Sig P226 Legion ?

[BMF JK]

So for a while now I’ve pondered buying a more refined handgun. I love my polymers but I have an urge to buy either a nice 10 mm 1911 or a P226 legion DA/SA in 9 mm.
Anyone with a Legion I’d like your opinion on the gun and if you believe it was money well spent . I’ve found a legion for 1,199 which I’m thinking is a good deal so I’m leaning towards the Sig . Of course inspirational pics welcome! Thanks in advance.


Side note : this purchase will be a want with no specific purpose. I have all my bases covered with my current handguns.

 

[Phauxtoe]

its very nice but its more about the label than being worth the cash. my range buddy has it and had to put more money into it for the trigger. now its a freaking Race gun but it better be!
Get a lessor labeled P226 and get it tuned by a gunsmith! (that is what my buddy Jim says!)

unless you love the "Legion" looks!
then GO FOR IT!

 

[Cooolone]

Have the 229... And for the upgrades, the price is OK. I paid less than that when they were just coming out. But it shoots better than I can, trigger is butter smooth without any gunsmith work. The undercut trigger guard is nice. Sights are ok. SIG is stand up as for service, had issue with sight when new, they sent prepaid label, 10 say turn around, new sights, dead on! Long story, I'll tell ya if you want to hear. Bottom line, for a mass produced handgun, you're paying a premium, but you get a fine piece of machinery in return. I don't know anyone who had any work done to one, but as noted, you could get a non-legion and just pay for what you want done to it and be in the same place without the badging...

 

[Steal2B]

If you want the upgraded grips, the trigger upgrades, and upgraded sights the Legion will save a few bucks and the Legion would throw in the better X5 undercut guard frame and the reduced profile Elite beavertail. I understand Sig recently abandoned the troubled PVD gray coating for gray ceramic cerakote. 1199 seems to be the going street price and not a bargain warranting any rush. If you are not married to the Legion Gray and can find a good deal on something like an Elite model then you can get some upgrades, like installing a sig medallion in Houge G10 grips yourself and just have Sig do a trigger job during their annual fathers day special. So many good choices and no P series Sigs (P226, P229, P225, etc) are a mistake.

 

[Karpteach]

The Legions have a problem with the finish. I prefer the German made 226’s are better than any American made Sigs (except the 239). I love the 228 and the 225. The 226 was my first handgun. The size of the 226 is now too big for my arthritic hands yet, I love it.

 

[BMF JK]

Have the 229... And for the upgrades, the price is OK. I paid less than that when they were just coming out. But it shoots better than I can, trigger is butter smooth without any gunsmith work. The undercut trigger guard is nice. Sights are ok. SIG is stand up as for service, had issue with sight when new, they sent prepaid label, 10 say turn around, new sights, dead on! Long story, I'll tell ya if you want to hear. Bottom line, for a mass produced handgun, you're paying a premium, but you get a fine piece of machinery in return. I don't know anyone who had any work done to one, but as noted, you could get a non-legion and just pay for what you want done to it and be in the same place without the badging...

Now tell me about the Legion secret society members only club and secret handshake!
I’ve always been fond of Sigs and shot a few reg 226 pistols . I’m looking for something that’s a bit different. I’m really diggin the looks of the Legion series of pistols , just want to be sure it’s all it’s cracked up to be out of the box . Online reviews I’ve read have been promising, but we all know those can be paid for .

 

[BMF JK]

The Legions have a problem with the finish. I prefer the German made 226’s are better than any American made Sigs (except the 239). I love the 228 and the 225. The 226 was my first handgun. The size of the 226 is now too big for my arthritic hands yet, I love it.

I’ve heard there has been excessive ware issues with the finish , I’m assuming from drawing and holstering ?

 

[Steal2B]

The size of the 226 is now too big for my arthritic hands yet, I love it.

I heard that's why God created the sadly discontinued P239, and its new younger sibling the in production P225A (based more on the P239 than the old P225.) Many claim the P225A is the best out of the box shooter in Sigs line up.

 

[BMF JK]

If you want the upgraded grips, the trigger upgrades, and upgraded sights the Legion will save a few bucks and the Legion would throw in the better X5 undercut guard frame and the reduced profile Elite beavertail. I understand Sig recently abandoned the troubled PVD gray coating for gray ceramic ceracoating. 1199 seems to be the going street price and not a bargain warranting any rush. If you are not married to the Legion Gray and can find a good deal on something like an Elite model then you can get some upgrades, like installing a sig medallion in Houge G10 grips yourself and just have Sig do a trigger job during their annual fathers day special. So many good choices and no P series Sigs (P226, P229, P225, etc) are a mistake.

I do appreciate the upgrades on the Legion. I like the gray not necessarily married to it . All my pistols are stock other than trijicon night sights . I’ve never ventured into more mods with pistols ( not that I haven’t had the itch) , due to my previous mod ventures with rifles which becomes an expensive rabbit hole ! That’s why the Legion is attractive to me , some mods out of the box .

 

[Steal2B]

I’ve heard there has been excessive ware issues with the finish , I’m assuming from drawing and holstering ?

From my experience and time in Sig Forums, the loudest complainers were from new out of the box samples. Some of the forums with pics complaining about the finish on new out of the Legions just needed cleaning / oiling but others depicted a small flaw I would not expect get past QA on a quality handgun.

Most owners seem to be happy with resistance to holster wear (most seem to have leather holsters but some had kydex), but there were a few pics of wear that was more than I would expect for claimed use by the owner.

Sig provides a lifetime warranty on slide (but not the frame) finish for defects worse than normal wear and Sig does refinish slides, but not frames.

All used Legions I have seen with 3 to 5 thousand rounds looked fine.

It was recently reported and apparently confirmed that the Sig Legion PVD gray coating has recently been superseded by a Legion Gray Cerakote finish.

 

[togmaster]

I've got the Legion 226 SAO. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Steal2B]

I do appreciate the upgrades on the Legion. I like the gray not necessarily married to it . All my pistols are stock other than trijicon night sights . I’ve never ventured into more mods with pistols ( not that I haven’t had the itch) , due to my previous mod ventures with rifles which becomes an expensive rabbit hole ! That’s why the Legion is attractive to me , some mods out of the box .

Heads up on Legion sights, it was reported that some newer Sig XRay sights are now in house units as opposed to TruGlo and are not as bright as the outsourced OEM XRays coded TG or Trijicon XDs. Apparently the dimmer Sig built XRays are really only noticed with side by side comparisons to some of the XRay front sights which are coded as TG (the TG XRays are pretty close in brightness to the Trijicon XD).

 

[BMF JK]

I've got the Legion 226 SAO. You won't be disappointed.

That brings up another question... SAO or DA/SA ? None of my polymers have external safeties so I’m leaning towards the DA/SA . This wouldn’t be a carry piece so I’m not too concerned with that OOOOH f#€k moment in a life or death moment.
How’s that flat trigger on the SAO feel ?

 

[Steal2B]

That brings up another question... SAO or DA/SA ? None of my polymers have external safeties so I’m leaning towards the DA/SA . This wouldn’t be a carry piece so I’m not too concerned with that OOOOH f#€k moment in a life or death moment.
How’s that flat trigger on the SAO feel ?

How do you spell 1911. But in SA mode the curved Legion DA/SA is pretty close.

 

[togmaster]

That brings up another question... SAO or DA/SA ? None of my polymers have external safeties so I’m leaning towards the DA/SA . This wouldn’t be a carry piece so I’m not too concerned with that OOOOH f#€k moment in a life or death moment.
How’s that flat trigger on the SAO feel ?

I'm a trigger snob and bought mine for range use and competition. The trigger is unbelievably smooth and light. If you're used to carrying and training with a 1911 you won't have trouble with the safety. If you're not sure get the DA/SA.

 

[Gonzobird]

I got a 226 "Extreme" model in 40. Very nice, comes with SIGLITE night sights, an SRT and hogue grips. Very nice handgun. Feels really good. Going rate for a standard 226 in 9mm is ~$900. I got this for $700 on sale make down from $1299. The short trigger is really nice and crisp. I really enjoy shooting it and conceals surprisingly well.

 

[Podmonkey]

I had a P226 Legion for a short while.
It was a very fine pistol, all of the alterations over the "lesser" models were worthwhile and well done. The sights were excellent, the G10 grips likewise excellent and the extra checkering and radiusing on the grip and frame were very nice and the trigger was..... well, excellent. For $1200 I think it's a decent buy, they were hundreds more at release.
Regarding the finish:
I purchased mine via Gun Broker as at the time none were available even for order locally. The finish on my example was fine, no defects. However when my LGS did finally get some Legions in they did have an odd whiteish haze defect on the finish, not sure what the issue there was. I didn't have it long enough to see how the finish held up against wear. I did think it looked great though.
The biggest issue I had with the pistol were the reduced size controls, especially the slide release. The decocker was harder to manipulate vs the standard and the sharp edged slide release would become painful to use as the range session went on.
Also it's kind of a schizophrenic pistol. It's set up and billed as a high end duty piece but it has very tight tolerances that can cause issues if dirt or debris get into the action so in that sense it's more like a range gun yet lacking the additional refinements and features of a full on competition pistol.
In the end I traded mine in for a PPQ and a Shield + extra mags after I got my PA License to Carry Firearms. I just didn't see the point in having a single expensive range toy when I could have two less expensive guns much more suited to carry.
Still a great pistol if it tickles your fancy.
I may yet pick one up in 10mm. But I'd be sure to replace the awful reduced controls with standard ones, which can be done.

 

[BMF JK]

I'm a trigger snob and bought mine for range use and competition. The trigger is unbelievably smooth and light. If you're used to carrying and training with a 1911 you won't have trouble with the safety. If you're not sure get the DA/SA.

This will be my first hammer fired gun , that’s why I’m leaning towards the DA/SA.

 

[BMF JK]

I had a P226 Legion for a short while.
It was a very fine pistol, all of the alterations over the "lesser" models were worthwhile and well done. The sights were excellent, the G10 grips likewise excellent and the extra checkering and radiusing on the grip and frame were very nice and the trigger was..... well, excellent. For $1200 I think it's a decent buy, they were hundreds more at release.
Regarding the finish:
I purchased mine via Gun Broker as at the time none were available even for order locally. The finish on my example was fine, no defects. However when my LGS did finally get some Legions in they did have an odd whiteish haze defect on the finish, not sure what the issue there was. I didn't have it long enough to see how the finish held up against wear. I did think it looked great though.
The biggest issue I had with the pistol were the reduced size controls, especially the slide release. The decocker was harder to manipulate vs the standard and the sharp edged slide release would become painful to use as the range session went on.
Also it's kind of a schizophrenic pistol. It's set up and billed as a high end duty piece but it has very tight tolerances that can cause issues if dirt or debris get into the action so in that sense it's more like a range gun yet lacking the additional refinements and features of a full on competition pistol.
In the end I traded mine in for a PPQ and a Shield + extra mags after I got my PA License to Carry Firearms. I just didn't see the point in having a single expensive range toy when I could have two less expensive guns much more suited to carry.
Still a great pistol if it tickles your fancy.
I may yet pick one up in 10mm. But I'd be sure to replace the awful reduced controls with standard ones, which can be done.

Thanks for the insight . I’ve handled the Legion but never shot . I did notice the controls were a bit small . Slide release not a huge deal , I rarely use the slide release . The decocker on a DA/SA I’d say is an important control that should be easily manipulated so I’d probably swap them both out .
My fancy is definitely tickled by this gun , I too have thought of the 10 mm however from what I’ve seen it’s a considerable price jump . Although relatively speaking what’s another 2 or 3 hundred?

 

[Upstate43]

I haven't had the opportunity to shoot one yet, but I've held a few.

I'm looking to pick up a P226 in .40 at some point in the future. The way I view the Legion series is the same I way I view pickup trucks: you can spend $45k on a bare bones pickup or you can spend upwards of $60k on one. The $60k truck might have a few more amenities and slightly better interior quality, but at the end of the day its got the same underpinnings as that $45k truck.

Personally, I'm looking to pick up a factory-refurbished or moderately used P226 for $450-$550. Short reset trigger and a good pair of grips are the only things that are truly needed on a Sig, and some already come with those features from the factory.

 

[BMF JK]

I haven't had the opportunity to shoot one yet, but I've held a few.

I'm looking to pick up a P226 in .40 at some point in the future. The way I view the Legion series is the same I way I view pickup trucks: you can spend $45k on a bare bones pickup or you can spend upwards of $60k on one. The $60k truck might have a few more amenities and slightly better interior quality, but at the end of the day its got the same underpinnings as that $45k truck.

Personally, I'm looking to pick up a factory-refurbished or moderately used P226 for $450-$550. Short reset trigger and a good pair of grips are the only things that are truly needed on a Sig, and some already come with those features from the factory.

I can appreciate the analogy , I’ve had the work trucks of handguns for a awhile now and I’d like to purchase something a bit more stylish.

 

[Podmonkey]

I haven't had the opportunity to shoot one yet, but I've held a few.

I'm looking to pick up a P226 in .40 at some point in the future. The way I view the Legion series is the same I way I view pickup trucks: you can spend $45k on a bare bones pickup or you can spend upwards of $60k on one. The $60k truck might have a few more amenities and slightly better interior quality, but at the end of the day its got the same underpinnings as that $45k truck.

Personally, I'm looking to pick up a factory-refurbished or moderately used P226 for $450-$550. Short reset trigger and a good pair of grips are the only things that are truly needed on a Sig, and some already come with those features from the factory.

It's all about what turns you on. For me the grey finish and those grips just made the Legion really pop in my eye. When it comes to guns I generally take a cost no object stance, at least as much I am able to. Firearms are one the last few areas into which a regular middle class guy can still afford entrance into the upper gear echelons if really desired. A $5,000 AR is of course a hideously expensive rifle for what it is but then typical middle class Joe can still swing a 5k toy with budgeting priorities and spending discipline. The equivalent teirs in sports cars or motorcycle or boats? Who the hell can afford em? Only then really rich guys. But I could set aside $500 or even $1000 a month for the purchase of a 338 Lapua AR monstrosity if I really wanted. Or a CZ Checkmate or a SIG X5. Ect. Wilson Combat maybe.

 

[Karpteach]

I heard that's why God created the sadly discontinued P239, and its new younger sibling the in production P225A (based more on the P239 than the old P225.) Many claim the P225A is the best out of the box shooter in Sigs line up.

I feel that the 228 is the best outta the box shooter. Perfect in my hand anyways!

 

[Catskillkid]

I have one in .40 cal. It's a thing of beauty but for me it's a range toy and generally has been a safe queen for sometime now. If you have the dough and want to add it to your stable I say go for it. But if you're looking for something more on the practical side consider another gun. Just my

 

[Defilade]

Get a LEGION! It shall retain its value very well.

 

[Upstate43]

It's all about what turns you on. For me the grey finish and those grips just made the Legion really pop in my eye. When it comes to guns I generally take a cost no object stance, at least as much I am able to. Firearms are one the last few areas into which a regular middle class guy can still afford entrance into the upper gear echelons if really desired. A $5,000 AR is of course a hideously expensive rifle for what it is but then typical middle class Joe can still swing a 5k toy with budgeting priorities and spending discipline. The equivalent teirs in sports cars or motorcycle or boats? Who the hell can afford em? Only then really rich guys. But I could set aside $500 or even $1000 a month for the purchase of a 338 Lapua AR monstrosity if I really wanted. Or a CZ Checkmate or a SIG X5. Ect. Wilson Combat maybe.

The part in bold is definitely true. And everyone is different when it comes to the topic of "value" and how to best spend his/her money.

With that said I think there is a point of diminishing returns with the "upper echelon" firearms...meaning the extra money spent isn't always proportional to the added performance gained. Spending a a bit more money on a truly improved and/or refined AR (like the new piston-driven AR's being put out by Barrett, Sig Sauer and HK), I can get on board with that. Spending a bit more money on the same basic P226 but with some slightly modified controls and a different finish...me personally, I don't see the value, at least not at the current street prices.

But then again, spending $1.1k on a Legion P226 is not all that outrageous compared to what some other high-end pistols go for.

 

[Gonzobird]

But then again, spending $1.1k on a Legion P226 is not all that outrageous compared to what some other high-end pistols go for.

Well said. Keep in mind a standard 226 in 9mm is still going to run you $800 or $900 brand new.

 

[BMF JK]

God dammit , so I had a few double IPAs after work , wife is out of town and against my better judgement I ordered the damn gun. Problem is I didn’t get the wife’s approval first. I know... I know “ better to ask for forgiveness than permission “ but FML I’ve been there done that a couple three times too many already and this time might not reach the forgiveness stage .
Anyways fuck it I ordered the P226 legion DA/SA and I’m excited !

Side note : my wife is very cool , however she doesn’t appreciate nor does she understand the need for multiple guns . In her mind I have waaaaaay to many already, which I probably do .

 

[Gonzobird]

Congratulations!

My wife stopped caring but I have found it is easier to say "I am going to go get this today". If I forget to do that I don't say anything until the day it comes in and then I say I decided to go get it.

 

[BMF JK]

Congratulations!

My wife stopped caring but I have found it is easier to say "I am going to go get this today". If I forget to do that I don't say anything until the day it comes in and then I say I decided to go get it.

That’s great but mine will always ask “ so how much was that “!? That’s usually when her respect for my addiction ends !