SIG Sauer pistols are well known for their world class, state-of-the-art, “to hell and back” reliability and the SP2022 is no exception. It is likely the most under appreciated gun in the SIG Sauer lineup with most of the attention going to the P-series pistols. The SP2022 is every bit as good. It is a polymer framed gun built with quality. It is rugged and it is reliable. God’s own Gunsmith, Bruce Gray carries the SP2022 in .357 SIG as his duty pistol. A man that can build anything he wants has great confidence in his SP2022. That speaks volumes. Whats more, it is not as expensive as the other SIGs. Lockup is solid with very little slide-to-barrel and slide-to-frame play. Slide operation is smooth with no noticeable stiffness.

The original design was the SIG Pro 2009. The newer version of this pistol has a standard accessory rail on the underside of the frame. As far as I can tell, most of the parts in the SP2022 are the same as those of the SIG Pro 2009. For instance, they both use the same 15 round magazine and changeable grip plates.

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The gun reviewed here is a DA/SA pistol. Because of the innovative design, you can easily convert it to DAO by simply changing the fire control unit (a $40 part at the time of this review).

There is also a compact version of the SP2022 but I do not believe it is available in the United States.

Ergonomics

At 7.4 inches long, 5.31 inches high and a 3.85 inch barrel, the SP2022 is roughly the size of a Colt Commander. However, because the SP2022 is a high-capacity gun holding more rounds, it is noticeably wider than the Commander. The SP2022 is 28.87 oz. with an empty magazine inserted.

For many shooters, the SP2022 has a very comfortable grip. The front of the trigger guard and the front strap are both serrated. The grip assembly can be changed to a different size to fit your hand. Trigger reach in double-action (DA) mode is good.

The SP2022 reviewed here came with standard factory tritium night sights, giving us a clear sight picture in both normal and low light conditions. The sight picture appears as three green dots and are aligned when the dots are in an evenly spaced row. Although the sights are well regulated from the factory, both the front and rear sights can be drifted for windage.

The trigger was very smooth. In single-action, 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 - as good as the SIG Sauer P226 and one of the smoothest you’ll see on a auto loader.

Field Stripping the SP2022

The SP2022 is relatively 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, pull the slide back about 1/8 of an inch until the slide recess notch lines up with the tab on the slide catch lever, with your left hand, press on the slide catch lever shaft from the right side of the frame and remove the slide catch lever from the left side of the frame, while holding the slide firmly, let it move forward slowly. 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. To remove the grip plate, press the retaining lug on the inside of the magazine well. You only need to remove the grip plate if the pistol is extremely dirty. The pistol is now field stripped and ready for cleaning.

Shooting the SIG Sauer SP2022

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 1.78 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

For shooters familiar with the Colt 1911 and other Browning-style pistols like the Browning Hi-Power, the controls on the SP2022 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 SP2022 is a very good pistol with better than average shootability. It may be too large for some in a concealed carry role. However, I am able to easily appendix carry this pistol in an IWB holster on a quality gun belt with shirt un-tucked.

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