Hi all, new member from New Zealand. Interested in info re Blackwater Tactical P226. Have looked at catalogues but don't have all available, how long were they available, how many produced? where would a serial# U855---, fit in the production run?

Any ideas or suggested where I might go for info?

Cheers

Welcome to SF.

Some info on the Blackwater P226:

https://www.thefirearmblog.com...ter-special-edition/

https://www.realgunreviews.com...and-1911-blackwater/

I'm a fan of the classic P series, and especially the P226, having owned and shot several of the variants, but never a Blackwater.

The P226 Blackwater was a fairly popular model and so there has been a fair amount of discussion about it over the years.

I have some vague recollections regarding some of your questions but rather than hazarding guesses, the forum has a search feature and if you type in a keyword like "Blackwater" you should get numerous hits on past discussions that may help answer your questions. Usually best to refer to earlier discussions and seeing if they will answer your questions, rather than starting a new thread on the same topic.

Years ago, older discussion threads were locked and eventually pruned, so those threads are gone forever to the thread graveyard, but through a policy change, more recent threads should survive without pruning.

Regarding your S/N, it's from 2009 production. If you read the stickies at the top of this subforum you'll see the S/N list we've been building for years now.

Oh, FYI, you get extra rookie points if you post a photo of your gun.

Kiwigunner, I didn't think you guys were allowed to have any guns down there anymore, but glad to hear you have one. Welcome to the forum!

Cheers Modern Day Savage

We lost all s/a centrefires a couple of years ago coz 'they are evil' as quoted by the powers that be. Funny, bolt action 50BMG rifles can still be bought.... anyway, IPSC amongst all other pistol disciplines are alive and fighting further restrictions.

Thank you for the info, the pistol im looking at is still on the shelf, was just wondering its oddity value. it is obv used, and significantly cheaper than a new Tac Ops

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 12131:
Welcome to SF.

Cheers and thank you

Fwiw, I had one of the Blackwaters when they were being made back then. It’s a little unique, mostly just cosmetics. It was okay to have, just something different. But for shooting, I preferred a good K series. Like a KF date coded one. Ymmv. I think I sold my Blackwater and bought 2 used K date coded ones.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Fwiw, I had one of the Blackwaters when they were being made back then. It’s a little unique, mostly just cosmetics. It was okay to have, just something different. But for shooting, I preferred a good K series. Like a KF date coded one. Ymmv. I think I sold my Blackwater and bought 2 used K date coded ones.

Possibly a bit more unique on this side of the Pacific, listed here at half the price of a new Tac Ops

This brings back memories. I had one and ultimately sold it. I don't remember having wood grips on my Blackwater so it must have been the second issue. I have a pistol that I inherited from a shooting buddy that has the longer grips that look like the Blackwater grips without the logo and 4 of the 18 plus two factory mags. I know I talked him into getting a 226 and I guess I talked him into getting the different grips and longer mags.

IIRC there were two version of the Blackwater on the 226 platform. First was a standard 226 with wood grips and the second was a Tac Ops model with plastic extended grips, and some slide work. I have owned both models at one point or another. As for difference between the Tac Ops and Blackwater, not much if any. Go for the savings on the 2009 model, there is plenty of aftermarket support for them as with most 226's.

quote:

Originally posted by Vipers28:
IIRC there were two version of the Blackwater on the 226 platform. First was a standard 226 with wood grips and the second was a Tac Ops model with plastic extended grips, and some slide work. I have owned both models at one point or another. As for difference between the Tac Ops and Blackwater, not much if any. Go for the savings on the 2009 model, there is plenty of aftermarket support for them as with most 226's.

Thanks for the advice. At half the price of a new tacops, it has to be a good deal. It has both the wooden and longer polymer grips

I wanted one as my fist pistol when i turned 21. It wasn’t in stock so i got a different model 226. I still wish i could find an old Blackwater 226 someday.

I do have to hand it to the old Blackwater. They were marketing geniuses. In the States they licensed their name and logo to anyone that would pay for it, but then issued their guys down range the cheapest gear possible. All the BW contractors I saw in the sandbox were all using Glocks, not Sigs.

Also, IIRC right the first ones with the wood grips was a standard frame and sights vs the polymer grips came on an elite frame, more like the Tac Ops style and sights.

I had never heard of it, but am a fan of the P226 and so because of this thread I googled it... watched a YouTube video of some young chubby gun enthusiast shooting one... then found this written review at the perfect union...

https://www.perfectunion.com/t...ited-edition.215692/

From what the OP has said... I'd buy it.

quote:

Originally posted by Vipers28:
IIRC there were two version of the Blackwater on the 226 platform. First was a standard 226 with wood grips and the second was a Tac Ops model with plastic extended grips, and some slide work. I have owned both models at one point or another. As for difference between the Tac Ops and Blackwater, not much if any. Go for the savings on the 2009 model, there is plenty of aftermarket support for them as with most 226's.

Am I correct assuming the earlier 'Blackwater' had a standard frame and the later 'Blackwater Tactical' had a beavertail?

The gun i'm looking at has both wooden and extended magwell grips and a beavertail, but 15 rnd mags. Of course I understand things get mixed up and there isnt even a guarantee the box is correct, but that has an 6 August 2009 date on the box. Still waiting on a reply but I believe the box should also state E26BR-9-BWTAC.....

^^^ You would be correct. The original mags should be the 20-rounders, not 15. Check out this Tactical Blackwater P226 sold a couple of years ago on 1911addicts: https://www.1911addicts.com/th...ical-reduced.132921/

quote:

Originally posted by IrishWind:
I do have to hand it to the old Blackwater. They were marketing geniuses. In the States they licensed their name and logo to anyone that would pay for it, but then issued their guys down range the cheapest gear possible. All the BW contractors I saw in the sandbox were all using Glocks, not Sigs.

I don't remember any cheap gear at all!
I liked my Noveski.

Why the Glocks and not Sig Sauer P226? The Glocks worked better in that environment.

Why the Glocks and not Sig Sauer P226? The Glocks worked better in that environment.[/QUOTE]

My duty gun was a Glock 17, now a 19, but the Sig has always had some appeal to it

I remember this run of the P226. For a while there it was the IT version to have, I think mostly due to some uncomplimentary news stories circulating about Blackwater at the time. After I started working part-time at the shop around the end of SIG's affiliation with the Blackwater brand, customers were still coming for a few years afterwards occasionally asking if we could order these in for them.

Aside from the Blackwater accoutrements, it just felt like a P226 to me. But then as now, I never saw myself as an 'operator'. YMMV.