Running the Sig 226

[taadski]

Where is the best deal on P226 9mm to be found?

I almost never see CPO P226 9mms, and new/lightly used older 9mm P226s tend to command a premium. Carbon slide W. German beaters can be had for the mid-500s, and if you're dedicated to your search, you might come across German frame guns with the one piece milled stainless slide (I've bought two NIB in the last year, an 05 and an 07). However, you'll likely pay for the privilege, and unless you're a collector, you probably won't do too much better (if at all) than shopping around for good prices on new manufacture guns.

I've had pretty good luck over the years finding good condition trade-in or second hand P series pistols. I lurk over on Sig forum some and they often link vendors with caches of trade-ins and the like. I've purchased 4 or 5 of these in recent years. I think the most I paid was $465.

A couple of tips:

-Look for DAK models as they're often quite a bit cheaper. The parts to convert them to DA/SA, if you so chose, are readily available and run about $150 or so. There is a contingent of folks around who prefer the Kellerman (DAK) design. I've sold a bunch of "DAK parts kits" and usually at least break even.

-Buy less sought after calibers (.40 or .357 Sig), buy a 9mm conversion barrel then sell the original. Or don't and keep it. But you can generally get them for less than the euro-pellet chambered ones.

Keep an eye on these sites. They stock pre-owned and trade-in Sigs. But they tend to go pretty fast when they become available. A few of them have email notifications for particular listed used models. Take a gander around. There are some in stock at a couple of them now...

Bud’s gun shop

Aim Surplus

Osage County guns

Impact guns

J&G sales

There are more too. Google is your friend.

[BehindBlueI's]

The fire sale on .40 continues.

$440 for P226 police trades: https://gun.deals/product/sig-sauer-...s-3-mags-43995

$520 for E2 gripped CPOs: https://gun.deals/product/sig-sauer-...rs-must-go-519

[LSP552]

The fire sale on .40 continues.

$440 for P226 police trades: https://gun.deals/product/sig-sauer-...s-3-mags-43995

$520 for E2 gripped CPOs: https://gun.deals/product/sig-sauer-...rs-must-go-519

As much as I'm not a .40 fan, I keep being tempted to pickup a used P226 in that flavor. It would be strictly a woods kinda thing.

And I would add Summit Gun Broker to Taadski's list of good places to check for CPO and used SIGs.

[TheNewbie]

The fire sale on .40 continues.

$440 for P226 police trades: https://gun.deals/product/sig-sauer-...s-3-mags-43995

$520 for E2 gripped CPOs: https://gun.deals/product/sig-sauer-...rs-must-go-519

What needs to be done to convert RELIABELY a .40 to 9mm? I imagine it's more than just a barrel swap and mags.

[taadski]

What needs to be done to convert RELIABELY a .40 to 9mm? I imagine it's more than just a barrel swap and mags.

There are a lot of mixed reports. By the book, replacing the barrel with a conversion barrel, 9mm extractor and mags. However there have been reports of folks simply swapping in a factory 9mm barrel (exterior diameter is the same) and using 9mm mags with success. I was suspicious as the barrel hood width on the 9mms is narrower than it is on the .40 barrels.

Ever curious, taadski decided to vet said concept himself: I plopped a newer vintage factory 9mm barrel in a stainless .40 slide (short external extractor) and checked for fit. Seemed good. No noticeable play. Ran a few mags just hand cycling the gun... Seemed fine, fed without issue and extracted well. Finally dipped the toe in the water and put a few minor reloads through it. No issue. Fast forward a couple of months (3) and I'm sitting at about 2400 rounds down the pipe. No malfunctions. Not one. Accuracy has been excellent. Thing runs just like any of its 9mm brothers and sisters.

So, yeah....by the book, put a .40 to 9mm conversion barrel in there, change the extractor and use appropriate mags.



t

[TheNewbie]

There are a lot of mixed reports. By the book, replacing the barrel with a conversion barrel, 9mm extractor and mags. However there have been reports of folks simply swapping in a factory 9mm barrel (exterior diameter is the same) and using 9mm mags with success. I was suspicious as the barrel hood width on the 9mms is narrower than it is on the .40 barrels.

Ever curious, taadski decided to vet said concept himself: I plopped a newer vintage factory 9mm barrel in a stainless .40 slide (short external extractor) and checked for fit. Seemed good. No noticeable play. Ran a few mags just hand cycling the gun... Seemed fine, fed without issue and extracted well. Finally dipped the toe in the water and put a few minor reloads through it. No issue. Fast forward a couple of months (3) and I'm sitting at about 2400 rounds down the pipe. No malfunctions. Not one. Accuracy has been excellent. Thing runs just like any of its 9mm brothers and sisters.

So, yeah....by the book, put a .40 to 9mm conversion barrel in there, change the extractor and use appropriate mags.



t

Thanks for the report.

The p226 trade ins look very tempting. I'm a fan of the no rail guns.

[Sigfan26]

Thanks for the report.

The p226 trade ins look very tempting. I'm a fan of the no rail guns.

Make sure it's a representative picture of the gun. Lipsey's showed a picture of a non railed gun, but shipped me a railed pistol.


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[txdpd]

What needs to be done to convert RELIABELY a .40 to 9mm? I imagine it's more than just a barrel swap and mags.

Sell it and buy a 9mm.

I've had the opposite experience of taadski. I tried converting a .357 to 9mm: barrel, ejector, and mags, and had pistol that was really good for clearing malfunctions.

Most agencies aren't going to dump reliable, working, good condition .40 Sig pistols. Most agencies aren't going to dump reliable, working, good condition 9mm Sig pistols either. Just something to think to keep in mid before buying a CPO .40 Sig pistol, and why there are so many cheap CPO .40's out there and not that many 9mm's.

[Sigfan26]

What needs to be done to convert RELIABELY a .40 to 9mm? I imagine it's more than just a barrel swap and mags.

https://www.sigsauer.com/store/calib...6-9mm-blk.html
Sell the .40 slide assembly for $250 and drop another $150 on this. Not a great investment, though.


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[BehindBlueI's]

What needs to be done to convert RELIABELY a .40 to 9mm? I imagine it's more than just a barrel swap and mags.

Barsto makes a conversion barrel, and as already posted Sig makes conversion kits with a complete slide/barrel assembly.

I've kicked around getting one or the other for my P226 when we transition to 9mm. I just haven't decided which. Or just buy a complete 9mm.