The pistol that survived the Army trials but lost the contract

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1984, the U.S. Army held trials to replace the M1911A1. While the SIG Sauer P226 was one of only two pistols to satisfactorily complete the testing, it ultimately lost the contract to Beretta due to total package pricing.

The P226 was developed to meet the requirements of the XM9 Service Pistol Trials, a competition held by the U.S. Army on behalf of the Armed Forces. Officials aimed to locate a successor to the M1911A1 along with 24 different handguns currently in use. While the P226 and the Beretta 92SBF both successfully completed the trials, a GAO report revealed that Beretta was awarded the M9 contract for the 92F because its total package price was lower. Although the P226 was less expensive per individual pistol, its total package price—including magazines and spare parts—was higher than Beretta's. The competition sought a replacement for the M1911A1 and 24 other handguns used by the military. While the P226 offered a lower unit cost, the overall bid including accessories was more expensive than Beretta's.

Despite missing out on the standard military contract, the P226 found a specialized niche. U.S. Navy SEAL teams began using the pistol in the 1980s, following successful testing by German Kampfschwimmer. In 1989, the Navy SEALs and DEVGRU officially adopted the P226 under the designation Mk25 Mod 0. Specialized versions like the P226 MK25 were later developed with enhanced corrosion protection for naval use. Additionally, commemorative NSW models were released to raise funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

The P226 is a full-sized service pistol that utilizes a locked breech design, a mechanism pioneered by SIG Sauer. It was designed to improve upon the P220 by using higher capacity, double stack magazines instead of single stack ones. The model is versatile, available in four chamberings: 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .22 Long Rifle. This model features a double-stack magazine design, which differs from the single-stack mechanism used in the P220. It is manufactured in both Germany and the United States.

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