Question in re the SIG P226

[ISCS Yoda]

Simple question - is the P226 designed to be carried cocked and locked like a 1911?

More complex question - does the P226 have a half cock that works with a safety in a cocked and locked type of arrangement?

I don't even own a P226 any longer and, when I did, I simply do not recall this feature. A friend of mine is a private security guard and when I saw his cocked SIG P226 in his holster I was kind of stunned. I got this story about it being designed for that. I'm a skeptic so I figured I could get an answer here.

Gracias.

 

[mckenney99]

Most common Sig p226's are either DA/SA, DAK, DAO. There have been limited production runs of SAO guns. I've got a limited production P220 Compact SAO.

 

[Grayfox]

The only safety a P226 has is a passive firing pin safety. I suppose if one had complete faith in it that the gun could be carried cocked but there's no real locked to it. I wouldn't do it.
The gun is designed to be carried hammer down on a loaded chamber using the traditional DA first shot. That's what the hammer drop lever is for.

 

[dusty3030]

For the vast majority of 226's, hammer down. There is no manual safety.

There is such a thing as a single action 226 and yes you can carry them cocked and locked as they do have a manual thumb safety.

 

[swsig]

Most P226s are SA/DA, and come with de-cockers instead of safeties. A few are SAO, and are designed to be carried cocked and locked. A very few were Double Action Kellerman, which allowed a lighter weight double action trigger pull and an intermediate trigger position, but I'm not sure those had safeties. I'm guessing your friend has an SAO version.

 

[ancient-one]

Changing Models but same subject. I bought one of the factory reconditioned P320's and it has no external safety. I am really not comfortable carrying one without a hammer you can let down or a external safety. They talk about the internal safeties, but it will still go bang if the trigger is pulled accidentally. Otherwise it is a dandy.

 

[scooter123]

The SAO P226 Sigs were distinctly expensive Custom Shop models. Basically the X-5 cost about twice what the base DA/SA P226 cost. So it's doubtful that a Private Security guard would be carrying a 1400 (2008 dollars) pistol. One quick way to spot a SAO Sig in the 226 or 229 line is to look for a Thumb Safety. If it doesn't have a thumb safety their is no such thing as "Cocked and Locked". Odds are about even that at some point your friend will shoot himself or an innocent bystander if he is carry a standard P226 cocked.

 

[cd228]

The normal DA/SA P226 can be carried with the hammer back and a round in the chamber. There is a firing pin safety that prevents the pin from striking the primer unless the trigger is pulled.

Carrying a P226 with the hammer cocked is very similar to carrying DA/SA revolver with the hammer cocked. The trigger pull is lighter aprox 5.5lbs IIRC and very short. While mechanically safe, I wouldn't recommend carrying it way. I personally prefer to carry my Sigs decocked with a longer first shot trigger pull. It is my understand that the pistol was designed to be carried with the hammer down on a loaded chamber with the longer heavier trigger pull preventing an accidental trigger pull.

The SIG does have a hammer position that is similar to half cocked. When you decock the pistol with the decocking lever, the hammer is dropped into a position that doesn't contact the firing pin. The hammer only strikes the firing pin when the trigger is pulled all the way to the rear of the trigger guard. The trigger also deactivates the firing pin safety mentioned above at the same time.

The pistol has a spring in the rear of the frame retained by the same pin that holds the rubber bumper in place that returns the hammer to the half cock position if the slide didn't return it to the cocked position.

As mentioned, for a P226 to be cocked and locked it would IMHO require a manual safety, usually found on the SAO models of the 226 as mentioned.