I just sold my Glock 17 Gen 4 yesterday and it is the SECOND Glock 17 I’ve sold. The first one was a 3rd Gen. I’ve sold my first one to replace it with Gen 4 thinking that I would shoot it better because of the new backstrap and lower recoil. But I was wrong… The trigger on Gen 4 is a lot harder to pull than Gen 3. I did shoot better using the Glock 17 Gen 3 than Gen 4. Sold my Gen 4 yesterday and planning to get a Sig P226R in 9mm (I had one before) but now I am having second thoughts. Im torn between the Sig P226R, Glock 17 Gen 3 and Glock 19. I know G19 is compact and the rest are full size.
I come here to hear you folks’s opinions… which one of those pistol I mention should get? I miss my Sig P226 Navy so much, I like the simplicity of Glocks but I never shot both of my Glock 17s (ESPECIALLY the Gen 4) as well as I shoot my HK USP .45 & 9mm and my Springfield M1911A1 and even my Sig P226 that I sold a little while ago. I used to have a Glock 19 before but I really didnt have a lot of trigger time with it because I sold it to get the Glock 17 Gen 3. Now Im also thinking about the G19 because I dont have any compact pistol and dont know if I can shoot the G19 than G17.
Those are all solid pistols. Honestly, I think you should pick the one you like the best, and then practice with it, so that you’re shooting it to your satisfaction. In other words, it seems like you’re swapping pistols too much.
Aw hell… Just get two Gen. 3 Glock 19’s and drive on.
Sounds like you do an awful lot of pistol hopping, and aren’t sure what works for you. You’ve already owned two 9mm Glocks, and the Sig…but sold them. You “might” be better off focusing on software solutions instead of hardware solutions.
Yes I did a lot of pistol swap. But Im not doing it anymore… right now Im just looking for a replacement of the Glock 17 Gen 4 that I just sold. I guess right now im leaning towards the Glock 19 and Sig P226. As far as carry, I really dont have a problem carrying most full size pistols concealed. Heck I can carry my USP45 concealed…
I’ve sold my first G17 3rd Gen to get the new G17 Gen 4 thinking it would be a better pistol for me. But Im wrong. And Ive sold my Sig P226R Navy not because I didnt like it. I like it a lot to be honest. I sold it to get the new P226 E2 but instead I went got the HK45. Now I really do miss my P226
So whats up with "German Made Sigs? Why quite a few people wont buy a Sig unless its made in Germany? Whats wrong with U.S. made? I had the P226R Navy and itz made here in US… I didnt see anything wrong with it. It’s been 100% reliable at the time when I have it.
Sigs quality control and customer service is not what it was. I wouldn’t buy one.
For most people the 19 will do everything you need it to. I prefer the 17 because of my apelike hands.
Thats not a lot of “pistol hopping” btw.
The story is that in 2005 the company changed CEOs and thus, the entire operation changed direction. Ron Cohen took over, and the business model changed. The old Sigarms business model was much like H&Ks which is…build and design products based on specific contract requirements. This model usually produces very high end pistols that are not necessarily pretty, but are highly reliable, durable, and perform well. Some of Cohens changes to the operation were to move as much of the manufacturing to US soil as possible to get past the declining value of the US dollar, and the labor cost of making parts in Germany. However, the Germans did things REALLY well, and customers(LE/Military) noticed problems right away with the Cohen made guns. Since 2005, the new Sig has experiemented with many different alloys and designs in order to make manufacturing cheaper and increase profits. This has resulted in many customers becoming beta testers for their products, and it has created a lot of negative public opion of Sig Sauer. I’ve owned a few newer Sigs myself, and it has been a mixed bag of results. The shift in business model has resulted in poor quality controls, and less durable guns as a whole. So, Cohen decided to shift the business model into a commercial market mode. Sig Sauer now produces colorful guns in just about any configuration you can imagine. This is okay for weekend shooters, but serious shooters don’t appreciate it. Sig Sauer has lost many LE and military contracts in recent years after Cohen took over and in my opinion…ruined the reputation of a serious firearms company. At this rate, Glock “may” be headed down the same path.
If you want a Sig that is a little more trustworthy out of the box, go with anything made before 2005. The old West German guns had a two letter code on the slide which indicates the year of production. The newer German made guns lack the date code, but will say “Made in Germany” on the slide. Another indicator is the box. Prior to Cohen taking the helm, Sigarms no longer dated the pistols that they sent out. So, if you find a stamped slide Sig with no date code, or year of manufacture on the box, then it was likely made between the years of 1998-2005. I have a P220 that fits this era. A lot of little things to look for to estimate dates on a Sig.
You might consider looking at H&Ks or the M&P. Try renting and shooting a couple of hundred rounds through one at the range before you buy though.
The Sig name has taken a hit due to poor QC the past few years. It’s generally safer according to some to buy the German-made pistols since they are supposedly subjected to stricter QC. I have had (3) 226s, all American versions, without any problems. That’s not to say there’s no merit to the argument, just my experience.
As far as the original question, I prefer the 226 to all other pistols, but will never sell my G19, either. It also costs a few hundred dollars less…more money for ammo.
If you are a collector, or just want to try out various flavors…then no. I have seen my share of people though who spend years and many thousands of dollars jumping from platform to platform trying to find something that makes them a better gun fighter. Some of the best shooters I have ever met have either been handed a platform to use, or have selected one based on reputation and have disciplined themselves to make it work for them. The jumping around has never gotten them anywhere, and they only seem more uncertain and confused the longer they keep hopping. The longer that you stick with a single shooting platform, the more superior of a gun fighter you will be.
I can personally attest to Sig’s poor customer service and QC. For over a month one of Sig’s customer service reps ignored my email’s. I finally got my pistol in for factory repair after I spoke with a manager. When I got it back it had a new list of problems and no more night sights. (They replaced the slide.)
I’m not saying EVERY American made Sig is bad. I just wouldn’t trust a company with that many bad apples in the batch.
Meh, people make a bigger deal out of it than it is, just like the M&P and Glock fiascos. The vast majority of new Glock, S&W and SIG owners are happy with their purchases.
Are you saying the Glock 17 has a lot of recoil and is hard for you to shoot? If so, what makes the 19 a good choice for you? Essentially a smaller version of the same weapon. You have an HK USP in 9mm that you say works well for you. Unless you’re just looking for something different, why not just stick with that? If you shoot the HK well, neither the Sig, nor the Glock are going give you anymore than the HK. If anything, I would say buy another USP. If you shoot it a lot, you’ll be most familiar with that system.
If you like/shoot the Sig better then go with it. I prefer Glocks but the Sigs are fine too. I have not seen the issues with the US made Sigs that others have reported.