Posted: 7/30/2025 3:00:21 PM EDT
| For me, had to have been somewhere around 2010. They went to the long extractor in the 226, stopped making normal 226 frames in Germany and decided to replace their bomb-proof german made mags and mecgar made (italy) Sig branded mags with usa made checkmates. Probably did it to cut costs and earn $2 more revenue on a $1,000 gun. They haven’t been the same since. |
| When Sig came out with the SP2022. Some of that model are absolute tack drivers and flawless. A number really suck and have poor tolerance in the manufacturing. I have what I consider to be a perfect SP2022. Everything about it is just awesome. I have seen others either at gun ranges or even new in retail stores that just are poorly made. This was probably in 2012 when I noticed this. |
| I am a pretty big sucker for my service-branch authorized weapons from both past and present. I bough an M18 when the first came up for sale locally. I partially oaded up one of the magazines and in the time it took to fire off an incomplete magazine, I was turned off. To be fair, it was the height-over-bore compared to the weird grip angle I've grown use to with the Glock. Other than that, I really liked the way it felt, but the trigger - I knew something majorly fucky to get a striker fired pistol with a trigger that light. I sold it to a buddy who put an even lighter trigger in it. Just my 2 cents. |
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Compare the quality, fit and finish between the 556 and a genuine Swiss 550 series rifle. I own plenty of Sigs. I used to own an SSG3000 when they were popular. I now own a Cross. The Cross is great, more modern, more ergonomic, etc.. But that action certainly doesn't feel like the SSG3000 did.. |
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Early mid 2000s when I bought a Sig 556… they could have made a awesome US made version of the Swiss rifle everyone wanted but instead they made a weird ugly heavy thing that a lot of people had problems with. Mine was pretty accurate but a lot of others seemed to find it very lacking. |
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I didn't really have a problem with anything Sig was doing until the 250. And then when that was modified into the 320 and the shills wouldn't stop screaming about how the 320 wasn't a modified 250. I stopped taking them seriously about then. Still love my 226 a 229. |
| I think they have always been really on top of inventing new ways to cut manufacturing corners and develop a reputation as an "expensive operator's gun" so they can charge what everyone else does for cheaper stuff. I think they just got real lucky with the P226 actually living up to the hype. I have always thought most of their stuff was more hyped junk than anything else whether it was made by Sauer in Germany or not. |
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When the Sig 556 first launched as their abortive AR furniture/fishgill mutt in 2007 it had a huge smell. Then after FINALLY getting good versions with the 556R Gen 2 and 556 Classic/551A1 they killed it off with the retarded 556 XI in 2015. I bought a 556R G2 and it is one my favorite 7.62x39 rifles but they monkey-fucked the whole thing, shitcanned the 556 entirely for the MCX and the resulting shitpile THAT was. Good article: https://www.pewpewtactical.com/what-happened-sig-sauer-556/ |
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Approx 2010 on Worked for a gunbroker top 20 seller and we moved a ton of stuff . Started seeing SIGs come in missing parts (grips screws sights ) Guns so rough the slide took massive amounts of force to move (or was locked up ) Triggers that would stick to the rear and not reset Magazine release buttons that would stick or not move . Come out of the box rusty. SIG not fixing stuff even after multiple trips back to factory. I personally wrote um off when they laughed at me on the phone when I asked to purchase some springs and firing pins for my 556SWAT. IWI and Steyr happily sold me parts for their rifles . |
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Quoted: For me, had to have been somewhere around 2010. They went to the long extractor in the 226, stopped making normal 226 frames in Germany and decided to replace their bomb-proof german made mags and mecgar made (italy) Sig branded mags with usa made checkmates. Probably did it to cut costs and earn $2 more revenue on a $1,000 gun. They haven’t been the same since. IDK, my Sigs haven’t ever disappointed me, but they were/are all P-series guns. A late ‘80s P220 (“Made in W. Germany”) which I sold to fund something else; a 1994-made P228 which is in my carry rotation; and a 10mm P220, the DA/SA two-tone Match Elite model. Accurate guns and never had one reliability issue with any of them. |
| When did they start getting some of their parts made in india? When I heard that I decided I'd never own a new one. Shame because I was a sig fanboy growing up. Owned a 2022 for a while but for some reason I couldnt shoot it accurately at all- my fault obviously, but I think theres something with the grip angle or sights that dont work for me. |
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Quoted: When they stopped putting "Made in Germany" on their guns. For some models the early US made pistols were actually better than the made in Germany ones. A lot of the parts were still made in Germany and shipped to the US. The quality didn't start to go down for 10-15 years. I've owned or shot just about all of them from the lowest quality up to the highest. |
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Not going downhill, but the first time they bothered me was when the 320 was being advertised as modular and how you can swap from 9 to 357 sig to 40 to 45. So I drop the cash on it and suddenly it's, "lol, no, its actually just 9, 357, and 40" Some people converted the FCU to accept 45 parts by changing a peice in the FCU and shaving off some material, but of course that will void any warranty. |
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When I saw packages with "Made in India" and heard that they were using MIM for some of their parts. How many "geneations" did the MCX go through and I still issue with the brand new 7.62 rail losing zero. Yeah, they're a BIG 'no thanks" for me, I don't care how about cool guy former operators they bring out to back them. |
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I love my older SIG's, but even the West German ones had long-term issues. Back in the 90's P226 frames had a reputation of cracking with long term use. The original SIG P210 is a tank and a work horse. Purists would say SIG started declining when they went to West Germany to make guns and his been in a steady decline since then. I have owned P225, P226, P220 and a couple different 556 rifles. I only have the P225 now (bought as a curiosity and to rescue it - it had aftermarket grips, aftermarket sights but did come with a couple original magazines). It is a commercial gun not a P6 and is a little rarer in the USA. I do regret getting rid of the P226, a friend has it and I hope to get it back one day. I bought an early then a fairly late 556, neither were ever what they could have been and the early one shot poorly (group shift). |
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Quoted: Not going downhill, but the first time they bothered me was when the 320 was being advertised as modular and how you can swap from 9 to 357 sig to 40 to 45. So I drop the cash on it and suddenly it's, "lol, no, its actually just 9, 357, and 40" Some people converted the FCU to accept 45 parts by changing a peice in the FCU and shaving off some material, but of course that will void any warranty. Takedown safety lever, it blocks the magazine on reassembly until you push up the slide release to release the sear to full engagement w/ the striker. |
| PROTIP: if you own a Sig over a year without negligent discharging at least once, you aren’t handling it enough. NDs are a natural part of handling weapons, just like tweaking your back is part of weightlifting and car accidents are part of driving. I ND several times a year because I actually HANDLE and know how to USE my weapons. It makes me a better firearms handler and marksman, and it’s a small part of the price you pay in the sheepdog lifestyle Simple fact is, the “safety mentality” will build mental blocks in your head that will get you killed. You need to be comfortable putting your finger on the trigger and pointing the gun wherever you want no matter the time, place, or status of the weapon. Taking time to check whether the gun is loaded whenever you pick one up will serve to make you hesitate in a personal defense scenario. You fucking safety idiots are going to get people killed all because of this fucking “ND” shaming. Guns are inherently dangerous, you need to accept it. |