Sig P226 or Browning Hi-power

S

sjenkins

Inactive
Hello all

I was just wondering if any of you could give some advice in choosing a handgun. I defintley want a 9mm. Defintley semi-auto. Price range around 800 US. The two I have really considred are the Sig p226 and the browning hi-power. This gun will be primarley used for target shooting and maybe some plinking for fun.

thanks


sj
 
They are both excellent choices. The BHP is a true classic and for that reason gets my vote. For carry I would opt for the Sig.
 
Welcome to TFL.

Both guns that you had mentioned are very good. They are somewhat different, however. I'm sure you have researched the difference but to be sure...The P226 is a double action/single action gun (unless you get a double action only one), i.e., the hammer does not have to be cocked for it to hit the firing pin when the trigger is pulled. The High Power is strictly single action, i.e., the hammer has to be in the cocked position fir it to fire. The SIG does not have a safety that the shooter manipulates. The HP hasa frame mounted safety that allows you to carry it cocked and ready to fire but with the safety on. The SIG does not have a magazine safety, the HP does. There are other minor differences but these are the main ones.

Both are generally of higher quality, IMO, than say a Ruger or (&). SIGs have been known to be above average in accuracy out of the box. The fit of the barrel to the slide of my HP, however, is increadibly tight and shoots just as well as the P226. I can't really say that one is more accurate than the other as I'm only an average shooter.

One problem that many people encounter with the HP is the legendary Browning hammer bite. That is, when the slide travels back and cocks the hammer, some people like to hold the HP high on the grip and the web of skin between the thumb and forefinger gets pinched between the hammer and frame. I've had this happen to me early on when I got my HP but for some reason, it is no longer a problem. it could be that I'm unconciously holding grip lower, although I don't feel I've changed my grip any, or my hand ,as well as the rest of me has gotten fatter and the web of my hand does fold into the space betwen the hammer and frame as much. The 'fatter' part of the second theory I can confirm I am doing conciously to my dismay.
 
You can get a BHP NIB for around $550 and have a smith do some trigger work for $100 or so, and end up with a GREAT gun.

The new BHPs don't have the hammer bite problem. (I can GUARANTEE this!)
 
You can buy a SIG Sauer P226 for about 600$ and not have to have somebody tinker with it to keep it from biting you.:p :D
 
I have never shot a SIG but I do have two Hi Powers.

I think the hammer bite is a problem that comes from holding your hand too high on the grip as described by hksigwalther.

A Hi Power does not kick that hard and gripping it like a .45 is not necessary.

My hands are large and a little fat too. I don't get any hammer bite from either of my HP's. One has the older style ring hammer and the other the newer spur hammer.

For your price range you could get a really nice HP that would resell for what you pay for it.

Try to shoot each before you buy.
 
I have never shot a Browning Hp , but i have shot the P226
and i have a FEG copy of the HP . IMO it's all about personal
taste , the Sig has a totally different feel than the HP's.
Personally i like the Single action autos better . Considering
the Browning HP and the p226 are about the same Price range
i would get the SIg . I only say it because many people have told
me that the HP copies are just as good as the Brownings .
And your mainly paying for the Big Name , and the Hp Copies
are around $279 , vs. $550 and up for the Brownings. But which ever guns feels the best for you is probaly the way to go.
 
Having just bought a Browning HP and occasionally shot a friend's Sig, I would personally get HP. It feels more comfortable in my hand. My HP is as accurate as anything else I own, and just feels natural. Also, to my eyes it is the prettier gun.

But all this is a personal evaluation. Mechanically, both are accurate and reliable. The Sig may hold an edge on reliability, but considering how may HP's were made and issued over the years, I would think that it is a thin edge. Looks and comfort are subjective.

Enjoy, both choises are quality, as I am sure you know.
 
This is a tough one. I like both choices & own a coupla each. I have to throw my "vote" for the Hi-Power though. Both of my 9mm Hi-Powers (blue & satin chrome) have factory adj sites & I really like that. This may not be an issue for you & you could add sites to the P226 if it is. The satin chrome on steel will likely hold up better to holster wear giving, IMHO, another slight edge to the HP. Availability of hi-cap factory or MecGar mags in your area may be another consideration. Last but not least - you own a piece of history when you buy a HP. The HP's are going away - I don't think Browning even catalogs them anymore. The P226 will (should?) still be available, factory new, five years from now - the HP's won't. Good luck - Geo
 
Both firearm's are excellent choice's; but Sig's P226
wins, due to it's DA/SA feature's.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
Ala Dan makes a good point.

However, you say it`ll be mostly target shooting or plinking. Some people are uncomfortable carrying a handgun with the hammer cocked. If it was a carry piece then I would recommend the Sig to that individual. For your purposes, get the Hi Power.
 
BHP wins, hands down, which is why I carry one. Every trigger pull is the same, so you don't have to mess with that DA/SA trigger. (I'm no disciple of Jeff Cooper, but on this I have to agree with him that DA/SA "crunchentickers" are a solution in search of a problem.)

And anyway, though workmanship is good, the SIG's "pointability" in my hand is terrible.
 
The HP is a great gun--------------trigger work or no trigger work. I like the all-steel construction and the SA trigger. I can't see why anyone would want a DA/SA when given the option of the high power.
 
I've had both, but could never really master the DA/SA transition on the SIG guns. Try one before you buy. If you can handle the transition from double-action to single-action, the 226 is a good gun.


That said, I love my Hi-Power.

I removed the mag disconnector, and it has one of the best triggers of any gun I've owned. No other trigger work was required.

You can get 17 round mags for under $20 from CDNN...

If you can get comfortable with "cocked and locked" carry -- you can -- what more do you need?
 
Love my HP but gave up carrying it for trigger reset more than anything else. Though you can get a really nice trigger on the HP the reset is really not adjustable. For me this makes rapid fire difficult. I still prefer single actions over TDAs so I'd go HP given these two choices.
 
I cannot let this thread go without suggesting the CZ75B. For the money, when accuracy and durability are factored in, it may be the best 9mm in the world. It will certainly keep up with if not surpass both the 226 and HP in the accuracy department.

Keep in mind it's a communist-inspired weapon which means it was designed to dropped out of an airplane in a cosmoline-soaked container, burrried for five years and then dug up by insurgents to be used with the hottest, crudest ammo at the highest power rating repeatedly.
 
Second the CZ, hell for 800 buy two. I'd pick the CZ over the SIG or the HP for carry. Mine is as accurate as my HP or 226.
 
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