919-388-1991
The Sig P226 was created by Sig in 1980, and is a variant design of the older Sig P220. While the frame size is the same as a P220, the P226 was originally designed to be chambered in 9mm, and accept a double stack magazine compared to the single stack design found on the P220.
The P226 has an interesting history, which is directly tied to the 1984 XM9 Service Pistol trials. When the US decided to look at a replacement sidearm for the longstanding M1911A1 series, pistol manufacturers submitted various pistol models for consideration into those trails. The US military was migrating to the 9mm caliber so they were looking specifically at pistol models chambered in 9mm. At the time, the Sig P220 was growing in popularity, but it was predominantly chambered in 45 ACP. There was a 9mm version of the P220 available, but it was a single action so the round capacity wasn’t sufficient for the entry into the pistol trials. So, Sig engineers designed the P226 specifically as Sig’s entry into the trials. Only the Sig P226 and the Beretta 92SBF successful made it through the trial process. Ultimately, Beretta was awarded the military contract as their total cost per pistol unit was less than the P226. The P226’s performance in the military trial did not go unnoticed as a number of military groups across the world and US law enforcement agencies soon adopted the P226 as their standard issued sidearm.
As the P226 is based on the P220 frame, it also uses the same operation controls as the P220, including a standard DA/SA (double action/single action) operation with a decocking leaver. Although, there are also operational P226 variants that use the DAK trigger system or SAO (single action only) trigger system. Most all Sig P226 models produced from 1980 to 1996 were chambered in 9mm and used a metal stamping process with melding. In order to accommodate the higher pressures from more powerful calibers such as the .40 S&W and .357 Sig caliber, Sig changed the production process in 2006, moving to a CNC process where the slide is milled from a single piece of single stainless steel.
The P226 is currently chambered in the following calibers:
P226 models produced from 1980 to 2006 were made without a picatinny rail, and models produced since that time have an integrated picatinny rail built into the frame. The picatinny rail is a based on a rail system that allows lasers or lights to the mounted to the pistol just under the muzzle. When the picatinny models were first introduced in 2007, they were referred to as P226R with the “R” designation meaning “Rail”. The rail is now integrated into the standard P226 and the “R” designation was dropped.
The success of the P226 series led to a number of P226 variants, including:
The success of the P226 globally led to the introduction of other, equally popular Sig pistol models, including the P228, P229, and P224.
Here are some of the more commonly asked questions regarding holster fits for the Sig P226:
At a very high level, the answer is yes, but there are exceptions, and those exceptions are centered around whether or not the mold gun used to make the holster was railed or not. A non-rail P226 will fit in a holster made for a railed or non-railed P220. However, a railed P226 may not fit in a holster specifically made for a non-railed P220. Most holster brands use a railed gun for molding these days. If you are shopping for a holster to fit a Sig P220, those can be found here => Sig P220 holsters.
Yes, MTR Custom offers a P226 holster with a threaded barrel.
The Navy fits into a holster made for a standard P226, so yes we can offer a holster for it. For the most part, as long as the P226 doesn’t have a threaded barrel or is an SAO version, it will fit into a holster molded for a standard railed P226.
Yes, see question #3, and yes we do.
The P226 with a DAK trigger will fit most any holster made for a standard P226. The only time the DAK becomes a potential issue is with a holster with a thumb break. As the DAK is a flat trigger and different from a standard P226 with a semi-spur trigger, fitting a holster with a thumb break to a DAK set-up can be a challenge.
Any of the MTR Custom holster models listed below can be manufactured to accommodate the 226 with most any mainstream weapon light mounted. They can support light brands such as: