Thoughts about sig sauer?

Well i want another pistol and ive been been think about geting a sig. Ive heard a lot of good about them but i know yall will give me good advice either way. So let me know what you thing about sig pistols.

Also maybe i should of put this on a different thead. If so sorry but ive been thinking about geting a .40 all i have right now is 45s. Any thoughts on 40s?

I highly recommend the P220 line (and P226). They are rock solid reliable and accurate out of the box. There are enough different versions available to suit many tastes/requirements. I also have heard good things about the P229 but a few others didn't like it. I own P220's and one P226 in 40. The P220 line is exclusively .45acp (unless you get a .22lr conversion kit). The P226 can come in .40s&w, .357sig, 9mm. I wish they made a 10mm version.

Here are some pics of mine:

Stainless Elite & Equinox P220's


Stainless Elite 8rnd & 10rnd mags

I love the stainless elite. While I like the regular DA/SA trigger I really like the Short Reset Trigger (SRT) that come with the elite line. They also come with night sites.

Another Sig gun is the P238 in .380acp which gets all great reviews but only if you want a .380. Any gun with you is better than a gun left at home but I prefer 45acp hence my name.

The Sig P250 was interesting but I decided to stay away from it. It has a long trigger DAO. Some like it and others don't. Basically if you go with Sig you won't be disappointed and it should retain most of its value if you decide to sell it. I recommend shooting whatever you are interested before buying (rent at range).

As far as calibers my username gives away my bias. I own one P226 in 40s&w. 40s&w is a snappy round for recoil. I believe it is harder to control than a 45acp, not much but noticeable. The only reason I picked up a used P226 in 40s&w was the ammo shortage when there was no 45acp on the shelf but boxes of 40s&w. I figured if .45acp was good enough for my Dad in WWII it was good enough for me.

The only advantage of 40 over 45 is capacity. My P226 has 13 round magazines where my P220 has 8rnd and a 10rnd but the 10rnd would be awkward to carry other than as a spare. (see above pic). I would suggest shooting both calibers and see what you like better. 40 is a good compromise between the higher normal-capacity 9mm guns and the lower normal-capacity 45's. The secret service and navy seals like the P229 and P226 respectively. ;-)

I did go on a search for a good higher normal capacity 45 and found FN-FNP45 15+1, Para Big Hawg 15+1, then there is Glock, XDm at 13+1.

Good luck with your research and search for your next purchase.

For a 40 short and weak, you will find no finer full sized carry handgun than a P226, at least if you're okay with DA/SA operation. Some people aren't, because the transition from DA to SA can impede accuracy without significantly more practice.

Personally I think 40 is a silly and annoying round, since it has about as much power as premium 9mm and less capacity, not to mention the fact that it mostly replaced the considerably superior 10mm, but there is no denying that it works.

Not to pick nits, but in regards to 45's otherwise perfect post, P220's used to be made in 9mm single stack configuration. These aren't exactly common, but they are available on the used market. Considering that the P226 is double stacked, there doesn't seem to be much reason to want one.

Thank you 45 that post had a ton of info. I dont know if im gona go with a 40 or not i may just stay with 45. I already have 2 why not keep goin :lol:. I just found a gun range near me that rent guns so i'll let yall know how it goes once i do. And very nice pistols 45

A couple other things about P220's.

They come in different barrel/slide lengths.

P220 Compact - Same size slide/barrel as P220 Carry 3.9" but grip is shorter for ease of concealment. Originally I thought who would want one of these since 8+1 is already short on capacity IMO. After owning the Carry model and seeing that it wouldn't fit in a pocket I got a Compact version and it does fit in my front pockets. The Compact is 6+1 but does take the normal capcity mags from the other version 8+1 and even the 10+1. So I carry it in my front left pocket (in a leather holster) with an 8+1 mag as spare. I got the SAS gen II which has the SRT, night sights and a melt treatment. Very cool.

P220 Carry - This gun is about .7 inches shorter than the full size. While it may be easier for some to conceal/carry it still needed to be carried in a holster on my belt. I have a supertuck holster on order so I may start carrying this one more. This was my first-ever pistol purchase and I didn't realize how good I started. After buying/trying other models I still come back to the P220's as my favorites.

P220 Full size - With a 4.4" barrel I figured this is the perfect model to own (if you are only going to have one). I carry it in a SERPA holster on my right hip with my other P220 in my pocket. So my primary and BUG are both 45acp P220 and can both take my spare mag(s). For sight radius, extra oomph with a longer barrel, added weight of the stainless model it is a pleasure to shoot!!! Again if you can afford them I recommend the SRT and night sights in the stainless elite line.

P220 Match - I thought if 4.4 inches was good 5" would make me a superstar. After all I had 5" 1911's and thought a P220 5" model would be perfect. While it is just as accurate as the other models it has some downsides. First I wanted a carry gun not an IPDA pistol so the adjustable sights (no night sights) were a minus. The dovetail notch is so far forward that replacing the rear sight with night sights would lose an inch of sight radius and look weird. The longer slide/barrel mildly interfere with seats in the car and is harder to CC under a shirt because you have the nose sticking out. I got the cheaper DA/SA version but many match version are SAO. I have considered selling this one but since I have one (or more) in each size I like keeping it.

So after all that, I think a full size is perfect for an every day carry gun. The compact is a good choice for a CC gun if you want to carry it in your pocket. One thing I would change is the spurred hammer on the compact model. It can snag on your clothes as you extract it from your pocket. I don't think it was really designed for pocket carry but works very well. As long as you have a good belt the stainless model isn't too heavy to carry, much like many 1911's.

I do carry other guns like the H&K USP for added capacity 12+1 but prefer the P220.

SPRINGFIELDMAN-21 said:

Thank you 45 that post had a ton of info. I dont know if im gona go with a 40 or not i may just stay with 45. I already have 2 why not keep goin :lol:. I just found a gun range near me that rent guns so i'll let yall know how it goes once i do. And very nice pistols 45

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I went with a used P226 (got a real deal) to have another caliber. I have considered picking up another P226 in 9mm (used also) just to have something in case the SHTF.

Other than caliber diversity I carry and shoot 45acp 99% of the time (except when training my daughters). I prefer stocking a single caliber but as I mentioned before sometimes 45acp can be rare on shelves.

I don't know all the history but the P220 and P226 are basically the same gun so you will be happy with either.

As I tell many on the forum, you don't only have to buy/own one gun. If you like two you can get both! If you decide you don't like them at some point you can always sell them. If you take care of them you may lose 100-200 off the intial purchase price but if you rented them at $25 a pop that is 4-8 trips to the range.

The nice thing about P220's and P226 is that they can both take the same holsters (SERPA included) so I decided to go with a stainless P226 rather than some other 40s&w because I liked SIG and wouldn't have to buy another set of holsters to carry it.

Good luck!

ETA: If you buy a holster for the Sig get a holster that holds the full size. My first purchase was the carry model and I bought a couple holsters. Then I got the full size stainless and the nose stuck out of all the hoslters. :-( Serpa is only sold in the full size length which is fine although my Match version sticks out the bottom of that. If you put a Carry version in a full size holster you will have a half inch or more of space at the bottom but who cares.

For .40 I'd go with a 229 which was developed specifically for the round.

I'm fired a few. Not a huge fan.

I carry a Sig SP2022. It's a bit of a rarer breed that doesn't get much love because it's got a polymer frame instead of the standard metal frame. People boo-hiss polymer frames on anything other than a Glock, apparently.

I got my Sig because it met my criteria for an entry level handgun: DA/SA trigger, hammer fired, de-cocking lever, and around $400. The SP2022 is offered in 9mm and .40S&W, I opted for the 9mm because of cost and availability issues with the .40S&W round in my area. Holds at best 15 rounds in the magazine, but the SP2022 can't use the larger capacity mags used by other Sigs (beware). The 15 round mags are available and easy to get a hold of, but they don't come cheap.

Like most of us, I'm constantly thinking about increasing the muzzle energy on my PDW. Most 9mm's in full size frames will hover around (a little above maybe, generally below) the 400 ft. lb. mark, so I will eventually upgrade. Probably to a FN FNP .45, since its characteristics are very similar to the SP2022, but carries 15+1 rounds of .45 ACP instead of 9mm. I should point out that since we OC it's not difficult to carry a full size gun daily; if you CC you may want to consider smaller, lighter handguns because CC of a full sized handgun can be bothersome without the right rig. That's why I love my maxpedition bag. :banana:

My EDC is a Sig P6, which is a single stack 9mm, easy to carry open or concealed. The P220's in 9mm are noticeably larger than the P6 and I don't know why Sig ever made that model. I know of a Pawn shop that has a P220 in 9mm in really good shape if anybody is looking.

The 2022 is also a very good gun. The 229/228 and P225/P6 are all very close in size. The P226 is larger. I personally would go with a P229 in 40 S&W, then pick up an aftermarket barrel in .357 sig. The only bad thing I can say about Sigs is figure on paying around $50 a mag, and stay away from the aftermarket mags as they just don't work.

I don't think you can go wrong with a sig

Thanks guys thats a lot of good info.

TrailRunner said:

<snip> ... so I will eventually upgrade. Probably to a FN FNP .45, since its characteristics are very similar to the SP2022, but carries 15+1 rounds of .45 ACP instead of 9mm.

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I also have a FNP-45 and it shoots well. It is like a Sig P220 married an H&K USP and had a child. My only complaint is a SERPA holster isn't available for it yet. For $600 it is a great gun for the price.