shipped from the
factory with five (5) magazines. IMHO, it justifies the cost of the weapon.

 

[metalmachine]

I have a 226r Stainless in .40. Shoots very smoothly. No problems with 800 rounds, and never a hammer bite nor heard of one.

 

[hksw]

Is it "safe" to thumb cock this weapon? If, say, my finger slips as I go to cock it, could I have a ND and chopped up thumb on my hands (well, hand)? This isn't a deal killer necessarily.

It is perfectly safe to thumbcock the P226 provided your finger is not on the trigger. The hammer has a half-cock (safety intercept) notch (and it usually is at rest in this position when de-cocked). When the gun is de-cocked (or in this case, dropped by thumbing) and the trigger is not depressed, the sear will stop that hammer from fully falling and stop at the intercept notch. To allow the hammer to fall fully forward, the trigger must be depressed fully. (Keep your finger off of the trigger when thumbing.)

To add to the safety, the firing pin has a stop that prevents it from moving fully forward unless the trigger is fully depressed. As long as the trigger is not depressed, it cannot move forward enought to hit the primer of a cartridge that may be in the chamber even if the hammer hits it with full force (which can't be done due to what is described above.

This, of course does not cover and serious malfunction or parts breakage of the gun.

 

[wnycollector]

I have a vintage west german SIG P226 (and a P220). I love mine. Go out and buy it, shoot it and enjoy it! Also check out coles distributing. I picked up 2 novack 8 round mags for my P220. They were ~$20/mag.

 

[JustAVoter]

Thanks!

Thank you all so much for those replies.

I was fairly sure there wouldn't be any hammerbite issues - I'd never heard of any before - but I just wanted to make sure.

Thanks again for all of the help on finding cheaper mags. This is great.

And a great big thank you for the info on thumb cocking. I was first trained by a person who was utterly convinced it could lead to a ND on any gun (he was an old 1911 guy - I don't know anything about the risk of thumb cocking that weapon), so I had dutifully avoided it until now.

Now, it's only a matter of waiting for that tax return to come in... any day now...

 

[BucksDC]

Hello

If you want less expensive mags for a 226 try going to gunshows. MecGar mags can usually be had for $25 or under. Sometimes used Sig mags for the same. I usually stock up when I see a good deal.
Another good avenue are the classified sections on gun forums. This one, Sigforum.com, AR-15.com being the best I have found.

IMO the worst way to get a good deal is to figure out what you want then go out and get it. You end up paying top price because you have to have it.
Keep an open mind and buy any gun/accessory when you find a good deal on it. If you don't care for it you should be able to sell or trade and come out ahead.

 

[RobertFBurnett]

I recently purchased a 226 9mm, it was my first SIG, it shoots like some sort of service pistol dream.

I recommend http://www.topgunsupply.com/ for my accessory needs. I have heard nothing but great things about Mec-Gar Mags but the CA-10 rounders are Back ordered by the company for a good few months. So I just bought a 3rd factory to get me through till then.

Oh one problem with Sigs in general, but especially a 9mm...buy ammo in the 500 count or more, Before 9mm 50 rounds of .40, .45, .44Mag was around where I stopped, 150 rounds on the Sig is a warm-up.

RFB

 

[rcmodel]

CDNN is selling new factory SIG P226 mags for $29.99.

I ordered two P6/P225 mags from them the other day and got them in 3 1/2 days, counting the weekend.
Excellent service!

rcmodel

 

[PoconoEagle]

If i needed to trust any gun to do it's job, it would be the P226 Sig.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Love the P226!

A good magazine is the foundation of feed reliability in an auto. If you want Sig reliablity, you pay for what you get.

You might want to look into the short trigger (not to be confused with 'short reset trigger') for your wife. it moves the trigger back slightly, and might help with the DA pull.

Hammer bite has never been an issue with Sigs. Unless you have some really meaty hands, don't worry about it.

FWIW, I don't think we'll get so lucky with the next ban as we did in '94 when old hi caps were grandfathered in.

I'd consider getting a good revolver before S&W turns them all into pot metal crap.

 

[Lonestar49]

In Reverse mode.. Yes a problem could occur

Quote: And a great big thank you for the info on thumb cocking. I was first trained by a person who was utterly convinced it could lead to a ND on any gun (he was an old 1911 guy - I don't know anything about the risk of thumb cocking that weapon), so I had dutifully avoided it until now.
----------
...

First, sure he's right in regards to a SAO 1911, but even the newer ones have the same safety feature as the Sigs, and most other gun makes.

Maybe, and if not a reverse case thought by him, then just remember to "Never-use your thumb" to hold the hammer while squeezing the trigger to thumb-decock the hammer back into DA mode.. no no, as that is where your AD or ND can occur. Always use the decocker, and decocker only, for this.

Strange, but your old friend and, like my 1911's, the only way to decock them is to "squeeze the hammer" with thumb and index finger while pulling the trigger and letting it down gently..

You two enjoy that gun.. as that is one of the real beauties of the Sigs decockers, frame mounted, lets one decock without sacrificing a proper 2-hand grip.


Ls

 

[JustAVoter]

Lonestar49:

The problem of thumb cocking the 1911 hadn't even occurred to me until I made that post above - obviously, if you need to cock the weapon in the first place, someone must have "decocked" it improperly... Huh.

Well, in any case, I'm just waiting for that check from the IRS! Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Crow1108]

The only problem I've noticed (as several others have noticed) is that Sigs tend to multiply .

Sigs are great handguns. Mine have been reliable, except for one (count it, ONE) failure to feed due to a weak magazine spring in my 229 (out of a little over a thousand rounds).

 

[JustAVoter]

Crow - yeah, I'm already picking up on that problem. The wife really likes the P239, and I'm thinking about one for carry as well instead of the 1911. This could become a habit!

Gotta start somewhere =)

 

[Lonestar49]

Not so, sure..

Quote: The problem of thumb cocking the 1911 hadn't even occurred to me until I made that post above - obviously, if you need to cock the weapon in the first place, someone must have "decocked" it improperly... Huh.
------------
...

Not necessarily, as I said, the only way, properly/the safest-way to decock a 1911 is with 2 fingers, thumb and index finger "squeezing" the sides of the hammer, holding it tight, then pulling the trigger to release the hammer and let it down softly.

I suppose there are some out there that have that over-confident feeling and decock them with just the thumb on the hammer while pulling the trigger.

So, remember, not all like to carry 1911's cocked and locked. Some people like to carry their 1911's with one bullet chambered and the hammer down and, if the need to draw out, they then thumb-cock the hammer into SAO mode, that's their call, and hopefully, my bet is, most decock them properly (2 finger squeeze) for just that reason and, I'm sure, there are some that carry that way and decock dangerously, with only a thumb-let-down/decock of the hammer while pulling the trigger.

Learn or Burn, it's the individuals choice.. (and habit) good or bad.




Ls

 

[Hokkmike]

I'm mainly interested in getting a hi-cap handgun right now to stave off any legislative bans of the future.

I understand, but I hope we all don't just get lulled into the notion that once we have one, we are safe. Our weapons are ours by the slimmest of political consent.

 

[rbernie]

Magazines - a major stumbling block for me in my decision was the high cost of the mags - $40 a pop.

MecGar mags are equal to Sig mags, and can be had for $20/each from many retailers.

 

[tallpaul]

If you lay out the cash (approximately $939 + sales tax) right now for a
NIB Blackwater SIG P226; you won't have too worry 'bout the cost of any
extra magazines for the time being, as this firearm comes shipped from the
factory with five (5) magazines. IMHO, it justifies the cost of the weapon.
__________________

I don't find that to be great advice at all...

I had bought my Glock this summer for the cheaper high caps but lucked into a CPO 226 in 9mm for 360.oo and I got two extra mags AND 2000 primers the man blessed me with. I could not say no and LOVE IT... it matches my 220 nicely.

Mecgar makes SIG mags - at leat quite a few of the OEM's I had a run around with sig and necgar when sig went exclusive at least oin the 220 mags.. the sub 20.00 mags make that extra 3 mags not as great a deal UNLESS you want that blackhawk model.

And quite a few of us don't believe five high caps is enough given the current and future outlook...


Ya likely will like that 226... most do. My only gripe was and is the new prices.