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  4. 40 Years in the Rearview: SIG Sauer's New Retro P226 9mm

 

With the venerable P226 celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, SIG Sauer is saluting the now-classic design with a bit of throwback styling without sacrificing performance. 

The P226 was designed in 1984 – before SIG had even established a presence in the U.S. – to compete for the coveted XM9 Service Pistol Trials to replace the much-loved but aging M1911A1. While the P226 was only narrowly edged out by the Beretta 92 over an issue of cost per unit, the U.S. Navy SEALs would soon adopt the pistol and use it for decades. Well beyond this employment by the country's frogmen, the P226 rapidly became the sidearm of choice for law enforcement customers and savvy consumers – not to mention hundreds of movies, games, and TV shows. 

 

With their smooth dust covers (sans accessory rail) and pebbled grips, for instance in this specimen from the Guns.com Vault, the old-school P226 is instantly recognizable. (Photo: Guns.com)
We love the old West German SIGs and have often talked about them in the past. (Photo: Guns.com)

 

As the standard P226s cataloged by SIG today have evolved into something that outwardly looks a good bit different from the pistols of the 1980s and 90s, the company has gone retro for a limited run of 40thanniversary guns that share all the same feature set of those original handguns to include an alloy frame, double-stack 15+1 round magazines, a double-action/single-action trigger system, and a 4.4-inch barrel. 

We had a chance to try one out at the SIG Next event in New Hampshire this week. 

 

SIG Sauer P226 40th Anniversary Model on the range
The P226 40th Anniversary Model. Rather than plastic like the originals, the grips are special aluminum models supplied by Hogue. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
SIG Sauer P226 40th Anniversary Model on the range
Note the smooth dust cover on the frame. SIG introduced the P226R models some 20 years into the pistol's production. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
SIG Sauer P226 40th Anniversary Model on the range
However, the tricky old pinned-in breechblock design is gone, replaced by the current extractor and block system that SIG has used for a generation. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
SIG Sauer P226 40th Anniversary Model with throwback box
The company event went back into the archives to make correct throwback yellow box packaging and literature to accompany the pistol. (Photo: SIG)
SIG Sauer P226 40th Anniversary Model on the range
It shot great, as one would expect. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

 

SIG tells us the pricing will be in the $1,200 range, which is about the ask of an MK25 commemorative, a price that may be a bit less at retailers. If that is too steep, you can always try your luck finding one of the increasingly collectible German-made guns but may find the pricing to be comparable on some models. 

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