{"id":858,"date":"2024-02-03T00:27:27","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T00:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=858"},"modified":"2024-02-03T00:27:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T00:27:28","slug":"collectible-but-usable-sig-p6-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=858","title":{"rendered":"Collectible But Usable: Sig P6 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<div> <!-- image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure> <noscript><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-feature-768x496.jpg\" alt=\"Collectible But Usable: Sig P6 Review\" title=\"Collectible But Usable: Sig P6 Review\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The older of the author\u2019s two guns came in the \u201cproper\u201d LE plastic box, with a spare magazine and the issued officer\u2019s name on the lid, hand-written on an adhesive label.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-author-reviews-a-west-german-le-surplus-sig-p6-a-handgun-that-s-remained-practical-while-becoming-collectible\"><strong>The author reviews a West German LE surplus Sig P6, a handgun that\u2019s remained practical while becoming collectible.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It was the early 1970s, and European police forces had a new problem: terrorists. Those LE officers had a miscellaneous assemblage of .32s and .380s in their armories \u2026 while the bad guys were starting to use 9mm SMGs.<\/p>\n<p>Not good.<\/p>\n<p>So, the West German Federal police issued a request for a new sidearm, and it was to be in 9mm Parabellum. HK offered up the PSP (which we know as the P7), and Walther offered up a newly built P38 with a shorter barrel, dubbed the \u201cP5.\u201d In-between, the tasking authority dubbed the Sig entry as the P6, the model we know as the P225.<\/p>\n<p>All of the new pistols accepted for use were single-stack 9mm pistols, and that was considered a big step up by the police forces (compared to packing a .32 Auto, any of them would be). All three were approved, and each law enforcement agency or administrative state was free to purchase and issue any of them. The P5 (P38) wasn\u2019t popular, and the P7 (HK) was the more expensive one, so most states bought P6s.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-with-box.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-P6-with-box\" class=\"wp-image-292358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-with-box.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-with-box-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-with-box-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-with-box-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-P6-with-box-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The later of the author\u2019s two guns came in a commercial P225 box, but with the issued officer\u2019s name handwritten on the lid. Again, why the difference? Who knows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rising-to-the-top\"><strong>Rising To The Top<\/strong><strong\/><\/h3>\n<p>The P6 is basically a pared-down single-stack P226, or a compact P220. It\u2019s smaller and lighter than either, and since it has a single-stack magazine, it\u2019s easier to grasp for those with smaller hands. It\u2019s a traditional double-action system, trigger-cocking on the first shot and with the hammer cocked by the slide on subsequent shots. There\u2019s a hammer-dropping safety lever on the left side, and this safely lowers the hammer after it has been cocked. Manufactured in Eckernf\u00f6rde, Germany, at the J.P. Sauer plant (which Sig bought a controlling interest in so they\u2019d qualify for contracts), most German states purchased the P6 due to it costing less than the other two pistols.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer.jpg\" alt=\"P6-hammer\" class=\"wp-image-292359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer.jpg\" alt=\"P6-hammer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-hammer-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The special hammer spur, with the notch that lets the police armorers know when a pistol has been dropped on its hammer. Before you laugh, the Germans aren\u2019t the only ones with persnickety regulations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One interesting detail found on the P6 pistols, and not on the P225 pistols, is the hammer. The German police standards called for a special hammer, where the rowel of the spur has a notch cut through it. This is the <em>Deformationssporn<\/em>, or \u201cdeformation spur.\u201d It exists for one purpose only: to determine if the pistol in question has been dropped and fell on its hammer. If that happened, the spur would be bent and not be bendable back\u2014uh-oh. The obsession with pistols being dropped, especially on the hammer, is a mystery, but once something is written into the specs, it\u2019s there until the end of time.<\/p>\n<p>The P6 trigger pulls are reported to be heavier than the P225s exported to the U.S., but I don\u2019t have a representative sample to check. I also don\u2019t know if this was due to the West German police wanting to reduce ADs, or that they had to deal with harder primers, or Americans wouldn\u2019t put up with a heavier trigger pull. Mine isn\u2019t bad at all.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1.jpg\" alt=\"P6-breechblock-1\" class=\"wp-image-292360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1.jpg\" alt=\"P6-breechblock-1\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-1-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The breechblock, a separate machined piece of steel, is pinned into the stamped, heavy-gauge steel slide.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One aspect of the Sig design (that created part of the lower cost) was the slide manufacture. The slide was a heavy (really thick gauge) steel stamping, with the muzzle end block welded to it, and the breechblock pinned into it. The earliest P226s are built like this, as well as the early P220. The feed ramp of the barrel was designed to be best-feeding for FMJ ammunition (can\u2019t have any of those nasty JHPs now, can we?), and some report that their P6s don\u2019t like JHPs. Neither of mine has ever noticed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2.jpg\" alt=\"P6-breechblock-2\" class=\"wp-image-292361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2.jpg\" alt=\"P6-breechblock-2\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-breechblock-2-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The giveaway for the pinned-in breechblock is the joint on the top of the slide. Later Sig slides, machined from solid, do not have this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-two-but-different\"><strong>Two, But Different<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I actually have two, and they came in different boxes. One came in a fiberboard box, looking very commercial, and the other in a hinged hard plastic (blue) box, apparently the standard police issue box. This is where collecting can come in. Both boxes had the name of the officer to whom they were issued (last names of Kurio and Schaniejel). And my two came in through two different importers: PW Arms and Century Arms.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-Sauer-P6\" class=\"wp-image-292362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-Sauer-P6\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The author\u2019s two P6s\u2014the one in the blue plastic box dates from January 1980, while the other dates from December 1995.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They also span most of the period of issue. The older one has a \u201cproofmark,\u201d or acceptance date, stamped on it of 1\/80, while the other is stamped 12\/95. Both came from the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, and a lot of the ones you\u2019ll see (if you go looking) will be. It happened to be the most populous state in West Germany (now all of Germany), half again as many people as either of the next two. (No big surprise there. It\u2019s the state encompassing the Rhine-Ruhr industrial area.)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany\" class=\"wp-image-292363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-Made-In-Germany-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Both of the author\u2019s guns are marked on the left side with the Sig Sauer name and \u201cMade in Germany\u201d. Commercial pistols were marked on the right side with the Sig name and P225.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And, clearly, they used them; by December of 1995, the new standard for police pistols had been adopted, and the P6 was on the way out.<\/p>\n<p>The grips are the same between the P6 and the original P225, as are the magazines and internals. They differ only in markings. However, when Sig went and updated the P225 to the P225A1, they changed the magazines and pretty much everything else. The P6\/P225 magazine has a reputation of having feed lips that don\u2019t like to always be loaded. Over time, they\u2019ll wear, and this causes failures to feed.<\/p>\n<p>We Americans expect (and get) magazines that can be left loaded literally for decades and still work. The European police department\u2019s usual process is for an officer to be issued his pistol, magazines and ammo when he reports for duty, load up, go to work, finish his shift, unload and turn it all in. In that process, who would notice a problem? A magazine feed lip that doesn\u2019t like to be loaded for years? They stay loaded eight hours at a time \u2026 no problem here.<\/p>\n<p>Well, Sig updated the magazine design, and it\u2019ll withstand American use, but it\u2019s not, alas, compatible with the old P6\/P225 (rats!). Grips don\u2019t interchange, nor do much of any other parts. So, if you need to repair or want to upgrade, you need to be very careful, as a lot of sellers don\u2019t know or care between P225 and P225A1 parts.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80.jpg\" alt=\"P6-markings-80\" class=\"wp-image-292364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80.jpg\" alt=\"P6-markings-80\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-80-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The older one, with the slide markings of the German State that bought it, and the acceptance date. Also note the importer and that the barrel is marked with the last three digits of the serial number.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The West German P6s were marked as to the state that bought them, and mine are marked with the date of manufacture and the state on the right side of the slide, along with the last three digits of the serial number. They don\u2019t have the commercial Sig markings, while the P225 imports do. However, the P6s are marked on the left side of the slide, and the left side of the barrel chamber: \u201cSig Sauer.\u201d They also have the German-law required proof marks, and here things get interesting for my pair.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95.jpg\" alt=\"P6-markings-95\" class=\"wp-image-292365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95.jpg\" alt=\"P6-markings-95\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-markings-95-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This had to be one of the last P6s the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen, bought in December of 1995.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The slide nose undersurface is the usual place to mark them, and the markings on mine differ. You\u2019d think, with the P6s being built at one plant, and in this case with them being purchased by Nordrhein-Westfalen, that the proofmarks would be the same. Nope. More collectability variance. The surplus ones will, of course, have markings from the importer, most of which were through Century Arms International, but not all.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking.jpg\" alt=\"P6-nose-marking\" class=\"wp-image-292366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-672x420.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking.jpg\" alt=\"P6-nose-marking\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/P6-nose-marking-672x420.jpg 672w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The slide is proofmarked on the bottom of the nose, and the two P6s the author has sport different proof houses marks. Why? Who knows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-calculated-rarity-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp\"><strong>Calculated Rarity\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You may wonder why you don\u2019t see (or didn\u2019t back when they were coming into the U.S.) many of the P5, P6 and P7 pistols. What I\u2019ve been told is this: When the standards changed back in the mid 1990s, the states (each German state is like a U.S. State with their own responsibilities and authorizations, etc.) were told by the Federal government they could get new pistols from the new list. And the Federal government would trade them, one-for-one, or whatever they needed, provided they traded the old ones in.<\/p>\n<p>If they didn\u2019t trade them in, then they\u2019d have to purchase new ones out of their own budget, and the old ones would have to be disposed of within the requirements of the very strict German laws concerning firearms. Taking the easy way, they just handed them over and got new ones.<\/p>\n<p>Some states didn\u2019t, or they at least tried a few lots of test sales, and that\u2019s how we got the ones we got. This amounted to tens of thousands of P6s, but not the whole lot of them. Still, they\u2019re common enough and less expensive (curiously) than the P225 or P225A1, so if you want to get into collecting easily and without breaking the bank, this is one place to start.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data.jpg\" alt=\"SigP6-chrono-data\" class=\"wp-image-292367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data-300x94.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data-768x240.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data-696x218.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data.jpg\" alt=\"SigP6-chrono-data\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data-300x94.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data-768x240.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SigP6-chrono-data-696x218.jpg 696w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Accuracy results were to be averages of three, five-shot groups at 50 yards off a Champion shooting rest. Velocities are averages of 10 shots measured on a Labradar chronograph set to read 15 feet from the muzzle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I tested mine when I first got them and found that they were, not surprisingly, just like all the other Sigs I\u2019d shot up to that point: accurate, reliable, easy to take apart and clean, and resemble a Sig (which is a good look). I seriously considered using one as an everyday carry pistol, but the background on the magazines was just enough to give me pause. It may be true, or it may take years to happen, but who wants to run the risk?<\/p>\n<p>I could load up a magazine and leave it loaded for a few years (I have tests like that going on right now; the longest one is up to 14 years), but I can\u2019t trust it until I know and that\u2019s years away. Plus, if the test magazine does fail, I\u2019ve just thrashed one of a very few I have.<\/p>\n<p>So, mine are range queens and teaching pistols for new shooters. The grip is big enough to hold, but small enough to be managed by shooters with small hands. While the DA pull is more than I\u2019d want a new shooter to struggle with, the SA trigger pull is plenty nice enough and yet not too light. And either are accurate enough that a new shooter who pays attention will hit what they\u2019ve aimed at.<\/p>\n<p>Collectible, but usable, suitable for teaching new shooters, but fun to shoot for the experienced. It uses standard 9mm ammunition (unlike some historical pieces I have in the safe) and doesn\u2019t mangle the brass. Made by the Swiss in Germany for Germans, but now here in America. What\u2019s not to like?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"340\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-Sauer-P6-specs\" class=\"wp-image-292368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs-300x128.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs-768x326.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs-696x296.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"340\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs.jpg\" alt=\"Sig-Sauer-P6-specs\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-292368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs-300x128.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs-768x326.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sig-Sauer-P6-specs-696x296.jpg 696w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Editor&#8217;s Note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gundigestservice.com\/customer\/subscribe.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gun Digest the Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>More On Handguns:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-20\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div style=\"border: 2px solid #e5e5e5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 10px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-271572\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignright size-medium wp-image-271572\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #333; text-align: center;\">Next Step: Get your FREE Printable Target Pack<\/h2>\n<p>Enhance your shooting precision with our 62 MOA Targets, perfect for rifles and handguns. Crafted in collaboration with Storm Tactical for accuracy and versatility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe to the Gun Digest email newsletter<\/strong> and get your downloadable target pack sent straight to your inbox. Stay updated with the latest firearms info in the industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- AI CONTENT END 1 --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The older of the author\u2019s two guns came in the \u201cproper\u201d LE plastic box, with a spare magazine and the issued officer\u2019s name on the lid, hand-written on an adhesive label. The author reviews a West German LE surplus Sig P6, a handgun that\u2019s remained practical while becoming collectible. It was the early 1970s, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gun-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=858"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":860,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858\/revisions\/860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}