Sig Sauer P224 SAS 9MM Pistol ReviewBack at last year’s 2013 January SHOT show everyone was crowded around the Sig Sauer booth’s MPX and I was over fondling the 224 SAS 9mm Pistol. Hey I understand the attraction of ogling something that you can never own as a civilian. In fact the MPX is such a devastating killing machine that three people died just from how awesome it looked… well at least I thought they were going to given the hysterics I saw. I was more interested in something practical that I could actually use and enjoy and, ya know, actually purchase. Little did I know that the pistol I chose would be such as massive hit for Sig that my media sample purchase order wouldn’t arrive until late November 2013, but the wait was worth it.
In the land of blocky polymer receiver pistols the Sig Sauer pistols deliver something far above the norm.
FIT, FINISH, FEEL, FEATURES, & FUNCTIONS
My interest in the gun was peaked form a couple perspectives on the Sig Sauer 224 SAS 9mm. I personally am a fan of the 9mm round and believe it matters little that you get shot with a 9mm vs the larger handgun rounds… or at least I believe the real life stats that indicate that 115gr vs 200grs has an almost identical effect on the person being shot. Usually my question is why would I sacrifice 15% or more of my ammo capacity for a larger caliber that has yet to be proven a better attacker stopper. I would rather error on more bullets side of the argument than a bit more lead and especially as the size of and capacities of the gun decrease. Capacity is what interested me most about the 224 SAS. The 9mm model delivers a 12+1 capacity which is very good considering the size of the pistol. The Sig 224 SAS sits in between the size of the Glock 19 and baby Glock 26 with less capacity than the G19 but more than the G26. The raw dimensions indicate that the 224 is a bit bigger than it really feel or is due to the beavertail grip. The Sig’s capacity is pretty high compared to other similar sized pistols on the market.
Beyond an high capacity the Sig delivers outstanding ergonomics, control, and accuracy. The Sig Sauer grip is a familiar comfy feel paired with a rough contoured polymer grip that delivers a confident feel even in wet situations. Part of the accuracy benefit is the unique DAK - Double Action Kellerman trigger. Think of it as a DOA - Double Action Only trigger The Sig Sauer DAK trigger is a medium length pull that stacks like a revolver trigger. You can pull the trigger half through the pull to half cock the bobbed hammer which sets the trigger and hammer in a position identical to the feel of secondary shots. Otherwise the initial first-round trigger pull is heavier.
Once the hammer is in the precocked state, the pull is reduced by about 40%. Without analyzing the trigger pull too much you would think the first and second round trigger pulls feel the same but there is a difference that improves accuracy for ongoing shots. Luckily whichever stages the trigger is set in, the Sig Sauer delivers a smooth consistent predictable trigger pull that keeps all the bullets close together. My personal preference is for a pistol to have the same pull from the first to the last, so I liked the smooth predictable DAO trigger pull.
The Sig 224 SAS also includes SIGLITE night sights which provide the familiar green glow that allow you to keep on target regardless of the lighting level.
The 224 SAS stands for Sig Anti-Snag which delivers a firearm with a lot of nicely rounded edges to provide a clean snag free draw from even confined concealment positions. The profile of the 224 may look familiar. In this case Sig basically chopped the barrel and grip length off a Sig 226/229 model and then killed the decocker and bobbed the hammer to create the 224 series.
The end result is a hand filling design that feels literally identical to a 226/229 but shorter with less pinky finger grip. That 6.7” length 4.5 height put the pistol into that compact pistol size that is so wildly popular. The chopped and cropped size also means that the 224 SAS can fit perfectly in all your existing 226/229 format holster, but with perhaps a bit extra leather left over… ahh rejoice you can use the same holster for your full and compact guns.
Like most Sig pistols the lower is aluminum with hard anodizing for durability, the slide is stainless steel Nitron coated, and the barrel is carbon steel.
The stunningly gorgeous Sig 224 SAS the fit and finish is typical Sig Sauer which means it is the BMW 7 series of the firearm world. Such stunningly flawless execution that you really hate to use this tool harshly in the manner which it was ultimately designed.
All that detail comes at a price of around $1000 on the street which is about twice that of your average Glock 19 these days. Is it worth it? That is really for you to decide. Pride of ownership and meticulous detail comes at a price however the fit, finish and quality are all well deserving of the price. Sig ownership comes with respect and the dialog with your gun buddies/gals goes something like this; “I bought a Glock”...”Oh cool I have four of them”. With a Sig purchase it sounds more like “I bought a Sig”...”Damn those are top of the line and I have wanted one forever”.
Do you want a rugged affordable pistol or a rugged affordable pistol that is arguably the best in the industry and then add in friends admiration of the thickness of your wallet. Sig is also of course the prefered US Navy Seals pistol, so there is that military cachet as well. Personally I think the Sig 224 SAS is worth every penny even without the admiration part. It is without a doubt one of the finest and well made concealment pistols made.
FUNCTIONS & ACCURACY
As you would expect, pumping over several hundred precious rounds of various brands of ammo down the 224’s tube delivered flawless functionality. Ergonomics for magazine changes were perfect and smooth. The Sig Sauer 224 SAS delivered very good accuracy which exceeds many full sized handguns.
Being a Glock guy and not a Beretta or Sig guy, it always takes me a few magazines to relearn the long double action revolver style Sig trigger. For those that are not familiar with the Sig Sauer trigger you need to expect a first half cocking stage and then a final half cocking stage similar to what you will find with most striker fired. It is a very smooth trigger whether you are firing from the pre-cocked position or through a full stroke.
From an accuracy perspective, I found the P224 SAS extremely accurate. On the 7-yard line the pistol delivered a nice tight quarter sized group with quality ammo. Out on the 25-yard line, I was pretty excited to see about 3” groups from this compact reduced sized pistol.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is hard not to love the Sig Sauer 224 SAS since it is basically a DAK actioned P226/P229. For those that carry the P229, the P224 SAS can accept the same mags or even the 18-round extended mags available on the market. If you are going to carry the P224 why would you not carry an extended mag as a backup to guarantee enough ammo on the reload.
The gun is gorgeous, made with extreme precision, and the de-honring to make this model snag-free. What’s not to love, precision of the firearm and in the accuracy all with something that I can conceal easy and packs 12+1 round capacity and unlike the super model MPX, I can actually take this one home.
SPECS
Caliber 9mm or .40S&W, .357SIG
Action Type DA/SA (SRT) or DAK
Trigger Pull DA 10.0 lbs or 5.5-6.5 lb (DAK)
Trigger Pull SA 4.4 lbs
Overall Length 6.7 in
Overall Height 4.5 in
Overall Width 1.3 in
Barrel Length 3.5 in
Sight Radius 5.3 in
Weight w/Mag 29.0 oz
Mag Capacity 12 Rounds (9mm), 10 Rounds (.40S&W, .357SIG)
Sights SIGLITE® Night Sights
Grips Black Polymer Factory Grips
Frame Finish Black Hard Anodized
Slide Finish Nitron
Accessory Rail No
Features Sub-Compact, Double stack mag., One Piece Grip
MSRP $1,125
SOURCES
Sig Sauer - http://www.sigsauer.com