Sig Sauer P226, thoughts?

P226 is a good pistol. I like my 229 better just for the slightly shorter barrel.

If you absolutely positively gotta shoot someone with a pistol caliber bullet, 10mm or 40S&W is the way to go. FBI didn't change because the date was wrong. FBI changed because 9mm is easier to shoot and not as hard on the pistols as 10mm or 40.

Most people don't shoot 40 or 10mm as accurately as they do 9mm because the recoil is 'sharp'. And they beat a gun to death. As some of the early Glocks about that.

At the end of the day, theyre all pistol bullets and pistols suck for shooting people with. Theres no such thing as hydrostatic shock and wound cavity, etc with pistols. All there is is penetration, bullet placement and to a lesser extent permanent cavity (the size of the hole).

Short answer is Sig is a good pistol. A little pricey but if you can find a deal, get it.
 
At the end of the day, theyre all pistol bullets and pistols suck for shooting people with.

Short answer is Sig is a good pistol. A little pricey but if you can find a deal, get it.

Something I mention in the classes I teach is how horrible handguns are for killing people. Horrendously ineffective. Better than a sharp stick. . .but, as the saying goes, if you are going to a gunfight then take a rifle, and take all your friends with their rifles.

That being said. . .I've carried a 226 every day (OWB with a cover shirt) for years. Before that it was a 220. Heavy, but *man* it's a smooth shooter.
 
I really enjoy shooting my P226R TacOps. It's easily the second best trigger behind the 1911s in the collection. And I really like DA/SA.

Gives a bit of a challenge on that first shot which also makes the follow up shots seem easy by comparison.

If you want a real sleeper that gets little love, that's almost as good as a 226 and oodles less expensive, look at the Sig P2022. Everyone doing the popularity contest stuff is buying the 320 and newer Sig Tupperware and keeping prices high, while the P2022 can be picked up extremely cheap by comparison.

Shooting Karen's is almost as nice as the 226 and she could buy a couple of cases of ammo for the price difference. The trigger is good. The sights are functional. If you like DA/SA it'd be a really decent carry pistol.
 
I don't get the full sized handgun thing. Big and dopey. Only paranoid wackjobs and cops carry full sized pistols.

This guys is not a paranoid wackjob and carries a Sig Sauer P226 TACOPS, OPEN CARRY as much as I possibly can. It fits my hands well and I like how it handles and fires. Plus the higher capacity of 9mm makes me feel a little safer.

David
 
Last edited:
I always thought the open carry movement was funny. I don't really disagree with being able to open carry, I'm actually in favor of it, but the way they are going about delivering their message is counterproductive because they come off as just that, nut jobs, and that screws it for everyone.

I have issues with the people carrying rifles to make a point. Open carry of handguns is fine with me, rifles it is pointless.

David
 
I was at the indoor range this morning with my buddy shooting his P229 9mm. I really enjoyed with my favorite part being the trigger - really smooth and predictable.

However, when i finish up my conceal carry license, ill be looking towards the XDs (45). I really enjoyed everything about it in the store this morning. The biggest factors were the grip and trigger safety when in the holster and not having to worry about whether it would fire or not when drawn.
 
However, when i finish up my conceal carry license, ill be looking towards the XDs (45). I really enjoyed everything about it in the store this morning. The biggest factors were the grip and trigger safety when in the holster and not having to worry about whether it would fire or not when drawn.

As long as you keep your boogerhook off the bang switch, it won't go fire regardless of what safeties might or might not be on the firearm.
 
Anyone else a fan of the H&K P7?

69133488.Zxvl9Bof.HKP7M8d.jpg


I know prices have gotten kinda exorbitant, but I found the "squeeze-cocker" mechanism intuitive, safe and relatively foolproof.
 
TACK driver?

Other than the price, one small drawback is the fluted chamber scores brass and weakens it, making that brass less suitable for reloading.

Still, a minor consideration in a defensive weapon.
 
A pocket pistol is a tack driver? Whatever. When guys question why some others carry standard sized guns like a P226 compared to a pocket pistol like my Colt Mustang consider range of the shot. A pocket pistol is limited to very close shots. A 226 or equivalent can accurately hit a more refined target at a greater range, which may be useful in some situations. in a perfect world I'd prefer a 308 sniper rifle and good cover. Anything less than that is degrees of compromise with the pocket pistol being all the way to the bottom of the list.
 
Personally it's fine with me if everyone want to walk around like they're in a combat zone.

However, the absolute authority in which people make claims about how effective a round is against personnel, or how a double tap to the face will, or how effective pistol X is in a self defense scenario, etc. Makes me think we must have a lot of very experienced real life CQB people here. Maybe someone could share some of that experience so we all can learn something.

Otherwise someone may read this and think we are like a bunch of SIM pilots talking about flying in actual IMC.:dunno:
 
Proficiency with a handgun is simple to demonstrate. Applicability of different guns at different target ranges is simple to demonstrate. My preferred defensive weapon is a S&W 500 magnum or a Marlin 1895 45-70. My personal experience dictates big guns.
 
Last edited:
A pocket pistol is a tack driver? Whatever. When guys question why some others carry standard sized guns like a P226 compared to a pocket pistol like my Colt Mustang consider range of the shot. A pocket pistol is limited to very close shots. A 226 or equivalent can accurately hit a more refined target at a greater range, which may be useful in some situations. in a perfect world I'd prefer a 308 sniper rifle and good cover. Anything less than that is degrees of compromise with the pocket pistol being all the way to the bottom of the list.

A P226 has a barrel length of 4.4in, a P7 has a barrel of 4.1in. With the fixed barrel and polygonal rifling they are quite accurate. The P7 and Sig P225 were designed for the same contract.
 
It's easily the second best trigger behind the 1911s in the collection. And I really like DA/SA.

Im getting better at that initial DA pull, but I DO love the followup SA pulls. I agree that Sig's SA is very nice!

The thing I love about the Sigs Ive had is the way they fit my hand. Its an individual thing, but Sigs seem to have all the curves and bumps of the grip in just the right place for me.

As for the HK P7. There are two guys at work that have carried those for 25 years. They swear by them
 
A P226 has a barrel length of 4.4in, a P7 has a barrel of 4.1in. With the fixed barrel and polygonal rifling they are quite accurate. The P7 and Sig P225 were designed for the same contract.

Too bad I can't meet you at the range! maybe they're equal in your hands. My. 40s are far superior to my pocket 380 in mine.
 
A pistol should only be used to fight your way back to your rifle.....
 
Anyone else a fan of the H&K P7?

I know prices have gotten kinda exorbitant, but I found the "squeeze-cocker" mechanism intuitive, safe and relatively foolproof.

Yes. It's a track driver.

I've shot them yes, but I can't really say I'm a fan. I did bring back a P9S from Germany (ex Polizie issue) and it was a pretty sweet shooter. Tack driving accuracy, however, in a defensive handgun is completely irrelevant. Target acquisition is far more important.

Case in point: I have a Browning Hi Power. It's made like a Swiss watch and the fit and finish is very good. Range accuracy is pretty good. It would be one of my last choices for a defensive weapon though, and i would never have used it in IPSC competition. The long sight radius and small sights were difficult to acquire, and it had a sharp, pivoting moment to its recoil making follow up shots slow. And it would only reliably feed standard NATO tapered ball ammo. I can shoot a 1911 more quickly and accurately than I can shoot that thing.
 
Background?

Mine is modest.

For most of my 8 1/2 years as an LEO with Dade County, FL, we could only carry .38/.357 revolvers carrying county issued .38 SWC ammo.

I qualified with my personal Ruger Security 6 and a S&W Mod 38 Airweight Bodyguard as an ankle gun. And the Remington 870.

Later for off duty and plainclothes I qualified with the aforementioned H&K P7M13, and a Star PD (.45).

Towards the end of my stint 9mm was authorized for uniform carry, but only one of four - Beretta, Sig, S&W and one other I can't recall - possibly the Browning.

In any case I went to the range and fired all the models back-to-back. They all seemed fine and not all that different really. No malfunctions with any of them. Being on a budget, settled on the S&W 6906, with an extended magazine with a "bumper" that gave it a couple extra rounds.

Since then I just shoot sporadically, with a range here on my property in GA. I reload lots of popular calibers. If anyone want to shoot some stuff up, let me know in a PM!
 
Too bad I can't meet you at the range! maybe they're equal in your hands. My. 40s are far superior to my pocket 380 in mine.

The P7 is not a pocket pistol. Same size as a P228/9, just slightly shorter barrel than a P226.

I am waiting for Sig to make a P227 in 10mm. Not that I need it for anything.
 
Personally it's fine with me if everyone want to walk around like they're in a combat zone.

However, the absolute authority in which people make claims about how effective a round is against personnel, or how a double tap to the face will, or how effective pistol X is in a self defense scenario, etc. Makes me think we must have a lot of very experienced real life CQB people here. Maybe someone could share some of that experience so we all can learn something.

Otherwise someone may read this and think we are like a bunch of SIM pilots talking about flying in actual IMC.:dunno:

Define experience. I've gone through endless urban tacoops training sessions with various pistols and SMG's. We were taught head shots because a) they are effective, immediatly and b) the presence of body armor can be a game changer. I won't get in to what my real world experience is but it isn't with a pistol.
 
However, when i finish up my conceal carry license, ill be looking towards the XDs (45). I really enjoyed everything about it in the store this morning. The biggest factors were the grip and trigger safety when in the holster and not having to worry about whether it would fire or not when drawn.

That's what more and more people think too nowadays, but if someone has grown around DA/SA pistols, he may find it difficult to accept that DAO is better suited for self-defence (both house and carry). It's like the notion among old and crusty aviators that O-200 is a real engine and 912 is a new-fanged toy.

Depending if thickness is a problem for your body build, Glock 21 SF goes quite well against XD-S.
 
Last edited:
That's what more and more people think too nowadays, but if someone has grown around DA/SA pistols, he may find it difficult to accept that DAO is better suited for self-defence (both house and carry).

Blondes/brunettes. Whatever you are used to and train with. Some like the 1911 operating logic. Dont think any is better than the others.
 
Last edited:
This guys is not a paranoid wackjob and carries a Sig Sauer P226 TACOPS, OPEN CARRY as much as I possibly can. It fits my hands well and I like how it handles and fires. Plus the higher capacity of 9mm makes me feel a little safer.

David


Agreed. Though I got my 226 in 9mm back when it came with two (count 'em TWO!) 10-round mags, courtesy of the Assault Weapons Ban. :mad:

Picked up a number of standard capacity mags from MidwayUSA since then.
 
I was at the indoor range this morning with my buddy shooting his P229 9mm. I really enjoyed with my favorite part being the trigger - really smooth and predictable.



However, when i finish up my conceal carry license, ill be looking towards the XDs (45). I really enjoyed everything about it in the store this morning. The biggest factors were the grip and trigger safety when in the holster and not having to worry about whether it would fire or not when drawn.


My brother is really hung up on the grip safety on the XD vs the Glock that I carry, and just got an XD Subcompact for CC. I've never heard of Glocks firing when drawn. There are videos of Glocks firing when being reholstered, but that was because the cops had a fleece on, and the draw string on the bottom got caught in the trigger guard while being reholstered. I think that's a drawback on the brain, not of the Glock.
 
There are videos of Glocks firing when being reholstered, but that was because the cops had a fleece on, and the draw string on the bottom got caught in the trigger guard while being reholstered. I think that's a drawback on the brain, not of the Glock.

XD would have done the same in the same setup.
 
Personally it's fine with me if everyone want to walk around like they're in a combat zone.



However, the absolute authority in which people make claims about how effective a round is against personnel, or how a double tap to the face will, or how effective pistol X is in a self defense scenario, etc. Makes me think we must have a lot of very experienced real life CQB people here. Maybe someone could share some of that experience so we all can learn something.



Otherwise someone may read this and think we are like a bunch of SIM pilots talking about flying in actual IMC.:dunno:


Hehe. I was thinking the same thing. I may as well be reading Soldier of Fortune. (Is that even published any more?).

I know of only one operator on this board.
 
In any case I went to the range and fired all the models back-to-back. They all seemed fine and not all that different really. No malfunctions with any of them. Being on a budget, settled on the S&W 6906, with an extended magazine with a "bumper" that gave it a couple extra rounds.


My 6906 is the third best trigger and it's very accurate. Initial DA pull is higher than I'd like, but not a big deal. It also stacks just a touch before it fires, but it's wicked consistent.

For a long time the 3rd Gen Smith stuff was another sleeper of a deal, often going for less than $300 but they're more of a collector thing now with Smith having gone to the Tupperware.
 
Anyone else a fan of the H&K P7?


I know prices have gotten kinda exorbitant, but I found the "squeeze-cocker" mechanism intuitive, safe and relatively foolproof.

Yes indeed. Ive had several of them over the years. Regretted selling them later but making huge profits at the time paid some bills and helped with airplane stuff. Great handguns! Very accurate for a 9mm handgun, more so than my sigs, glocks, etc.

Would love to have one again.
 
For 15 yrs as a cop in New Hampshire carried a Sig. Through all phases of police work.. bad weather, rolling around the ground wrestling bad guys..You name the Sig never let me down, it was a plus that the factory was in Exeter NH. Not very far from Portsmouth where I worked. Two thumbs up for the Sig.

We did lots of testing with the Sig before we went to it including actually running them over with the cruiser, dropped in mud and so on. Clock was #2. Both great weapons. I have several of each as well as SW.
The AK, SKS are also favorites in my toy collection.

-Tom
 
Last edited:
Every handgun Sig makes is a quality firearm. I don't own any Sigs myself, but someday intend to own one or more. My personal CHL carry piece is currently a Glock 36 single stack slim .45 because I got it for good price and I've learned to shoot it well and it's reliable.
 
I've loved my P229 .40 for over twenty years when the cartridge first got introduced.
Was just banging steel at 30 yards last week. I did change the sights to Heinie straight eights. Sig P229 has been in use by the secret service and air marshals I think that says a lot about Sigs. It has never given me any trouble. One must give some thought on how to grip or the slide may not stay locked back as the slide lock can be kept from catching the slide if gripped too close to it.
 
Yep, my P229 is a former secret service officer's personal piece. It originally was chambered in 357 SIG but I've got the 40SW barrel as well.
 
My 6906 is the third best trigger and it's very accurate. Initial DA pull is higher than I'd like, but not a big deal. It also stacks just a touch before it fires, but it's wicked consistent.

For a long time the 3rd Gen Smith stuff was another sleeper of a deal, often going for less than $300 but they're more of a collector thing now with Smith having gone to the Tupperware.


A local seller posted a good condition 5906 with three Smith magazines yesterday for $350 cash. I almost drove over there to hand him the money before he could think about it.

Decided to let it go... Got a retaining wall to pay for, so the dirt doesn't keep moving where it shouldn't. Sigh. So boring.
 
Back
Top