The SIG P226-9-NAVY is a version of the SIG P226 that is produced to the exact specifications of the pistols supplied to Navy SEALs, including special phosphate corrosion-resistant finish on internal parts (no longer offered), contrast sights, and a slide engraved with an anchor to designate them as Naval Special Warfare pistols. The first Naval Special Warfare-spec P226 pistols to be offered to the public were the NSW Commemoratives, issued in early 2004. Navy SEAL Teams started using the SIG P226 in the 1980s. Ī P226R with an extended 5" barrel and external threads to accept a suppressor. The P226R's rail has a more rounded contour than the standard Picatinny rail and while most Picatinny-rail accessories will fit, not all will. The P226 Rail (or P226R) is the same as a P226, but it has a rail on the dustcover. OEM and later quality replacement panels, coupled with keeping the grip screws tight, resolved this issue. Though ergonomically sound, there were some minor concerns with the reliability of the pistol when using after-market grips.Įarly versions fitted with after-market or replacement grip panels occasionally (albeit rarely) developed reliability issues because the inside of the grip panel put pressure on (and thereby interfered with) the firing mechanism. ] The Brandname SIGSauer remained at the J.P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH to two German businessmen. Sauer & Sohn to facilitate an export market for their products. Consequently, SIG entered into an agreement with German gun manufacturer (and eventual owner) J.P. Although Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft is a Swiss company, Swiss law is highly restrictive when it comes to the export of firearms. SIG firearms are manufactured both in Germany and in Exeter, New Hampshire, United States. The original P226 was manufactured in West Germany, featured a mandrel-stamped steel slide, and was available in blued, nickel, and two-tone finishes. The Navy SEALs, however, chose to adopt the P226 later after several catastrophic slide failures with issued Beretta M9s. The P226 cost less per pistol than the 92F, but SIG's package price with magazines and spare parts was higher than Beretta's. The minimum endurance requirement was five thousand rounds, so the P226s were considered acceptable.
During the endurance testing none of the 92Fs broke, while two of the P226s cracked frames between six and seven thousand rounds.
According to a GAO report, Beretta was awarded the M9 contract for the 92F due to better durability during endurance testing and a lower total package price. Only the Beretta 92F and the SIG P226 satisfactorily completed the trials. The P226 was designed for entry into the XM9 Service Pistol Trials, which were held by the US Army in 1984 on behalf of the US armed forces to find a replacement for the M1911A1. Its design is based on the SIG Sauer P220. The SIG Sauer P226 is a full-sized, service type pistol chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum. Origin= flagcountry|Germany flagcountry|SwitzerlandĪction= mechanically locked, recoil operated (DA/SA, DAO, DAK)įeed= 12 (.40 S&W) or (9mm Para) 15 round magazine