Best Sig P226

[sneakerd]

Does anyone have an opinion on this- and why? Considering another 226 in 9mm- are the West German ones best? Or maybe the Germany marked ones? Compared to the current US-made ones? I'm not into the rail guns.

[brutal]

I think the stamped steel slide on the late model W. German P226 has a better balance. Just have to watch out for the early year models that had "mud rails." as there's potential for frame cracks if running +P ammo.

[sneakerd]

The one I'm looking at has a U 515 xxx serial number. Think that's late enough? Not sure what you're referring to as "mud rails".

[Fromk]

I like any model with a steel frame. It adds to the weight but it won't ever wear out. Not sure if there is one without rails, though.

[brutal]

http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/7320040262

1994

-U510-5XX-KE-1994-MRI MPLS MN = Thanks to DrewZFoster
-U515-251-KE-1994 = Thanks to tomovich
-U515-64X-KE-1994-Two tone = Thanks to 007Z06
-U519-XXX-KE-1994 = Thanks to widge

Mud Rails = scallops cut into the rail inset on mid production alloy frame P226.

Sig went from stamped steel to milled stainless slides in '96. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_P226

Good read on the P226 here http://www.cybershooters.org/dgca/sig-sauer_p226.htm

Anything post '88 shouldn't have them. There are scallops cut into the rail top edge, but mud rails are the cuts down in the groove.

Shooting +P ammo can cause the frame rails to crack.

http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv77/Sig_Hot-Shot/1986%20Sig%20Sauer%20P226%209mm%20with%20Robar%20N P3%20Coating/IMG_5880.jpg

[centrarchidae]

Does anyone have an opinion on this- and why? Considering another 226 in 9mm- are the West German ones best? Or maybe the Germany marked ones? Compared to the current US-made ones? I'm not into the rail guns.

SIG's quality control went all to hell iin 2006-2008, when they discovered MiM and boutique finishes and forgot about decent parts and tolerances. Anything older than that (easy way to tell: too old to have rails) should run like a raped ape. Anything newer that, I'd be a little uncomfortable.

If I were looking at a railed SIG, I'd want a test-fire and inspection. And if it passed both of those, I'd also just make my peace with the fact that, wherever the manual says "change this spring/pin/etc at x000 rounds," you'll probably need to knock a third off of that round count for full reliability.

Between the pre-rail P226 variants, I don't have a strong opinion. I love them all equally (although my old P228 is a jealous bitch and pokes me right in the right kidney whenever I look at another gun)

[brutal]

Hmmm, all my (real) Sig pistols, all post 2008 except for the 1989 P226, run like raped apes.

Autocorrect courtesy of droid using tapatalk.

[jtw22]

every 226 I've ever owned has been awesome. Just bought another this weekend.

[Spdu4ia]

My wife has a 1998 German made model and she would sell the house before that gun.

[drift_g35]

My 226 Combat made in 2011 rapes apes as well.

[JohnnyEgo]

I have a 226r and a 226 X5:

http://www.johnnyego.com/firearms/suppressor/sigd.jpg

http://www.johnnyego.com/firearms/suppressor/x5c.jpg

Both run great.
Both have premature finish wear.
If you care about how your finish looks, I'd recommend an older gun or a better aftermarket refinish.

[kj4963]

Just picked up a P226 Elite Stainless, but have not shot it yet. It sure is pretty though.

[AirbornePathogen]

I had a pre-rail P228 that ran like a top for five years. Traded it toward a P229R made in 2007 a couple years back, and have no complaints at all.

[SRG720]

The best 226's were made from late 1987 to 2005 before Ron Cohen took over and the MIM frenzy began. The older style guns were made from high quality machined, cast and stamped parts and were properly fitted. The 2-piece slide stamped/folded carbon steel slide guns w/ internal extractor were made from 1982/3 to about 2000. The 1-piece stainless steel CNC milled slides w/short external extractor were implemented across the board in the late 1990's to accommodate the higher pressure cartridges like .40 S&W and .357 SIG. The older stamped slide is somewhat lighter and better balanced than the later milled slide. The stamped slide also looks better IMO but you cant go wrong with either one. In general the stamped slide guns have a tighter slide/frame fit than the newer milled slide guns. The U500xxx serial number is a stamped slide gun and that puts it smack dab in the middle of the 'Golden Age' of SIG Sauer pistols.

sneakerd, I know you are a precision shooter as I am so I thought you'd find this encouraging... SIG's are by far the most inherently accurate and shootable of all service pistols. Not to mention reliable as well.

Stock 2005 era US/German hybrid milled slide P226 9mm w/ factory ball ammo. 3 rds at 14 yds.

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx256/SRG720/P1020893_zps04fffaf1.jpg

[SRG720]

On a side note, I would recommend against any P226 with a steel frame unless it's a Mastershop X5/X6 which are handfitted by gunsmiths in Germany. The two steel framed 226's I had experienced frequent failures to extract and eject possiblly due to improper slide/frame fit. The alloy framed P226 especially in it's original caliber, 9mm, is the definition of reliability.

[sneakerd]

I -luv- the Sig 226- but as a lefty, have to shift my hand too far back in order to use my left index finger on the slide release. Always has irritated me. Constantly searching for the perfect 9mm. Closest to that so far is the S&W M&P.

[SRG720]

I use it as a slide stop only and do an overhand release from the rear serrations. With the 226 you can at least reverse the mag release to the other side.

[brutal]

This.

Autocorrect courtesy of droid using tapatalk

[SA Friday]

I'm not much of a Sig guy, but I know the M11 (P228) I used in the AF had a false reset in the trigger when shooting it. The current Sig's don't. Huge improvement and I wouldn't ever recommend a Sig that has one of the older false reset triggers.

[SRG720]

Possible DAK model? I had a 220 DAK and these models do indeed have two reset points. The DA/SA models have only one reset by design.. barring some sort of mechanical issue or breakage.

[SA Friday]

Possible DAK model? I had a 220 DAK and these models do indeed have two reset points. The DA/SA models have only one reset by design.. barring some sort of mechanical issue or breakage.
Nope. It was a P228, M11. Only difference between it and the commercial ones was stamping. I has 6 different ones and ran three OSI armories. Handled over 200 of them. Every one was DA/SA and every one had a false reset.

[SRG720]

Never encountered anything like it... can you describe the false reset?

[SA Friday]

Never encountered anything like it... can you describe the false reset?
Clear gun, pull trigger and pin, rack slide, slowly let trigger go forward until you feel the reset. Stop immediately upon the click in the trigger. Pull the trigger again and there isn't anything there. Redo the sequence and instead of stopping at the felt and heard click, let the trigger go completely forward for the SA trigger pull. The hammer falls. Every SA trigger reset will be like this.

I've felt older P226's with this same trigger in them.

[brutal]

I've certainly not handled that many, but I've never felt this in any DA/SA Sig.

I just checked my 1989 P226 and it has no false reset. Neither does the SP2022, and of course the P229 SA/DA SRT doesn't exhibit this.

Curious.

[SA Friday]

I've certainly not handled that many, but I've never felt this in any DA/SA Sig.

I just checked my 1989 P226 and it has no false reset. Neither does the SP2022, and of course the P229 SA/DA SRT doesn't exhibit this.

Curious.
I used to pull the trigger on air on my second round all the time with the M11. I had to make a concerted effort to slap the trigger on them when qualifying.

Ya, the SP2022 and the P229 SRT neither have this issue. I sell both at Grand Prix and handle them daily. I'm wondering if Sig had two different trigger systems for their DA/SA platforms for a while. Like I said earlier, I'm not really a Sig guy (although I fricken love the feel of some of the newer models). I would be curious to know the answer to this.

[brutal]

Sure seems like a faulty gun to me. I know these were issue guns, but wonder if there was something botched in them?

[SRG720]

Sounds like an out of spec trigger bar or something.. definitely not normal.