Sig Arms P226 Reviews

[cman]

Iam wanting to purchase a new Pistol. I am having trouble choosing between a Sig Sauer p226 or a FN fnp 40. I know the sig is a good name and is very accurate and quality made. Ive handle a sig and it is heavy and the frame is metal and I am not sure if I have to take special care so it doesnt rust. The FN I have also handled and I like the feel and look of it much better. But I dont want to buy it and it not be accurate and as good made as the Sig. Can someone tell me any thing about an FN? Thanks Cman

[metalmachine]

the SIG is an alloy frame and a stainless rail. No rust problem. If anything I like a little more weight for recovery of target. Im waiting here in Cali. for the elite in stainless to be approved. if it is not Ill buy an equinox or a plain black 226r. For me it shoots better than my other handguns which are S&W 910s and very close but better than the HK usp.

try them all and decide, but since Im in LA Count and one really cant get a carry permit in LA county, weight is good for me as home defense,SHTF, EOTWAWKI and all that stuff. For more info go to the Sig forum at http://www.sigforum.com/. Im really sold on Sigs.

[steadyhand]

I am curious which gun would make a better carry gun, the Springfield XD 3in subcompact or the SigArms P226, both in .40 cal. I am seeking the opinion of several people on this and would prefer an honest opinion from those who are familiar with both firearms. I like the 3inch barrel on the XD but am wondering if a .40 might be a bit much on recoil for such a short barrel. The Sig P226 has only recently caught my eye and I am not too familiar with it. I would appreciate any input.

[locknload]

Steadyhand, I think you may be comparing apples and oranges.

While both guns should be reliable ie you pull the trigger they go bang Carry wise you will notice a large difference. I alternate between a Sig229 and a Glock27 Both .40 the glock has a short tube like the xd your looking at. If your concealing in the summer under a t-shirt the compact is the way to go, also better all day comfort. If a bunch of outlaw bikers are looking for you Id go with the Sig, in addition the Sig will provide much better accuracy beyond 50 feet, higher magazine capacity, etc.

[lgregor]

I am without a doubt a BIG SIG fan. Having a P232 in .380 (a bit small but comfortable for me), P226 Tactical in 9mm w/ night sites, Hogue grip and recoil compensating guide rod, P220 in 45ACP w/ Crimsen Trace Laser Grips w/ night sites & recoil compensating guide rod, and looking to add another to my collection. Considering the 226 Equinox in .40s&w w/ night sites. Although the P232 is actually my wife's but I probably shoot it more than her. The fit on all models are excellent and based on current ownership believe the rest of the line to be just as good. The 9mm setup has a recoil of a 22magnum, amazing how much the guide rod helped. The guide rod helped on the 45acp as well but seemingly not as much as on the 9mm. I keep my pistols so well cleaned you could eat off them, a MAJOR thing many folks regardless of manufacture tend to neglect. Shooting is fun, but its not the only part. Clean your tools and keep them well oiled. I use synthetic lubes and drycoats and they work phenomenally.



I have put about 2500 rounds thru all three of these pistols combined, the majority being thru my 220 and 226 and I dont ever recall having a jam/misfeed except when breaking in a new ported match barrel from a non-oem manufacturer. Never had any jams with the OEM setup. Always bought MEC-GAR mags after the fact and fr the exception of one mag being problematic, have always had great results regardless of firearm.



I have found that ammo selection is important. Although digesting everything from Winchester, Seiler & Bellot, CCI Blazer, Fiocchi, and Wolf there are some very DIRTY ammo I would stay away from. Personally, the FIOCCHI, S&B, and Federals seems to be among the cleanest I have used and I usually stay with those. CCI & Wolf some of the dirtiest.



SIGs are expensive, sometimes seemingly hard to justify against other manufactures when you can buy 2 of their pistols for 1 SIG. Another thing I look at carefully is ease of operation ( I have LARGE hands) and ease of breakdown/cleaning. SIGs are so simple thats definitely one reason I gravitate towards them.



The biggest thing to me is, if its just for collecting/target shooting then you may choose the other guys which most are all very good and by all means be diverse for those who collect. I have been having a hard time with the all polymer offerings out there, still considering it but hard to get away from the metals.



If its going to be a concealed carry or defensive tool for the home then think carefully about your purchase. We all hope never to be put in the situation that our life depends on it but should it, you will be glad that you spent the extra money!!!!

[locknload]

Question for Igregor: On the synthetic lubes, what do you recommend, I think I'm using the same crap for the last 30 years,

there must be something better by now. Break-free is what I have on the shelf.

[siggin-it]

Finally got my p226 SAS .357 and 40. chamberings... I have put at least 800-1000 rounds through since Christmas... flawless!!! The SAS uses the DAK.. have had several range sessions with standard p226 and p229 DA/SA and the SAS... These trigger systems are very different.. can take a little to get used to the DAK if you have never fired one. Now that I have got to know the SAS I find the DAK to be very smooth... out of the 3 stages of the DAK I like the 1st long 6.4 pull.. catch the seer with a shorter but much stouter pull at 10. I can't say enough about the accuracy of SIG... A friend recently bought a factory refurbished p226 standard... like new. I know thet SAS have a msrp of 999.99 but I picked this one up from a dealer in TN with both .357/.40 barrels + 200 rounds for just under a grand.... he had to order it from SIG and they only had 2 left. As far as I know it's the best retail deal anyone has ever heard of... so if you know someone in TN and are looking for a new SIG have them check with some dealers in that area. Happy shots to all!!

[lgregor]

Locknload - I have been using a synthetic lube for about 5 years called ' Armalube ' you can get it at ' http://www.armalube.com/gunoil.htm '. I beleive its very similar to the much more expensive Mil-Tec synthetic but has some advantages. Check it out, its very good stuff. You can read the technical details about how you can ' bake ' it on your metals forming a perm. moelcuar bond but I use it without putting the parts in an oven and let the heat from firing cure it (150deg.+ initaites bonding at the molecular level). Other parts I use it as oil (springs, catches, slide rail grooves). After you are done cleaning your barrel put a heavy coat of this oil in there and run a dry patch thru it leaving it coated ' wet '. Orignally developed for the AR-15/M16 style rapid-fire rifles, I use this on everything I own with great results. On the AR-15s, after the first use and about 250rounds, cleanup and subsequent use I can tell you the actions are smoother and without question CLEANUP is 10x easier.



I also use the Remington ' Dri-lube ' sprays as well for areas of contact like exterior of the barrel, firing pins on ARs and the insides of my magazine/grip areas. Spray that stuff on (and blow on it to accellerate the drying, leaving a dry teflon film) the internals for where your magazine slides in and its amazing how much easier (both inserting and ejecting) the magzine flies.



Hope this helps!

[locknload]

Thanks Igregor, Ill check out armalube.

[MrBawb]

Has anyone gotten to try the Navy version of this gun? They have a small anchor embossed on the side.



I put a couple of clips through one and it was awesome.



Unfortunately this was the first 226 I have ever gotten to shoot, so I have no basis for comparison. Is it worth the added investment?