The initial design of the SIG Sauer P228 was basically that of a SIG Sauer P225, changed to use a 13 round double-stack magazine holding 9×19mm ammunition.   Lockup in the SIG Sauer P228 is solid with very little slide-to-barrel and slide-to-frame play. Slide operation is smooth with minimal stiffness.

The P228, no longer in production for the civilian market, is still in use by the U.S. military as the M11.  This includes Army CID,  Air Force OSI, NCIS as well as Navy and Marine Corps flight crews.

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Ergonomics

For many shooters, the SIG Sauer P228 has a very comfortable grip. If you have large hands, the grip may feel a little short. The front of the trigger guard and the front strap are both serrated. Because the frame does not have a rear strap, the left and right grip panels wrap around and meet at a small seam.  Trigger reach in double-action (DA) mode is good. 

The standard factory sights, known as the “Von Stavenhagen” type, give the shooter a clear sight picture.  It appears as a white dot (front sight) and bar (rear sight). The sights are aligned when the dot is placed on top of the bar (think ‘dot the i’).  Although the sights should be well regulated from the factory, both the front and rear sights can be drifted for windage. 

The trigger was very smooth. In single-action (SA), the trigger broke at just over 4 pounds. There was considerable take-up, but no noticeable creep and very little over-travel. The double-action pull was around 10 pounds and extremely smooth - one of the smoothest you’ll see on a DA auto loader.

Field Stripping the P228

The P228 is very easy to break down for cleaning. Make sure the gun is unloaded. Lock the slide back on an empty magazine (or push the slide catch up while pulling the slide back until it locks). Remove the magazine. To remove the slide, rotate the mounting lever downward on the left side of the frame. While keeping some pressure on the the slide with one hand (so it won’t fly off the frame), release the slide catch and let the slide slowly go forward. The slide can now be taken off the frame. The slide assembly consist of slide, recoil spring guide, recoil spring and the barrel.  Remove the recoil spring guide and the recoil spring.  Remove the barrel. The pistol is now field stripped and ready for cleaning.

Shooting the P228

Shooting was done at The Indoor Shooting Company in Tampa, Florida. Five round strings were fired at 7 yards unsupported on a 1 inch circle target.  Group size averaged 2.2 inches with Winchester, 115gr FMJ ammunition. Point shooting (meat on metal) at 3 yards produced lethal hits. There were no malfunctions of any kind.

Critical Items

If you are more familar with the Colt 1911 and other Browning-style pistols like the Browning Hi-Power, the controls on the P228 will likely seem unnatural.  The slide catch is where you would normally find the safety and the decocking lever is where you would normally expect the slide release.  In a gunfight this would become a problem unless you fully familiarize yourself.

As with any bottom feeder,  make sure that the magazine is always fully seated and the catch is positively engaged, otherwise you’ll likely experience feeding problems when the slide attempts to strip off the next round.

 

Conclusion

The SIG Sauer P228 is a very good pistol with better than average shootability.  While it may be too large for some in a concealed carry role, I am able to easily appendix carry the P228 in a IWB holster on a quality gun belt with shirt un-tucked.

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