CZ claims that the CZ 75 “is used by more governments, militaries, police and security agencies than any other pistol in the world“. I’m not sure how true that is but the pistol has a very healthy number of clones. Examples are the Baby Desert Eagle, EAA Witness/Tanfoglio and Armalite AR-24. CZ itself has a family of guns based on the CZ 75 design. Competition versions, compact versions, decocker versions, double-action only, single-action only, ambidextrous, all steel, stainless steel, alloy framed, and polymer framed.

The CZ 75 Compact is a DA/SA pistol with a manual frame mounted thumb safety. This allows you to carry the pistol in condition one (round chambered, hammer cocked and safety on). To fire the pistol, flip the safety off and you are ready for a single-action first shot. Otherwise, you can simply carry the pistol in condition two (round chambered, hammer down). To fire the pistol, you simply squeeze the trigger for a double-action first shot. Subsequent shots will be single-action. Surprisingly, on the CZ 75, you will not be able to engage the safety when the hammer is down.

The CZ 75 Compact has a squared trigger guard, rounded hammer, serrations on the top of the slide to reduce glare and an automatic firing pin safety.

Ergonomics

The gun is 7.3 inches long, 5.0 inches high and 1.4 inches wide. Barrel length is 3.9 inches with a twist of 1 turn in 9.7 inches. It is roughly a little smaller than a Browning Hi-Power, with the length of the slide being shorter. The CZ 75 Compact has a very comfortable grip and is well balanced. The front of the trigger guard is serrated. Factory grip panels are black checkered plastic. Identical to the CZ 75B, trigger reach in double-action mode is good.

The sights are well regulated and provide a decent three-dot sight picture. The front sight is dove tailed and retained by a roll pin. The rear sight is dovetailed into the slide, retained by a friction fit and can be drifted for windage. Controls are easy to reach and right where you would expect them. The thumb safety, mounted on the left side of the frame is at the rear. The slide release is just forward of the thumb safety and the magazine release button is on the left side at the rear of the trigger guard.

The trigger was not the smoothest. In single-action, the trigger broke at just over 6 pounds. There was considerable take-up, and some noticeable creep with a little over-travel. Just before the trigger breaks, there is noticeable caming between the sear and the hammer. The double-action pull was around 11 pounds with noticeable drag. After dry firing the pistol a few hundred times with the included snap caps, the trigger did smooth out nicely.

Field Stripping the CZ 75 Compact

The CZ 75 Compact is easy to break down for cleaning but it may take a few times before it feels natural. Make sure the gun is unloaded. Lock the slide back on an empty magazine (or push the slide stop up while pulling the slide back until it locks). Remove the magazine. To remove the slide, line up the “marks” on the left rear side by pushing the slide back about 1/2 inch (the marks are vertical lines, one on the frame and one on the slide). Hold the slide in this position and press the slide stop pin inward until flush with the frame on the right side of the pistol. On the left side, you’ll now see the slide stop protruding up from the frame. Grasp the slide stop, then pull it up and out of the gun. While keeping some pressure on the the slide with one hand (so it won’t fly off the frame), let the slide slowly go forward. The slide can now be taken off the frame. The slide assembly consist of the slide, recoil spring guide, recoil spring and the barrel. Remove the recoil spring guide and recoil spring. Remove the barrel. The pistol is now field stripped and ready for cleaning.

Shooting the CZ 75 Compact

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 1.9 inches with Winchester, 115gr FMJ ammunition. Point shooting (meat on metal) produced lethal hits. There were no malfunctions of any kind.

Critical Items

The CZ 75 Compact comes from the factory with a magazine brake (a piece of bent spring steel inside the magazine well). This prevents the magazine from falling free after the magazine release is pressed. The magazine only drops about a quarter of an inch and must be pulled out. You may not like this feature. It is easy enough to fix, however. You can remove the magazine brake, carefully bend it until it is flat and reinstall. Or, you can fashion a flat version from sheet metal. Either way, magazines will be able to drop free. Now you can do those speed reloads.

Because the slide rides on the inside of the frame, much like the Swiss SIG P210, you’ll notice that the slide serrations for racking the slide are somewhat smaller in height compared to other guns. The slide being inside the frame vs. outside the frame is supposed to make the gun more accurate by creating tighter tolerances. Because the slide is of a lower height, compared to something like a Browning Hi-Power, it is a little more difficult to grasp when cycling by hand. It is not terrible but there is a difference.

Conclusion

The CZ 75 Compact in 9mm is a very solid, all steel pistol that performs well with above average shootability. It is a smaller gun that shoots like a bigger pistol. For a double stack pistol, with a shorter frame, the grip feels amazing. For concealed carry, you’ll need to carry this gun in a quality holster on a quality gun belt.

A high-impact polymer framed pistol, the Glock design is that of a short recoil operated Browning system. Lockup is tight with almost no noticeable movement between the slide and barrel. The barrel locks to the slide in the ejection port, similar to SIG Sauer P-series pistols.

You won’t have to worry about hammer bite. There is no hammer. The pistol is striker-fired. There is no manually operated thumb safety or decocking lever. The “Safe Action” trigger system provides a safety using a wide outer trigger with a smaller spring-loaded inner trigger. The gun will not fire unless the inner trigger is pressed flush with the outer trigger. The spring-loaded firing pin safety in the slide blocks forward movement of the striker. It is disengaged by the trigger bar as the trigger is pulled to the rear. Before the trigger is pulled, the firing pin spring was already lightly compressed when the striker was cocked. Full compression of the firing pin spring takes place when the trigger is pulled to the rear. Removal of pressure on the trigger before the firing pin spring is fully compressed will return the firing pin spring to light compression. Continued pressure, however, moves the firing pin fully to the rear and fully compresses the firing pin spring. The trigger bar is moved to its final rearward position in a stepped safety notch so that it is free to drop away from the connector and release the firing pin (which fires the round). The connector also serves as a disconnector. As the slide returns to battery the connector is pushed away from the trigger bar to prevent another round from being fired (until the trigger is released enough for reset and pulled again).

The slide is CNC milled from solid bar stock and a very hard Tenifer finished. This finish is as good or better than stainless steel and more corrosion-resistant than hard-chrome.

The hammer-forged barrel has Hexagonal rifling with a right hand twist of one turn in 9.84 inches. Compared to traditional lands and grooves rifling, Hexagonal rifling is intended to provide a better gas seal, produces more consistent velocity and be easier to maintain.

Both the large ejection port and the large claw extractor in the slide greatly enhance the pistol’s functional reliability. Tension on the extractor is provided by a spring-loaded plunger.

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Ergonomics

At 7.4 inches long, 1.18 inches wide, 5 inches high and a 4 inch barrel, the Glock 19 is a little smaller than a Colt Commander. Even though the Glock 19 uses a high capacity magazine, the grip fits normal-sized hands well and there are no separate grip panels adding width. However, because the Glock 19 is a high-capacity gun holding more rounds, it is noticeably wider than the Commander. The Glock 19 is 23 ounces with an empty magazine inserted.

For many shooters, the Glock 19 has a comfortable grip. The grip angle of the 19 is the same as that of the 17 and is noticeably steeper than other pistols. The front of the trigger guard, front strap and rear strap are serrated. The front strap is finger grooved.

With Trijicon night sights, you get 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 for elevation, the rear sight can be drifted for windage. Sight radius of the 19 is 6 inches.

The trigger is very consistent and breaks at 5 pounds. There is a short take-up, but no noticeable creep and very little over-travel.

Field Stripping the Glock 19

You’ll notice that, while somewhat different, the Glock is relatively easy to disassemble for cleaning. Make sure the gun is unloaded. Remove the magazine. After you have verified that the chamber is empty (and not before then), pull the trigger. Wrap the four fingers of the right hand over the slide from the right side with the thumb wrapped around the rear of the frame and retract the slide about an 1/8 of an inch. If you retract it too far, you will reactivate the trigger and will need to pull the trigger again. Pull the slide lock downward with the thumb and index finger of the left hand. While the slide lock is down, push the slide forward. The slide can now be taken off the frame. Remove the recoil guide and spring. Remove the barrel. The pistol is now field stripped and ready for cleaning. To disassemble the magazine, squeeze the side walls at the base and slide off the floor-plate.

Shooting the Glock 19

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 1.4 inches with Winchester, 115gr FMJ ammunition. Point shooting (meat on metal) at 3 yards produced lethal hits. The polymer frame soaks up felt recoil and the muzzle heavy pistol quickly comes back on target. There were no malfunctions of any kind.

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Critical Items

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.

New magazines will drop free from the Glock 19, however, after some use, they may set with a bulge and require removal by hand.

The new-in-box Glock 19 with Trijicon night sights I purchased was not so “perfect” out of the box. The first problem I noticed after getting the gun home was the front Trijicon night sight. When I got it in a low light area, I realized it was completely dead. The next problem I encountered… the rear Trijicon sight was set too far right in the dovetail. This is how the gun came from the factory and I can only imagine that it must have been built on a Friday.

Fortunately I was able to handle both of the problems without the need to ship the gun off. I installed a replacement front sight and adjusted the rear sight for windage. Good thing I had a sight tool onhand, the local dealer doesn’t seem to be interested in helping its customers beyond the initial sale.

Conclusion

The Glock 19 is a very good pistol with better than average shootability. It is compact, light weight and easy to shoot making it well suited for concealed carry. It is easily appendix carried in a IWB holster with shirt un-tucked.

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SIG Sauer Airsoft Guns

Sig Sauer Full Metal P226 Gas Blowback Pistol


Sig Sauer Full Metal P229 Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol


Sig Sauer S552 AEG Electric Airsoft Gun Black 445 FPS

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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SIG Sauer Airsoft Guns

Sig Sauer Full Metal P226 Gas Blowback Pistol


Sig Sauer Full Metal P229 Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol


Sig Sauer S552 AEG Electric Airsoft Gun Black 445 FPS

CZ claims that the CZ 75 “is used by more governments, militaries, police and security agencies than any other pistol in the world“. I’m not sure how true that is but the pistol has a very healthy number of clones. Examples are the Baby Desert Eagle, EAA Witness/Tanfoglio and Armalite AR-24. CZ itself has a family of guns based on the CZ 75 design. Competition versions, compact versions, decocker versions, double-action only, single-action only, ambidextrous, all steel, stainless steel, alloy framed, and polymer framed.

The CZ 75 is a DA/SA pistol with a manual frame mounted thumb safety. This allows you to carry the pistol in condition one (round chambered, hammer cocked and safety on). To fire the pistol, flip the safety off and you are ready for a single-action first shot. Otherwise, you can simply carry the pistol in condition two (round chambered, hammer down). To fire the pistol, you simply squeeze the trigger for a double-action first shot. Subsequent shots will be single-action. Surprisingly, on the CZ 75, you will not be able to engage the safety when the hammer is down.

The CZ 75B was introduced in 1993 with the main differences being a squared trigger guard, rounded hammer, serrations on the top of the slide to reduce glare and the addition of a automatic firing pin safety (which is what the B designation represents).

Ergonomics

The gun is 8.1 inches long, 5.4 inches high and 1.4 inches wide. Barrel length is 4.7 inches. It is roughly the size of a Browning Hi-Power, with the length of the grip being a little longer. The CZ 75 has a very comfortable grip and is well balanced. The front of the trigger guard is serrated. Grip panels are black checkered plastic. Trigger reach in double-action mode is good.

The sights are well regulated and provide a decent three-dot sight picture. The front sight is pinned. The rear sight is dovetailed into the slide and can be drifted for windage. Controls are easy to reach and right where you would expect them. The thumb safety, mounted on the left side of the frame is at the rear. The slide release is just forward of the thumb safety and the magazine release button is on the left side at the rear of the trigger guard.

The trigger was not the smoothest. In single-action, the trigger broke at just over 6 pounds. There was considerable take-up, and some noticeable creep with a little over-travel. Just before the trigger breaks, there is noticeable caming between the sear and the hammer. The double-action pull was around 11 pounds with noticeable drag.

Field Stripping the CZ 75

The CZ 75 is easy to break down for cleaning but it may take a few times before it feels natural. Make sure the gun is unloaded. Lock the slide back on an empty magazine (or push the slide stop up while pulling the slide back until it locks). Remove the magazine. To remove the slide, line up the “marks” on the left rear side by pushing the slide back about 1/2 inch (the marks are vertical lines, one on the frame and one on the slide). Hold the slide in this position and press the slide stop pin inward until flush with the frame on the right side of the pistol. On the left side, you’ll now see the slide stop protruding up from the frame. Grasp the slide stop, then pull it up and out of the gun. While keeping some pressure on the the slide with one hand (so it won’t fly off the frame), let the slide slowly go forward. The slide can now be taken off the frame. The slide assembly consist of the slide, recoil spring guide, recoil spring and the barrel. Remove the recoil spring guide and recoil spring. Remove the barrel. The pistol is now field stripped and ready for cleaning.

Shooting the CZ 75B

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 1.75 inches with Winchester, 115gr FMJ ammunition. Point shooting (meat on metal) produced lethal hits. There were no malfunctions of any kind.

Critical Items

The CZ 75 comes from the factory with a magazine brake (a piece of bent spring steel inside the magazine well). This prevents the magazine from falling free after the magazine release is pressed. The magazine only drops about a quarter of an inch and must be pulled out. You may not like this feature. It is easy enough to fix, however. You can remove the magazine brake, carefully bend it until it is flat and reinstall. Or, you can fashion a flat version from sheet metal. Either way, magazines will be able to drop free. Now you can do those speed reloads.

Because the slide rides on the inside of the frame, much like the Swiss SIG P210, you’ll notice that the slide serrations for racking the slide are somewhat smaller in height compared to other guns. The slide being inside the frame vs. outside the frame is supposed to make the gun more accurate by creating tighter tolerances. Because the slide is of a lower height, compared to something like a 1911, it is a little more difficult to grasp when cycling by hand. It is not terrible but there is a difference.

Conclusion

The CZ 75B in 9mm is a very solid, all steel pistol that performs well with above average shootability. For a double stack pistol, the grip feels amazing.  Shooting this gun always puts a smile on my face. For concealed carry, you’ll need to carry this gun in a quality holster on a quality gun belt.

Slide to frame fit is noticeably looser than other SIG Sauer pistols. Many P239 owners report that the slide on their P239 rattles when they rock the pistol side-to-side. This seems to have no noticeable impact because the same owners report it is highly accurate and reliable. That has been my experience as well.

Specialized concealed carry versions of the P239 are known as the P239 SAS (SIG Anti-Snag). SAS treatment is basically a dehorned stainless steel slide, SIG-logo wood grips and a DAK trigger system. SAS Gen 2 guns are outfitted with a DA/SA Short Reset Trigger (SRT), night sights and plastic grips.

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Ergonomics

At 6.6 inches in length, the SIG Sauer P239 is roughly the size of a Colt Officers Model. For many shooters, the SIG Sauer P239 has a comfortable grip. The front strap is serrated and helps to maintain a positive grip on the pistol. 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. If you have small hands, you might benefit from the installation of a short trigger. The slide on the 9mm P239 is different from the slide found on the .357 SIG/.40 S&W versions. Slide serrations on the 9mm P239 are half-height while the .357 SIG/.40 S&W gun are full-height.

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, 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 auto loader.

Unlike other SIG Sauer models, the P239 magazine release is not reversible.

Field Stripping the P239

The P239 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 P239

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 2.25 inches with Winchester, 115gr FMJ ammunition in the 9mm P239. Point shooting (meat on metal) both guns at 3 yards produced lethal hits and 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 P226 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.

With a barrel length of only 3.6 inches, the 9mm P239 can get a bit of extra velocity back by using +P ammunition, otherwise, standard pressure ammunition will get the job done.

Conclusion

The SIG Sauer P239 is a very good pistol with better than average shootability. Although there are slimmer guns on the market, the P239 is well suited for concealed carry. You will want to carry this firearm in a quality holster on a quality gun belt.

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SIG Sauer Airsoft Guns

Sig Sauer Full Metal P226 Gas Blowback Pistol


Sig Sauer Full Metal P229 Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol


Sig Sauer S552 AEG Electric Airsoft Gun Black 445 FPS

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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SIG Sauer Airsoft Guns

Sig Sauer Full Metal P226 Gas Blowback Pistol


Sig Sauer Full Metal P229 Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol


Sig Sauer S552 AEG Electric Airsoft Gun Black 445 FPS

If not a beauty, the P226 is all business.  It is well known for its world class, state-of-the-art, “to hell and back” reliability.  At it’s introduction, the P226 was considered by many experts to be the best of the “wonder-nines.”  The initial design of the P226 was basically that of a SIG Sauer P220, changed to use a 15 round double-stack magazine holding 9×19mm ammunition.  To this day, it is one of the world’s most reliable combat auto pistols. Lockup in the P226 is solid with very little slide-to-barrel and slide-to-frame play. Slide operation is smooth with no noticeable stiffness.

Only the SIG Sauer P226 and Berretta 92F completed the XM9 Service Pistol Trials conducted by the U.S. Army in 1984. It is worth noting that the P226 in 9mm has, for a considerable time, served with the U.S. Navy SEALs. The P226-Navy is a version of the P226 produced to the specifications of the pistols supplied to U.S. Navy SEALs, including special phosphate corrosion-resistant finish on internal parts, contrast sights, and a slide engraved with an anchor.

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The SIG Sauer P226-Blackwater is a version of the P226 developed for Blackwater USA, featuring night sights, distinctive engravings on the slide, wood grips and five high-capacity magazines.

The SIG Sauer P226 X-Five is a competition version of the P226 intended for IPSC competitive shooting. When introduced, it was the first model of the P226 to feature a ambidextrous safety and single-action-only (SAO) trigger. It has a 5 inch barrel, beavertail grip, adjustable target sights, ambidextrous thumb safety, flared mag well and high-capacity magazines (19 rounds of 9mm) and adjustable trigger.
 

Ergonomics

At 7.7 inches in length, the P226 is roughly the size of a Colt Commander.  However, because the P226 is a high-capacity gun holding more rounds, it is noticeably wider than the Commander.

For many shooters, the P226 has a very comfortable grip.  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, the trigger broke at just over 4 pounds. There was considerable take-up, but no noticable 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 auto loader.

Field Stripping the P226

The P226 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 SIG Sauer P226

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 1.72 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 familar with the Colt 1911 and other Browning-style pistols like the Browning Hi-Power, the controls on the P226 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 P226 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 P226 in a IWB holster on a quality gun belt with shirt un-tucked.

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