Golly, almost another whole month since last post! When I started this blog I was hopeful it would be more like new content once a week instead of once a month, but with family life taking its toll I figure from here on I'll just post on whichever one of my interests I'm focused on when the time and inclination arise. I at least had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, some of it spent playing Dynamix's Red Baron which is definitely something I'll come back to here. Right now, in the middle of the patriotic summer transition (this weekend coinciding with the anniversaries of both the D-Day and the Battle of Midway), it should be appropriate to review a line of handguns that virtually created a class all its own and has served well in militaries and police agencies of both the U.S. and all over the world.
The Swiss Confederacy is known not just for its boutique craftsmanship (wristwatches) and defining a step above consumer product (chocolate), but the tooling innovations that have played part in securing its staunch independence and neutrality for half a millennium. The Swiss army knife is a key example, pioneering the concept of the pocket folding multitool long before it became vogue among civilians. While its economic system (and consumer prices) is what can be expected of a landlocked nation in the heart of the First World, poor product coming from Switzerland is such a rare occasion that it has not even been worth the mention of history. Whether made in Switzerland, Germany or the United States, every firearm in the SIG Sauer line has earned a place as a step above the rest in accuracy and overall value even if it costs that much more to reach.
SIG has supplied the Swiss military with their precision tools that has made any potential aggressor rethink trying to subdue the alpine nation. Their standard service rifles are complicated builds, yet they achieve accuracy that puts other countries' designated marksmen and even sniper rifles on notice. The same defined the last SIG-designed service pistol before their collaboration with German firm Sauer & Sohn: complex, expensive, but so accurate a pistolman equipped with one would have a fighting chance against an enemy combatant several tens of meters away using a submachine gun. The stocked version of the Browning Hi-Power may have been optimistically-equipped with tangent sights out to several hundred meters, but it was the SIG P49/P210 that demonstrated it could deliver 9mm at distance with potent accuracy.
I still own merely one of SIG Sauer's P-series pistols yet that alone was enough to make me a fan of the platform. While in the 21st century saw SIG transition to the less-expensive polymer frame trend adopted by other firearm giants such as Smith & Wesson and Ruger, unlike those others SIG still produces plenty of viable options for shooters (like yours truly) who have reason to shun plastic semi-autos. They are often compared to fellow Central European gunmaker Glock since the Glock and SIG pistols target the same military and consumer markets; albeit Glock is defined by all frames polymer and making their reputation for pistols like that of Kalashnikovs for rifles: cheap but diehard reliable. Drifting toward Glock's design direction may have been what enabled SIG to finally provide a winner for the U.S. military handgun contract, but unlike with the poorer ergonomics of Glock pretty much anyone who has ever used a SIG has loved it.
What prompted coming back to talking about this interest is the fact that among SIG's more recent U.S.-made offerings is a couple new versions of what pioneered their modern handgun line: the P210. There are few single-stack 9x19s more expensive, but fewer still that have a prayer at matching its uncanny accuracy (even more so the older commercial Swiss variants that chamber the lighter and faster .30 Luger). This modern offering is geared more towards the precision target market, but its military roots run deep and it is most certainly effective for self-defense. While being made in the USA allows it to finally be offered for a price accessible to regular consumers, it is still far more expensive than its successor which would define nearly all the remainder of SIG's service pistol line.
The SIG Sauer P75/P220 was made to fill the exact same role as the P210 just with less complexity and expense at the cost of a marginal loss of accuracy. The Swiss military seemed to take a great deal of time understanding pistols were not that viable as precision fight-stoppers in field combat conditions, having been the only significant power of note to keep the old .30 Luger/7.65x21 Parabellum as service standard for a long while. That being said, there is no doubt what prompted replacement of the P210 was its enormous cost for a service pistol and the need to keep up with the rest of the world. While the unofficial NATO standard service pistol of the time was the Hi-Power and there was no immediate need for its replacement (today the Glock line has seized that honor, though for various reasons there has never officially been a standard weapon for all of NATO anyway), the P220 can be rightfully seen as a further successor to John Moses Browning's innovation with some Swiss-German craftsmanship added to the equation.
The business dealings that led to the formation of SIG Sauer and development of the P-series service pistols are details for anyone to look up for themselves. What is sufficient to note is SIG is one of those European arms companies that has a U.S.-based branch not only for importation but domestic production: a boon for Americans who want access to the brand quality while supporting domestic manufacturing. As a result of this SIG has gone in many directions to cater to the lucrative U.S. arms market, developing one of the richest lineups of semi-automatic pistols available today.
The P220 and its derivatives were where SIG Sauer pistols came into form in the U.S. but, like with many other gunmakers, the model nomenclature is somewhat arbitrary and disorderly. In general the pathfinders can be considered in each category that which ushered-in the design purpose from the martial to enforcement applications and the variety of ways they are used around the world: P220 for single-stack, P226 for double-stack, P230 for compact, and P250 for modular. As my own interest does not involve polymer frames, ruling out the Pro through 365 series including the U.S. military M17 & M18, that leaves for the SIG P-line the following:
P210: high-end Parabellum caliber single-stack; adopted as Swiss P49
P220: full-size heavy caliber single-stack; adopted (in Parabellum caliber) as Swiss P75
P224: compact Parabellum caliber double-stack; non-military market only, now discontinued
P225: compact Parabellum caliber single-stack; adopted as German P6
P226: full-size Parabellum caliber double-stack; adopted as American Mk25
P227: full-size heavy caliber double-stack; non-military market only, now discontinued
P228: carry-size Parabellum caliber double-stack; adopted as American M11
P229: carry-size Parabellum caliber double-stack; original design platform for .357 SIG caliber
P230: compact concealment caliber single-stack; derivative of Walther PP, never made in U.S.
P232: compact concealment caliber single-stack; upgrade of P230, only ever made in Germany
P238: subcompact concealment caliber single-stack; 1911-style design/operation for U.S. market
P239: compact Parabellum caliber single-stack; seen on N.C.I.S. TV shows as their agency issue
P245: compact heavy caliber single-stack; replaced with/remarketed as P220 Compact
P290: subcompact Parabellum caliber single-stack; later variant made in concealment caliber
P938: subcompact Parabellum caliber single-stack; basically a Parabellum version of the P238
Definitions of terms (specifically in regard to SIG pistol trends, not other manufacturers) used follow:
Full-size: standard frame with 4.4-inch barreled upper
Carry-size: standard frame with 3.9-inch barreled upper
Compact: reduced frame with uppers barreled around 3.5 inches
Subcompact: reduced frame with uppers barreled around 3 inches
Heavy caliber: .45 ACP, 10mm Auto
Parabellum caliber: 9x19mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG
Concealment caliber: .32 ACP, .380 ACP
A few more things to note: 1) SIG sells kits to convert several models (of all calibers and sizes) to fire .22 Long Rifle caliber; 2) related to #1, a few SIG models have been sold chambered for .22 Long Rifle by default but can just as easily be converted to combat caliber with another type of kit; 3) while SIG's 1911 line would technically fall within the purview of my interest I cannot speak on them due to lack of personal experience handling any though I've read mixed reports of their quality (by 1911 standards they are far more consumer-grade than premium).
While I have yet to shoot a P220 I want to because having shot a P226 multiple times tells all that's needed about what to expect. While a full-size single-stack may seem quaint to pretty much everyone outside the world of 1911s, the high-momentum punch of a .45 or raw power of 10mm makes sense in that fewer (or even none at all, just showing a well-built piece like the SIG) rounds ought to suffice to end a defensive scenario, and SIG themselves appears to have acknowledged this as discontinuation of the double-stack P227 due to low market performance showed the demand for a couple more rounds in the magazine simply wasn't there. Online reviews have consistently-rated the P220 as superior to all but a few brands of premium-grade 1911s, and while it was originally-meant to chamber 9mm for military use it would seem to be one of the few ideal homes for the newer and more powerful 10mm. It is worth noting the P220 was chambered in other calibers including .38 Super and .30 Luger, but these variants were all made overseas, are long-discontinued, and for the current American market the P220 is best thought of as designed for the heavier semi-auto calibers.
The P226, originally-made to compete in the American XM9 service handgun trials which would be won by a variant of the Beretta 92, is basically a double-stack variant of the P220 but may have gone on to have an even bigger impact on further developments (not to mention greater acceptance for service use) than its progenitor. What was explained away about the quaintness of single stacks in regard to heavy calibers last paragraph actually holds true for 9mm Parabellum and more recent calibers that can work in frames designed for 9mm: they simply don't hit as hard as a .45 (or at least that was the case with bullet technology back in the 80s and 90s) so greater quantity and velocity is desired in these calibers (especially if any kind of barrier penetration is called for). How 10mm evolved into .40 S&W is a story its own, but what is more pertinent to the subject at hand is that .40 S&W was developed further by SIG itself to launch perhaps the hardest-hitting 9mm pistol slug to find success on the mainstream market: .357 SIG. Performance-wise it is essentially an enhanced remake of Colt's Browning-derived .38 Super (itself still a viable caliber though really only in 1911 world today), but its stated purpose was to provide magnum performance out of a Parabellum frame and, unlike .38 Super, it delivers on that promise with its lightweight factory loads. Whether such performance is needed in the first place is for the buyer to decide, but it sure is nice to have that option.
Speaking of options, that leads to perhaps the key matter that attracted yours truly to SIG: modularity is not a new thing to the platform but in the shrinking world of all-metal handguns SIG does it perhaps better than anyone else. From their history it should be clear modularity was not part of the original SIG design (not surprising since until the past few decades it wasn't a part of anyone's firearm design), but it got worked in after the fact so well SIG definitely can stand toe-to-toe with Glock on that front. As this is, again, a focus only on the all-metal models, the capacity to convert among full-size, carry, and compact is an asset that will not be hashed further because it only exists in the polymer-framed P250 (hammer-fired) and P320 (striker-fired) series. What does exist is caliber flexibility which, thanks to SIG now, I no longer even consider the purchase of a full-size or compact handgun unless it has the viability of conversion to at least one other caliber: a big plus as this past year showed with the availability of primary calibers becoming scarce.
The older P220 is the tougher nut to crack, the only official conversion kits being for switching between .45 and .22. While unofficially a conversion between 10mm and .45 is possible with the upper half plus one extra part it apparently necessitates: 1) the base frame must be the steel 10mm as the alloy-framed .45 is not rated to withstand 10mm pressures; 2) because of #1, only a standard full-size conversion is possible (target-size .45 compatibility unknown but unlikely); 3) dimensional part differences call for switching between each caliber's locking insert, not a quick or simple job; 4) because this is all unofficial count on a warranty void if done. While I have no firsthand experience with the P220 from what I gather I cannot sanction it or any other SIG single-stack for modularity: get either a 10mm or .45 and stick with it (though with the latter you at least have the option of switching for a threaded barrel).
It is the P226 I got because, in its contemporary iterations, it is designed with caliber modularity in mind. I am uncertain how this idea is holding up to SIG as it appears all Parabellum calibers save 9mm have been discontinued as of this year (apparently COVID was tough on SIG too). If that is the case I can consider myself fortunate as only being able to choose among factory ammo (and desiring the cost-effectiveness of standard pressure loadings) means I still prefer greater power than stock 9mm and that is exactly what I have in my P226 which can convert between .40 S&W and .357 SIG with nothing save a barrel change. If, for the sake of ammo price and availability, I were to tread towards 9mm, among the options still available are uppers in that caliber compatible with my existing frame (some including an integrated SIG Romeo red dot sight; one can never have too much accuracy). Still, that is just one consideration: even full-size SIG barrels (except those on the P210 and other Target variants) top off at 4.4 inches which is adequate for all kinds of defensive use but shorter than ideal for 9mm. Hence why .357 SIG is my carry preference: it was designed for the 3.9-inch barrel of the P229, the longer P226 offering only better performance equivalent to about 9mm fired out of a 16-inch carbine. And if ammo availability beckons such, the more common .40 S&W is still a superb defensive carry that sacrifices little.
Compatibility chart compiled by pdugue on the SIGTalk forums. Now for some caveats regarding compatibility (when it comes to firearms safety is always #1). This is, of course, assuming you can find the means of exchanging these calibers in the first place, but even if SIG itself discontinued all but 9mm I still see alternative factory barrels available online. It can be seen, technically, that a 9mm barrel and magazines plus recoil spring can turn a .40 or .357 P226 into a 9mm, however the fitting will be less than exact and it is recommended to get a complete 9mm slide assembly as well (plus it will keep the sights tuned properly to the caliber); the reverse is not as readily-doable because the breech face on the 9mm slide is too narrow for a .40 or .357 barrel. Note also, if you happen to have a P229, the slightly different set of rules than for the P226: the .40/.357 to 9mm exchange explained last sentence is not possible due to the different build of the P229 and at the very least a third party barrel with compatible breech width is required (but a complete slide assembly is still recommended to avoid any inexact fitting leading to performance issues). One thing only touched on but not elaborated is the availability of threaded barrels; if you happen to own a silencer, a recommending preparation for protecting hearing should a defensive shooting have to take place indoors, SIG makes silencer-ready barrels in .45 for the P220 (as well as the late P227) and 9mm for the P226 and several other models.
Which leads to the last aspect about SIGs I'll cover in this post. Several years ago SIG entered the 1911 market to mixed reviews (everyone including China's Norinco makes 1911s these days), however sometime in that process they acquired the tooling for the compact .380 Mustang from Colt, using it to create their 1911-inspired P238 model. The P238 stood its own for years as an adept conglomeration of 1911 design and SIG engineering in a concealed carry that would be considered ideal if not for the fact that during this time the trend was gaining towards subcompacts in 9mm over the same in .380; apparently people thought more stout recoil in such a tiny package was worth the extra power of a round with greater proven stopping power, an argument for another time and place. The point here is SIG adapted with their highest-numbered model on the market today: the P938. But rather than just rechamber the design into Parabellum caliber (something certain people have urged Walther to do with the PPK but had to be declined because the nearly century-old design would have to be remade from the ground up for that large a round), SIG grew and reinforced the design so there is little addition of felt recoil relative to the P238 and the longer 3-inch barrel is about ideal length for 9mm factory loadings geared towards short barrels. It is not the only subcompact 9mm 1911 out there with stiff competition in the field from 1911 veterans Kimber and Springfield plus a resurgent Colt who decided to reintroduce the Mustang at some point afterwards; however it is different enough to be competitive option, has a trigger guard mounted laser specifically-made for this model to add that edge in accuracy, and suppressed (the P938 is one of their models for which SIG offers a factory threaded barrel) it would make an ideal nightstand gun (think Type I Tactical using the criteria from my previous post).
There is a SIG for anyone's purpose and each one is time-tested Swiss-German quality (backed by a lifetime warranty on the rare occasion something does go wrong). While they can be awkward to carry in some forms, albeit less so than their Glock neighbors, how well they shoot and function makes it all the more worthwhile. SIG Sauer is not what I've shot the most in my lifetime, but I am nevertheless an unapologetic fan of theirs and look forward to them supporting the old-school all-metal handgun trend for years to come. Official U.S. website: https://www.sigsauer.com/
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