5 Best Sig Sauer Guns Ever: The SIG Sauer company began back in 1853 as the Swiss Wagon Factory. Seven years later the company responded to a Swiss government competition to develop a state-of-the-art rifle with the hopes of selling it to the Swiss Army.
In 1864, the company got an order of 30,000 rifles and then changed its name to the Swiss Industrial Company – Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, now known worldwide as SIG.
In January 1985, the company now known as SIG ARMS moved to Virginia, and later in 1996 moved to a large manufacturing complex in Exeter, NH. While the company’s state-of-the-art training facility, comprising 128 acres was placed in southern New Hampshire located in Epping.
In 2007, the company changed its name to Sig Sauer. They produce some of the finest weapons on the planet and encompass pistols, rifles, optics, suppressors, ammunition, and air guns. The one drawback to owning a Sig is the cost. They’re not cheap, but as the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” And if you’re using this in a professional capacity, how much is your life worth? Give me a Sig all day long. Nuff said.
As I said earlier in a piece about Glocks, lists such as this one are strictly opinion-based, however, among pistol enthusiasts as well as professionals, whose life depends on their weapons, and competitors who need the best possible weapons in highly-charged shooting competitions, they provide endless fodder to discuss over a libation or three in your favorite watering hole, after the day’s work is done.
So, I’ve listed my opinion on the five best Sig Sauer pistols to own (and as a lover of all things SIG, it was hard to choose just five, because if the bank account would allow it, I’d own them all), and broke it down by category. Best overall pistol, best duty carry for professionals, best-concealed carry, best home defense, and for best for training/target practice.
5 Best Sig Sauer Guns Ever: Best Overall Sig Sauer Pistol:
SIG SAUER P226 Legion, 9mm:
The P226 when it was first produced, it was the first pistol that I personally would consider the equal of the iconic M-1911A1. For some crazy reason, the Army passed over the P226 for the Beretta M9 during the trials to replace the aforementioned M1911A1. The Navy SEALs soon adopted it after multiple accidents involving the Beretta and then many found their way into law enforcement. It is arguably, the most famous of Sig’s weapons, and with good reason. it is a fantastic pistol.
It’s full-size so, it is a bit big and heavy to carry concealed, but with the right holster, it can be done. However, that heft (about 2 pounds), makes for a sweet-shooting pistol. As a duty gun or home defense, it is top-notch. It is 8 inches in length, with a 4.4-inch barrel, the double-stacked magazine holds 15+1.
P226 Legion RXP Full Size.
Back in the day when I was a Green Beret, I helped the Senior FBI Agent train the Presidential Security Detail of one of our ally countries. We each got a brand new P226 in the box with three magazines. We probably put thousands of rounds downrange while training the detail. We were invited to a privately owned range and competed and put even more rounds without ever a stoppage. It is the best pistol I’ve had the pleasure to use.
P226 Legion just took a great pistol and made it even better.
5 Best Sig Sauer Guns Ever: Best Duty Carry Sig Sauer Pistol:
Sig Sauer P320/M17, 9mm:
In 2017, the Army finally decided to retire the Beretta M9 and replace it with the Sig P320/M17 pistol…and there was much rejoicing.
The P320 is a striker fired pistol and has a manual safety, a key Army requirement. The pistol is double action only, meaning a single trigger pull will both cock the pistol and release the firing pin, firing the gun. The P320 civilian model is available in 9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.
The double-stack 17+1 round magazine comes from the factory with a spare. There are 21+1 round magazines available for the weapon as well. The weapon comes in coyote brown similar to the military model and sports a SIGLITE front night sight and a removable Night Sight rear plate. The PVD-coated, stainless-steel slide features the same optic cut as the M17 for the mounting of an electronic sight.
Sig Sauer M17. Image: Creative Commons.
New M17 pistols, the new handguns of the U.S. Army, made by Sig Sauer, lay on a table as Soldiers assigned to Allied Forces North Battalion familiarize themselves with the weapon replacing the M9 pistol, in Chièvres, Belgium, Feb. 11, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Pierre-Etienne Courtejoie)
The pistol is 8 inches overall in length with a 4.7 inch barrel. It weighs in at just under 2 lbs. The Sig Romeo 1T red dot optic is recommended.
5 Best Sig Sauers: Best Concealed Carry Sig Sauer Pistol:
SigSauer P365XL, 9mm:
Another excellent pistol from SigSauer, the folks at the factory took an already excellent weapon in the P365 and made it even better with the XL model. The XL has a 12-round magazine (12+1), and they extended the barrel by 0.6 inches which helps with a longer sight radius which is supposed to help with accuracy.
Although it is a tad longer, it weighs in at just 20 ounces, and with the longer grip, it allows for a very comfortable feel and of course, it comes with Sig’s outstanding ergonomics. Of course, they included that flat trigger that is such a nice feature to shoot with. The slide is perfectly designed for the installation of a red dot optic and the one that I had the opportunity to fire had the factory Sig Romeo red dot optic. And it was accurate.
Sig Sauer P365XL. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Image: Creative Commons.
The SigSauer P365XL is another ideal concealed carry weapon, especially if the shooter has larger hands, otherwise, the P365 may be a better option. But it is an incredibly accurate, smooth pistol built with Sig’s well-deserved reputation of excellence.
This one was a toss-up with the SigSauer P320 XCompact, 9mm.
5 Best Sig Sauer Guns Ever: Best Home Defense Sig Sauer Pistol
Sig Sauer, P229, 9mm:
The Sig Sauer P229 is versatile, like Sig’s other weapons, it is a great concealed carry or duty weapon. Its users include the US Secret Service, the Federal Air Marshals, and many state police forces. It is very reliable and accurate and the stainless steel slide practically guarantees that there will be no catching or misfiring.
The Sig P229 comes in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 Magnum, but it was originally designed with a .40 S&W cartridge in mind. The weapon has an overall length of 7.1 inches with a 3.9-inch barrel. The weight of the pistol is 34.4 ounces with a magazine. The pistol comes with 10 and 13 round magazines in 9mm, and 10 or 12 rounds in .40 S&W, and .357 Magnum.
And of course, it comes with a rail for attaching a laser or light if you prefer. It fits well in your hand as all Sigs do and recoil is easily manageable. (I only fired the 9mm version).
5 Best Sig Sauer Guns Ever: Best Target Practice/Training Sig Sauer Pistol:
Sig Sauer, P210A Target, 9mm
Sig Sauer sells some slightly expensive single-shot air guns if you’re teaching someone to handle a weapon for the first time or just for some backyard plinking. But if you plan on teaching someone to handle a weapon for the first time or just want to have some fun on a range, why not go with the granddaddy of all Sig pistols?
Sig Sauer P229.
The original P210 was made in Switzerland, but the newer P210A is made in New Hampshire. The overall length is 8.4 inches with a weight of 37 ounces. It shoots smooth, although, in my limited experience with one, I only put a couple of boxes of ammo downrange. But like all Sig Sauers, it feels very good in your hand. The single stack magazine holds eight rounds.
The improved ergonomics and accuracy of this pistol make it a nice addition to your Sig Sauer collection.
Steve Balestrieri is a 1945 National Security Columnist. He has served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer before injuries forced his early separation. In addition to writing for 19fortyfive.com, he has covered the NFL for PatsFans.com for more than 10 years and his work was regularly featured in the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle and Grafton News newspapers in Massachusetts.
