SIG Sauer P226 .22 LR Conversion Unit

by
posted on March 16, 2010
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
2010316154131-p226-22-005_fs.jpg

Successful self-defense with a handgun is strongly dependent on the user’s skill in gun handling. If your chosen arm is a SIG Sauer pistol, the maker now offers a .22 LR Conversion Unit that affords endless hours of low-cost shooting experience. Made for P220s, P229s and P226s, the kits are simple to install and function reliably. The .22 Conversion Unit consists of a slide and barrel with recoil spring and guide, plus a dedicated .22 LR magazine. Our sample was designed for a P226 in .357 SIG or .40 S&W.

Center-fire SIG Sauer P-series pistols are recoil-operated, but the Conversion Unit employs a simple blowback operating system. The rimfire slides have the same general dimensions, contours and shape as their center-fire counterparts, but they are made of aluminum rather than steel. This results in a substantial reduction in weight for the converted .22 LR P226 — 26.25 ounces for the .22 LR versus 31.25 ounces for the .357 SIG.

Changing from center-fire to .22 LR takes just seconds. Make sure the pistol is unloaded, remove the magazine, lock the slide back and pivot the takedown lever 90 degrees. Pull the center-fire slide forward and off the receiver. Slide the .22 upper onto the receiver, turn the takedown lever into place and allow the slide to go forward. Insert a loaded 10-round-capacity, plastic .22 magazine into the magazine well, rack the slide and you are ready to shoot .22s.

The Conversion Unit has a nicely designed and fully adjustable rear sight from LPA. The sight profile has the forward-sloping contour first popularized by Novak, and it is beveled for easy handling from the holster. A two-dot highlight on the U-notch rear sight is aligned with a front sight post with a single dot. For the purposes of defensive training at low cost, it is important to understand that a converted .22 uses the frame of the original center-fire pistol, therefore, most of the handling characteristics—trigger pull, decocker performance, magazine changes—are the same. The .22, however, will not lock the slide back after the last shot.

At the range, the Conversion unit delivered excellent performance. There were no malfunctions of any kind. Even with high-speed ammunition, the conversion unit shot better than the unconverted center-fire pistol.

Aside from gun handling practice with a less expensive chambering, a conversion unit on a SIG Sauer gives the shooter an accurate, functioning .22 pistol that is well-suited for all of the typical small bore roles—small game hunting, pest control, training and relaxed plinking.

Manufacturer: SIG Sauer; (603) 772-2302; Sigsauer.com
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: Blowback-operated semi-automatic
Slide: Aluminum
Barrel: Steel, 4"
Rifling: 1:16", RH
Magazine Capacity: 10
Sights: Fully adjustable rear, post front
Overall Length: 7.5"
Width: 1.40"
Height: 5.59" (installed on P226)
Weight: 26.25 ozs. (installed on P226 receiver)
Accessories: Lockable hard case, manual
Suggested Retail Price: $369

Latest

FN “Moroccan” Mauser, semi-automatic LRB M14SA
FN “Moroccan” Mauser, semi-automatic LRB M14SA

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Trijicon Releases Green-Dot RMR

For the first time, the Trijicon RMR will now be available with a green aiming dot, providing some benefits to shooters with astigmatism and red-green color blindness.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 15, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Firearm Industry Companies Consolidate, Others Close Doors In 2025

This year has already seen some big changes in the firearm industry. They don’t quite reach the tectonic shift in 2020, when legendary firms owned by Remington Outdoor were auctioned off, but there have still been some notable shifts within the industry in 2025.

Preview: Uni-Loader

The easy-to-use Uni-Loader can save high-volume shooters a lot of time and finger pain.

CZ 600+ Introduces Switch-Barrel Capability

In 2025, CZ USA expanded its 600 series rifle lineup with the CZ 600+, a design that delivers on the company's promise of a switch-barrel platform.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.