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Sig Sauer has earned its reputation as the Cadillac of firearms, or at the least, of handguns. I own a few myself and they are among my most prized. I wish I could own them all - but short of a winning lottery ticket that is unlikely. I can read about them all though, it wonderfully descriptive detail that is interesting and engaging to the casual gun enthusiast and master gunsmith alike. This is due to the style of the author - Massad Ayoob. I will confess that I am predisposed to think everything that Mr. Ayoob writes is worthy of stone tablets. I have been reading his articles, columns, and books since the early 1980's. So, please forgive my bias and consider it as may be appropriate.
This Digest of the Sig Sauer line of handguns takes the reader on an insider's tour through the company, the manufacturing facility and process, and the Academy where Sig Sauer trains law enforcement, military, and civilian alike (and yes, I have a pin in a map to indicate "someday soon"). Ayoob talks about the rich history of the brand and its iconic models (like the P226) and brings up to today's newest products like the .45 ACP P227. There are even chapters about models that I embarrassingly admit little previous knowledge of.
The material is laid out well, with a good flow and a blend of past and present that keeps this book from becoming just a dry reference manual - a trap that many such books fall into. Massad Ayoob, ever the practitioner, demonstrates in words and copious photos the practical uses and applications of these guns, and talks about real world experience whether it be how reliable the gun is, or how comfortable it might be to carry - and what gear is best used to do so.Read more ›
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I normally like Massad Ayoob's writing, and he is a very gracious man. I purchased this book because (1) I enjoy his work and (2) I do not have any authoritative texts on the SIG SAUER company. However, I was ultimately disappointed by the book.
The first edition book would have probably been a good read. This, the second edition, was not. Essentially, this book was the original with new information tacked onto the back of a few chapters. There was no apparent effort made by the editors to rewrite the old material to better integrate the new.
This creates a situation where there are inconsistencies in the materiel, such as the company name changes (SIG ARMS in the older material, SIG SAUER in the new.) The chapter on the P226 all deals with the older versions until the very end where it seems two different articles or excerpts of articles on the E2 modifications were tacked on. There was no smooth flow to the reading throughout these transitions.
While the historical data from the first edition is still valuable, some of the information on the new guns is not very valuable at all. For example, the chapter on the P320 was all based on a pre-production model that Ayoob saw about six months before the gun was announced at the 2014 SHOT Show. The photos of the gun are all of a prototype on a P250 frame. Could GunDigest not be bothered to obtain the stock images of the actual gun from SIG?
Much of the new writing in the book are reprints of previous articles written by Ayoob. That doesn't mean they are not valuable, but that they might be something that Ayoob readers have already seen elsewhere.
Although I was disappointed by the book I tentatively recommend it for anyone that does not have the first edition and who is a SIG collector. The information in the book is valid, but it is just not a great read.
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First my bias. I am a serious SIG SAUER collertor and a fire arms instructor. While I have had occassion to meet Mr Ayoob a couple times and a member of IALEFI which he helped found I have never had one of his classes though I should have. This is an excellent book for not only the first time user of a SIG pistol, responsible citizen or armed profession and all in between Massad has outdone himself with this comprehensive treatment of the Mercedes of firearms.
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Very Simple. If you own or thinking of owning a Sig, you need this book. Be a responsible gun owner and educate yourself. This book will further your firearm education. I have never seen a book or an article written by Ayoob that I did not learn something from it. If you have been to LFI with Ayoob then you will know this book is for you.
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I do not have the first edition of this book to compare it to however the author does provide updates to the second edition and mentions them as such. The book is a good overview of the SIG line of handguns but not however a great review of the line. The test reports given are, for the most part, reprints of former magazine articles written by the author over the course of many years and some going back to the late 1990's. One model in particular, the P238, seems never to have performed satisfactorily due to sight problems. This is mentioned twice in the book (possibly the same test article) so the author falls back on anecdotal evidence of performance from credible, but not personal, experience. Because of the reprint format of the book the author repeats his methodology for the tests on several of the various models, some judicious editing would be appreciated. The book really shines when we come to the sections on manipulation and use of the SIG handguns. Various aspects of concealed carry use, firearm presentation, and maintenance are worth the price of the book. Overall a good addition to the library of any gun owner.
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