Sig P226 XFIVE Legion Review: Best Sig Handgun?
Sig has combined all the features of their X5 and Legion guns into one pistol. Is the end result the best P226 yet? We find out!
PPT Editor. NRA & USCCA instructor. Hunter, former competitive shooter, collector (200+ firearms)
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Sig P226 XFIVE Legion Pros & Cons
Pros
- AX3 adjustable trigger is excellent
- Extended gas pedal and safety help tame recoil
- Grip is extremely comfortable in the hand
Cons
- Mounting an optic removes the rear sight
- Expensive
The Bottom Line
Sig went all out combining features from multiple models while also adding new ones to create a version of the P226 that is supposed to rule them all.
Sig P226 XFIVE Legion Specs & Features
Specs
- Action: Single-action only, hammer fired
- Caliber: 9mm
- Overall length: 8.6"
- Barrel length: 4.4"
- Height: 6.0"
- Width: 1.7"
- Weight: 42.4 oz. w/magazine
- Capacity: 20+1
- Optic footprint: PRO (Delta Point Pro)
- Includes: Plastic hard case, 3x 20-round magazines
Features
- Slide with integrated expansion chamber
- Suppressor-height XRAY3 front and adjustable rear sights
- Three 20-round magazines with aluminum baseplates
- Flat face AX3 fully adjustable trigger
- Legion TXG tungsten-infused grip panels with magwell
- Legion Gray finish
The Sig P226 has now been in production for 40 years.
Law enforcement, special forces, competition — you name it, the P226 has been used for it.
But it isn’t 1984 anymore, and Sig is one of many companies modernizing well-established firearm platforms to push them to their limits.
This approach has given us the new P226 XFIVE Legion, which brings a whole host of upgrades to an already-proven pistol.
But the big questions with any flagship pistol are “How does it shoot?” and “Is it worth the money?” We had those same questions, so we got a hold of the gun and spent 1,000 rounds over a few months to find out.
So keep reading as we dive into the key specs and features as well how it performed during our range testing.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Trust Us
What can I say? I love guns so much I have over 200 firearms (I know, I have a problem).
But I am also a huge stickler for bargain buys, and I don’t believe in overpaying for products. I enjoy taking the time to find out what works, what doesn’t, and what is worth it.
Being around guns most of my life has given me two decades of firearms experience, including hunting, competition, certified instructing, and plenty of time concealed carrying.
Sig P226 XFIVE Legion Background
In 2015, Sig launched its Legion line of upgraded pistols that offered shooters enhanced features and exclusive benefits.
Fast-forward to 2022. Sig announced their P226 XFIVE (X5 for short), a competition-ready pistol with modern features requested by the current generation of shooters.
With the Legion line and the X5 line already established, it was only a matter of time before Sig combined the two. And in late 2023, they revealed the P226 X5 Legion, their ultimate refinement of the P226 platform.
Who Is It For?
The P226 X5 Legion is geared toward shooters who enjoy hammer-fired metal-frame pistols that can drive tacks as fast as you can pull the trigger — as long as the price tag isn’t a huge consideration…
Shooters who are fans of the P226 platform may also find some use for this gun in competition. Be warned, its features mean you have to compete in Open Division (more on that later).
Fit & Feel
Frame
The foundation of the gun starts with an aluminum alloy frame that has more aggressive trigger guard undercuts and a redesigned beavertail to allow for a higher grip.
I find this grip much more comfortable in my medium-sized hands than any other P226 I own or have used.
To offset the lack of weight from not using a steel frame like the regular X5, Sig has added tungsten-infused Legion TXG grip panels.
A generously flared but reasonably sized aluminum magwell makes reloads an absolute breeze.
Controls
This single-action-only gun sports an ambidextrous thumb safety with a large ledge on either side that makes for a good thumb rest.
On the left side of the frame sits an absolute unit of a gas pedal for your support hand. Everyone who shot this gun during testing instantly noticed and praised the texturing and size of the gas pedal.
I found that the magazine release was very easy to hit, requiring only a slight shift in my grip to reach it.
Trigger
The AX3 trigger has about 1mm of takeup to a somewhat defined wall, followed by the tiniest amount of creep and then a clean break with absolutely zero overtravel. Reset is extremely short and tactile.
My Lyman digital trigger gauge showed a 10-pull average of right at 3 lbs. This is a very fast trigger that is well-suited to speed shooting.
Slide
Up top, we have a 4.4-inch barrel that sits under a slide that has a built-in “Integrated Expansion Chamber” (it’s a compensator).
Suppressor height XRAY night sights come standard, with the rear being fully adjustable. My biggest gripe here is that to mount an optic (DPP footprint), you have to remove the entire rear sight plate, losing the rear sight in the process.
Sig does offer an aftermarket screw in sight that sits behind the optic, which in honesty, should have been included with the gun, considering the price. No rear sight is a huge turn-off for many.
Front and rear slide serrations are present. They aren’t particularly deep or aggressive, but they work well enough.
How Does It Shoot?
To be honest, my first range trip was extremely underwhelming. The accuracy I was getting in slow fire was solid, but not any better at 7-15 yards than some of the cheaper guns I brought.
With tempered expectations and more familiarization on the second trip, I felt the gun shot much better. Once I added the Sig ROMEO-X Pro red dot, things started to come together even more.
I was able to hold solid groups out to 25 yards easily, with A-zone hits being relatively easy to achieve even at 35-50 yards with good shot discipline.
Unsurprisingly, where this gun really shines is speed shooting. The expansion chamber, huge gas pedal, and excellent trigger made follow-up shots a breeze. But as with all P-series guns, the bore axis is high, and felt recoil was still more my CZ Shadow 2.
This gun is an excellent shooter, but I am not sure it shoots quite flat enough to hang with $7000 custom 2011s in Open Division matches. If you want to shoot competition with a P226, I recommend the non-compensated non-Legion X5.
Reliability
I ran through 1000 rounds of 115-grain Blazer FMJ, about 200 rounds of Fiocchi 124-grain FMJ, and a box of Speer Gold-Dot 124-grain +P JHPs.
I suffered three failure-to-feed stoppages with the 115-grain Blazer. Two of these were in the first 50 rounds, with the last one being around the 950-round mark.
The recoil spring is a dual-type spring with a secondary spring, much like the H&K USP. I believe that the occasional light-loaded rounds on the lighter 115-grain ammo weren't generating enough force to cycle the slide completely.
9mm Ammo in Stock
What Sets the Sig P226 X5 Legion Apart?
It’s no secret that a lot of other companies have competition models of their base model duty guns. Sig sets themselves apart by nailing most of the details.
Things like the oversized gas pedal, the inclusion of three 20-round magazines with baseplates, the integrated expansion chamber, tungsten-infused grips, and the adjustable trigger help ensure you aren’t going to have to spend a ton of money on upgrades for an already expensive gun.
Sig P226 XFIVE Legion By the Numbers By the Numbers
Accuracy
4/5
Reasoning: While I wasn't immediately blown away with the accuracy at first, a bit of practice revealed this to be very accurate gun that can hold good groups, even when shooting fast.
Reliability
4.5/5
Reasoning: I had three failure-to-feed malfunctions. This is suspected to be light loaded rounds on light 115-grain ammo. Outside of those issues, the gun ran smoothly.
Customization
3/5
Reasoning: You can add an optic, a light, and fool around with the grips and baseplates. However this gun has so many features that it is already customized so to speak.
Ergonomics
5/5
Reasoning: The grip feels very natural in my hand. The extended gas pedal and safety ledge provide a ton of purchase to help manage recoil. The gun feels great overall.
Value
3.5/5
Reasoning: My experience with this gun was terrific. However, it is a very expensive gun and I feel like there are better value buys on the market. But if you already like the P22X series, this could still very well be the gun for you.
Overall
4/5
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Sig P226 XFIVE Legion Upgrades u0026 Accessories
Sig Sauer ROMEO-X PRO
Streamlight TLR-1 HL
Sig P226 XFIVE Legion 20-Round Magazine
Sig P226 XFIVE XRAY3 Suppressor Height Rear Backup Sight
ShellShock Protection Eyes u0026 Ears Combo
Final Verdict
The P226 X5 Legion was slightly frustrating at first, but I grew to really appreciate the gun. However, having to grow to appreciate a gun this expensive can be frustrating in and of itself.
A few stoppages give me some pause, but they may very well have been ammo-related. I wish the frame were all-steel like the regular X5, and I feel they should include the screw-in rear sight for use with optics.
Complaints aside, this gun is very fast, very fun, and very easy to shoot. It has an outstanding build quality and is feature-rich. Fans of the P22X series and other hammer-fired guns will find an excellent pistol in the P226 X5 Legion, provided they can stomach the price.
What are your thoughts on this pistol? Let us know in the comments below! Not ready to take the plunge on the X5 Version? Then check out our full review of the regular P226 Legion!