Just picked up a German 1997 P226 for the same price I paid for my P220 brand new in 1989

Paid 468.00 brand spankin new P7M8 in ‘86

Not quite in the time frame but ... in 1978 I paid $322.55 for my 45ACP Browning BDA (SIG P220 ... still have the gun, receipt and box/owners manual) and in 2003 I paid $699.95 for a new P220.

quote:

Originally posted by Hume:
Consider inflation. A P226 now is less expensive than it was 25 years ago. And, if I dare say so, the current crop of classic Sigs are better made too.

Honest opinion please, what's makes you say better?

In 1993, my two P228s were $626 each.

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Exchange...P220 or 226 $550.00+dros Those were the days!

It amazes me how much the price of Sigs and HKs have come down since the 90s when you factor in inflation.

After reading about Sigs P226 9mm it was on the cover of a gun magazine back 1984 or 1985 i had a friend that had an ffl and said i will get the gun for you i think it was $400.00 + he worked in N.Y. on Broadway he left me in his office and took a bus up to a gun store on Broadway and was back with the new P226 in about one hour. Wish i still had the gun today .

I had always planned on buying a handgun at some point but wasn't making much money at the time and most of my wages were going towards living expenses or into my flying...however in 1992 presidential candidate Bill Clinton's campaign platform included eliminating gun violence by banning handgun ownership.

Immediately after he was elected I realized I only had 2 months before his inauguration and possible bans so I scrambled to determine what handgun to buy. I had shot a few, recognized several of the mfrs., but really didn't know much about them. Every handgun owner I knew suggested a different platform, make, model, and caliber and I was overwhelmed by the suggestions. It was the time of the "Wonder 9s" so I decided that I needed a semi-auto 9mm. Given my modest wages I expected that this would be the only handgun I would ever own and so it needed to last me a lifetime as well as be accurate and safe.

I stopped at local gun stores and handled several guns but the problem was that not having any context they all felt good in my hands.

Frustrated, I stopped by a book store and found several gun magazines with articles, including one magazine article that touted The Top 5 Combat Handguns in the World. Aha...if this gun was going to last me a lifetime than I needed one of The Top 5 Combat Handguns in the World.

After reading the article I settled on a SIG Sauer P226, a gun I had never heard of and didn't much care for the looks of at the time, but the writer hit all the high points in that it was safe, reliable, and accurate.

I couldn't find a local gun store with a SIG Sauer in stock to check out. The owner of the company I worked for also held an FFL and one of our perks was to be able to order new guns through him at dealer cost.

I asked him to order a P226 for me. He tried to persuade me to go with the .45 acp P220 but by this time I was hooked on the Wonder 9 concept. He then pointed out that the P226 came with one 15 rnd mag and persuaded me to buy 2 additional mags.

SIG Sauer P226 factory new in standard finish with standard factory contrast sights + 2 additional mags for a total of 3 came to a dealer cost (w additional credit card upcharge) of just about $650.

Pure luck that I fell into SIGs...but several more followed the first one in the years to come.

quote:

Originally posted by AVG:
After reading about Sigs P226 9mm it was on the cover of a gun magazine back 1984 or 1985 i had a friend that had an ffl and said i will get the gun for you i think it was $400.00 + he worked in N.Y. on Broadway he left me in his office and took a bus up to a gun store on Broadway and was back with the new P226 in about one hour. Wish i still had the gun today .

Difficult to imagine a Broadway worker with an FFL or riding on a city bus to buy a gun...but a great story!

Despite the insults and constant badgering from my SIG-addicted brother regarding my tupperware G19, I didn't shop SIGs much at all back in the 1990s. Kid brothers are so much easier to blot completely out when paid no heed to.

But going through this thread, I didn't realize just how much variation there was with prices.

1995 or 1996, the indoor range I frequented in Southern California received a batch of cheap, new Sig 228s. They were selling them for around $550 plus tax.

I jumped on it. Had a Gen 2 Glock 21 sitting on the then near 30 day waiting period and transfered the money from it to pay for the Sig.

Didn't get to shoot it much before it had to go back to Sig for repair. Had trijicons installed on it and the guy used his new universal sight tool which ended up pinching the slide. Gun would shoot dripping wet, but if it got the least bit dry it would not go into battery. Said nope and the guy sent it back for repair on his dime.

When it came back, it was a heck of a nice gun to shoot.

According to the .gov's inflation calculator, $600 in 1986 would be $1379.50 today.