# Simple, Inexpensive Sig Semi-auto Recommendation



## Binable (Aug 26, 2013)

A local salesman recommended either a Sig, Glock or Spfld. Armory as a good 1st pistol as he says they are very simply constructed & are very reliable. ..studied the Spfld. Armory XDs. Now it's x to look @ the Sigs. But wow! what a lot of choices. Any recommendations? I'd like something in a full-size 9mm with a 4" barell.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Sig 2022 is low end
Sig P320 is mid range 
Sig P226 is high end

All are in 9mm and work. The P320 is the new striker fired model released last year and is a very well thought out design to compete with Glock & the M&P in the $600 range. The P226 is flagship model and as iconic as the Beretta 92. It is an industry standard for combat pistols and built like a tank. Nothing not to like... price ranges from $800-$1300 on average.

Honestly don't know much about the 2022 except it's often referred to as "The poor man's Sig" and is for the budget conscious.


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## Smitty79 (Oct 19, 2012)

Better suggestion. Don't get a Sig as a first gun until you've done your homework.

I agree that a 9mm service pistol is a great first hand gun. Understand that you can do concealed carry with one but it's harder than a smaller gun.

Go out and handle guns by all of the good manufacturers. Shoot as many as you can. Here's a list to start with:

Glock, Sig, CZ, Springfield, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, FN, HK, Ruger. This list is not everything, but all my morning addled brain can come up with where they make 9mm service pistols.

I have owned, Glock, CZ and Ruger. I have shot everything on the list but Beretta, FN and HK.

Glocks are Glocks. The are reliable, easy to work on and OK accurate. If they fit your hand and you like shooting them, they are fine guns. I have a Glock 19 sitting on my night stand most of the time. In planning your cost, plan to change out the sights. Stock Glock sights are made of plastic and are terrible. After market support is fantastic. Polymer frame makes customization of grip problematic. The Gen 4 can replaceable back straps to help with this. The one you want would probably be a Glock 17, though a 19 has a 3.8 in barrel and may fit your hand better.

Ruger. I had a Ruger SR40, you would be looking at an SR9. I loved the feel of this gun. My beef with this gun is that it you can't fire it with a magazine removed (This feature can be removed) and it has a Chiclet sized safety. Given how its trigger works, a safety isn't needed. I sold this gun because I was getting into 3 gun and the rules make a gun with a useless safety a liability.

CZ. My personal favorite. There are a wide variety of choices. All CZ's tend to be more accurate than similar priced offerings from other manufacturers. Given your criteria, I'd get a P-09 or and SP-01. I've seen several reviews where the P-09 is rated head to head against the SIG 2022 and the P-09 wins every time. The SP-01 is similar, in performance, to the Sig 226 at $200 lower cost. 5 of the top 16 USPSA production shooters at nationals used CZs. That I am aware of, none of the top Production guys shoot Sigs.

Sig, I've shot a 226, a 232 and a 239. I can't get used to the trigger. Many people swear by them. If I was coaching a new shooter on what to buy, I would tell them to find some Sigs to rent and shoot. But I don't own one and there isn't one on my list for the future any time soon. They strike me as a more expensive than they are worth and they have a high bore access making them harder to get multiple shots on target quickly (Disclaimer, I'm a USPSA and 3 gun shooter so I am a gamer. The kind of splits I am talking about are much faster than you would need in a self defense situation. ) I have never touched the new striker fired Sig, the P320. The reviews are excellent. If you want a striker fired gun, this should be on your list of guns to check into. I expect that aftermarket support is good. But I don't know.

Smith & Wesson You are probably looking for an M&P. If I was going to buy a striker fired gun this afternoon and didn't have time to look into a Sig P320 or an HK VP9, this is the gun I'd buy. I like the ergonomics better than Glock. But not enough to get me to sell my Glock 19 and buy an M&P. If I was going to do that, I'd be getting one of CZ compact offerings. M&P's are accurate, simple, fun to shoot guns. Aftermarket support is excellent.

Beretta You are looking at a PX4 Storm or one of the 92 series. Personally, I don't like the fact that the decocker/safety is mounted on the slide. But I've never shot one so I can't really complain about these. They have a great following and if I was going to buy my first gun, I'd at least get to a gun show and handle one of these. Shoot one if you can fined one to borrow or rent. I've heard complaints from the military that they don't like their Berettas because they don't like shooting 9mm guns with ball ammo (Military can't use modern hollow point ammo so this is a hit on all military use of 9mm ammo). I've never seen something that says they aren't accurate or reliable.

Springfield I've shot XDM's and XDs. Easy to shoot. Accurate enough. I hate the fact that it has a grip safety. I have no idea why Springfield does this to an otherwise great gun. The Army made a mistake putting these things on the 1911 back before WWI and the world's firearms users have been suffering ever since. I tried to draw and fire my 1911 and had it not go bang because I didn't have the right grip. It's rare, and practice can make it a non-problem. The grip safety adds needless complexity. Complexity in a firearm is a bad thing.

I don't know much about FN or HK. They have great reputations. They are a little pricier than some of the other guns on the list. If you can, handle them and shoot them. But they aren't on the top of my list as must test.

CZs have been "cloned" by many manufacturers. Tristar, Canik, Tanfoglio, SAR to name some. I own a SAR and love it. I would avoid clones as first guns. The aftermarket and warranty support can be a bit spotty.

In your shoes, I'd be getting a P-09 or an SP-01. But I'm not so you have some home work to do. Read a lot, handle and shoot everything you can get your hands on.


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## Binable (Aug 26, 2013)

..appreciate the great Reply Smitty79. You're right, I have some research to do. ..been @ it maybe a month & have studied online basically only the XD & XDM & the Ruger & S&W revolvers. ..wouldn't wanna get in a hurry. lol ..looked @ the other Spflds. but figure those 2 would fit my needs better than the others. But heck, I can't show up to rent & test fire with only two semi-autos on my list. ..gotta have more I'm interested in than that. I just don't wanna go & shoot a bunch of guns I'll never be interested in. Doing so wouldn't get me anywhere. But I'm getting some seemingly well thought-out suggestions from this forum. But I gotta warn everybody I'm the guy who walks into the lumber yd. & tells the salesman he wants a 16' 2x4, straight as a string, no knots AND CHEAP! !! lol ..was planning on getting to the range b4 spring, but with all the reading I prbly should do it looks like it's gonna be spring '16. But that's OK. ..getting some darn good suggestions & the fact is I'd rather know a bit more b4 I start pulling triggers. ..enjoying it. Right now I'm looking for a gun that goes bang everytime I want it to & preferably isn't expensive--although I'm flexible on that. I'm thinking I want something that's ez to disassemble/reassemble as well. An ability to fire over & over w.o. misfeeds is a must. After I narrow my list shooting them would be the final step b4 actually parting w. my $. I get crazy bizzy come spring, so if it takes 'til next winter b4 I make a choice so be it. I'll definitely check out your suggestions.


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## Binable (Aug 26, 2013)

Super, TAPnRACK! That helps. Heck, I went to Sig's site & dang what a lot of choices. I was blown away. ..had to quickly narrow the list. ..have not read much about 'em. All I know @ this pt. is the Sig is 1 of the 3 brands my local salesman recommends as being simple & reliable along w. the Glocks & Spflds. ..just this 1 guy's opinion but that's a start.


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## slayer61 (Aug 4, 2014)

Binable,
Of the pistols you mentioned, the Sig 2022 is the only one with a DA/SA trigger. The others, Glock & Springfield are striker fired. Different trigger systems for different folks. My wife likes a striker fired pistol because the trigger pull is consistent from first round to last round. She has & shoots a M&P9c by Smith & Wesson and a LC9s by Ruger.

I like the DA/SA trigger for my guns. I have to make a concerted longish pull on a 10 pound double action trigger for the first shot. It's a "safety" of sorts. All the following shots are done with a single action trigger. Short, crisp 4-5 pound pull. My first pistol was the Sig 2022, and it has the DA/SA trigger. My P220 has the same trigger and so does my P229.

Go to a rental range. rent several/many pistols and find some that work for you.


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## Binable (Aug 26, 2013)

..appreciate the comeback, slayer61. I really like the idea of the added safety of sorts on your Sigs. ..learning a ton about how these li'l gems work from these posts. ..very interesting indeed. I'll read a bunch of reviews & hopefully will be able to find some to rent b4 I make a decision. One issue may be the sights as my eyes aren't the best. But I did a post on that & got some ideas. ..picked up a Ruger SP101 revolver the other day & as far as I could tell any sights like that wouldn't do me much good. ..couldn't see much! ..have yet to touch a Sig so we'll see.


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