Article by: Nick Jacobellis
As you will read in a number of my articles, during my law enforcement career, I was fortunate to work for agencies that allowed varying degrees of flexibility, when it came to agency firearms polities. This was especially the case, when I served as a U.S. Customs Service Patrol Officer, Air Officer, Special Agent and Senior Special Agent. Having this level of flexibility enabled me to carry various government issued and personally owned firearms in different calibers. In federal service, this level of flexibility authorized the carrying of handguns
chambered in 9mm, .45 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .380 ACP caliber.
THE 9MM SIG 226 Shortly, after I transferred to Miami in 1985, SIG Sauer established a company based in Virginia called SIGARMS. SIGARMS was the entity that imported SIG Sauer firearms into the U.S. Initially, the DA/SA SIG 220 was the first SIG pistol imported into the United States. As a point of information, the Swiss adopted the P226 in 9mm, also known as the P75, as their military service pistol in 1975. Unlike the more modern design, the original DA/SA SIG 220 was a 9mm pistol that utilized a single column magazine and the European “heel mounted” magazine release, that was located at the bottom of the grip. Because the 1980s was the era when high capacity 9mm pistols were coming into widespread law enforcement service, SIGARMS reacted to this trend by creating the 9mm SIG 226. In essence, the P226 was a SIG 220 with a redesigned aluminum frame, that accommodated a 15 round magazine and a more traditional frame mounted magazine release button. The early SIGs were also manufactured with a carbon steel slide assembly. As soon as the now famous 9mm SIG 226 became available, a buddy of mine put me in contact with a senior gunsmith at SIGARMS. One thing led to another and before long I became the proud owner of a P226. When I mentioned my concern about corrosion, due to being stationed in Miami, my new contact at SIG sent me an un-cataloged Parkerized 9mm SIG 226. Bear in mind, that during
this period of time, night sights were initially unavailable.
I took a brief vacation from carrying my 9mm SIG 226 when I transferred to U.S. Customs Air Operations and I was issued a .45 ACP caliber S/A Colt Series 70 Government Model 1911 and a S/A 9mm Browning Hi Power. When I was promoted again and I became a Special Agent assigned to the Miami Air Smuggling Investigations Group 7, I adopted the 9mm SIG 228 as soon as this pistol became available. The compact P228 was adopted because this pistol was better suited to my new duties as a criminal investigator. The 9mm SIG 225 was also available at that time. The P225 was a SIG 228 size compact pistol that utilized a lightweight alloy frame, that accommodated a single column 8 round magazine. The original P225 also carried the designation of P6 when used by the West German Police. (The SIG 228 is basically a high capacity SIG 225. The 228 was designed to appeal to a market that was gravitating
toward the use of higher capacity 9mm pistols.)
Even though I had one of my 9mm SIG 226 pistols Parkerized to aid in corrosion resistance, at no time have I ever owned a firearm that became damaged, or inoperable due to corrosion. In fact, when I worked in NYC as a uniformed police officer, I carried an issued blue steel Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 Special service revolver in a duty holster in all four seasons. I also carried a number of other revolvers and pistols that were constructed in “blued steel.” None of these handguns ever failed to work as designed, despite being constantly exposed to the elements. This included my carbon steel 9mm SIG 226 and my carbon steel 9mm SIG 228, both pistols that were carried in torrential rain storms, in and around salt water, throughout the Caribbean, in harsh winter blizzard conditions, as well as in desert terrain. I mention this because you should be concerned about the impact of corrosion and the use of firearms in harsh operating conditions. The simple truth is, that even firearms that have a reputation for holding up after exposure to the elements and extensive use, need to be properly maintained. As a result, I maintain all of my firearms the same way, regardless of how they are constructed
and whether they have a corrosive resistant finish.
SIGS EVOLVE In order to accommodate being chambered in .40 S&W and .357 SIG calibers, SIG developed the SIG 229, a compact pistol on par with the 228, only the 229 was manufactured with a blackened stainless steel slide assembly and a lightweight alloy frame. This also resulted in the development of the P226, the
P226 MK25 Navy, the 220, the 220 Carry Model, the 220 Compact, the SP2022,
the 239, the M11A1, the 225A1 and the 224 models with the same type of stainless steel slide construction. To aid in corrosion resistance, a Nitron coating was applied to the stainless slide assembly. The DAK trigger system also came into service as SIG’s version of a Double Action Only style operating mechanism. Personally, I always believed that the DAK trigger was underrated and deserved more attention. The DAK trigger system was especially easy to transition to, for end users who were revolver shooters. In fact, one of THE MOST accurate SIGs I ever owned and trained with, was a P220 Carry Model in .45 ACP, that was fitted with a super smooth DAK trigger. I also evaluated a SIG 224 with a DAK trigger that was also very easy to shoot with precision.” Personally, I never cared much for the Single Action Trigger that SIG offers on some of their Classic Series of pistols. I felt this way, because the SIG S/A trigger on a Classic Pistol like the 220, isn’t really the same S/A trigger that you find on a 1911 style pistol. Instead, the S/A trigger that is offered on Classic SIGs
feels like the same S/A trigger that is used on a DA/SA pistol.
RELIABILITY In all of the years that I have owned and evaluated SIG pistols, I have never experienced a malfunction or a stoppage of any kind, with any carbon steel made 9mm SIG 226, 9mm SIG 228, 9mm 225, or with a blackened stainless steel 9mm SIG 226 MK25 Navy Model, a 9mm SIG 226 DAK, a DA/SA SIG 226 in .40 S&W, a DA/SA SIG 226 in ,357 SIG, a 9mm DA/SA SIG 239, a 9mm SIG 239 DAK, a 9mm 239 SAS, a DA/SA SIG 239 in .40 S&W and .357 SIG caliber, a 9mm DA/SA 229, a 9mm 229 DAK, a 229 in .357 SIG with a DAK trigger, a 9mm DA/SA SP 2022, a DA/SA sig pro 2340 in .40 S&W, a DA/SA SIG 220 Carry Model 45 ACP, a SIG 220 Carry Model DAK in .45 ACP, two different S/A SIG 220s in .45 ACP, an all stainless DA/SA SIG 220 .45, two different DA/SA 220 Compacts in .45 ACP (one two tone and one black Nitron finished), a 9mm SIG M11 (228), a 9mm SIG M11A1 (228), a SIG 224 DAK in .40, a 9mm DA/SA 224, or a DA/SA SIG 232 in .380. Of the four full size DA/SA SIG 220s in .45 ACP that I have owned and or evaluated, three were flawlessly reliable. This includes the SIG 220 in .45 ACP that I carried during my career as a U.S. Customs Agent. One of the four full size black Nitron coated 220s experienced one malfunction that was my fault. In this instance, I took this 220 to the range after storing this pistol in my safe for a number of months. Due to a complete lack of lubrication this pistol experienced one stoppage. Once this 220 was lubricated in the field, it returned to performing without any problems. This same pistol also experienced a malfunction that was
ammunition related.
In addition, one of the DA/SA SIG 229s in 40 S&W that I owned experienced one malfunction due to a defective magazine. Once the magazine was replaced the pistol functioned flawlessly. This is why you should NEVER carry any magazine fed firearm before you field test your magazines, to insure that they function reliably at all times, with all kinds of ammunition. I also experienced a feeding problem with a DA/SA SIG 229 in 40 S&W, while using an early interchangeable .357 SIG barrel. Once this pistol was sent to the factory for inspection, it returned in fine working order. As stated above, all of the other 229s that I have owned and field tested were flawlessly reliable. I also tried field testing a new in the box 9mm SIG 226 Enhanced Elite that had to be a factory lemon, because this pistol was horribly unreliable, so much so it wasn’t worth continuing the test. As you can see from the rather detailed data provided above, encountering a reliability problem with Classic Series SIG Pistols is a very rare occurrence. The fact that it can happen is the main reason why you must test fire and periodically train with the firearms that you rely on for personal
protection and home defense.
ERGONOMICS Ever since I began training with, carrying and evaluating Classic Series SIG pistols, I have used them with standard factory grips or with Hogue Rubber Grips. Now that I am older and have developed arthritis, I decided to experiment with installing Talon Rubber Grips on one of my carbon steel 9mm SIG 228. While conducting a side by side comparison of a 9mm 228, that is now fitted with Talon Grips and my carbon steel 9mm 226 that is equipped with a set of Hogue Rubber Grips, I noticed the following: First, the thickness of the upper portion on the left side of the Hogue Rubber Grip impeded fast and easy access to the slide release lever. Even though the Hogue Rubber Grips with finger grooves are very effective in improving ergonomics, having the presence of too much
rubber near the slide lever never appealed to me.
TALON TO THE RESCUE Once I had a set of Talon Rubber Grips applied to a SIG 228, I wondered if such a relatively thin layer of Talon rubber material would provide the same improved ergonomics as the thicker set of screw on Hogue Grips. Much to my surprise, the Talon Grips provided just enough textured rubber material covering the surface of the factory SIG grips, to make my P228 extremely comfortable to grip and shoot. The application of Talon Grips also provided the added benefit of enabling me to easily operate the slide release lever. Where I’m from they call this a “good deal.” After conducting this side by side comparison, I intend to replace the Hogue Rubber Grips that are currently on my SIG 226, with a set of Talon Rubber Grips. However, be advised that if you intend to remove the original screw on factory SIG grips, once they are covered with Talon Rubber Grips, you need to perform some additional cutting. This is necessary to expose the original side panel screws and
allow for the removable of the grips.
CLOSING REMARKS In a day and age when all kinds of new and improved striker fired pistols are being manufactured, I still find my DA/SA Classic Series carbon steel 9mm SIG Pistols to be just as capable and effective, as any of the more modern designs. This doesn’t mean that I don’t own and carry more modern Personal Defense Weapons, that became available in the 21st Century. I use what works for me, because in the
end, that’s all that matters.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN THE TALON GUN GRIPS ON LINE BLOG AND NEWSLETTER
About the author: Nick Jacobellis is a Medically Retired U.S. Customs Agent and a former NY police officer who was physically disabled in the line of duty while working undercover as a federal agent. To date, the author has published over 206 magazine articles and nine action-packed nonfiction, historical fiction, and fiction books: Controlled Delivery Books One and Two, The Frontline Fugitives Books I, II, III, and IV, Buck Banderas U.S. Marshal Books One and Two and A Special Kind of Hero. These books have received 5 Star reviews and are available on Amazon.com (US), and (UK). He was born and raised in Flatbush section of Brooklyn NY and has an BS Degree in Police Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
