SIG SP2022

One of the more little known pistols in SIG Sauer’s lineup is the SIG Pro series, and specifically the SP2022.

SIG is most well known for their 220 series of pistols (including the 226 and 229) as well as the newer P320, which was accepted as the new U.S. military’s sidearm to replace the Beretta M9.

Many people are under the mistaken assumption that the P320 (and its hammer fired counterpart the P250) were the first polymer framed pistols to enter the SIG lineup, but they would be wrong.

That’s because the first polymer framed SIG pistol was the Pro series. In this guide, we’ll discuss the development of the Pro series of SIG pistols and what these guns have to offer.

Development of the Pro Series

The Pro series has been around since 1999 and represented SIG’s first foray into the realm of polymer framed handguns. The original version was in the .40 S&W caliber, which at the time was a hot police round. This version was called the P2340, and it was meant to compete directly with the GLock 22 and 23, both of which were .40 caliber pistols in common use with police departments all over the United States. 

The P2340 mated the design of the 220 series of pistols with a polymer frame. The P2340 would eventually develop into the SP2022 in 2002, when the French adopted the weapon as a new duty pistol. The French ordered 400,000 pistols and as part of the contract had SIG ensure that spare parts would continue to be made for at least twenty years, at which point France would aim to replace the weapon.

As a result, the SP2022 has been in continuous production and is slated to continue until 2022. This is also where the pistol gained its name as well. 

Many other military and law enforcement departments proceed to adopt the SP2022, including in the United States, Portugal, Colombia, Bulgaria, and Switzerland. 

Merits of the SP2022

The SP2022 is available in the 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG calibers. Standard capacity is 15 rounds in 9mm, and 12 rounds in .40 or .357 SIG. This mirrors the magazine capacity of the P226 and P229 pistols in the same caliber. 

You can think of the SP2022 as being a polymer framed version of the P229. Its dimensions are therefore very similar, but the overall weapon is also much lighter. Total weight of the SP2022 is just 25 ounces in 9mm or 27 ounces in .40 S&W or .357 SIG. In contrast, the total weight of the comparable 229 reaches 32 ounces. 

However, the manual of arms between the SP2022 and the P229 are identical, so if you have any experience at all with the P229 the SP2022 should be fairly easy to master as well.

Additional features of the SP2022 include the lanyard loop located on the bottom of the grip behind the magazine well, which isa holdover from military pistols but is comparably less common with newer pistols released today. Newer SP2022 pistols also come standard with a universal rail located in front of the trigger guard, which makes it easy to attach lights or lasers. 

Conclusion 

SIG is only contractually obligated to keep manufacturing the SP2022 until next year. There aren’t yet any definitively announced plans in regards to what the company’s plans are for the pistol afterwards. Nonetheless, for now the SP2022 simply doesn’t deserve to be as overlooked as it is. If you want a 220-esque pistol at around half the price point or less, you should give the SP2022 a good look.