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Sig 226 advice

Hello all,

I'm looking at picking up a 226 but I'm not sure what variant.

Is the SAO as good as a good 1911 trigger?

Do all 226's use the same internals?

Any advice appreciated!
Mine isn't as good as a good 1911, that said, they are good pistols, but a bit large. I actually prefer my 229, I shoot it just as well, but I like the feel of the 229 .
 
If it’s a 1911ish trigger from an Sig you seek, the P210 is the answer.

P226 is still a great gun, semi-huge and heavy like a Beretta 92, similar trigger-feel too.

Both are from a time long ago, when Sigs were known for shooting good instead of shooting on their own. 😝
That 210 looks sweet. For some reason, I’m wanting a 226.

Have you ever played with a Sig with a Grey guns kit on it?
 
SAO is definitely the way to go on the p226 in my opinion...not as good as a nice 1911, but still very good. I have shot the DA/SA back to back with my SAO and I much prefer it. I really love mine.

XPzQOAS.jpeg
 
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That 210 looks sweet. For some reason, I’m wanting a 226.

Have you ever played with a Sig with a Grey guns kit on it?

Sorry, it’s been 10+ years since I’ve handled a Grey Guns Sig, and while I do remember them being nice, CZ Shadows had already hit the scene and were already taking over as far as big metal guns with slick triggers were concerned (in USPSA/IDPA circles anyway).
 
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Hello all,

I'm looking at picking up a 226 but I'm not sure what variant.

Is the SAO as good as a good 1911 trigger?

Do all 226's use the same internals?

Any advice appreciated!
You talking about a new p226 or a used one? And what for? The range or to carry etc?

I am not a pistol guy, but if I bought another pistol I think it’d be a P226. It felt amazing in hand and like how reliable it was in military testing.

I believe the Mk25 variant has some better corrosion resistance than the others as it’s the navy seal version. The Legion variants I’ve seen have a finish that wears easily.
 
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The SAO models have very good triggers with extremely short resets but a quality 1911 trigger is better. That being said, grayguns can do some amazing things with a DA/SA model. He reworked my P226 Legion DA/SA and its easily my favorite gun. Just an fyi....in my humble opinion the P229 variants are better. You do not gain enough from the extra inch of barrel to make the weight worth it.
 
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The classic P-series P226 are pretty good platforms. Negatives, big grip circumference with a long trigger reach for many, and DA/SA take a bit of getting used to just like the Beretta 92M / F series.

I like the P229 better, in particular the lesser known P229C (compact) which is the full size P229 frame with 3.5" P224 slide length.
The .357 sig variant is hard to beat for DA/SA on a lot of levels. The 226 and 229 share the same magazines.

Up-thread someone asked the critical question......what is it going to be used for.

A few of examples from the load-out room.


IMG_1170 2Sig P226 NSW Mk24 Mk25 Group Photo copy.jpg
IMG_0434 2Sig P229R Sig P229C & Holsters 04.11.25 copy 3.jpg
IMG_4818 2 2Sig Hk Mk23 Mk24 Mk25 Mod0 Group Photo .jpg
 
I adore classic hammer fired Sigs, and the P226 is my all time favorite pistol. You have great taste. The best version IMO is the Legion SAO. The trigger is phenomenal out of the box - very crisp, minimal creep, extremely short reset. It's not a 1911 trigger, but what is?

I sent my pistol to the Sig Armorer for a carry level trigger job, which lightened the pull a bit and took out that last bit of creep. Now it's pretty much 95% of a good 1911 trigger, and still completely reliable. I would definitely recommend the Sig Armorer (Robert Burke). I have never had a failure of any kind with this pistol after many thousands of rounds.

Here is my 226. It is my nightstand gun, and I would bet my life on it.

PXL_20250605_020601458.jpg
 
Good morning,

Thanks for all the replies. My use case is a range toy and nightstand gun. I’ve got other pistols for carry and such.

I’m thinking I might try to pick up a used da/sa and put the full Grey Guns kit on it. If I could put that together for $1500 or so I’d be happy with it.
 
I have 5300 rnds thru the Blackwater, ~ 10% supressed. Quiet is always more enjoyable.
How about the Sig-rig for optic & light in the day. Needed to us a bulky canvas LBT London Bridge Trading holster.
Grip modules and slide optic cut-outs were not options.


Sig P226 Blackwater with Coffee Photos 2020IMG_7218 copy 3.jpg
IMG_1189Sig P226 Blackwater Original Grips 06.01.25 copy.jpg
IMG_0743Sig 226 Blackwater copy 2.JPG
 
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I'm a fan of the DA/SA P226 pistols. I have no interest in the SAO line. If I wanted a SAO pistol I'd go with a nice 1911 or 2011.

I think the factory P226 trigger is perfectly acceptable. That said, I've installed a GrayGuns SRT kit and GrayGuns Enhanced Leverage System in one of my pistols and that is a nice upgrade.
 
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The SAO trigger won’t be as good as that of a 1911 due to:

1. The sheer volume of experience and choices derived from the 1911 cottage industry
2. The absence of such for legacy SIGs

Options:

1. You can have SIG triggers tuned by


or


2. Buy one of their SAO game guns (SIG P226 X - Six Level 1, etc.).
 
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What caliber?
The 9mm is anemic, I have 40, 357 SIG and a 9mm Mk25 for water carry with Gold Dot SOC 9mm.
If you want a decent trigger SIG also makes 1911 pattern pistols of which I have one in 357 SIG.
Post your Grey Guns P226 and range experience please!
-Richard