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Posted on 05/27/2025 12:59:01 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
Key Points - The SIG Sauer P226, a 9mm DA/SA pistol, became the trusted sidearm of US Navy SEALs (as the Mk.25) for over thirty years after they experienced issues with the Army-adopted Beretta M9 in the late 1980s.
-Though the P226 initially lost the military's MHS competition to the Beretta due to cost, the SEALs independently selected it for its superior reliability, corrosion resistance crucial for maritime operations, smooth trigger, and excellent tritium night sights.
-Renowned for its robust construction and dependable performance in numerous combat zones, the P226 solidified its reputation as an outstanding combat pistol.
The Sig Sauer P226 was a favorite of the Navy SEALs and other government agencies for over thirty years. While they have finally moved on to the Glock 19, the reasons for the pistol's popularity are apparent to anyone who relies on it to protect their lives in combat.
As I’ve mentioned several times in different pieces here, Sig Sauer makes outstanding firearms. I have always been a big fan of theirs, especially the P226. It is yet another fantastic handgun that has it all. In fact, the Sig should have been chosen as the military’s next service pistol when the beloved M-1911A1 was retired.
However, the Beretta 92F was chosen over the Sig Sauer P226 because it was cheaper. Remember the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”.....
However, Big Army wanted a weapon that would fit shooters with smaller hands, so it switched to the 9mm caliber used by our NATO allies. The test was conducted between the Beretta 92F and the Sig Sauer P226. Not surprisingly, the Sig won the test......
Beretta dropped its bid by 18 percent. Beretta was awarded the contract, and the M-9 pistol was chosen.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
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Other than the problems with the 320, Sig makes some great guns.
The US Army broke out it’s stored Colt single action .45 Long Colts when 126 years ago it was found the .38 Colt would not stop a doped up moslem Juramentado in the Philippines.
Only problem was the Army had started using, for a short time, the Schofield revolver in .45 short and was still issuing the “short .45” to the soldiers now with .45 colt revolvers.
It still put down the Juramentados.
That is why the army went to the .45 ACP in 1911.
The Sig P-226 is a great firearm, it was designed by gunmakers, the Beretta M-9 was designed by a committee.
Ironically Sig did the same thing to Glock when the Army selected the P320 over the Glock 19X for the M17 contract. Glock beat the Sig, but the Sig was lower cost.
James Bond loved his Beretta. But alas, MI-6's armorer thought it was a "ladies' handgun." So M forced Bond to switch to a Walter PPK.
My Sig 229 is my bedside gun, just because it has proven itself to be so damn reliable. Not that I feel my other handguns aren’t reliable, but there is just a level of comfort from spending a lot of time on the trigger with a lot of different ammo, it my 229 eats everything I feed it.
But I’m also one who appreciates the Beretta 92FS/M9 as well. If anyone has one and wants to fine-tune it, I would highly recommend Langdon Tactical for the spa treatment. For me, Glock is a long way from “Perfection”.
The only semis I still own are Sigs. Never had a failure of any kind in any of them. That includes 2 guns in .38 Super which can be a finicky cartridge.
Don’t they use the Glock, like a lot of
Special ops do?
It’s “Walther”, not “Walter”. Blame autocorrect.
The P226 is balanced for firing. Like the barrel doesn’t move up a bit using regulation ammo. Makes putting multiple rounds into the bullseye at 25M a breeze. Easy to qualify as Expert - Pistol.
Expert Pistol Looks good on the Class A uniform and helps with promotion.
Shhhhh... I was Expert even with M203 and hand grenade. Had to remove them after a year of course.
The 203 was fun at Graff and WildChicken using the larger HE rounds.
I saw that, but didn’t the SEALs switch to Glock a decade ago?
I loved mine TOO until the frame thinned out between the rails (where the slide meets the frame)to the point the TOPS of the rails were about to break off.
I’d owned that pistol since a tour of duty in Germany in the early 1980’s.
LONG conversation with SIGARMS gunsmiths and “lifetime warranty” people went like this:
You put HOW many rounds through that gun?
Maybe one to two thousand a year.
For 30 years? That’s WAY beyond “lifetime” use. The best we can do is give you dealer’s cost on a new one.
Well I still own my grandfather’s 1911 made in 1914 and I have put at LEAST 5000 rounds through it myself and it’s still as tight as a new gun.
Silence.
So I bought a new one and sold the old parts for about half the price.
Still a SIG fan; they and 1911’s work for me ergonomically. Glocks never do, FWIW.
CZ-P-01: lighter, smaller, greater mag capacity, more accurate/reliable, cheaper, very attractive to ammo
(chuckling in Czech)
The P228 (aka M11) is a compact version of the P226 used by the military and other government agencies.
Until you've used a Walter against an enemy, you just don't know its awesome power.
My EDC CCW for the last 12 years has been my Beretta 92F simply because it’s the straightest gun I shoot.
Always wanted a 226.
As far as weight and bulk, how do they compare with regards to IWB carrying?
I wear suspenders to help holding up the 92F in a Black Rhino holster. Works great.
Could anyone who’s carried the 226 IWB chime in, please?
Lots of nice, if overpriced, suppressors on the sig site. Are these things legal yet?
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