SIG Sauer P227

Design

The SIG Sauer P227 is a large-frame pistol chambered in .45 ACP that builds on the design of the older P220, which debuted in 1975. It uses the same short recoil locking system and single-action/double-action trigger mechanism that SIG Sauer developed for the P220. The key difference is the P227’s double-stack magazine, which gives it a fourteen-round capacity compared to the P220’s eight rounds.

Despite this, the P227 is only marginally larger than the P220, and the size increase is hardly noticeable. After the last round is fired, the slide locks open automatically. A decocking lever lets the user safely lower the hammer.

To disassemble the pistol, you remove the magazine, lock the slide back, and rotate the takedown lever downward; then the slide, barrel, and recoil spring slide off the front of the frame. The P227 uses an Enhanced Ergonomics (E2) wraparound grip instead of the two-piece grip panels found on the P220. The trigger pull is ten pounds for the first double-action shot, and 4.4 pounds for subsequent single-action shots. The full-size model has a 4.4-inch barrel, an overall length of 7.7 inches, a height of 5.5 inches, and a width of 1.5 inches.

It weighs 32 ounces (907 grams) with the magazine. The pistol includes an accessory rail and comes with either three-dot contrast sights or SIGLITE night sights. The frame is made from anodized aluminum alloy with a Nitron finish, and the slide is milled from stainless steel.

Adoption

In 2013, the Indiana State Police adopted the SIG Sauer P227 Full Size Nitron as its department-issued sidearm, with a contract for over 5000 deliveries by the end of 2014. In February 2026, the Indiana State Police announced a transition to the 9mm P320 Platform because SIG had discontinued the P227. In 2014, after extensive .45 ACP weapon testing, the Pennsylvania State Police selected the P227 as its department-issued sidearm. The Pennsylvania State Police replaced the P227 with the Walther PDP in 2024, due to SIG Sauer ceasing production of P227 parts five years prior.