Sig P226 Review: Tactical Gourmet

A jaunty violin tune frolics through the US SOCOM loadout room.

“Pardon me,” implores one heavily bearded operator to another. “Do you have a P226?”

“But of course,” replies a similarly manscaped specimen, handing over a Sig Sauer MK25—the amphibious warfare variant of the P226.

With that…

The violins crescendo. Our operators proceed to operate in operational harmony—their Sig P226 pistols bringing a tasteful sense of refinement to clandestine battlefields the world over.

Yes, the Sig Sauer P226 is the wondernine of choice for discerning connoisseurs of tactical finery. With it, comes an air of elitism that few production-grade handguns—even the illustrious HK USP—can match.

I’ve owned two P226s in my career as a gun hipster (and a pile of other P22X Sigs). And I think they’re _ucking great. No sarcasm. No BS. No coy double entendres.

Sig P226s are just good. That’s the indisputable truth. So, if that’s what you’ve come here for, “thank you, come again.”

BUT the fact remains…

Dijon mustard really isn’t anything fancy, if we’re being honest. And, in lieu of that deliciously abstruse metaphor, let us address the all-important question the gun hipsters of Earth yearn to understand.

What makes the Sig P226 hipster worthy?

Functional yet refined, the Sig P226 exemplifies “good taste” in combat handguns—though its original recipe prioritizes substance over flavor.

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Carl Jung often spoke of the “collective unconscious”—a hidden layer of vague, preconceived ideas that we all share, as human beings. If there’s a collective unconscious for gun hipsters…

The Sig P226 is definitely up in that b!tch.

Holding a legit West German P226 feels quintessential. It taps into some deeply engrained archetype of what it means to be “tactical.” It feels solid. It feels tough. Yet it also feels refined… exuding a sense of utilitarian elegance that the early Sigs capture so well.

It makes Glocks seem cheap. It makes 1911s seem petty.

The slide racks with effortless efficiency. The trigger breaks with cool, crisp confidence. Everything about it feels precise and purposeful. Just holding it… nay, wielding it… you think to yourself…

“Man, this is what a combat pistol is SUPPOSED to feel like!”

Then, you shoot it.

And it’s…

It’s…

Well…

Just fine.

Understated Excellence

Okay, “anticlimactic” feels a bit melodramatic.

But still… there’s a part of me that expected some sort of religious experience the first time I shot a P226. Yeah, it’s smooth. Yeah, it’s accurate. Yeah, it’s soft shooting and remarkably composed under recoil.

But there’s no fire in my loins, man. It’s just a nice, well-made gun with excellent accuracy and superb reliability.

And… surprise, surprise…

That’s exactly what the good folks of Neuhausen am Rheinfall designed it to be.

Amen to the P210

To gun hipsters, the Sig P210 is like the 9mm messiah.

In its pious Swiss perfection, we see… an ideal. A moral imperative. A glimmer of hope, for the salvation of our errant shot groupings. The P210 stands alone as a peerless beacon of pretentious, Germanic, over-engineered redemption.

Almost exclusively hand-made (by enchanted Swiss gnomes), the OG P210 was painstakingly engineered for unmatched accuracy. Rumor has it… the holes in Swiss cheese are made with P210s. From 100 meters. One handed.

Yeah, the P210 is the end-all, be-all hipster pistol—I’d even put it ahead of the HK P7 in the cosmic pecking order of hipster guns.

Unfortunately, I can’t _ucking afford one. And, by the early 1970s, neither could the Swiss Army. Plus, the P210 was single action only… which just wasn’t groovy anymore in the ’70s.

Practical Tactical

So, Sig went to work on a new pistol.

One that could strike an acceptable balance between quality and affordability. To achieve that, Sig’s engineers—led by Eduard Brodbeck and Walter Ludwig—implemented 4 key design elements that saved major $$ with minimal loss of Swiss awesomeness:

A slide made from folded sheet metal.
HK’s P9S pioneered the use of stamped / folded construction in 9mm pistols. But Sig’s approach refined the execution, utilizing a simpler, boxier design and a pinned-in breech block that contained the breech face and firing pin.
A barrel that’s “squared off” near the breech.
So it can lock into the ejection port. This eliminated the need for concentric barrel lugs, which were notoriously complex in terms of machining/fitting—especially on a gun made to exacting tolerances, like the P210.
Interestingly, Sig did not invent this concept; English engineer William John Whiting did, for Webley’s early semi-autos. Here’s a link to the 1906 patent.
A Hi Power-style barrel cam.
Instead of using the P210’s “closed-slot” cam path, Sig’s new design used an open-lug setup, more like what’s on a Browning Hi Power—probably because it’s easier to machine. It’s worth noting the CZ-75 continued with the P210’s closed-slot approach.
Charles Petter’s bushingless muzzle design.
On his M1935a pistol (which inspired the P210), Petter used a sloped aperture in the slide to support the barrel while allowing it to tilt. This precluded the need for a separate bushing—which would have to be independently machined / fit for accuracy.

Combining these 4 features with an alloy frame and a decockable DA/SA action (thanks, Sauer!), Sig had a thoroughly modern 9mm service pistol that wouldn’t break the proverbial Swiss bank.

They called it the P220. Which went on to sire the entire line of P22X-series pistols.

*My P220 before I sold it—.45 P220s were intended for the US market, whereas European P220s were mostly 9mm*

Unlike the P210, the new generation of P22X pistols would be branded “Sig Sauer”—because the Swiss had a little help from their friends at JP Sauer & Sohn, in Eckernförde Germany.

Now, I get the sense most of the P220’s design DNA came from Sig, in Neuhausen Switzerland. That said, the iconic Sig Sauer decocker is clearly a hand-me-down from the Sauer 38H pistol, used in WWII (though the 38H’s lever would also cock the gun). So, it’s safe to say Sauer was involved with the design to some degree.

Of course, Sig Sauer pistols were mainly manufactured by Sauer in Germany, to get around Switzerland’s export laws.

*The P22X cam design moved away from the P210’s “closed slot” to an “open slot” (the .45 barrel is from an* *IMI Barak)—note the square-breech lockup on the Sig and IMI pistols*

Defining a Legacy

In 1975, the Swiss Army formally adopted the 9mm P220 as the P75. Thus, the P210’s era of blissful hand-fit accuracy had come to an end. Sadly, the enchanted gnomes had to find other jobs (mainly in loansharking) and the cheesemakers had to stand a little closer.

But not much. Despite its plebian stampings and blocky profile, the P220 could still bullseye sh!t like a bauss. The “square breech” actually locked up tighter than a traditionally lugged design, unless there was extensive fitting / accurizing going on (as with the P210).

And that brings us to an important point about the Sig Sauer design…

The P22X pattern became the de-facto template for virtually all subsequent semiauto pistols.

How many pistols have you seen lately that DON’T use: 1. a square-breech lockup; 2. a Hi Power-style cam; and 3. a bushingless muzzle?

There’s a few, yeah. But not many. I guess folded slides aren’t really a thing anymore—but CNC machining these days is probably cheaper than… umm… folding a slide.

Anyway…

At the end of the day, the P220 incorporated all the BEST ideas for tilt-barrel pistols into one, simplistically elegant platform. Honestly, I don’t think Sig Sauer gets enough credit, in that regard.

*The quintessential Sig Sauer pistol—with period-correct grips*

Oh, and one more thing…

Sig also designed a .45 version of the P220 for Americans. They basically never sold the 9mm P220 in the states. Which kinda sucks. But don’t feel left out, my fellow Americans—the next part of this story is allllll about us.

Attack of the Double Stack

In the early 1980s, the US Military announced their desire for a new high-capacity, DA/SA service pistol. And every gun company in the world had the same thought:

“Cha-Ching.”

Now, I’ll preface this by saying, “I wasn’t there.” I wasn’t in the meetings and the brainstorm sessions. And, honestly, details on the development of Sig Sauer products are kinda scarce. Nevertheless, I imagine it went something like this—but in German:

“So, the Americans want a new high-cap, DA/SA service pistol. Beretta already has one.”

“Bro, just put a Browning Hi Power mag on the P220. We should be good, right?”

“Cool. Yeah.”

I mean, I’m sure there were other engineering considerations. But… yeah. That was basically it. And by 1981, Sig Sauer had a fully functional prototype of a double-stack P220.

They called it the P226.

XM9 on the Line

The XM9 trials are steeped in myth, legend and viscous globs of unqualified hearsay. Nevertheless, I will posit one unequivocal truth about the trials, as a whole:

As of 1984, the Beretta 92 and the Sig P226 were the ONLY two pistols worthy of the contract.

That’s about as close to a “fact” as Renee Descartes will let us get. In terms of reliability and durability, both guns were light years ahead of all the other competitors. And they’re both hella accurate.

Now, within those two outliers… was one better than the other?

There’s this unofficial “soft-consensus” that the Sig P226 is better than the Beretta 92. You don’t have to look too far into forums, YouTube, blogs, etc. to glean that sentiment. I mean, the Navy SEALS (for instance) refused to adopt the Beretta and insisted on the P226.

That’s gotta mean something, right? Then again, there’s evidence to suggest the SEALS were using over-pressure ammo that caused their Berettas to fail, prematurely.

I’ll say this…

In basic reliability testing, BOTH the Beretta 92 and the P226 fired 1,000 MORE rounds between stoppages (on average) than the next closest competitor. But hold up, bro… the P226 fired 1,000 MORE rounds between stoppages than the Beretta.

Mean rounds between stoppages, 1984 (Source: ‘86 GAO Report):

S&W 459: 434
Beretta 92: 1,750
Sig P226 (SACO): 2,877

Now, I’m guessing that’s just shooting under “normal” conditions. Because in mud tests, the 92 did better than the P226. Especially in the dry mud test (dry mud is _ucking dirt, right??). The 92 also demonstrated a slightly higher service life in the 1984 tests.

I dunno, man.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to the notion that one is “better” than the other. Personally, I think the army made a good choice, in adopting the Beretta 92 as the M9. And I think anybody who’s honestly used both platforms will tell you they’re both excellent pistols.

Well, except maybe the SEALs who ate broken Beretta slides for breakfast.

Speaking of Navy SEALs…

The Bomb dot SOCOM

In 1989, the US Navy SEALS adopted the Sig P226 as their standard-issue sidearm (dubbed the MK25). And, from the anecdotal “evidence” I’ve encountered, they were very happy with the pistol—which stands in contrast to Army reports, which often bemoaned the Beretta M9.

But, keep in mind… SEALs are high-level gun people with high-level gun skills; many Army recruits have zero experience with firearms. Plus, SOCOM units have a smaller number of guns to maintain and repair. And the DOD didn’t cheap-out on mags for Sigs, like they did on M9s.

So…

While the M9’s reputation suffered, the P226 ascended—unscathed—into the lofty firmament of tactical legend. “Sig” became an icon of the elite.

Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, everyone saw Beretta 92s festooned across movie screens. But those who knew… knew that special forces favored the P226. As a brand, Sig Sauer lay just beyond the fold of “common knowledge”—and that made the P226 seem even more cool.

When I was getting into guns, I wanted Sigs.

While Glocks got mad hype in the ‘90s, Sigs stayed just far enough outside the spotlight to retain an air of exclusivity. Sigs were classy operator / agency pistols. Sigs were German. Sigs were expensive… but not too expensive.

In that sense, Sig Sauer became the BMW of the gun world. Bougie, but still mainstream. And once Jack Bauer carried that two-tone Sig P229 (which occasionally became a P228), that was the pretty much the apex of Sig Sauer’s monopoly on tacticool sh!t in the early 2000s.

But before you slather that tactical Grey Poupon everywhere…

Let’s not forget that the Sig Sauer P22X platform was designed to be simple, affordable and functional.

Functionally Fantastic

In fact, if I was allotted one word to characterize the definitive essence of Sig Sauer handguns, I’d choose “functional.” But “functional” doesn’t mean “bad.”

And in the case of Sig P22X pistols…

“Functional” feels precise.

“Functional” feels accurate.

“Functional” feels solid and dependable.

“Functional” feels satisfying—in a stoic, no-BS kinda way.

And when I get this 1988 P226 in my hands—oozing with old-school German quality—all the candidly captivating attributes of “functional” come to life.

*Creepy elves notwithstanding, a P226 in your hand feels like old-school quality*

Tactical Machine

Taking aim with a P226, you’re imbued with a sense of purpose.

The broad, curvaceous grip melds seamlessly with the contours of your palm. The monolithic slide sits high above your hand, projecting a certain “mechanical majesty.” And when your fingertip comes to rest against the impressively tidy SA wall…

It feels like you’re part of a machine. A machine designed to do tactical sh!t, with tactical precision, in a tactically efficient way.

BANG!

No, it’s not gonna change your life. No, it doesn’t alter your consciousness or reach into your soul. It’s clean. It’s efficient. It’s transactional. Yet, in its own “Sig-ish” way…

BANG! BANG!

…it begs you to keep shooting.

The break is so crisp, it’s almost brittle. The succinct snap seems to say, “shoot me again”—just as the addictively clicky reset pushes your finger back to the break. I love the trigger on a Beretta 92, but it’s hard to say the SA break on the P226 isn’t better.

BANG! BANG!

The recoil? It almost disappears.

Into a soft jeté of muzzle rise. “Bore axis” critics tend to miss the bigger picture: more rise means less recoil energy gets imparted to the hand… at a slight cost in shot-recovery time.

And I mean slight. The sights recover naturally and effortlessly.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

You know the recoil is there. You know the muzzle is tipping back. But it’s seamless. It’s transparent. It’s almost…

Weightless.

A Pistol of Few Words

Whereas a Beretta 92’s recoil seems to flow—with a tangible sense of buoyancy—shooting a Sig can feel like you’re in a sensory-deprivation tank. Even the floaty “kerchunk” of a Ruger P89 offers a more communicative experience, in my opinion (don’t get me wrong—I love the P89.)

With a Sig, there’s just less information encoded into the recoil impulse. Less context. Less feedback. And sometimes…

You find yourself wondering why your last shot didn’t group with the others.

No doubt, it’s you. Not the gun. But a Sig is a man of few words when it comes to expressing tactile cues for accuracy. A Sig expects you to do your job; it ain’t gonna tell you how. One exception is the Sig P245—it gives you a big bubbly recoil impulse with feelz 4 daaayz. In that, it stands out among Sig Sauer pistols.

Of all my ‘80s wondernines, I’d say my Walther P88 Compact (also designed by Walter Ludwig) feels most like the P226 in terms of shooting dynamics—it has that cool, functional, no-nonsense disposition. In fact, I’d say the P88c has even more of a “clinical” feel than a Sig. Though I do think the P88 platform has slightly higher potential for accuracy, in an absolute sense.

*Engineer Walter Ludwig had a hand in designing both pistols—as well as the* *Walther P5*

Nevertheless…

My last range trip with this P226 yielded some of the most consistently accurate shooting I’ve done in recent memory. Holes stacked on holes. The bullseye on my target ceased to exist. The gun shot like a proverbial laser beam. It was _ucking glorious.

But it took a few trips to get those results.

And… it also took G10 grips. But not just any G10 grips.

Real Grips Have Curves

I swore off double-stack Sigs for a few years. I even sold my first P226, back in 2019. And while Sigs represent my “first love” in handguns, the truth had become painfully clear:

I shot Berettas better.

In addition to its uniquely intuitive recoil dynamics, the Beretta 92 just works well for my teeny-weenie hands. The trigger reach is shorter (in both DA and SA) and the backstrap is straighter—thus, when I grip a 92, I feel like my hand gets INTO the gun…

…whereas I feel like I’m ON TOP of the gun when I grip a P226/P229. It never quite feels like I’m in absolute control (P239s, P225s and P245s are a different story).

Hogue’s “Contour Classic” G10 grips change that.

*Hogue’s “Contour Classic” G10 grips offer a subtle curvature on the sides*

Obviously, any G10 grip is going to be incredibly… grippy. Especially with Hogue’s “Piranha” texture. But the Contour Classic grips have more of a “curvaceous swell” on the sides. This gives your support hand more “meat” to push against when you’re stabilizing the pistol.

Once I threw the Hogue CCs on my P226, I couldn’t miss with the damn thing. I have the same grips on my P229. And while I find the P229 ever so slightly less accurate than the P226, it’s pretty much the same deal:

POA = POI = one ragged hole

*After switching to the Contour Classic grips*

Double-Action Distraction

By default, all early Sigs—like this P226—use a steel hammer strut with a steel mainspring seat. Which… how should I put this…

Kinda sucks.

I mean, it’s not terrible. But the pull is heavy and feels somewhat inconsistent through the stroke. In a way, the DA trigger on this P226 has what I’ll call a “reverse stacking” effect: it hesitates at the beginning of its motion, then skips to the break. It’s manageable. It’s useable. And it’s still probably better than what you’d get on a Beretta 92F from the same era.

But it’s not as good what you’d get from Smith & Wesson. Smith had their DA game on lock, back in the day.

However, getting a good DA pull on classic Sigs is easy.

Just order a “new-style” hammer strut and seat (search HAMMER-STRUT-8 and MAINSPRING-SEAT-2—most P22X Sigs will take the same parts). The new-style seat is plastic, and the new-style strut is some kinda glossy metal—both parts greatly reduce friction as the mainspring compresses. You can also order a lighter hammer spring from Wolff. But I’ve heard not to go below 19 lbs., lest you have light-primer strikes.

I performed this swap on my 1982 Sig P6, and it made a world of difference. And I’ve no ignition issues with the 19 lb. spring.

West German in Your Waist

Yeah, the P226 is big. And it’s heavy. You know this: it’s an ‘80s service pistol.

But it’s not terrible to carry. Even IWB.

While the slide isn’t as thin as what you find in a Smith & Wesson 5906 or an FN HP-DA, the P226 is waaay thinner than a Beretta 92 or a Ruger P89. And, thus, I find it more “carry friendly” than either of those.

The P226 does have a slightly longer grip than just about all its contemporaries, however. So, from that standpoint, it’s probably not quite as concealable… but it is reasonably comfortable.

If you want to carry a 1980s-style wondernine, the Smith 5906 is probably your best bet. Size wise, it’s more in line with a P229 or P228—with a thinner slide, to boot.

But you’re not here for insights on how a 40-year-old service pistol carries. If you’ve come this far, you’re here for…

Existential closure on corny culinary metaphors.

Tactical Gourmet?

Grey Poupon is good mustard. No doubt. Even after 40+ years, it still holds up.

Yet…

Despite what the iconic ads of the ‘80s and ‘90s have engrained into our collective psyche…

Grey Poupon is really nothing fancy. It’s a mainstream product, with a simple recipe that serves its purpose extremely well. And probably always will.

Just like the Sig Sauer P226.

If you want the most elite, most refined, most “snob-tastic” wondernine money can buy… get a Walther P88. If you want a wondernine that harkens back to a more “civilized” age, with a classically elegant silhouette… scrounge up an FN HP-DA / BDA9.

But if you want a wondernine that’s just plain, _ucking good. If you want a wondernine that makes no excuses, takes no sh!t and wins gunfights. If you want a wondernine feels like quality and shoots blow-your-mind groups with calm, collected efficiency…

You want an old-school Sig P226. And trust me…

You want an old-school Sig P226.

Thanks so much for reading.

What are your thoughts on the Sig Sauer P226? Experiences? Opinions? Scathing condemnations on my review? Feel free to share below…

#hiptac