Topic: Sig 226, 228, 229

[obscurem]

Had a chance recently to spend some range time with a Sig 226 and I have to say for my shooting it was the most accurate and smooth shooting pistol I've ever shot. I've been considering switching to the Sig platform for my defensive pistols and for shooting IDPA. Most of my experience shooting auto-loaders has been with XDs which I  still love, and have shot decently well with in competition. That being said, the Sigs are seeming like more of a natural pointer for my personal shooting.  It seems they have a good reputation for reliability but I was hoping to get some experiences from previous/current owners here as I'm quite confused as to why I've never seen a Sig at an IDPA match.

[ekuo]

My guess is:  Pistol with a DA/SA trigger vs a pistol with striker-fired trigger competing against each other in the same division.  In IDPA, if your pistol is DA/SA that is how you have to start.

[birddog1989]

I bought a 226 a couple years back from a friend of mine that needed the money.  I just recently started playing with it and put a short reset trigger in it.  I like the difference it made.  Is yours a standard trigger or a DAK trigger.  I'm speculating the reason you don't see them at matches is because of the double action/single action trigger pull, but that's just a guess.

[obscurem]

I've only had a chance to play with the standard DA/SA version but if I go Sig I'm certainly considering a SRT upgrade as a must, I've been able to check out the reset on a 229 Elite with SRT at a shop and it seems to make a large difference. That first DA pull is definitely tough coming from a background of shooting striker fired pistols, this is really the only thing I didn't like about the experience. I was generally still able to keep in the black on the targets I was going for at 10 yards but I was still pulling the shots pretty hard to the left, I'm hoping with some practice it wouldn't be horrible.

[zona5101]

 I'm speculating the reason you don't see them at matches is because of the double action/single action trigger pull, but that's just a guess.

This ^^
You don't want two different trigger pulls. You want the exact same pull each time.
When I started shooting IDPA I only had one gun...a Sig P239 in .40. I took a class from Steve Broom and he pretty much told me that if I wanted to get serious about shooting to get a different gun.
I still have that Sig and carry it occasionally because it is an excellent weapon but I don't shoot matches with it.

[birddog1989]

Yeah DA/SA can be a pain in the ass.  I put a reduced power mainspring in my 226 to help reduce the DA a bit.  I didn't go overboard with it though.  A stock Sig mainspring is about 24 pounds and I went with a Wolf 20 pound.  Still want to put more rounds down range to make sure I don't have any ignition problems.  If I was going to buy a Sig right now I would look at one of their single action only guns or the DAK just for consistency.  I am happy with the accuracy and reliability of the gun would use it for a duty gun without much heartache.

[obscurem]

Thanks all for the input, I haven't made a decision yet but I am starting to understand that it is a pretty heavy training obligation to commit to a DA/SA platform, especially when I already have a lot of comfort with my XDs. I might need to see about looking into a few of their SAO models to see if that is a good compromise.

[sidaemon]

I started out in competition with a p226 and shot one for almost 2 years, and in my experience the da/sa trigger thing was not too big of an issue for me. One note that I've seen with the p226 is that the quality has backslid ALOT in the last few years. If you're thinking of buying one I would look for one of the older ones as the frame and slide seem to be a whole lot higher quality. My dad recently bought a p226 elite, and when it came in I compared it side by side with my German one, and the difference is definitely there. I saw one in a shop a couple months ago that had a big ol shiny notch in the frame from the freaking decocking lever.

If you like the p226 and are looking to buy a new one you may want to consider the p226 X-5. It's the big ol competition model and it looks like it has some solid improvements. Its a lot more expensive and the only model they have that is IDPA legal would be the Tactical model (which you would most likely want anyway because it uses the same inexpensive magazines as the p226).

[junkie]

I had a tough time DA/SA p220 but shot well enough. I got a SA P220 and still have it I shot my first IDPA state match with.

[AR10ER]

Sig made a single action only pistol, I don't know if they still do though.

[berg]

Sig still makes a single action 226X5 in a couple configurations, had one in .40 they are a little heavy, but they do rock!  the $1300 version is very nice, the $1600-1700 dollar version is very nice with an adjustable trigger and fancy wood grips.  They are very very smooth and very accurate.

[JollyRoger]

I carried a P229 9mm for a year in the desert and never had any reliability issues (it was kept clean though) and a few years before that I had a personal P229 in .40 that also was very reliable.  I dont think you'll have any issue with accuracy or reliability from a SIG, just keep it clean and it should serve you well.  As for using it in IDPA...I think everyone else made good points on why you dont see them very often.  That said if you like it and shoot well with it I wouldn't let the DA/SA thing hold you back.


Cheers.