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SIG Sauer P226

Pistol

The SIG Sauer P226 evolved from the previous P220 pistol. It was developed in the 1980s and was mainly aimed at the US military requirement for a new sidearm to replace the venerable Colt M1911 pistols and Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolvers. At the time the venerable M1911 pistol was in the US service for nearly 70 years. The US military finally decided to procure a new sidearm, chambered for 9 mm Parabellum ammunition, which would also have a high-capacity magazine. The US Department of Defense decided that a new pistol would be standard across all five branches of the US forces, including the US Army, US Marine Corps, US Navy, US Air Force and US Air Force strategic missile crews. The US military trials began in 1982 and were completed in 1984. The finalists were SIG Sauer P226 and Italian Beretta 92FS. Only these two pistols nominally passed all of the technical requirements of these trials and outperformed many other formidable contenders from Colt, Fabrique Nationale, Heckler & Koch, Smith & Wesson, Steyr and Walther. The US military ended up in a virtual deadlock over which pistol to buy. The tie was finally broken only by a slightly more generous deal for Beretta's magazines. Eventually an Italian Beretta 92FS won the competition and was adopted by the US military as the M9 in 1985. Even though the SIG Sauer P226 lost this competition it quickly became one of the most popular service pistols. It is widely used by the military, police and security forces around the world. It is used by the US Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshalls, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and a number of other operators. It is also used by elite forces such as the British SAS. The P226 pistol was used by the US Navy Seals for three decades. This weapon is also popular among civilian shooters. By 2015 this pistol was still produced in Germany and in the USA. The SIG Sauer P226 is generally similar to the previous P220 except a slightly different shape and higher capacity double-stack magazine. This pistol has a short recoil system with a locked breech operation. This pistol was initially available chambered for 9x19 mm Parabellum ammunition. Later other .40 S&W or .357 SIG calibers were introduced. It is worth noting that the P226 was the first pistol chambered for the .357 SIG. It is a 9 mm high velocity round, that offers high penetration. The P226 comes with double action, or double action only trigger. This pistol has a built-in firing pin safety. There are no manual safeties. There is a decocking lever at the left side of the frame. It is worth noting that double action only version has no decocker. The P226 is available with standard aluminum, or stainless steel frame. Pistol with 9 mm caliber with aluminum frame weights 870 g, while version with a stainless steel frame is heavier and weights 1 180 g. The 9x19 mm version of the SIG Sauer P226 uses double stack 15-round capacity magazines. Extended capacity 20-round magazines are also available. Versions chambered in .40 S&W and .357 SIG use 12-round capacity magazines. Magazine release button is reversible. The P226 proved to be a durable, reliable and well-made weapon. This pistol is available in a number of versions. There are Chinese and Iranian (PC-9 ZOAF) copies of this weapon.