SIG AIR

AFTER YEARS IN THE MIDDLE LEAGUES OF GBB PISTOLS, VFC IS MAKING A BREAK FOR THE HIGH GROUND. STEVE T FINDS OUT IF THE NEW, OFFICIALLY LICENSED SIGAIR P320 M17 CAN MEASURE UP TO THE TAIWANESE FIRM’S RECENT SUCCESS WITH THE GLOCK G19X

They may be different beasts but this Sig obviously shares DNA with last year’s G19X. Of course, they’re made by the same airsoft manufacturer (VFC), both officially licensed with the original firearms firms paying close attention (Sig Sauer and Glock respectively) - and they’re also both hearing aid brown. Or fifty shades of beige, if you prefer.

Beyond that, they also share operational similarities in airsoft, such as the under-barrel hop adjustment, which is so brilliantly convenient to use. But where the G19X requires an Allen key, the M17 comes with a bespoke tool. Fret ye not if you lose it though, because you can just as easily adjust the M17’s hop with your bare hands. Either way, we like; more please!

Where the G19X feels nimble, the P320 is an altogether weightier - and slightly more cumbersome affair. That’s not to say it pales in comparison - far from it but worth mentioning to help you choose depending on your requirements. This isn’t a head-to-head review though, so let’s focus on the sidearm in question: SigAir’s first under its own banner and quite appropriately, the M17.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

Sig Sauer’s origins may be in Germany but the company now largely operates in America. After a lengthy review process, a modified version of the P320 was selected by the US military in 2017 as the winner of its Modular Handgun System competition, when it would become known as the M17. The compact carry version is called the M18.

Utilising 9x19 NATO rounds, the M17 was judged to have better accuracy and ergonomics than the outgoing and long-serving Beretta M9. The first unit to receive the M17 was the 101st Airborne Division, with planned adoption as the standard sidearm for the US military and a subsequent order for 421,000 weapons.