SIG P226

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SIG P226

A SIG P226R Navy
Type Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin Flag of Germany Germany
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
Service history
Used by See Usage
Production history
Manufacturer SIG SAUER
Variants See Variants
Specifications
Weight
  • 802 g (28.3 oz)
  • 867 g (30.6 oz) (.357 SIG and .40 S&W)
Length 196 mm (7.7 in)
Barrel length 112 mm (4.4 in)
Cartridge
Action mechanically locked, recoil operated (DA/SA, DAO, DAK)
Feed system 12 (.40 S&W) or 15 round detachable box magazine
Sights Iron sights

The SIG Sauer P226 is a full-sized, service type pistol chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. Its design is based on the venerable SIG Sauer P220. The P226 has come to be known as one of the most distinguished combat pistols in existence because of its reliability and durability.

Contents

[edit] History

The P226 was designed for entry into the XM9 Service Pistol Trials, which were held by the US Army in 1984 on behalf of the US armed forces to find a replacement for the M1911A1. Only the Beretta 92F and the SIG P226 satisfactorily completed the trials. According to a GAO report, Beretta was ultimately awarded the M9 contract for the 92F due to better durability during endurance testing and a lower total package price. During the endurance testing none of the 92Fs broke, while two of the P226s cracked frames between six and seven thousand rounds. The minimum endurance requirement was five thousand rounds, so the P226s were considered acceptable. The P226 cost less per pistol than the 92F, but SIG's package price with magazines and spare parts was higher than Beretta's. The Navy SEALs, however, chose to adopt the P226 later after several catastrophic slide failures with issued Beretta M9s.

The original P226 was manufactured in West Germany, featured a mandrel-stamped steel slide, and was available in blued, nickel, and two-tone finishes.

[edit] Manufacture

SIG firearms are manufactured both in Germany and in Exeter, New Hampshire. Although Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft is a Swiss company, Swiss law is highly restrictive when it comes to the export of firearms. Consequently, SIG entered into an agreement with German gun manufacturer (and eventual owner) J.P. Sauer & Sohn to facilitate an export market for their products. In 2000 the SIG Holding AG sold J.P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH to two German businessmen.[1] The Brandname SIGSauer remained at the J.P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH.

[edit] Concerns

Though ergonomically sound, there were some minor concerns with the reliability of the pistol when using after-market grips.

Early versions fitted with after-market or replacement grip panels occasionally (albeit rarely) developed reliability issues because the inside of the grip panel put pressure on (and thereby interfered with) the firing mechanism. OEM and later quality replacement panels coupled with keeping the grip screws tight removed this issue. As with all defensive pistols, it is critically important to verify proper function with duty ammunition prior to using the pistol for duty or defense.

[edit] Variants

[edit] P226 Rail

The P226 Rail (or P226R) is the same as a P226, but it has a rail on the dustcover. The P226R's rail has a more rounded contour than the standard Picatinny rail and while most Picatinny-rail accessories will fit, not all will. This has now become the standard P226.[2]

[edit] P226 Tactical

A P226R with an extended 5" barrel and external threads to accept a suppressor.

[edit] P226 Navy

Navy SEAL Teams started using the SIG P226 in the 1980s.

The first Naval Special Warfare-spec P226 pistols to be offered to the public were the NSW Commemoratives, issued in early 2004. The SIG P226-9-NAVY is a version of the SIG P226 that is produced to the exact specifications of the pistols supplied to Navy SEALs, including special phosphate corrosion-resistant finish on internal parts (no longer offered), contrast sights, and a slide engraved with an anchor to designate them as Naval Special Warfare pistols. SIGARMS raised $100,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation through the sale of these NSW serialized pistols. The pistol bearing serial number NSW0001 was sold during a live auction on the nationally syndicated Laura Ingraham radio show for an additional $25,000.[3]

[edit] P226 Blackwater

The SIG P226 Blackwater was developed to specifications of Blackwater USA. Features include bi-color night sights, distinctive engravings on the slide and wood grips, and five factory high-capacity magazines. The premium in price for the Blackwater 226 is generally seen as worth the well-finished wood grips and extra magazines.

[edit] P226 ST

The SIG SAUER P226 ST is an all stainless version of the SIG P226 pistol. It has a blued barrel and the frame features a Picatinny rail. It is heavier than a standard P226 because the frame and slide are stainless steel. The stainless P226 in 9 mm is a popular pistol with competitors that compete in the sport of Practical Shooting.

[edit] P226R HSP

On sale 2005-09-11, SIG SAUER Homeland Security Pistols (HSP) are the same models SIG builds for the Department of Homeland Security. This is a limited production run of 1,000 P226R HSP pistols available engraved with the American flag and Homeland Security X of 1000. Additionally, each pistol comes in .40 S&W caliber and is engraved with serial number barcoding just like those which were shipped to DHS. The HSP also features the new DAK trigger, a stainless steel Nitron slide topped with SIGLITE night sights, and a light weight alloy frame with Picatinny rail.

There is also a P229R HSP model available with the same features.

[edit] P226 X-Five

The SIG Sauer P226 X-Five is a competition variant of the P226 with a 5" slide and barrel, beavertail grip, and an adjustable rear target sight. Intended for IPSC competitive shooting, the X-Five is hand-fitted and assembled in Germany, and its resulting accuracy accordingly rivals the legendary SIG P210. Available in 9 mm or .40 S&W, there are currently four models being offered in the United States:

  • The "Competition" model has a single-action-only (SA) trigger, ambidextrous thumb safety, flared magazine well, and unique high-capacity magazines (19-round 9 mm/ 14-round .40 S&W).
  • The "Level-1" model adds a special adjustable SA trigger and Nill wood grips.
  • The "Allround" model has a double-action/ single-action (DA/SA) trigger, a decocking lever and a standard magazine well designed to accommodate P226 magazines.
  • The "Tactical" model comes with a black Ilaflon finish, and features a light-weight alloy frame with a Picatinny rail, and fixed contrast or tritium night sights. It's available in either SA or DA/SA configuration. (US models only come chambered for 9 mm, but a .40 S&W model is available in Germany.)

All SIG P226 X-Five models include a factory test target with a sub-1 inch 5-shot grouping from 25 meters.

[edit] P226 Elite

The Elite adds an ergonomic beavertail grip, front cocking serrations, front strap checkering, custom wood grips and the new Short Reset Trigger. SIG engineers designed the SRT to provide the same safety and smooth action of the SIG DA/SA with a comfortable reset that is 60% shorter for faster trigger return and during high speed shooting. The P226 Elite is available in 9 mm, .357 SIG or .40 S&W.

[edit] P228

P228
P228

A compact version of the P226, the P228, is also respected worldwide and is currently in use with the US military (notably with the Army CID, Air Force OSI, and Naval Aviation), designated the M11 and is also the standard issue handgun of the Swedish Police. It is also used by many police agencies around the world, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).The P228 has a shorter slide and barrel than the P226. Unlike the P226, the P228 is available only in 9x19mm Parabellum with a 13 round magazine, but can also use P226 15 or 20 round magazines. The P229 is nearly identical to the P228, but it has a one piece solid steel (vs. the P228's carbon stamped steel) slide and is available in 9 mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG. From a distance, the P228 can be differentiated from the P226 by comparing the trigger guards (the P228's is curved, while the P226's is slightly hooked) and the barrel and slide lengths (the P228's barrel is 12.7 mm shorter, thus having a corresponding shorter slide). Also in a side by side comparison the P228 would appear slightly shorter (2.5 mm shorter) than the P226. The larger capacity P226 magazine can also be employed in the P228 although it extends from the base of the grip. It is also available in the 'Ladies Escort' version with an adapted trigger for women with extra small hands. Manufacture of the P228 was discontinued with the introduction of 9mm chambering in the P229.

[edit] P229

P229R
P229R

The P229 is a compact firearm, often used for concealed carry purposes. The standard version features a DA/SA trigger, but it is also available with a DAO trigger.

Recently, the pistol has also been made available in a DAK (Double Action Kellerman) model, which is a DAO system with two trigger reset points, and a lighter, smoother pull than that of traditional DAO handguns.

The P229 differs from its cousin the P226 in several respects, and was originally introduced to supplement and then replace the P228 by adding the .357 Sig and .40 S&W as available chamberings. The P229 was the first production handgun introduced that could chamber the .357 Sig round. The P226 and P228 were originally manufactured using a stamped-steel slide on an aluminum alloy frame. The P229 consists of a CNC-milled stainless steel slide, typically colored black with a Nitron finish. The P229's milled steel slide was introduced to handle the higher slide velocities created by the .357 Sig and .40 S&W loads, which the stamped slide of the P228 could not handle without the use of a much stiffer recoil spring. This would have made manual slide-retraction much more difficult and the use of a milled stainless slide (coupled with the new milling and stainless production capabilities found in the U.S. factory) with a standard weight recoil spring made more sense. A standard weight recoil spring for the P228 is 16 lbs; a spring weight of 20lbs or higher would have been required if a stamped slide was used for the .40 S&W or 357 SIG chamberings. The SAAMI maximum chamber pressures of 9mm, 9mm +P .40 S&W, & 357 SIG are as follows (in PSI): 35,000; 38,500; 35,000; & 40,000. The slide on the P226 was redesigned in a similar fashion, and civilian sales of the P228 were discontinued in early 2005 due to declining sales (and due to the advent of the P229 in 9mm). The P226 and P229 are both available with optional accessory rails and optional forged stainless steel frames.

The P229 can be chambered in 9 mm, .40 S&W or .357 SIG. Changing between .40 S&W and .357 SIG is as simple as switching out the barrel. Conversion barrels, from companies such as Bar-Sto Precision Machine[4], also allow a P229 or P226 to change between a .40 S&W/.357 SIG to a 9 mm caliber. The magazine can accommodate ammunition of either caliber. The 9 mm model cannot be converted to another caliber.

[edit] P229 DAK

SIG recently released an improved version of the double-action only (DAO) pistols; this version is called the DAK (for Double Action Kellerman, after the designer of the system). When firing the pistol the first trigger pull is only 6.5 lbf (compared to 10 pounds for the standard DAO). After the pistol fires and the trigger is released forward the trigger has an intermediate reset point that is approximately halfway to the trigger at rest position. The trigger pull from this intermediate reset point is 8.5 lbf. If the trigger is released all the way forward, this will engage the primary trigger reset and have a trigger pull of 6.5 lbf. To engage the intermediate reset the trigger must be held to the rear while the slide is cycled, either manually or by the recoil of a round being fired. The United States Coast Guard has adopted this firearm as its PDW (Personal Defense Weapon), replacing the older M9 pistol[5].

[edit] Usage

[edit] P226

An elite 10 Paratrooper Brigade female operators with Sig Sauer P226 pistols.
An elite 10 Paratrooper Brigade female operators with Sig Sauer P226 pistols.

[edit] P228

[edit] P229

[edit] Gallery

SIG P226 X-FIVE (IPSC version)

M11

P228

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Sauer: Intro
  2. ^ P226 page from 'www.sigsauer.com'
  3. ^ Sigarms donates $100,000 to foundation | Shooting Industry | Find Articles at BNET.com
  4. ^ Bar-Sto Precision Machine
  5. ^ Grand Prize Winner: Sig Sauer P229
  6. ^ M11 | NavySEALs.com - Experience the SEAL Edge

[edit] External links

GAO report, PISTOL PROCUREMENT, Allegations on Army Selection of Beretta 9-mm. as DOD Standard Sidearm, June 1986. http://archive.gao.gov/d4t4/130439.pdf

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