To each his own but….For SD use I like point and shoot. Not the added step of deactivating a safety which costs time and adds the potential for other “operator” failures due to the added step. The potential for operetor error increases when fatigued, stressed an/or injured. If for range fun nothing I just said matters.

 

Disengaging a manual safety on a gun with an ergonomic safety design adds zero time,As Rob Leatham ,Doug Koenig,Jeff Cooper etc will tell you

 

My duty weapon was a Glock 35. SA, no safety…

To each their own, but if you train properly, it’s not an issue. Plus for years I pulled a 4.5 to 5# trigger… I don’t like the feel of the first shot in a DA/SA. Again, to each their own.

I own a Legion P226 SAO. It’s one of my favorite guns to shoot. Because I have 1911’s, whether I’m shooting a gun with a safety or not, I train to automatically disengage the safety with my thumb.

Bottom line… train

 

Bottom line… train

Could not agree more!
Blue, it sounds like you enjoy your Legion P226 SAO - great to hear. Anything modified on it, or do you use/love it as from factory?

 

A left or southpaw chimming in. One of the reasons that I ended up loving SIGs as I do are in the controls ,they are fairly easy for a southpaw to use. I believe that especially for SD, one needs to carry what comes natural with no thought .Naturally this comes about thru training. I have SA 1911's and shoot them well or as well as my D/a, S/a sigs, but I normally do not carry them. I do not want to stop to think to flip a safety or anything else. And speaking of the 1911 format. I shoot this format probably a bit better than other formats even though not near a much. The only thing I attribute it to is the ergomatics of that platform. Always wanted a 1911 that was D/A, S/A , The closest IMO are the CZ 70-75 series. I have both the 5 inch one and the 4 1/4 inch one Beautiful shooter both of them. So shoot what you are comfortable with, practice, practice and more practice. It will come naturally after a bit.

 

I've owned both the Legion 226 sao and the Enhanced elite 226 sao. Imho, the enhanced sao is just as good and only costs $700-$800 NiB. They're discontinued but can still be found relatively easily. I personally prefer manual safeties and am fast as ** with them. Doesn't matter what pistol type action you choose. They're all viable options. Shoot a ** ton with it and your manual of arms will be second nature fast.

 

I'm starting to think SAO would be a fine choice, and might actually be more consistent in operation with my DAO P320's than having a DA/SA in the mix.

SAO is fine as long as you train and get used to it.

By the way, your 320 is a striker fired gun, not a DAO.

 

By the way, your 320 is a striker fired gun, not a DAO.

George, I stand corrected, got sloppy with naming. But you get what I mean - P320 has only one action, as does SAO P226. They are obviously wildly different mechanically and vary in trigger, gun specs, etc. - but from the user perspective, they're the same operation to fire. The advantage for me: in a "middle of the night" self defense situation, I'd use one or the other in the same way. Since for better or worse I have P320's already, the SAO may blend into the mix more easily than DA/SA.

Training can overcome anything, and this only reflects my own situation (not DA/SA's merits). I must say, the folks here have convinced me a P226 is in my future.

 

I'm still kicking myself for not jumping on the 226 SAO Elite .22 when they were available for $550
P226 RX slides were $329 then too.
I believe Willard scored one and did the RX slide to it.

The last ones of the P226 Elite SAO is pretty much the same as the Legion but in proper Nitron and anodizing.
Same frame and slide, different trigger and sights and G-10 grips. Pretty sure Willard picked one of those up too.
The downside is the RX model is the Romeo 1 that you're pretty much stuck with or get the slide recut for something else.

The Legion SAO is a solid choice with the Romeo1 Pro if an optic is what you want to do.
With the 226 and 229 Legion RXP slides being sold now, kind of makes me think that they are making room for the Romeo2.
IIRC they were due to be released in December but like a lot of stuff that got delayed.

 

Train to swipe the safety on your draw and it will become second nature. My first SAO Legion trigger measured 2.75 lbs from the factory. I’ve not bothered measuring subsequent guns, but I don’t notice a difference between them.
My only issue with the SAO Legions is not being able to reach the slide stop over the manual safety. That can be remedied with a little bending, but I haven’t gotten around to it, yet.

 

My P226 Legion SAO from the factory has a 3 pound 5 ounce trigger.

 

I have used used my P226 Legion in competition for about 2 years. I have no problem having it at my bedside. Flipping the switch is a natural movement for me.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

I have a P226 Legion SAO with the red dot. 1. You have to remember to take the safety off. 2. You have to keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are on target. I know it sounds obvious but it is important. My SAO trigger resets very quickly - almost instantly it is so short. I think that to take full advantage of it, you would have to practice. I keep my P226 in a holster ALL the time to keep the trigger guard from being exposed. If I have to go to investigate, I take off the cover for the red dot, take the safety off as I leave the bedroom and keep it in the ready position with my finger OUT of the trigger guard. It may be worth practicing that (with an empty pistol) so it becomes more natural at 3am when you hear strange noises. I don't have kids so my process might be a little different than yours. If there is a better way to do this, I'd be interested in hearing it. I am not familiar with the P320 so I cannot contrast the two setups. I use a P365XL for concealed carry and it has no manual safety, so I am inclined to handle any gun as though there is no safety on it. Bottom line, I think that the planning and rehearsing is more valuable than the choice of guns. That being said, I love my P226.

 

Well, I did it - placed a backorder for a Legion P226 SAO. There are none available that I can find new, so will settle in for a wait. Someone at Sig suggested it may be 2-3 months. Will give me something to look forward to!

Thank you for all your advice and insights - all super helpful, and really got me smart quickly. I appreciate each of you!

 

You wont be sorry!
Congratulations.

 

I carry My Scorpion and never worry about Negligent Discharge, Their is no such thing as ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE!! If you train with a striker fired pistol you wont give it a second thought. My PPQ has a very short reset and light trigger pull and I carry it a lot. I Love my 226 Legion SAO and sometimes carry it in the winter. Its one of my favorite pistols but in a defensive situation I just want to point and shoot

 

Very happy with all my SAOs.

 

Question about SAO
Let’s say I carry “cocked and locked and ready to rock” my only concern with SAO is how strong is the safety? How protected am I from the safety failing? The 1911 has two safeties.

maybe I’m over thinking it? But idk. How hard is this safety to undo and is it strong enough not to fail. (Sig p226 SAO owners please let me know)

 

Question about SAO
Let’s say I carry “cocked and locked and ready to rock” my only concern with SAO is how strong is the safety? How protected am I from the safety failing? The 1911 has two safeties.

maybe I’m over thinking it? But idk. How hard is this safety to undo and is it strong enough not to fail. (Sig p226 SAO owners please let me know)

I don’t fault anyone for wanting a weapon with safeties. I own a Legion P226 SAO with a safety. I also own other weapons with safeties. But I also own several weapons without safeties.

I say this to remind ourselves. Use caution with any weapon. If you’re holstering it, put your thumb in between the hammer as you holster. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Always keep the muzzle away from where you want to shoot. Clean your weapons often and properly. Assume your weapon is loaded. Learn the mechanics of the weapon. And biggest of all… safeties are great, but don’t rely on them to keep your weapon from firing.

My duty weapon was a Glock 35 for many years. No safety. Now that has no hammer, so I couldn’t do the thumb over the hammer, but you still practice all the other safety rules. I know accidental discharges happen. But 90% (opinion not scientific) happen because of the user not adhering to safety procedures.

I say all this to say this…

If you want a weapon with a safety to have extra safety cautionaries, great! Go for it! But nobody should ever rely on the safety on the weapon over the safety rules we should be following.

 

just to be clear, glocks are true double action, sig 320 are true single action, take each appart and look at the designs, this is why glocks cant fire uncommanded because the striker is forward and cant move either way without trigger pulled, my sig 320 has no safty and a light single action trigger i still cant bring my self to carry it

 

I love my 226 RXP SAO Legion! Best shooting gun I have. Can’t wait to get back to the range to shoot it again. I don’t mind the safety. It’s in a convenient and natural location. Glad I bought it!

 

The manual safety is the only one not over-ridden by the trigger on an SAO. Your holster should cover the trigger and sometimes the manual safety gets brushed off by walking too close to something. Your trigger finger should always remain straight and against the frame unless pointing in on target or threat.

 

The P226/P229 SAO is a great choice and the safety is properly placed for shooting with the thumb on the safety (as it should be). The P220 SAO's thumb safety is an after thought and is incorrectly placed and shaped. You cannot go wrong with the P226 Legion SAO.

I’ve been handling weapons for like 25 years I know how to be safe. My main question isn’t about safety. It’s about “the safety” I’m asking specifically about the safety on the Sig p226 legion SAO.

The gun's internals will prevent the firing pin from moving. The safety has enough resistance. Get a holster that has a molded sweat shield. I have a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 and the safety has not come off. If it does while carrying it in a holster, it's because you smacked it against something; check the gun anyway soon after.

 

I like my P226 SAO very much. Was fortunate enough to buy it new as a nightstand/range gun. I put an oversize mag release button and a gas pedal on it, no other mods but I may swap out the front sight for a large high glow XS sight.

 

Training is the key. I have carried a 1911 for over 30 years as a civilian, so a manual safety is second nature. My Sig P365 and both P320s have had the manual safety added, not because of media noise, but because that is what I am used to. I was thrilled to pickup a P226 Legion SAO (LEO/MIL version) and the ambi safeties fit right. As you already train with your EDC that has a manual safety, then the P226 SAO will be a great choice.