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I have decided on a SIG P226 as my primary carry gun. What work would you recommend having done to make this gun perfect? What smith would be best suited for this gun? What custom grip options are there available?

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If my answers scare you, cease asking scary questions!

Having carried a 226 or 220 for the better part of the last 13 years, I would recommend shooting it and then shooting it some more. I have a 226(40) that Ernest Langdon did a trigger job on and it is nice but then my 226ST in 9mm with a stock trigger and about 10K rounds through it is to. I have heard great things about Bruce Grey for the aftermarket. My 220R and 220ST have both been to Sig for their action enhancement package and they are nice. Now that I am able to carry a 1911 at work I wished I would've just shot my Sigs and saved the money, Ted, Don, Tim or one of the smiths here could've used it for Christmas gifts. I still believe that Sig makes the best DA/SA pistol going.

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And this eternal resting place Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

Here's a link to the Sig Master TJ@TJSCUSTOMGUNWORKS.COM

TJ does fantastic work on Sig's.

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Bulman Gunleather
http://www.bulmangunleather.com
(814)696-8615

I tried the 1911 route for a while, and I really enjoyed the 1911, however I have found that the SIG 226 platform fits my hand much more naturally, and points better for me. I am faster, and far more accurate and efficient with the SIG than I ever was with my 1911.

It just seems to me that its far more difficult to me to find SIG custom work than it is to find 1911 work.

Grips and a holster... these seem even harder to find in spite of the SIG's popularity.

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If my answers scare you, cease asking scary questions!

As far as grips I agree their are few choices, Hogue and Nill's for wood and Hogue for plastic/rubber. As far as holsters just about anyone can/will make holsters for the Sig. My recomendation is Alessi, DelFatti or any of the other artist that frequent this board.

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And this eternal resting place Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

i currently have a sig 228 and 226!!! like them both but, they are not my edc guns. did have a early 220 i sold and iam still kicking my ass. it was a great gun. spur trigger!

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GO-FOR-IT

Bruce Gray does great things to Sigs

Bruce@Grayguns.com
Grayguns@Aol.com

If you want action work done for a duty pistol, Sig's AEP package is a nice one. Not dramatically lighter, but smooth smooth smooth.

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Jeff

+1 on Bruce Gray. I tried a Sig P220 he did a competition action job on and the DA pull was about 7lbs and SA about 3.5lbs, SMOOTH. He also shortened the trigger reset distance, which Bruce says doesn't make that much difference unless you're a world class shooter, but it sure felt a lot better to me!! Bruce is a nice guy to boot.

Ted Yost does some killer SIG action work too. I sent a very troubled P239 to him for a friend, who couldn't pull the trigger DA due to carpal tunnel. Ted managed to get the pull weight down to a manageable and reliable 10lbs (not easy with a P239 due to the short mainspring). The big difference was the smoothness in the trigger. Before I sent it in, it felt worse than a Arrow staple gun, after I got it back, it was SMOOTH. She is very happy with it now and won't sell it for anything. Of course Ted is a nice guy too.

Then there is always the SIG Custom shop. In fact if it is a duty action job you're looking for, that might be where Bruce Gray will refer you to. The SIG Custom shop does great work at reasonable prices and they have pretty quick turnaround times.

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John Del Pinto

The SIG autos are about as good out of the box as many other weapons from a good smith. I have several thousands of rounds thru all my SIG's without one malfunction of amy kind. The only things to change are things like sights and grips to suit your personal taste and or hand size. The things some people do not care for in a SIG pistol are the longish trigger reset and overtravel, and of course the DA/SA transission. If the reset and overtravel issues bother you, send it to Bruce Grey or other quality smith and have those things altered to your likeing. As far as the DA/SA thing is concerned, SIG has a single action version of the 226 called the X-5 Tactical which has eliminated all of these issues. They are also conning out with a SA 220 as well.

Good luck

Great info guys, I apprecaite it. I am new to this forum, but I have been looking at as many of the "holster artists" websites as I can find, and there is TRULY some excellent work to be had. I have narrowed my choices down to a few and will be making a purchase shortly. One IWB and one OWB holster.

I would also like to know what you guys think of either a Hard Chrome, or NP3 finish on a SIG 226, and what advantages each would have.

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If my answers scare you, cease asking scary questions!

I have carried a SIG P226 (9mm) and a P228 (9mm) as a primary and back up for about 15 years and had NP3 applied in 1991. ( I have no choice as my department restricts us to SIG). Yes I do own and shoot a lot of 1911 and have for about the past 40 years.

I had both guns NP3'd or at least the steel portions. I think it was called the Norton Package at that time. I did not feel the aluminum alloy frame needed coating as the adonized aluminum would chip and scratch but not corrode like steel.

I must qualify here as many take comments out of context. I am very, very hard on finishes. I have rusted through hard chrome on checkering on mainspring housings as well as rusted Stainless steel in some spots also.

On the NP3. I have worn through the NP3 to bare metal on the slide where the slide goes into the holster. Keep in mind the wear out took about 7 or 8 years of constant wear and I get rust on the bare metal at that point where I have to clean it. NO rust or wear on any of the action or steel components that are used in function such as trigger, slide rails or any of the contact points. ONLY exterior wear or cosmetic wear.

My usual crack when some Walmart HRT SWAT team Ninja or K-Mart Keyboard Commando plays the gun wears is "What would you look like after about 15,000 holsterings in cheap rough holsters as well as about 30K worth of rounds out of each and spend half of your service life about 3/8th of an inch from a sweating body on a ballistic vest working a freeway wreck for about 10 hours or in a inside the waistband holster or in a duty holster exposed to rain, sleet or just hot dry Texas wind."

These guns are tools I use and carry daily and I do mean 8 to 12 hours on shift and all the time off duty (why my postings are getting less as there is less time). The issues with the guns are fair wear and tear. I know better than to say there has never been an issue. If it is mechanical or electrical operated by a human at some point in function there will be a failure.

I got my money's worth out of the finish. And would do it again. Robar said replating would not be an issue.

I personally prefer the teflon poly wonder finishes (armor-tuff, Black T, Cobra coat or whatever) as I have yet to have one rust or any of my clients guns rust after wear. I am too lazy to send my SIG's off as the exterior wear is not a function issue and the time away is too long for my needs.

When I had the finish applied the finish provided its own action job.

By the way. Email off line and I will send you some pictures of the NP3 and the wear at 10 years wear.

If you wonder why there are fewer SIG craftsman than 1911 craftsman. Check the popularity, and quantity of each gun still in service and the knowledge base of about 30 years on the SIG and over 100 years on the 1911.

I hope I have helped some.

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Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx

first off, let me say. sorry to hear that.
no reall, they are great guns. mine was 100% flawless. (p220) eventually i had to sell it because i didnt want to retrain myself into the TDA trigger platform. now its "same pull" guns like glock, 1911, kahr ect.

anyways, back on topic. has anyone looked into the dao sig put out? k something or other? if that can be reworked now we might be talking about something. i think they were a constant 8lb pull? work that down a few......

c.rod,

The SIG you are asking about is thier DAK trigger system, it is the same concept as a Para LDA, or an H&K LEM system. It pre-cocks the trigger and leaves the hammer down against the slide. I think it is a factory 6-8 lbs pull, not sure if anyone has tinkered with the wieght yet. SIG also now makes single action versions of the 226,( and soon to be reliesed) the 220.

i think the single action gun will be a HUGE sucess.

whats the insanely priced one available now? the x something... single action "ipsc" gun?

I'm not sure I can add much to what has already been written, but for what it's worth I just received my 226 Navy back from Sig's custom shop. They performed an action enhancement package and installed a short trigger for my medium sized hand. I don't have a trigger gauge but the aep noticeably reduced the trigger pull weight, and most importantly, produced an extremely smooth trigger pull. I know it's comparing apples to oranges, but I have had many trigger jobs on both revolvers and 1911s, so I know a good trigger when I work one, and I am very satisfied with what the custom shop produced. Unlike a previous post, I bought this gun specifically to learn a different manual of arms with the thought that expertise in a variety of weapon systems might just be a good thing. It has served me well in the past.

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Land of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

There are only a few people in the Sig Custom business who I think do great work. Bruce Gray (grayguns@aol.com) or the Sig Arms Custom Shop.

Regarding TJ:
I'd never deal with any gunsmith that would charge me $10 to talk to him on the telephone.

On the Sig custom shop, I recently took a P225 in trade that had been to the Sig custom shop and the action was exceptionally smooth over one of the full stainless steel rail gun I am slowing getting used to to replace the Aluminun alloy frame gun 226 I have carried for 15 years. just want the option of a light.

Back on the Sig custom shop and the P225 the action cleaner and I cannot say lighter but sure is smoother.

Again hope this helps.

I also heard good about Greys guns. I have a Walther PP in line.

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Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx

My P225 has a an AEP package and short trigger from the Sig shop.

As above, not terrible light, but definately smooth.

The short trigger may be a hair too short for SA shots, but it's great for the DA.

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Jeff

Bear, if you want to pm me offline with your address ,I think I still have a Desantis outside the waistband holster that I will give you, so you'll have something to slip her into---while you wait on your Uncle Louie" dream holster. It is a littl worn, but still has a lot of miles left on her. I only wish I still had my 220 or 226 that I carried daily for years, great weapons!!---John

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

I've PM'd my address to you as you asked. Your generous offer is certianly very much appreciated.

I shot my P226 in the local Action Match this morning, and as expected it performed flawlessly. It points VERY naturally for me, and I was MORE than delighted with it's performance today.

I also apprecaite all the great input supplied here by everyone. Thanks again guys!

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If my answers scare you, cease asking scary questions!