Sig Sauer P227

Spotlight On… 

Sig Sauer P227

Conceived by Swiss precision, German engineering, and American manufacturing, innovation, and ingenuity; Sig Sauer’s “Classic Series” pistols have held a highly deserved reputation for quality, accuracy, and reliability for almost 40 years.  The P227 is the latest addition to the legend.

Sig has finally decided to build a higher capacity (double stack) pistol in .45acp designated as the P227.  Whether it’s a P220 modified to handle a larger capacity magazine, or a P226 modified to handle the .45acp round is unknown and probably irrelevant because of the similarities in design of these models, although not all parts are interchangeable. We won’t try to compare the P227 to either of its siblings except to say it is also a metal-frame, frame-mounted de-cocking lever, DA/SA trigger design, and delivers the same high level of build quality and accuracy for which the others are well known. Two standard (flush fit, ten round) magazines are supplied with the pistol and extended magazines of higher capacity (12 rounds) will be available soon.

Whether your use for this gun will be every day carry, home defense, range plinking/marksmanship, or a combination, reliability and ammunition versatility are significant factors. In our testing, we fed the Sig as wide a variety of 45acp ammo as we could find, including factory new JHP & FMJ, as well as several varieties of “remanufactured” rounds and our own home-grown hand-loads from mild to +P power variations.  Not surprisingly, the new Sig ate it all without a single hiccup.  Knowing that we don't have to stock only one or a couple kinds of ammo, or try to remember a particular brand when in the gun shop, to get “When it Counts” reliability is a plus; although not a surprise since it’s a classic Sig.

45acp double-stack semi-autos inherently present a “wider than average” grip width (examples from FNH, H&K, and Glock come to mind), which sometimes present gripping and/or trigger-reach problems for shooters with small or mid-sized hands. Sig addresses these problems by including its relatively new design “E2” (enhanced ergonomics) one-piece polymer grip and its thin (short reach) trigger as standard equipment.  These two features in combination make the pistol ergonomically acceptable for a larger portion of the shooting population without excessively compromising the ergonomics for shooters with “average” or large hands. Even one of our test team who has short, stubby fingers and relatively small hands found the P227 comfortable to shoot in his accuracy tests, and the results showed the grip width had no detrimental effect on his ability to produce very tight target groups with the gun.

Our test team consists of experienced shooters who are very familiar with Sigs. Shooting the P227 was like putting on an old shoe – completely familiar and comfortable.  It felt like a P220 except for the slightly heftier grip size or like a P226 except for the slightly heftier “thump” of the .45acp recoil pulse. Trigger feel is typical Sig DA/SA and shows signs of wearing in with use (as most new guns require) to a final “crisp & smooth” level.  A relatively inexpensive “Action Enhancement” procedure done at the Sig factory or by The AR Bunker’s gunsmiths will yield a remarkably smooth and light trigger feel if your shooting needs lean toward a higher level of range or competition marksmanship.

The accuracy of almost any modern pistol is usually better than the average consumer. Our initial impression of the P227 was very favorable, so we decided to make some more objective accuracy tests with it. We performed our accuracy and chronograph testing by hand on a 25 yard range, using a Matrix pistol rest. All of our 5-shot groups averaged less than 2 1/4" with the best three-of-five running between 1/2 and 1 inch. This kind of shooting performance is a “superior” grade of accuracy – not usually seen in a production semi-auto .45acp.  Keep in mind, this particular pistol is not a specially prepared piece for media evaluation, but merely one of a production batch that showed up at our shop for general sales.

Our one-line overall impression is: Typical Sig build quality and reliability with above average accuracy.

Respectfully Submitted,

The Bunker Bunch

July, 2014