Firearms adopted by the military typically gain immediate acceptance by the civilian market. The  enjoyed such success, as did the M-1, M-14, M-16 ( and a variety of sporting rifles such as the Remington 700 and Winchester Model 70.  This seems strange given the fact so many elite units have carried the  and P228—now the—yet I seldom see the SIGs getting the respect they deserve.

I bought my first SIG in the ’90s and it has been my primary everyday carry (EDC) ever since.The P220 also featured a design using a new construction technique. The majority of the slide was pressed from a single piece of heavy-gauge steel. Critics immediately seized on this fact and foretold of doom and gloom scenarios. However, four decades later, the SIG design stands ready long after the critics have hung up their guns.

Today, we have high-capacity pocket pistols and would rate the P228 as a medium-sized pistol at best. However, in the 1980s, it was full power, small size and full capacity! In fact, in the 1980s, the P228 was the smallest 9mm to be considered full capacity. This made it a great choice for many shooters as a primary handgun and easily concealed backup to others without sacrificing capacity.