The new Sig P225A1 has been released on the world by its German and Swiss masters, and the gun reviewers of the world are beside themselves with praise for it, I however am NOT among them. When dissecting the reasons why everyone thinks the new Sig P225A1 is superior to the original Sig P225/P6 it’s important to consider many factors in this debate of old P225 vs new P225A1
If you are a Sig Sauer fan, you might want to hold onto your socks, I am a huge Sig fan but I am going to be very critical of the company and not just because of my negative dealings with them at SHOT 2016. The pistol smiths at Sig Sauer have in my opinion totally missed the boat with this version of the venerable old P225 and in doing so have done the original a great disservice. Why would I a loyal Sig loving guy toss the company under the preverbal bus? Well lets go into it shall we.
Price of New vs Old :
We all know that quality costs money and that if we invest in a quality firearm it should last a lifetime, but the manufacturers suggested retail price of the new Sig P225A1 is $1122.00 with three dot sights. I have always loved Sigs and know they cost a good deal of money because of the research and development costs etc, but this is revising a gun they already did 90% of the R&D on. The higher than average MSRP will exclude a lot of buyers from the equation. We are talking about a single stack possible concealed carry pistol. It still holds eight rounds just like the original P225.
Compare that with the $300-500 range for a well cared for P225/P6 that can be found easily on gunbroker.com and you can begin to see part of the developing issue. A buyer could buy one or two of the older versions of the P225 and spend the savings on a pistol course or a holster upgrade.
Magazines not Compatible:
The magazines between the P225A1 and the original P225 are not inter-changeable. This is an issue that puzzles me because Sig Sauer did not change the capacity of the new P225 compared to the original, it seems like they just added an extra notch for a magazine catch. When I asked about this at SHOT 2016, I was given a less than thorough explanation.
The Positives of the New P225A1 :
The new P225A1 does offer users a few noticeable improvements over the original P225. The aforementioned magazines for the P225A1 will undoubtedly will be more readily available compared to the original P225 magazines. The fact that Mec Gar produces Sig Sauer magazines means you will be able to use other outlets to purchase spare magazines possibly cheaper than buying them threw the Sig store. Who doesn’t like to save money.
A short action Sig trigger is an available option on the P225A1 that is not available on the original P225. Some users don’t like the sig short action trigger which has become a standard option for most Sig Sauer pistols produced in the last few years. I would suggest that any potential user try the Sig short reset trigger system before purchasing a pistol equipped with it.
Three dot SIGLITE Tritium night sights are also an upgrade option on the P225A1 for just over $100 more than the traditions sights. The MSRP for a P225A1 equipped with SIGLITE sights is $1236, although a careful shopper should never pay MSRP for anything.
Final Thoughts on the New P225 :
Do I think that Sig Sauer missed the boat on the Sig P225A1, yes in some respects. Make no mistake the Sig P225A1 is every bit as capable the P225 but It’s a pistol that leaves me puzzled at how European firearms manufacturers work. Sig Sauer has several pistols that already fill the roll of potential conceal carry weapons, the P239, P250, P229 to name a few. So why rebirth an old pistol model?
I love Sig Sauer pistols, despite the attitude that I was subjected to I will continue to support the company because I believe in their products. This pistol isn’t for everyone, but if you are looking for a top quality single stack 9mm pistol either the P225A1 or the original P225 would be great choices. The P225A1 is new and fancy and ultimately may have longer corporate support for years to come. The P225 is every bit as durable and it’s newer cousin but costs less than half the price.
Are you in the market for a new conceal carry pistol ? Have you considered the Sig P225 or are you looking at one of their competitors ? Drop us a line and let us know
Rick
