I just got back from my local gunshop and I'm getting ready to buy a SIG P226. It's been a long and expensive process of research and renting guns at the firing range, and this is the one that I have picked. It will be my first handgun, for home defense and target shooting. At the gun shop I took a 30 question test and got all the questions right, and now I have a basic safety certificate. All that is left is for me to plop down my credit card.
Before I do that I really need some information/advice on a few things about he SIG P226.

First I want to relay a conversation I had with the guy at the gunshop. I told him I heard some reports about SIG's rusting and I asked if the model in the display case had the K-KOTE finish. It didn't and he said that K-KOTE has a tendency to chip off which could cause problems with the gun. Well I don't want my gun to rust and I don't want the finish to chip off either! So what finish is the BEST to protect my brand new SIG with?

I looked on the sigarms.com website and they list 4 available finishes for the P226--Nitron, Two-Tone, Blued, and Stainless Steel. I don't see anything about K-KOTE there. So can someone put this all together for me? What is the difference between those 4 available finishes besides their color? Is K-KOTE something in addition to all that, or is it something that I would get instead of one of those?

Thanks in advance for the help, I'll post any follow up questions as I need to get more clarification.

Join the club.  I just bought a Sig 226 in 9mm for my all purpose pistol: home defense, target, and duty weapon (Seriff's Posse).  I asked all the same questions about finishes as you.  I was told by the local Sheriff's department "weapons master" that the K-Kote finish chips off on the OUTER edges of the gun, mostly near the barrel end of the slide.  As stated, Sig is no longer offering the K-Kote finish, but has plans to reintroduce the K-Kote after a few improvements in the chemical makeup of the substance.  As far as interfering with the function of the gun (jamming, etc), the flaking K-Kote will not cause malfunctions, according to the weapons master.  

My Sig has the basic matte finish and the plain plastic grips.  After I shoot a few hundred rounds through it, I'll decide if I want/need rubber aftermarket grips.  I paid $600 for a "like new" used pistol, the barrel had yet to even be scarred from the slide recoiling.

JRB  

Troy is correct, no more K-Kote.

My recommendation is send your 226 to W.E. Birdsong and get him to put a Black T finish on it.  It's the best finish going.  My 226 with a T on it has been through the ringer...dry dusty/muddy/submerged... and still looks good.  Robar will also put a good teflon on as well.

-SARguy

Hmm Ok, well I'm definately not going to go with the K-KOTE then, thanks for that bit of knowledge.

But I really need an explanation of the 4 available finishes that are listed on sigarms.com.  There are 4--Nitron, Two-Tone, Blued, and Stainless Steel.  I'm sort of a newbie when it comes to guns, so I really need someone to lay down the basics.  What exactly are these 4 finishes and how do they differ?  Would you consider one of them to be superior to the others?  Thanks for the help.

I don't know what Nitron is but I'd assume it's some proprietary black corrosion resistant coating.  

Stainless steel isn't a finish, it's a type of steel alloy that is more corrosion-resistant than regular steel.  It is generally left unfinished, though SIG seems to coat theirs with Nitron or otherwise blacken it.  This combo should be the most corrosion-resistant and durable finish they offer.

Bluing is simply hot-bluing, which provides a mediocre finish on carbon steel.  It can be a beautiful finish on highly polished surfaces, but it isn't very corrosion resistant.  It's not a good choice on a CCW or combat firearm.

Two-tone is probably a stainless steel slide left "white" with a blackened aluminum frame.  This should be OK for durability.

If you can find it, nickel plating is also a good alternative to bluing.  It is pretty resistant to corrosion and wear, and is attractive.  My SIG P245 came nickel plated from the factory, so it should be available if you look around.

K-kote is widely known to suck.  Birdsong's Black-T, as someone suggested, is attractive and resists corrosion well, but it is not very wear resistant.  It tends to scrape and chip worse than nickel plating or chrome plating, and is even worse than some other "paint" finishes.

Hope this helps.

See Robar.  Look under Metal finshes.  If you like the stainless steel many of my colleagues swear by it.  There is a blued version also.  My buddies claim that that the more you use the firearm, the "slicker" it becomes.


[url]http://www.robarguns.com[/url]

Well before I get into aftermarket options, I just want to understand about the sig factory finishes.  It seems like nobody knows about the 4 different available factory finishes for Sigs--Nitron, Two-Tone, Blued, and Stainless Steel.  Anyone?

I can see using a 9mm for target shooting, but for home defense? ? ? You lost me..... Get yourself a .45 and be happy....  If you want to stick with Sig, you can get the Sig 220 which is supposedly a decent .45 (I'd look into a Glock 21 or H&K Tactical first though).


-SS

ump45-

You'll definitely find all your sig answers at www.sigforum.com. I have the new version 226 with the milled stainless steel, blackened slide. It's my understanding that this is the most durable and corrosion resistant finishes of them all. I'd recommend you get the stainless steel milled slide as well.

-jsr75

blah blah blah

SouthernShark, I don't think we want to open that can of worms (9mm vs .45ACP).  But this will be my FIRST handgun ever, and my wife and I both will be sharing it.  She is recoil sensitive and so am I, and we both shot the P220 (as well as many many other ones like the HK USP, Glock, etc...).  Bottom line, we've already researched the issue fully and we're going to get the Sig P226 as our first.  But anyway, thanks for your, um, concern :) hehe.

jsr75, thanks for the tip.  I already posted a message there (that forum is moving really slow).  So the milled stainless steel blacked slide hmmmm.  I am already planning on getting the p226 with the milled slide (not the stamped slide version), so I'm set on that one.  But what is stainless steel blackened?  Do you mean the Nitron finish?

Good choice on the 9mm. IMOHO, sig 226 and beretta 92fs are some of the greatest 9mm's ever made. they also have proven themselves in testing as well as in the field. as far as the finnish, the bluing may wear, but unless it will be exposed to elements, it should do fine.

Get a Glock 19 or 17, some hi-caps and you don't have to worry about the finish or rust.

4 available factory finishes for sig p226:

blued:  I've heard this isn't a good choice, it wears easily, and I've hears some negatives on several different sources, so I'm not going to choose that one.

stainless steel:  When sig lists this as an available finish, I'm assuming this just means that it doesn't have any finish on it at all, its just the bare stainless steel with nothing added on it.  If that's true (can someone tell me?) then I'm going to eliminate that option as well.

Two-Tone:  I heard this is a nickeled slide and controls, and a black anodized frame.  I heard some pretty positive things about this finish.  What do you guys think about the nickel finish on the slide and the black anodized frame?

Nitron:  I don't know what this one is really at all.  I heard it's some sort of process which blackens the stainless steel, but what is "Nitron" and does it provide good resistance?

Also there is K-KOTE which isn't listed on the sigarms.com website.  I heard they are discontinuing this because it has chipping problems and they are going to re-formulate it with a different chemical composition, and then re-introduce it.  Well that definately means I'll scratch this off my list also.

So it's between the Two-Tone and the Nitron finish.  I like both of these equally well in terms of cosmetic appearance.  So I want to choose the one that offers the best resistance.  Any thoughts on that?

OK, here ya go.

SIG Arms has announced a new finish for the outside of the models P245 and P220 and for use on internal parts on all SIG's called Ilaflon (TM).  Ilaflon is a silicone-resin based coating that is electronically applied as an anti-corrosive coating with very high water and oil [petroleum distillates] resistance. It is applied at 200 degrees C (about 400 F) where it bonds to the metal forming a permanent barrier to corrosion and wear.   It comes in several colors as well. It will be applied to the P245 and the P220 and to certain internal parts of all SIG handguns and is an optional finish on other models as specified in the 2000 SIG catalog.

Nitronª is a standard finish for SIG's sig pro¨, P226, P229 and P239 model handguns. Developed exclusively for use on SIG Arms' pistols, the Nitronª finish actually impregnates the stainless steel slide - resulting in a hardened black finish, impervious to rust, corrosion, and the demands of  everyday use.

An optional nickel finish is available for many of SIG's handgun models; P220, P245, P225, P226, and P229. It combines an attractive matte nickel slide that accents the standard blued finish for a distinctive, contrasting two-tone look that retains a superior level of resistance to corrosion, rust and wear.

A blued finish is the standard finish for all SIG's other handgun models. The matte blued finish is used on slide, trigger, hammer and levers while alloy frames are hard anodized. The standard blued finish has proven to be exceptionally durable, rust and corrosion resistant.

Bottom line, get anything but blued and you will be happy.

So only the slide has the Nitron, leaving the frame only anodized?  Why don't they just Nitron the whole frame AND the slide?

Same thing for the Two-Tone, only the slide is Nickeled and the frame is just anodized.  Why not nickel the slide and nitron the frame?

One option is getting the cheapest version and use it until the coating wears off. Then send it out and have anything done to it you want.

Probably because some finishes, like bluing, chemically react with the steel to form the desired compound.  One's options are somewhat limited with aluminum.  Anodizing or some sort of film coating is about all you can do... but aluminum doesn't rust anyway, so no biggie.

Ahh I get it.  I forgot the frames were aluminum :)  So of course you can't Nickel or Nitron the aluminum frame, only the steel slide.  Thanks for the help.  Now I just get to choose between Two-Tone and Nitron for new my P226, and from the sounds of it, they both perform equally well for resisting wear and tear and rust.



That is the first I've heard about this Ilaflon.  Wonder why they are doing it just to the p245 and p220?  Why not the 226 as well?  You say they are going to be applying it to internal parts of all sig handguns, how can I tell if my sig has that or not?  Do you know if Ilaflon will be an optional finish on the p226?

Don't know.  You may want to inquire at SIG Forum.  If it works well it's reasonable to assume they will expand its use to all models.

Sig 226 2-Tone owner checkin' in.  IIRC when I ordered it there were only Nitron and "2-tone" available.  I opted for the two-tone (which was described on their website as "nickel" slide).  When it arived it was "2-tone", but the slide was a beautiful matte stainless.  I don't know if the shop messed up the order or what- but I was hooked.  And as far as durability issues- none.  BTW- I realize to each his own, but as far as being in my hand it is a tack driver.  I never use that word for any other pistol I have fired.  Although I chose the .357 SIG calibre.