SIG SAUER P228

SIGARMS, the American avatar of SIG from Switzerland, partnered with the German company J.P. Sauer & Sohn to bring out the SIG SAUER SIG P220 handgun in 1975. The P228, also known as the 228 Compact, shoots 9 mm Luger/Parabellum ammunition. It is basically a compact version of the P226, which was designed for competing with the Beretta 92F for the American military XM9 Service Pistol trials (as a matter of interest, it lost out to the 92F because the latter was more cost effective). Prior to the American ban on such handguns, the 228 used a 13-round magazine. Today, it is commonly manufactured with a double-stack magazine that accommodates 10 rounds. It figures among SIGARMS' list of handguns, the others being the Sig P210, the Sig P220, the Sig P225, the Sig P226, the Sig P229, the Sig P239, the P230/P232, the 1911 clone Sig GSR, the SIGPro, the SP2009, the SP2340 and the SP2009-9-Special.

The SIGARMS P228, a semiautomatic double action only (DAO) pistol, commands a retail price of between $800 and $825. It weighs 700 grams, is 180 mm long and has a barrel length of 98 mm. This handgun's safety features incorporate the patented automatic firing-pin lock. In this system, the front of the firing pin is prevented from going forward until the trigger is completely depressed. This prevents the firing pin from striking the primer even if the P228 is accidentally dropped to the ground. The SIGARMS P228 is fitted with a manual de-cocker, with the de-cocking lever on the left side of the frame. It features fixed, standard contrast sights and a lightweight alloy slide. The frame is made of steel and comes with a classic blued finish.

The SIGARMS P228 numbers among the most preferred personal protection handguns because of its efficiency and compactness. It is presently being used by the United States Armed Forces. Though the FBI dropped its 'big brother', the P226, as its standard issue handgun, the SIGARMS P226 is still widely used by special units such as the U.S. Navy SEALs, France's GIGN, Japan's Special Assault Team and the British and Australian SAS. The US military currently uses the P228 under the name M11.

The M11 is a semiautomatic handgun that had a brilliant start on the market but ran into problems because of certain design deficiencies. These seem to primarily concern the replacement grip panels, which subtracted from its ergonomical soundness because the firing mechanism subjected these to unwarranted stress, causing them to work loose. This problem was addressed during later manufacturing processes. However, it is never a good thing for a handgun to run into market disrepute, even if the cause if corrected later on. Later versions of the P226 included the SIG P226-9-NAVY, and a refined model of this made in partnership between SIGARMS and the American Special Tactical Services. It was designed specifically for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation as a sort of fundraising effort and saw very limited production

The P228 differs from the P226 by virtue of the fact that its slide and barrel are shorter. Its magazines are interchangeable with those of the P226, though they protrude from the baser of the grip. The trigger guards feature different designs - the P228's trigger guard is curved while that of the P226 is more hook-like.

Also, the P226 comes chambered for .40 S&W and .357 SIG as well as the 9 mm Luger/Parabellum rounds while the P228 chambers only the last of these. Technically very similar to the P228 is the SIG-Sauer P239, which also chambers all the calibers that the P226 does. This handgun has the same measurements as the P228 but its magazine accommodates only 7 or 8 rounds, depending on the caliber. Also, it has a aluminum alloy frame and is rather heavier than the P228.