SIG SAUER’s P322 .22LR - it’s One With The Force

FOGHORN

May 2022 Twobirds Flying Publications

SIG SAUER’s P322 .22LR it’s One With The Force By: Sal Palma

2022

weight at the muzzle and a Browning style action will often have reliability problems across a variety of .22 LR loads. The blowback is often insufficient to overcome the weight of the suppressor not allowing the action to lockup, the fixed barrel eliminates the issue, making the suppressor’s weight moot. The SIG P322 barrel is also threaded and ships with a thread adapter to provide a 1/2X28 RH suppressor mount. That feature alone will save the buyer $120 on average, the street price of a threaded .22LR accessory barrel.

It was just a matter of time before SIG decided to introduce a modern .22 LR pistol, 2022 was the year. SIG pulled out all the stops combining SIG quality and reliability with what I describe as the best value proposition on the market. Consumers will often confuse the term “value” with cheap, but in business parlance it summarizes why a customer would choose your product or service; in other words, value translates to benefit per unit cost, and SIG’S P322 is loaded with value. SIG did everything right with the P322, I’ll start with the fixed barrel. Unlike some of its competitors, SIG opted to go the fixed barrel route, it was the right decision to make in a platform that is designed to be used with or without a suppressor. A suppressor adds

SIG also included a manual external safety, which means you can safely carry the P322 with a loaded chamber. The safety blocks the trigger bar preventing the gun from firing. The P322 is a single action pistol, and you can only engage the safety with the hammer cocked. The slide features aggressive front and back serrations, making slide manipulation easy and secure. Aiming the P322 is accomplished via front and rear fiber optic sights. The slide is also machined for a red dot sight like SIG’s Romeo Zero or others of similar footprint. I understand all the positive benefits of red dot sights and I won’t disparage them, but I prefer not to transition from a completely reliable fixed sight to a less reliable red dot sight. The P322’s fixed sights are outstanding; not to mention adjustable for elevation.

SIG SAUER’s P322 .22LR - it’s One With The Force

2022

The P322’s trigger breaks cleanly at an average pull weight of 2lbs. 9.8oz and has a reasonably short trigger reset that is very audible. I was expecting your typical out of the box .22 LR trigger but SIG came through with a surprisingly smooth trigger.

Breaking down the P322 for cleaning is uncomplicated, remove the magazine and ensure that the pistol is empty, lock the slide back using the fully ambidextrous slide lock, flip the takedown lever up, lift the rear of the slide and you’re done.

At the range I shot several hundred rounds of .22LR from Remington, CCI, Aguila and LAPUA. The P322 digested all the loads, including subsonic, and ran like a Rolex. I only had two failures to feed attributable to ammunition stacking in the 20-round magazine. The only ammunition that gave me trouble during my range sessions was the CB 22 Short, the magazine would not feed it. If you’re using the thread adaptor, you’ll need to remove it to breakdown the pistol for cleaning. SIG did something that I’ll call clever. The trigger can be easily converted from a flat trigger to a curved trigger by simply removing the trigger shoe from the trigger base. The P322 ships with the flat shoe installed but if a curved trigger is what floats your boat just swap it out.

The P322 pistol is not a target pistol but accuracy was excellent grouping nicely at 15 yards. The P322 just isn’t a good shooter, ergonomics is also excellent; frame size, grip angle and size, grip texture and

SIG SAUER’s P322 .22LR - it’s One With The Force

its flared magazine well all contribute to an excellent feel. I can’t think of a single .22 LR pistol offered by any of SIG’s competitors that can come close to the P322’s value proposition. This is an outstanding training pistol at a time when ammunition is scarce and expensive. It’s also fun to shoot; making for a great day at the range.

-SP

2022

Manufacturer’s Specification • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SKU: 322C - BAS CALIBER: 22LR MAGS INCLUDED: (2) 20rd Polymer SIGHTS: Fiber Optic Front / Adjustable Rear THREADED BARREL: Yes PISTOL SIZE: Compact OVERALL LENGTH: 7 in [178mm] OVERALL WIDTH: 1.4 in [36mm] HEIGHT: 5.5 in [140 mm] BARREL LENGTH: 4 in [102mm] WEIGHT: 17.1 oz [484g] SIGHT RADIUS: 6 in [152mm] ACCESSORY RAIL: M1913 TRIGGER ACTION: SAO TRIGGER TYPE: Flat / Curved (both included) GRIP MODULE: Compact Polymer GRIP COLOR: Black BARREL MATERIAL: Carbon Steel FRAME FINISH: N/A FRAME MATERIAL: Stainless Steel / Polymer FCU MATERIAL: SLIDE FINISH: Hard Coat Anodized SLIDE MATERIAL: Alloy MANUAL SAFETY: Yes OPTIC READY: Yes

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