Getting The Best From The SIG P226

John Milewski explores a high-performance CO2 pistol

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When it comes to reliability and performance, SIG manufactured pistols are held in very high esteem, and are currently in service with many of the world’s armies and police services, including limited service with the British.

SIG also produce a CO2-powered, pelletfiring clone of their classic P226 pistol, which the company refers to as the Advanced Sport Pellet (ASP) pistol. The company has promoted the pistol as a training tool due to the realism it offers in terms of overall size, weight and performance. The P226 has been around since the mid-1980s and the latest versions have been brought fully up to date with the addition of a Picatinny rail under the frame for the attachment of lasers, torches or other aiming devices.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When you pick up one of SIG’s CO2-powered P226 pistols, the heft and construction immediately provide an impression of a solid piece of kit. The slide is metal and the grips are just like those fitted to the original cartridge firing pistol. The pistol feeds on a rather flimsy 8-shot reversible magazine and is powered by the ubiquitous 12g CO2 cartridge. It soon becomes apparent that controls such as the side release and take-down levers are non-functional, but others such as the safety and magazine release work as intended.