I really liked the old 220 I had 30 years ago, the 228 9mm and the 239 9mm I had as well. I wound up shooting Glocks and few older wheel guns. I done it mainly because I liked the way they carried, shot, and ease of maintenance. I've been shooting a lot of years now and honestly I never thought I would be a Glock shooter, I still have old magazines of the first Glocks in the USA on the cover, but here I am.... Mine run with any ammo, dirty or clean, shoot good as I can hold and just never break...

I'll always appreciate the quality and dependability of the DA/SA Sig line but it's easier for me to stay with one semi auto platform.

I have had and carried for many years a P229 and a P239. They have both been without flaw through thousands of rounds. I have no thought of going to a striker fired plastic gun. I would not feel safe carrying a striker fired gun. Now you may think that is the dumbest thing you ever heard, but it is truly the way I feel. If you like striker fired, then by all means get one or two or many, many. Just not for me, not now not ever. If I were to ever make a move away from a DA/SA platform, I would go to a 1911. But them I'm old, so there is that.
Rod

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I’ve been saying they’re dying for some time now.
It’s not just their expense and weight, but also their double action/single action triggers. I have a DA/SA 9mm P239 on consignment at a nearby store and although I was told, “Oh, that ought to go quick at $500 with the demand for guns now,” nope: still there after a couple of weeks. And of course there’s the self-fulfilling aspect: less demand, less support, less support, less demand.

And the fact that a few people still prefer them doesn’t change the overall situation any more than the fact that a few people still like to listen to their music on vinyl disks.

Vinyl might be a poor comparison as it is doing very well along with turntable, cartridge and phono preamp sales. Of course streaming has taken the lead but vinyl has made a huge comeback.

“Vinyl records are on track to outsell compact discs for the first time in 33 years and prices have risen 490%” © Daniel Bukszpan

That said I am carrying my P229 Legion Compact (9mm) today that I rotate with a Sig Sauer P220 Stainless Elite Carry (.45ACP) and a P226 X-Five Competition (9mm) for the range.

I havbe a number of the SIG classics and love them. 8 years ago, the agency I worked for issued us Glock G23s. I was the designated firearms instructor, and, when I went to Sig Academy for my certification, the gun was still foreign to me.

We fired 1500 rounds (approximately) in a week. I got certified and trained the rest of the folks on this pistol. I wasn't comfortable with the Austrian strain until I fired about 5000 rounds through it.I have two Glocks in my possession. Why? The number one reason is weight. A loaded Glock will weigh less that an unloaded Sig classic.

That being said, I purchased a Sig M17 Commemorative (9mm) a year ago. I absolutely love that pistol because it is light and has the Sig reliability. 21 rounds of defensive ammo makes it an awesome carry gun, though I haven't used it as such. When I'm burning 9mm ammo, this one always makes the range trip!!

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Even if you like DA/SA guns, the polymer framed ones are a good deal. I just picked up a CZ P07 dirt cheap. Nice gun. I will probably work on trigger but even adding that to the cost it’s cheaper than most P series, lighter, I prefer the ergos, etc.

My 226’s and228’s don’t get shot much. Still love my 225a1 though. Go figure.

Yeah if there had been CZs around when I was buying sigs would likely have gone that way. As it is CZs remind me of early Sigs in as much as were quality handguns at somewhat reasonable prices.

I know it's a polymer frame, but is the 2022 old enough to be considered a "classic"?

quote:

Originally posted by Dawes:
I know it's a polymer frame, but is the 2022 old enough to be considered a "classic"?

No.
However, it will forever be the red-headed stepchild of the classic P-series.

quote:

Originally posted by markstempski:

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Even if you like DA/SA guns, the polymer framed ones are a good deal. I just picked up a CZ P07 dirt cheap. Nice gun. I will probably work on trigger but even adding that to the cost it’s cheaper than most P series, lighter, I prefer the ergos, etc.

My 226’s and228’s don’t get shot much. Still love my 225a1 though. Go figure.

Yeah if there had been CZs around when I was buying sigs would likely have gone that way. As it is CZs remind me of early Sigs in as much as were quality handguns at somewhat reasonable prices.

This ^^^
I wonder why SIG made the LDC models out of Unobtanium ?

Going back to the original question, I think we have to define what "dead" means. Certainly metal frame SIGs are going to be in circulation and use for decades to come. There are a lot out there, and there are still a lot of people who like them. The flip side of that is that the people who love them have them, and some people have a lot of them. They don't really need to buy any more new. SIG may actually keep a couple of models in production for a while more, there may be enough demand for that, if only barely.

But I don't think they're going to be the guns driving SIGs sales numbers any longer. I don't think too many new shooters will get into them. And I don't think they'll pick up a historical following (a la the 1911 or the Colt SAA.) So while they won't "die", they will likely fade into the background. If you want a model for what the future of the metal framed SIGs, look at the 3rd generation S&P autos.

quote:

Originally posted by Appliance Brad:
...
At the end of it all, I went back to a P239. It's heavier, it has a smaller capacity. But it has a hammer. And when I re-holster, I like the security of riding a hammer back to leather.

You can keep all the poly framed, striker fired guns in the world thanks.

Exactly how I feel.

I am glad we still have a choice, because if there were only polymer striker guns, I would give up on handguns entirely.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
IMHO, one of major reasons why P-Classics are waning in popularity is due to loss of marketshare to CZ. When it comes to all-metal DA/SA pistols, there major players are: Sig, Beretta, CZ, and who else?

For whatever the reasons, the CZ 75 platform is considered the 'in' thing. It helps that they sell a gun of similar (if not comparable) quality to a Sig at 2/3rds the price. The aftermarket support from companies such as CGW makes them popular w/ shooters who like to mod their guns.

I never understood how it developed the reputation, but I often hear CZ as the brand of choice of hipster gun owners.

Yes and no. CZ is the “in” gun for IPSC and USPSA for a reason... they work. CZ has been the one to continue to innovate and invest in r&d. Not Sig, not Beretta. That’s the reason they are popular. Also they shoot great and are reliable. Can’t say the same for new production Sigs.

I recently purchased a CZ Shadow 2 Orange for production class competition... and it’s great. Zero complaints. Will I sell my German P226 X-5 Stainless Mastershop? Probably not... but it will make me think twice before buying another. Sig needs to get back to work if they want to take back their lost market share.

The thing with the all metal guns is they really are not used much for CC any more... and the competition circuit is dominated by CZ and tricked out custom 1911s for a reason. Sig needs to do some work.

Dead like those 109 year old, antiquated, inferior, heavy, low capacity, single stack, slab sided pistols with those weird levers on the side.

Probably not dead, but classic SIG's production will be scaled to demand. Like it or not, gun co.'s are businesses.... if they don't put out products consumers buy, they go under.

Boss

quote:

Originally posted by Boss1:
Dead like those 109 year old, antiquated, inferior, heavy, low capacity, single stack, slab sided pistols with those weird levers on the side.

Probably not dead, but classic SIG's production will be scaled to demand. Like it or not, gun co.'s are businesses.... if they don't put out products consumers buy, they go under.

Boss

I'm a huge 1911 fan. However when I see Wilson Combat branching out into Beretta's and others. Ed Brown with a sort of budget 9mm line 1911(EVO). They must have some excess manufacturing capacity.

quote:

Originally posted by 9X19mm:
Sig needs to do some work.

Are they not selling enough of the P320 and P365 to stay in business?

I have the P220 SAO carry, probably keep it, as It one of the few 45's I have and my Sig RCS 1911, other than there are no others I'm interested in buying, however there are a few CZ's that I'd consider. Other than that, the metal I'll buy will be revolvers...

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by 9X19mm:
Sig needs to do some work.

Are they not selling enough of the P320 and P365 to stay in business?

Those are plastic frames though.

And even in this case, I’d argue it was too little too late... compared to the competition. Glock, HK, et al.

Sig could build some really top of the line, best in class competition all metal pistols, if they put the r&d time in. Some new custom shop stuff would be a great start. Maybe a new X-5?

Polymer is definitely here to stay. But how will that polymer hold up 30 years from now? 50 years from now? No one knows- and I always keep metal pistols in my collection.

I don't doubt that people will own and collect metal Sigs but future production will be mostly or all polymer.
The key is production costs and sales numbers. Both favor polymer by a wide margin and are likely to increase in that direction.
They may not be the guns I'd buy as a collector, but they are what most people carry and buy now.

quote:

Originally posted by 9X19mm:
CZ has been the one to continue to innovate and invest in r&d. Not Sig, not Beretta.

Pretty bold statement.

There was no CZ innovation since they used the roller delayed blow back action in the M52 and the DA trigger concept of the CZ75.
CZ is building it´s pistol around the SIG/Müller patent of 1946 with a trigger concept from 1975 using manufacturing technologies of the late 80´s.
The newer models are based on the SIG/Ludwig, Glock or Bubis desing. There is nothing inovative about it anymore since 1983
If CZ had invested into R&D or innovations, there would be patents in their handguns sector. There are non.
don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with CZ pistols, but "innovative" is not an attribut that would describe these pistols correctly.

quote:

Originally posted by The_Watcher:
Polymer is definitely here to stay. But how will that polymer hold up 30 years from now? 50 years from now? No one knows- and I always keep metal pistols in my collection.

Show me an HK VP70 (first year of production was 1970. That's 50 years ago) or a first generation Glock G17 (serial production began almost 40 years ago) that's crumbling to pieces.