So, some of you will already know about my passion for SIG in general and my HUGE PASSION for the 226. A couple of months ago I set out to find a 1980 model... yeah, I very quickly learned they don’t exist. So began my search for a 1983 or 1984. MAN... there is a ton of junk out there and anything in half decent shape is priced sky high.

Then last Friday happened. I checked the few sites I had been monitoring and saw a “new today” listing for a SIG P226. Just from the ad pic, I was confident it was German so I opened the ad. It looked pretty clean and the poster had it in an original box. Could it be? I quickly zoomed in on the serial number and yup... it’s a 1984. I called the guy and asked him to look at the 6 magazines and manual he said came with it.

I ordered it before I got off the phone and crossed my fingers it was as nice a find as I hoped it would be. Just picked it up at my LGS this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised. Everything but the target

I am anxious to give her a good bath and refresh the springs so I can get to the range and giver a go. Afterwards I suspect I will be the next in line to preserve this beauty for yet another generation.





Now, I need your help. It came with 3 different pairs of magazines. One pair I know is modern but the other two pair are both dovetail and I just don’t know which pair came with this quadruple serial number matching package (frame, slide, barrel, and box). One set has P226 on the bottom and the other has Sig Sauer P226 on the side.
SET 1


SET 2

Very nice and complete Tysons Corner P226. The first set of mags with the P226 on the bases would have come with it new.

quote:

Originally posted by Mustang-PaPa:
Very nice and complete Tysons Corner P226. The first set of mags with the P226 on the bases would have come with it new.

Thanks. That was my guess. Any idea on the year range of the second pair?

Pre high cap ban era.

Very nice!

I've got a Tyson's Corner from the same era but a couple thousand earlier than yours.

Pull your Locking Insert and you may just find an interesting surprise.

Excellent! Glad you found that, to scratch that itch.

Very nice. I've got a sweet old "Herndon, Va," P226 that appeared unfired when I got it. Mine came with only 1 mag, no box or papers.

By the way, it's not ... unfired anymore!

What a great score! She's a beauty!

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
Very nice!

I've got a Tyson's Corner from the same era but a couple thousand earlier than yours.

Pull your Locking Insert and you may just find an interesting surprise.

Okay Savage... Curiosity got me on this one. Before leaving for the office this morning I pulled the Locking Insert and did not see anything unusual. What might have been there?

quote:

Originally posted by NMDave:
What might have been there?

A crack. Parallel with the top of the locking insert, inside of the frame/right side. This iteration of 226 developed cracks at a fairly high rate. And you don't have to remove the insert to see it

quote:

Originally posted by NMDave:

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
Very nice!

I've got a Tyson's Corner from the same era but a couple thousand earlier than yours.

Pull your Locking Insert and you may just find an interesting surprise.

Okay Savage... Curiosity got me on this one. Before leaving for the office this morning I pulled the Locking Insert and did not see anything unusual. What might have been there?

I can't say how common it was, but I was thinking perhaps yours might have the same faint marking that mine has on the underside of the Locking Insert, which you would need to remove to see.

After finding the lightly (and as I later found out, somewhat unevenly tilted) marking I spent hours looking at various countries' proof marks, but couldn't find a match...so, years ago, I posted a forum thread with pictures of it. One of our Swiss members finally ID'd the marking and stated that on these early examples SIG sometimes sourced their parts from Hammerli, which apparently is where the Locking Insert on mine came from.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Orndorff:

quote:

Originally posted by NMDave:
What might have been there?

A crack. Parallel with the top of the locking insert, inside of the frame/right side. This iteration of 226 developed cracks at a fairly high rate. And you don't have to remove the insert to see it

Chris, you would probably know better than I, but I believe the cracks were only associated with the mud rail guns. My Tyson's Corner example is a pre- mud rail and I believe the one pictured above is also pre- mud rail.

But, yeah, on the one example I saw in person, there was no need to remove the Locking Insert as the crack started on the aft portion of the right forward rail on the frame, progressing about .75- 1" forward, and allowed daylight and background to be seen under it. There was no missing it.

Kind of cool... I just double checked and no markings on the locking insert

AND no crack as Chris thought there could be

Just gotta say, this is sooooo cool that this forum is here for fellow SIG enthusiasts to share and help each other out.

Very nice find. Congrats! One of the classics.

quote:

Originally posted by NMDave:
Just gotta say, this is sooooo cool that this forum is here for fellow SIG enthusiasts to share and help each other out.

Speaking of which, I have a favor to ask. For years now, although I'm fairly certain that the slide finish on my Tyson's Corner is factory OEM, I go back and forth as to whether the frame finish on mine is original or if it has been refinished.

It would really be helpful to me to be able to compare finishes of our two guns from the same year. If you are able, and only at your convenience, I would appreciate it if you would post some close up pics of your frame and slide, both with flash and without flash but in good natural light. I'd really like to get a sense of both the correct color and texture of the finish on your slide and frame.

Very nice! The P226 is my absolute favorite as well. Congrats!!!

Great find!

As to mags, I can’t speak to your year. But the original mags for my JJ model have Sig Sauer P226 on the side and “P226” on the bottom of the floor plate’s bottom surface (vs on the top of the bottom surface as shown for one of your sets).

Your email should be getting a whopper...

quote:

Originally posted by FHHM213:
Great find!

As to mags, I can’t speak to your year. But the original mags for my JJ model have Sig Sauer P226 on the side and “P226” on the bottom of the floor plate’s bottom surface (vs on the top of the bottom surface as shown for one of your sets).

Thanks, I suppose the ever changing MO allows us SIG Geeks to discern what came with what... just 4 years later and they are stamping the side. Oh, and I would describe the P226 Stamp on mine as bottom of the plate’s bottom surface...

Glad that all's good! I thought this SN put it in the crack-range, but apparently not.

I know SIG claimed that one in 450 pistols (mud-rail guns) would develop a crack. My PD had nine out of 10 crack (initial SWAT purchase).