Advice on my Sig P226

[Planobilly]

Hi,

First post. New to pistol shooting. Old guy, 72, not in great health. I bought this used Sig P226 .40 cal SS for $400 in like new condition. DOK gun. I can now hold a 5 inch pattern a 7 yards after running a couple of hundred rounds at still targets. I find it less trouble to shoot a 9MM and I can hold a 4 inch pattern with a Glock 17. Is there any advantage to me buying a Glock or other 9 mm?

I have a CC from Florida. I live in Miami. I rarely carry the Sig on me. I do carry a American Derringer 44 mag most of the time. Cuts my hand every time I fire it LOL. I can hold a 8 or 9 inch pattern at 7 yards. The Sig is normally in the center consul of my truck or at home on the night stand. All my guns are loaded. Well, the 12 ga pump by the bed has 4 in the mag and none in the chamber. I don't have any kids and no one comes upstairs but me and my wife who is gun trained.

I grew up in the country in Texas and two and a half years in Vietnam. The wife grew up shooting at the Syrians in Beirut Lebanon. Not many wives have ever fired a RPG...lol

All I am looking for is to avoid every conflict I can escape from and to be able to protect myself when the shit hits the fan. I can shoot a rifle or shot gun well enough. Just this pistol stuff is new to me. I watched a 100 videos on how to shoot a pistol until I got fed up with all the different ideas. Well...you know, you got to stand like this and bend like this and this foot got to be here. Perhaps some of that is real good for target shooting at the range. I have my doubts as to how much of all that could be put to use in a real gun fight. I have been in real gun fights but not in a house or a pickup truck or WalMart so I most like got a lot to learn.

Cheers,

Billy

[gomerpyle]

When u say DOK gun do you mean DAK?


Otherwise, welcome to pf! If you feel more comfortable with 9mm I don't see any disadvantage. I'm sure many will advise the glock 19.

But given your (in my eyes sound and proper) mindset to avoid conflict if u can - "breaking contact" - maybe a pocket pistol might be in order. Risking an incredulous stare and an eye roll, seek out a video by lucky gunner featuring claude Werner, known as @tacticalprofessor, who speaks about the virtues of the pocket pistol, as well as a podcast with @lespepperoni, who also discusses the advantages of pocket pistols....

[Planobilly]

Yes DAK...don't ever get old...lol Live hard and die young. It is totally amazing how many body parts can stop working properly as you get old...lol Of the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most!!

I will take a look at your suggestions. The .44 mag hand cannon I have is most likely not the best idea I ever had. The one good thing is when someone looks down the two barrels, all you can see is Tombstones...lol


Billy

[HCM]

Hi,

First post. New to pistol shooting. Old guy, 72, not in great health. I bought this used Sig P226 .40 cal SS for $400 in like new condition. DOK gun. I can now hold a 5 inch pattern a 7 yards after running a couple of hundred rounds at still targets. I find it less trouble to shoot a 9MM and I can hold a 4 inch pattern with a Glock 17. Is there any advantage to me buying a Glock or other 9 mm?

I have a CC from Florida. I live in Miami. I rarely carry the Sig on me. I do carry a American Derringer 44 mag most of the time. Cuts my hand every time I fire it LOL. I can hold a 8 or 9 inch pattern at 7 yards. The Sig is normally in the center consul of my truck or at home on the night stand. All my guns are loaded. Well, the 12 ga pump by the bed has 4 in the mag and none in the chamber. I don't have any kids and no one comes upstairs but me and my wife who is gun trained.

I grew up in the country in Texas and two and a half years in Vietnam. The wife grew up shooting at the Syrians in Beirut Lebanon. Not many wives have ever fired a RPG...lol

All I am looking for is to avoid every conflict I can escape from and to be able to protect myself when the shit hits the fan. I can shoot a rifle or shot gun well enough. Just this pistol stuff is new to me. I watched a 100 videos on how to shoot a pistol until I got fed up with all the different ideas. Well...you know, you got to stand like this and bend like this and this foot got to be here. Perhaps some of that is real good for target shooting at the range. I have my doubts as to how much of all that could be put to use in a real gun fight. I have been in real gun fights but not in a house or a pickup truck or WalMart so I most like got a lot to learn.

Cheers,

Billy

My Agency issued .40 caliber DAK pistols for the past 14 years - it is not the easiest gun to shoot well. We are replacing them with SIG P320s in 9mm.

I would recommend ditching both the 226 DAK and the 44 derringer for a 9mm or a .380 small enough you can comfortably carry on your person regularly instead of keeping the more effective gun in the car.

40 works fine but so does 9mm and as you have found 9mm is easier to shoot well.

If you need a gun, you are likely to need it right now, which means it needs to be on your person.

9mm generally gives you more rounds in the same size gun and in a fight, bullets are opportunities.

Glock, sig, S&W, CZ, HK, Walther even Ruger all make decent guns. I’m partial to Glocks and the new G43x and G48 are worth a look, as is the G42 .380.

[Olim9]

I can’t find a reason to carry a heavy stainless steel gun you can’t shoot too well when you have a lighter, size efficient polymer framed pistol that requires less work to shoot well. Especially in a hot ass place like SoFL.

My suggestion would be to ditch the derringer for something more practical like a Glock 19 or equally sized pistol. There’s nothing wrong with going with smaller pistols chambered in 9mm like a Glock 26, VP9SK, M&P Shield or Glock 43. I would further add to reconsider leaving a firearm in your vehicle unattended and unsecure. It’s how plenty of shitheads get guns and Miami isn’t short on shitheads as far as I know.

welcome to P-F, this is easily one of the best places on the internet to learn about shooting and carrying a gun responsibly.

[10mmfanboy]

The p226 is an excellent pistol! I had a enhanced elite in 40 that was remarkably accurate and 40 cal was very tame in it. Mine was da/sa though. Everything was honky dory until I developed extreme frame rail gouging in less than 1,000 rds. If you like a double action there are a few alternatives that are slightly lighter. cz p07, sig sp2022, beretta px4 storm, several HK to choose from.

I wouldn't feel outgunned switching to 9mm from a 40 or anything if that is a concern.

I'm personally digging a ruger lcrx 357 mag revolver in a 3" barrel so there is an option too if you prefer a revolver.

[Joe in PNG]

A 9mm S&W Shield is fairly inexpensive (well under $300 in some places), is fairly easy to carry (I've pocket toted one for years dressed in regular Wal-Mart sourced Wrangler cargo pants), not excruciating to shoot (recoil is a bit more stout, but no where near a derringer), and has real sights.
It also gives you at least 7+1 rounds of good ammo, plus a fast reload if you carry a spare mag. You can get one with or without a safety.

[Planobilly]

Thanks guys for all the feed back.

I am sure a 9mm of some brand is in my near future. We have several gun ranges in the area that rent guns, so I can try out a few plus a couple of friends who own pistols I can shoot. Within reason I don't care what it cost.

The Sig P226 is fun to shoot and was cheep enough , so I guess it will set on the night stand at night and in the safe in the day. It also will be a really good gun for my boat. The American Derringer I have is more or less a toy. I bought it just because I thought it was cool.Having said that I would not want to be shot from four or five feet with a .44 mag HP!

I never really thought I needed to carry a gun around all the time till I moved down here to south Florida. I actually live in Homestead. That is as far south as you can get in Miami/Dade county and about five minuets from Florida City. Florida City is really a seriously dangerous place. I have to go there every now and then to buy supplies. Also shit can get crazy down here in a hurricane.

As far as locking a gun up in the truck, I am building a SS gun safe that will bolt to the frame inside the center consul. This has always been a problem and I hope this turns out to work well. The assholes are killing each other at a pretty good rate down here and I guess that helps some!!



Cheers,

Billy

[HCM]

Thanks guys for all the feed back.

I am sure a 9mm of some brand is in my near future. We have several gun ranges in the area that rent guns, so I can try out a few plus a couple of friends who own pistols I can shoot. Within reason I don't care what it cost.

The Sig P226 is fun to shoot and was cheep enough , so I guess it will set on the night stand at night and in the safe in the day. It also will be a really good gun for my boat. The American Derringer I have is more or less a toy. I bought it just because I thought it was cool.Having said that I would not want to be shot from four or five feet with a .44 mag HP!

I never really thought I needed to carry a gun around all the time till I moved down here to south Florida. I actually live in Homestead. That is as far south as you can get in Miami/Dade county and about five minuets from Florida City. Florida City is really a seriously dangerous place. I have to go there every now and then to buy supplies. Also shit can get crazy down here in a hurricane.

As far as locking a gun up in the truck, I am building a SS gun safe that will bolt to the frame inside the center consul. This has always been a problem and I hope this turns out to work well. The assholes are killing each other at a pretty good rate down here and I guess that helps some!!



Cheers,

Billy

The locking console is good from a "not helping arm crooks" perspective but the other part of carrying your gun vs "car carry" is you having access when you need it. Bad things tend to happen fast. If you are not in the car and need the gun RIGHT NOW! it may as well be on the moon. If we don't move or see as well as we used to we need to give ourselves every possible advantage.

[LSP552]

The P226 DA/SA is my all time favorite pistol and the one I have generally shot best across the board.