SIG P226 CO2 pellet pistol - any thoughts?

[denyers]

Hi there

First post - please be gentle

I'm considering a pistol as a plinker. I'd like to stick with pellets (commonality of ammo with my .177 rifle, less likely to simply bounce around and require cleanup in awkward places, etc.).

I've got my eye on a P226. Any thoughts? I like the general heft, etc., and the CO2 loading, and the general reminder of days gone by running around the woods shooting cap guns (my Luger and P38 long lost now).

But equally age has left me frustrated with stuff that doesn't work - like pellet guns that don't shoot straight for instance!

So, err, what are the thoughts of the assembled wise ones?

Thanks!

[Pjw18]

Hiya ,
I have one and think it’s good , reasonably accurate and realistic with the blowback action .
It’s reasonably priced also .

Paul

[denyers]

Hiya ,
I have one and think it’s good , reasonably accurate and realistic with the blowback action .
It’s reasonably priced also .

Paul

Thank you. What pellets do you find work for you?

[Geezer]

Never used one. Some reviews suggest they sometimes do not shoot to available points of aim.

[AdeC]

Are you especially looking for blowback?

[Josie & John]

Hi Denyers,

Welcome to the BBS!

As with all CO2 pistols, there is a compromise to be made. The P226 is very authentic and I too like the heft and of course the blowback action. Less realistic are the faux ejection port, Take Down Lever and Slide release. A plus point is the fake catches are very well reproduced and they look as though they ought to work.

Accuracy wise, the P226 I have is about the most accurate CO2 'clone' I own. I use Excite flatheads and they group within a couple of inches at 6 yards when I shoot rapid fire. Using a two handed grip, the shots strike about an inch low and as the sights can't be adjusted, it does mean aiming slightly high. However, switching to a single handed stance raises the point of impact to the point of aim. I have also experimented with a Parker Hale silencer to add heft and this raises the point of impact to around 2 1/2 inches above the point of aim. The PH silencer is heavy and a lighter one ought to lower the point of impact when using a 2 handed grip. If you decide to opt for a silencer, JSR supply an adaptor for a 1/2 inch UNF thread and remember to go for a fairly slim one such as the PH as a wider silencer may obscure the target during sighting.

Overall I would have no hesitation in recommending the P226 - I love it!

Kind regards,

John

[gingernut]

If It’s JM Recommended I might even have a look !

[denyers]

Never used one. Some reviews suggest they sometimes do not shoot to available points of aim.

Thanks. I looked at at least 1 video on how to remove slide play to apparently resolve that issue by ensuring the slide and barrel remain aligned.

I was instead considering getting something like the USM rail and a red dot sight (although that lot is quite bulky), or just something simple like an under-mount laser.

Of course that presupposes that the barrel is rigid in relation to the frame... but I haven't read anything suggestion that that is not the case.

[Genstabler]

I have had a Walther CP88 for a while and am very impressed with Umarex. I have also just bought a Sig Sauer P226 as my second string.
The Walther is a beautiful, high quality pistol. It could have been manufactured in a sewing machine factory. The Sig, on the other hand, though inovatively designed, is agricultural in quality of manufacture, feels cheap and rattles annoyingly.
When I pull the trigger of a pistol eight times I expect eight pieces of lead to go down range fairly reliably. I have therefore decided to return my Sig 226. It looks quite good but it is of poor quality. More importantly it has proved very unreliable. It fires a couple of shots then bangs and recoils but doesn’t fire a pellet. I then have to struggle to get the jammed magazine out, which involves pushing a cleaning rod down the barrel. It may be just the magazines, as the pellets just fall out of them. However, I have tried different makes of pellet, three magazines and a fresh co2 cylinder without achieving satisfactory results. So back it goes, to be replaced by the Umarex Walther CP99 I should have bought in the first place.

[BackyardPlinker]

I had a second hand P226 purchased online, it had a good weight and felt good in the hand together with the blowback, however it was not very accurate and I had one of the co2 caplets release all of it gas when I closed the rear grip door. I reckon it was co2 fussy as some appear slightly shorter or with different neck designs, it didn't work as well with the crosman co2 caplets, sold it on in the end.

[nikonman]

After owning & using a SIG and several of the Umarex models, in ALL areas I'd recommend the latter. Walther CP88; CP99; Beretta 92FS; RWS C225; Colt 1911 (with target sights) and probably the most accurate one, the S&W 686, although none of those feature blow-back action. I have a Umarex Desert Eagle for that! Still got them all! Did own a Umarex Hammerli 226 and that was certainly OK and definitely of better construction than SIG's own version. I'd always go for a pistol with at the very least, lateral adjustment of the rear sight. My S&W 686 & Colt 1911 adjusts for height as well. I use GECO flat-heads in all my Umarex pistols. Accurate & inexpensive at around £4-£5 per tin of 500 depending on how many/where you buy from.

Plenty of good pistols to choose from out there!

[Geezer]

After owning & using a SIG and several of the Umarex models, in ALL areas I'd recommend the latter. Walther CP88; CP99; Beretta 92FS; RWS C225; Colt 1911 (with target sights) and probably the most accurate one, the S&W 686, although none of those feature blow-back action. I have a Umarex Desert Eagle for that! Still got them all! Did own a Umarex Hammerli 226 and that was certainly OK and definitely of better construction than SIG's own version. I'd always go for a pistol with at the very least, lateral adjustment of the rear sight. My S&W 686 & Colt 1911 adjusts for height as well. I use GECO flat-heads in all my Umarex pistols. Accurate & inexpensive at around £4-£5 per tin of 500 depending on how many/where you buy from.

Plenty of good pistols to choose from out there!

Never owned a target sight Umarex 1911, only standard, but apart from that have had all those through my hands, some in multiple variants, bar the Japanese new “SIG” and the Umarex “Hammerli” P26 226 copy (which I want). And the surprisingly not rubbish Crosman CP40 and Gamo P80.

None perfect, all good.

The Umarex DE is stupid (like the real gun): poor handling, bad ergos, plastic, a gas hog, very very loud, (but the pellets are still 2 ft-lbs), but with practice can put 3-5 shots into an inch or two at 10M in one second if you get the trigger control right. An achievement the pleasure of which quickly wears off when Mrs Geezer runs downstairs looking scared and worried.

[Hartcliffer]

I have had a Walther CP88 for a while and am very impressed with Umarex. I have also just bought a Sig Sauer P226 as my second string.
The Walther is a beautiful, high quality pistol. It could have been manufactured in a sewing machine factory. The Sig, on the other hand, though inovatively designed, is agricultural in quality of manufacture, feels cheap and rattles annoyingly.
When I pull the trigger of a pistol eight times I expect eight pieces of lead to go down range fairly reliably. I have therefore decided to return my Sig 226. It looks quite good but it is of poor quality. More importantly it has proved very unreliable. It fires a couple of shots then bangs and recoils but doesn’t fire a pellet. I then have to struggle to get the jammed magazine out, which involves pushing a cleaning rod down the barrel. It may be just the magazines, as the pellets just fall out of them. However, I have tried different makes of pellet, three magazines and a fresh co2 cylinder without achieving satisfactory results. So back it goes, to be replaced by the Umarex Walther CP99 I should have bought in the first place.

This exactly. I had the SiG, and found the fact that the slide rattles constantly an absolute pain. It just screams poor build quality. It wasn't accurate in the slightest, the blowback blasts through CO2, and having tto buy an adaptor to fit a silencer was an extra expense I didn't want (why not just thread it 1/2" UNF?). I actually gave it to my brother, as he is a fan of blowbacks. Personally, I'll stick to my Tempests; they might not be the most accurate pistols in the world, but they're consistent, and even in alloy form are built so much better. It was such a shame, as I had good memories of shooting a 9mm P220.