The M1911 .45 caliber handgun is more than 100 years old and U.S. military personnel carried the firearm in several different U.S. conflicts to include World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Grenada and of course the Cold War. It was the standard-issue sidearm from 1911 to around 1986.
A favorite of troops who carried it because of its reliability and stopping power, the M1911 became of victim of government bureaucracy with many uniformed admirers wondering, if it wasn’t broke, why did the U.S. military try to fix it?
The Beretta 92FS, also known as the M9 in the U.S. inventory, entered the picture as the heir apparent of the M1911’s legacy. With the M9, the U.S. military promised an easier to shoot and maintain handgun that had more ammo capacity, but for those who had the privilege of shooting the M1911, there was no comparison.
In the mid-1980s all uniformed services would adopt the M9 as their primary handgun. But within the U.S. Navy SEAL community, because the M9 had some mechanical and performance issues during testing, the SEALs decided to go their own way and find a handgun that would work in their operational world. What they eventually found was the Sig Sauer P226 and for more than three decades SEALs have carried the P226 into battle in Panama, Somalia, Haiti, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
Why do Navy Seals use a Sig P226? First, a little about its history. The P226 was developed by Sig Sauer as a replacement for the M1911, however by the end of the competition with other arms manufacturers, the P226 came in second place to the Beretta M9. The P226 was a variant of the P220, the sidearm of many militaries worldwide and it was run through extensive testing to ensure that the performance problems discovered with the M9 would not occur with the Sig.
Sig (Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft) Sauer was founded in 1853 in Switzerland. In 1976, Sig’s firearms division partnered with Sauer & Sohn, Germany’s oldest firearms manufacturer at the time, founded in 1751. The rest is history, as they say. The P226 became the Mk. 25 to Navy SEALs and they went into service in 1989. But why do Navy Seals use a Sig P226? We’re getting to that.
The P226 has a shorter barrel than the M9 and for warriors who sometimes fight in close quarters, that matters. The P226 slide is made of stainless steel for increased strength which prevents mishaps and failures like the ones that happened during M9 testing. The slide is also corrosion resistant due to ferritic nitrocarburizing, a treatment that helps protect against corrosion which is critical given SEALs are often immersed in saltwater. The P226’s chamber and barrel are chrome lined which is also a plus for those who operate in wet or dusty environments. The P226 weighs just shy of two pounds with a loaded magazine whereas the M9 weighs in at 2.5 pounds. A lighter weapon makes for a more agile warrior. So those reasons might answer the question, why do Navy Seals use a Sig P226? But there are more reasons to love this handgun.
The P226 is a single- or double-action pistol, depending on the shooter’s preference and it has a decocker much like the M9, that releases the hammer without firing a round. Unlike the Beretta, it has no manual safety. However, there are safeties designed into the weapon that prevent accidental discharge. The P226 has fifteen round capacity, night sights and a Picatinny rail so warriors can customize their weapon. And of course, the handgun has an anchor on the slide denoting that it is the chosen firearm of Navy SEALs. Why do Navy Seals use a Sig P226? For many of the reasons listed above. It was a weapon that they tested and modified specifically for their missions.
But like the M1911, all good things must come to an end. In 2015, the Glock 19, a compact 9 mm, was added to the SEAL handgun inventory. The SEALs plan to eventually replace the P226s with the newer Glocks.
For now, the M9 continues to be the primary sidearm for U.S. uniformed personnel worldwide and the P226 continues to be the primary handgun of the SEALs.
Why do Navy Seals use a Sig P226? The simple answer is the weapon has proven itself in service for more than 30 years.
25 comments
I carried a 1911 for yrs. Love the .45acp round. When the Glock 17 came out I wasn’t a fan of it. For me handguns were steel and wood. The G19 came out and I started appreciating the weapon. Now an old man, I carry a G43X. Very light and has never hiccuped.
before deploying to the Vietnam War Games i had my clunker M-911 made into match condition. I never got to use it in combat because we SEALs did mostly spray and pray type shooting.
I have that pistol in my gun safe because it is “second to none” of all the G.I. (government issue) sidearms.
E. “Doc Rio” Riojas
USN Ret.
It’s old, heavy ,etc. But I lucked into a stainless cz75. Year’s ago.
10k rds. N she still runs, n. Is more accurate than I am.
When I was n navy, we still trained with 1911’s & M14s you know, REAL WEAPONS The cz is only other pistol I’d trust
Only one pistol I carry every day is a 1911 a1 45. I work armed security and I carry the 1911 on and off duty. My 1911 has never given me any problems. All these other hand guns do not cut the mustard when it comes to knock down power. Buy all your high priced crap and put it up against the old 1911 and see who comes out ahead.
Beretta, Sig, and Glock
Nothing But high priced Junk I carried a 1911
in Viet Nam for two years and had no problems in That that nasty country. That all i got to say. Thanks Have a nice day .
Everyone has an opinion, remember this, the non-military types, politicians decide what you carry, even if you think otherwise.
Having fired the Beretta M9 and the Sig M17, there is considerable differences. The Beretta was fat and heavy, I thought it was weak and considerable issues every time. The M17, lighter, more adaptable and more shooting with less malfunctions. I think when looking for a defense weapon for home or operation, it depends on the shooter, dependability and construction.
Sig all the way🇨🇱
I was at Little Creek in NSW at that time, when the P226 was adopted. I was also a weapons specialist and directly involved in that situation. The M9 failures were catastrophic slide failures, and I personally knew of at least 6 myself. Beretta started the rumor about us using high pressure ammo in their pistols as damage control- we had no high pressure ammo in inventory, just WCC NATO ball was what we used. NWC Crane tested the failed slides and found that Beretta had improperly heat treated the steel. Ours were some of the first pistols made in the new US factory, so perhaps their production wasn’t up to speed yet. We commonly fired thousands of rounds per week so it didn’t take long to find issues in equipment.
The first batches of P226s that we received were off the shelf pistols, and they were heavily tested by NWC Crane before they were purchased in quantity. Those pistols had a fabricated slide, no rail, no chrome lined bore. The stainless milled slide and those other features came years later.
The SIG was one of the most reliable weapons that we had in inventory. We used them in all kinds of extreme conditions and I was impressed with their durability and reliability. We had several other handguns in inventory to choose from and the SIG was by far the most reliable, and probably the most accurate. My newest M1911A1 was made in 1947, I believe.
I heard that the decision to pick the M9 over the SIG was purely political. I won’t get into specifics but I knew the people directly involved in the selection program. When politics get involved the warfighter usually suffers.
The bickering within the firearms community is hilarious. This comment section is a perfect example. Glock, Berreta, and Sig all make great weapons. The P226 and M9 just have more sex appeal than a stick of butter with a handle on it. They’re all grade A pistols that I would trust my life to. I own all three but the P226 stays on my kit.
Recently talked to members of a Seal Team based in Norfolk Virginia, members who had returned from Iraq. They had been using the Sig M17 and had high marks for it.
The Sig P226 is heavy. It may kick less and give you a touch more accuracy in the first few rounds. But sending a few clips down the barrel is fatiguing. That would make a difference in a long fire fight.
As a backup gun, it would be great. As a primary shooter, in close combat, I might prefer the Glock.
The SEALS were using non standard ammo when the M9 failure occurred. The pressure greatly exceeded any known ammo (NATO) or commercial. The part that failed was the slide not the barrel, The slide separated with the rear portion striking the shooter. The only “weak” area of the M9 and other Berettas of that series would have to be recessed area in which the barrel link operates. Overall the pistol is about as reliable as anybody could reasonably expect.
Makes sense. Glocks will probably outlast all those guns. We had issues with Berettas in the Army. Money has nothing to do with their decision. Special Operations command has a pretty big budget and what they want is what they will get. A funny trend is that Elite forces always choose the wepon they like and goes against is standard to regular conventional units. And as of now , Seals, Grenn Berets, Marsoc, Rangers and Delta all went with the Glock 19. The M17 is pretty but hasnt seen any combat. They will see more vault time than anything else.
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Price should never even enter the picture when American lives are hanging in the balance. These warriors die for us and now you want to worry about a few million when we give ridiculous money away to countries that want to KILL US AND EVERYTHING WE STAND FOR!