A Day with Sig Sauer

A couple of us spent some time time with Sig Sauer yesterday. While the full SHOT Show Media Day was swinging, Sig had something special setup at another location. It was well organized, staffed, and there was enough ammunition on hand to keep everyone smiling. Sig brought out a lot of their new lineup and allowed us to give them a go. Below are some of the highlights.

The much vaunted Sig MPX was on hand. Because it's gas operated (witchcraft I tell you!) the recoil is minimal. The bulk of pistol caliber carbines run on a simple blowback mechanism, which while reliable, certainly makes the rifle harder to shoot. I've seen more than a few surprised faces when someone shoots a 9mm AR, because the recoil impulse is considerably higher than expected. Not the case with the MPX. The examples we shot all ran well, and those Lancer mags aren't too damn shabby either.

We've talked a little bit in the past about the new Sig Sauer Silencer line and thought this cutaway demonstrated their attachment system nicely:

This was my first opportunity to shoot the new Sig P320. The OEM trigger on this polymer striker-fired pistol wasn't exactly match grade but it was completely serviceable (I was pleasantly surprised). Due to the way I hold a pistol, or just from being far too accustomed to Glocks, I was  inadvertently locking back the slide mid-magazine. Can't call that the fault of the pistol though. The .45ACP models in particular were excellent shooters. The Sig P320 is a modular handgun, meaning that one can mix and match up frames and slides like legos. I know more than a couple weirdos who have done things like chop Glock 34 frames down to Glock 26 size; the same can be done with a Sig P320 without the need for a dremel (or killing any resale value).


Of course the Sig MCX was also there. Just a few days ago we gave you a complete break-down of this rifle, which you can read here. This full production model features an automatic regulator. Any excessive gas is vented through a valve system. What I like about this design in particular is that if the valve fails–the rifle will still work. A little extra gas is during cycling is far better than a rifle choking instead.

There was one handgun in particular that immediately forced me into a wide grin after shooting (don't tell anyone, but Iain did the same). That was Sig's 1911 in .38Super. I'm not normally one to swoon over niche calibers or old handgun designs, but that was a seriously flat shooting pistol. Very little tweaking would be required to turn it into a balls-out competition handgun.

Expect more about Sig Sauer in the coming days. In the meantime, you can visit their homepage here, Facebook here, or Instagram here.

Keep up with RECOIL's Instagram here and Facebook here for all of the best SHOT Show coverage. We're also running an ongoing summary right here on the web.

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