TO HELL AND BACK
By: Ernie H, a Carryconcealed.net Contributor

What do you get a man that has everything? A Mercedes Benz! What do you get the shooter who has everything? A Sig of course! Sig Sauer is the aristocrat of the firearm community and is the leading manufacturer for firearms for military, law enforcement and civilian use. Sig Sauer has a pistol for everyone, no matter what your needs or wants are; whether you need a .380 or a large .45, a pocket size compact to race guns or even a 1911 frame. Sig has got your back! All this from a company that is over 150 years old. They must be doing something right.

In 1853, a small Swiss company, named Schweizer Industrie Gesellschaft, started manufacturing small arms for the Swiss Army. In the late 1930s, Sig started to produce a 9mm, the model 210. The Sig Model 210 was considered the Rolls-Royces of center fire autoloaders, regarded as one of the most accurate and elegant of all 9mm service pistols. Due to the cost of manufacturing the Model 210 was doomed to crash and burn.

SIG realized that if the company was to stay afloat, it would have to be able to export to the world. Due to the strict Swiss export laws, SIG united with the German firm J.P. Sauer & Sohn in 1970, birthing the name SIG-Sauer. With the new collaboration, the thought went to marketing an effective and cost efficient pistol that could be marketed worldwide

In 1974, Sig released the P-220, chambered in 9mm, .38 Super and .45ACP. This pistol was quickly put into service by the Swiss Army in 1975, chambered in the 9mm and called the Model 75. Japan and Denmark quickly followed in adapting the P-220 into their military ranks. In 1975, the German Police Trials fathered the development of the P-225, which was a smaller, lighter 9mm version of the P-220. In 1977, Browning imported the P-220 to the USA under the label, "The Browning Double Action" and later simply as the P220.

With the successful sales of the browning double action, Sig looked into marketing itself to the USA. In 1979, the creation of SIGARMS USA was introduced.

220

The P220 is the oldest firearm on the Sig’s current line up, boasting over 30 years of service. The P220 is known as the most accurate out of the box .45 on the market and has held that title for years. The 220 is primarily a full size, .45ACP, but has recently released a compact carry version that is. The modern P220 has an alloy frame, with an M1913 Picatinny rails for a variety of attachments that one may need. The P220 comes in DA/SA, DAK, SAO models in a wide variety of bodies. Sig markets the P220 in a standard frame, a carry frame, a compact frame, and the match frame. Each has a wide range of features that make this a very user friendly gun. The only draw back to this pistol is the single stack magazines.

Like many who have used this gun, I find it to be an enjoyable day on the range when I have a 220 in my hands.

The European Law Enforcement community desired a compact semi-automatic service weapon. To meet this demand Sig designed the P225 as a compact 9mm version of the P220. Like the 220 the 225 was a single stack magazine, which limited it’s capacity. The 225 was chosen as the service weapon for the West German Police Department and undercover operatives in the law enforcement and intelligence communities.

The P226 has distinguished itself as one of the best service combat pistols every made due the reliability and durability of this work horse. The 226 is a full size pistol that is chambered in either a 9mm, .40 S&W or .357 SIG. As a pistol designed to replace the M1911A1 in 1984, its only shortcoming was the overall pricing. Due to the price the US Army chose the Berretta 92F. I would like to mention that the 226 did out perform the 92FS, but as I stated earlier, pricing made the overall decision on the contract. Even though the US Army decided to pass up this business only pistol, it still found its way into the hands of servicemen all over the world; serving in every conflict of the past two decades. The 226 found homes in countries all over the world from the UK to Singapore. The 226 became the chosen sidearm for US Special Forces operators, including Army Delta Forces and Navy Seals.

Eventually US Law Enforcement was looking to replace their S&W service revolver with a higher capacity semi auto pistol. Again the 226 was called upon to participate in a series of test to compete for government contracts all over the country. The higher capacity, double stacked magazines were an instant seller. The 226 proved its worth on some of the toughest streets throughout the US and in the hands of government officers and agents. The 226 has seen action with some of the following departments: San Jose PD, Fremont PD, Alameda County SO, San Joaquin County SO, Texas Rangers, Texas Highway Patrol, Dallas PD, Federal Reserve PD, FBI, Michigan State Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, New York PD, Massachusetts State Police, Rhode Island State Police, San Francisco PD, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, I think you get my point, the list goes on and on.

The Modern 226 comes in a gambit of variants ranging from the standard picatinny rail service model to the race ready X-five model. DA/SA, DAK, SAO and SRT, whatever your flavor, the 226 has your answer. The 226 was designed and built for action but "sex appeal," you better believe it! This gun is one of the hottest things to look at, Stainless, wood grips, nitron black, beavertails. This gun deserves to look good considering the service it gas completed all over the world. SIGARMS sure knows how to make this gun shine. If any of you out there are like me, you love seeing guns in movies. The 226 has had many roles on the silver screen and is one of the most filmed firearms in Hollywood. Now why would they cast an ugly looking gun for a movie?

SIG market to versions of the 226 to raise money for the Special Operation Warrior Foundation (SOWF), which provides free college scholarship grants, along with financial aid and educational counseling to the children of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations personnel, who were killed in an operational mission or training accident. The 226-9-NAVY has a NSW serialized numbers and the sales of these guns have raised over 500,000. Showing that the company was willing to give of itself to help impact the lives this nation’s warriors.

Similarly, Sig also put out another 226 model, the C.O.P.S. which helps support the ongoing efforts to help the families of fallen police officers throughout the nation. The 226C.O.P.S. is a Two-Tone, chambered in .40S&W featuring a DAK trigger, SIGLITE Night Sights and custom wood grips. Each pistol is engraved on the top of the slide with the year (2007), the C.O.P.S. logo, sequential numbers and the words "Honoring the Fallen" on the right side of the slide.

SIGARMS also partnered with Blackwater Security in 2004 and produced the 226 Blackwater. SIGARMS won the contract to outfit Blackwater security personnel around the world with this built for business model. When personal protection of world leaders in high-risk environments is your job then you only want the best equipment. You want a SIG SAUER pistol because it’s engineered to perform and built to protect. This model comes only in a 9mm version with contrast SIGLITE night sights. The slide is stamped with the Blackwater logo.

SIGARMS also partnered with Blackwater Security in 2004 and produced the 226 Blackwater. SIGARMS won the contract to outfit Blackwater security personnel around the world with this built for business model. When personal protection of world leaders in high-risk environments is your job then you only want the best equipment. You want a SIG SAUER pistol because it’s engineered to perform and built to protect. This model comes only in a 9mm version with contrast SIGLITE night sights. The slide is stamped with the Blackwater logo.

SIGARMS also partnered with Blackwater Security in 2004 and produced the 226 Blackwater. SIGARMS won the contract to outfit Blackwater security personnel around the world with this built for business model. When personal protection of world leaders in high-risk environments is your job then you only want the best equipment. You want a SIG SAUER pistol because it’s engineered to perform and built to protect. This model comes only in a 9mm version with contrast SIGLITE night sights. The slide is stamped with the Blackwater logo.

SIGARMS also partnered with Blackwater Security in 2004 and produced the 226 Blackwater. SIGARMS won the contract to outfit Blackwater security personnel around the world with this built for business model. When personal protection of world leaders in high-risk environments is your job then you only want the best equipment. You want a SIG SAUER pistol because it’s engineered to perform and built to protect. This model comes only in a 9mm version with contrast SIGLITE night sights. The slide is stamped with the Blackwater logo.

I personally have two versions of this gun, a DA/SA service 9mm that is my duty weapon, with SIGLITE night sights and Hogue grips. This pistol has proven to be my best friend on the streets and reliable to its core. I also own the Nitron DAK model chambered in .40 S&W, with contrasting Tru-glo night sights. This gun has proven to be a great carry weapon and the DAK makes a great addition to this pistol. The new DAK trigger system delivers a safe, reliable and consistent 6.5 pound double-action only trigger pull. The DAK also features double-strike capability making it fun to throw some rounds down range, but I won’t lie, it has gotten me in trouble at some ranges.

The success of the 226 was more then SIG expected and demands came pouring in for a compact model of the fabulous 226. Welcome the P228, a compact version of the 226, which shared the same high capacity of the 226. Unlike the 226, the 228 was only made available in a 9mm. The P228 was welcomed with open arms, so much so that the U.S. military dubbed it the M11 and was issued to Army CID, Naval Aviation and Air Force OSI. The 228 also became the standard issue weapon for both German and Swedish Police Forces.

Many agencies dropped the 225 and crossed over to using the high capacity 228. Simple, because of the high capacity. He who has the most ammo and can keep shooting can usually win a fight. Double stacks are great. Reliability? Are you kidding? Out of the box, this gun is supremely reliable. Accuracy is there, time and time again.

I also have a 228 and boy does this gun "kick tail". My 228 is fitted with Hogue grips and MMC night sights. Which make for a great feel and a hot looking sidearm. Sig no longer markets this gun, so owning one turns heads alone. This is one clean looking compact gun. Everything about it screams, built tough and with purpose.

229

Sig first put out the P229 as a .40 S&W version of the popular P228 frame. Since many of departments and agencies wanted do upgrade to a round with more stopping power then a 9mm, the 229 was a big hit. Not only did you have the world class reliability, accuracy and ergonomic design of the 228, but now you had more power in the punch using the .40 S&W. This modern model also comes with picatinny rail and your choice of .40 S&W, .375 SIG or 9mm since the 228 is no longer in production. Like the other models in SIGARMS roster, the 229 comes in DA/SA, DAK and a SRT (Short Response Trigger) which makes for a 60% less trigger pull for faster trigger returns and surgical control during high speed shooting. Like the 226 and the 228 before it, the 229 boast a heavy payload with its double stacked Mags.

I own a 229 SAS, chambered in .40 S&W with contrast crimson trace grips. Now you want to talk about a sexy looking piece, this is it. This 229 pistol from the SIG SAUER custom shop has gone through a radical dehorning process resulting in an ultra smooth, snag free profile that’s ideal for concealed carry. Each pistol utilizes the new DAK trigger system and features a smooth, dehorned stainless steel slide with front SIGLITE night sight and a contrast rear sight over a light weight black hard-anodized alloy frame with rounded trigger guard and dust cover. The P229 SAS come with wood grips, but I upgraded and got the crimson trace grips, which I think gives a better feel to my gun.

SIGARMS realized that they were excluding a growing number of new consumers from the Sig experience. Who are these people, those that were looking for the ultimate polymer experience. Polymer firearms were selling like hot cakes and Glock had pretty much cornered the market up till the release of the SigPro 2340, Sigs first polymer handgun. The 2340 integrated the picatinny rail into a light weight, wear resistant frame with standard SIGLITE night sights, made this gun the cats meow. The 2340 was chambered in .40 S&W and with a switch of the barrel, you could convert the gun into a .357 Sig. Two gun platforms on one frame. SIGARMS also put out the SP2009, which was a 9mm version of the 2340. The 2340 could simply be transformed between the two calibers but the 2009 was stuck in a rut and could only be a 9mm. Both guns had interchangeable grips to fit almost any shooter. By pressing a release inside the magazine well the grip would slide down off the gun and you could slide up a different grip. Still both of these guns sold for under $600 bucks.

SIG decided to stream line the whole polymer line and introduced the SP2022, which could be chambered in either the 9mm, .40 S&W or the .357 Sig. By simply changing the barrel you could have all three calibers, but when converting to a 9mm you had to switch to the 9mm magazines. The 2022, like its predecessors had interchangeable grips that could be used for different size hands.

I owned a 2340 back in the day and it was a great gun, I loved the interchangeable grips and the tactical look of the gun. I bought my 2340 for $520 with standard SIGLITE night sights and three magazines. The gun performed great out of the box and the light weight polymer really made a difference in the way this Sig felt in comparison to my 226 duty weapon. You could really tell the difference in weight on the range with the recoil. But it had a clean crisp trigger pull. Magazines for this gun only cost me $10 bucks, I remember I was floored by the price, so much so that I bought 4 additional magazines. Wish I would have kept that one.

Performance engineering is the key word behind this mighty mouse. This sub-compact gun can also be chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W or .357 SIG. The Sig P239 boasted one of the smallest barrels on the market for a higher caliber pistol. The P239 was engineered out of the demand by agencies and officers for a compact secondary weapon with the capability to be used in off duty situations without sacrificing power. This is the smallest large caliber pistol Sig offers.

Do you remember that movie Men in Black? Remember the gun "the noisy cricket? That is how I felt when I shot this lil guy. The P239 is chambered in .380ACP and is the smallest, lightest gun on SIGARMS current lineup. What a perfect little punch to hide on your body. It is so small it fit right into my sweatshirt pocket no problem. At the range, I was 10X shooting all day. The 232 comes in a 23oz stainless version and a 18oz blued version, now that is a light gun. From what I hear it is a great back up weapon, but a little too small for my standards. I guess something is better then nothing, but at least give me a 9mm.

Now I am a 1911 lover from way back. So when SIGARMS released its 1911 line up in 2004, I jumped for joy. With all the great features we all love on our 1911’s and with the Sig twist. No plastic parts, no injected metal parts. Only Premium internal components that include a match grade barrel, hammer/sear set and trigger. These guns have been machined and honed to make these guns some of the hottest on the market. No nonsense and straight to putting boot to ass, if you love 1911’s like I do, these variants will make you fall in love all over again. From the full size model to the cut to carry concealed model, Sig has reinvented the wheel. With over 17 variants on the 1911 in the line up there is a model for everyone’s taste.

Now SIGARMS has given us a glance at the future of Sig. Imagine having one gun that can change size and caliber at will, in a matter of seconds. The P250, a modular gun that was designed specifically to address the future needs of the military, law enforcement, and civilian shooters. The P250 will be available in the most popular calibers;(9mm, .357SIG, .40S&W and .45ACP). The P250's innovative design enables the shooter to quickly remove the functional mechanism and place it into the polymer grip of his choice. This allows an immediate change in caliber and size;(subcompact, compact and full). Its modularity not only provides incredible ease of maintenance, but also provides a solution for accommodating different hand sizes - there are 6 different ergonomic combinations for each size, this is done by changing the grip circumference and trigger style.

Not everyone who owns a Sig Sauer is going to have their life depend on their gun, but it’s nice to know that all Sig Sauer guns are built with that in mind. Every gun on the Current Sig Sauer lineup has the basics, high quality, ultimate reliability and unmatched performance which have always been the cornerstone of the SIG SAUER name. One in three law enforcement professionals carry a SIG SAUER. "To Hell and Back Reliability," that is the way SIGS are made and that is why, the only gun you’ll ever find in my holsters are SIGS.

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