The new SIG Sauer P227 will look a lot like the P226 E2 pictured above.

(Ed. note: Click here for our first review of the SIG P227.)

Looking for a new double stack .45?  Consider the brand new SIG Sauer P227.

The SIG P227 is a new pistol that will be shown at the 2013 SHOT Show.  According to one of my contacts at SIG, the new gun can be viewed as either a double-stack P220 or a .45 ACP-chambered P226.  Either way, this gun sounds like a winner.

Essentially, the P227  will be a mating of the P220 and P226 handguns.  According to SIG Sauer, the P227 will take any of the P220 upper assemblies, so you can configure the top end in any of the ways you like.

However, the grip/frame portion of the gun will be about the same size as the P226.  This allows the gun to take double-stack .45 ACP magazines, yet still be small enough for shooters to wrap their hands around.

Flush fit magazines will hold ten rounds, but extended magazines will also be available from SIG.  The extended mags will hold 14 rounds of .45 ACP.  If the extended P227 magazines are similar in size the the extended P226 mags, they will add about an inch to the overall height of the gun without negatively impacting the overall handling of the gun.  I own a few of the P226 extended magazines, and enjoy shooting with them.

The P227 will be a large gun that will be best suited for law enforcement, military or home protection duties.  This is not likely to be a gun you want to carry concealed all day.

This is a tactical version of the SIG P227 at the 2013 SHOT Show. Click the above image to see more photos of the P227.

One of the nice things about the SIG Sauer P227 is that it will fit in the vast majority of P220R and P226R holsters.  The SIG rep I spoke with actually stated it should fit in all of those holsters, but I know there are some very tight tolerance retention holsters on the market that might require slight changes for a perfect fit.  If there are no issues with the holsters, it makes it easy for a law enforcement agency to transition to the .45 ACP round from another cartridge if they so desired.

The P227 will have a Picatinny-style accessory rail for the attachment of a white light or laser.

I do not have insights into SIG Sauer’s motivations, but I could appreciate how the company might be setting themselves up for a move into various US military circles.  Many in the US military prefer the .45 ACP cartridge, and a P227 manufactured to Mk 25 specs (the Navy SEALs version of the P226) could be a real winner for the company.

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