The Sig Sauer P226 is the sidearm Bond reaches for when the job is serious. In No Time To Die Daniel Craig’s Bond wears it on his leg in a drop-leg holster, a plain, working pistol that looks nothing like the small Walther of the earlier films. This is the Sig Sauer P226 as a piece of design and as a collectable, and what owning one involves.
In the film
In the Commando Outfit, Bond carries a P226R in a drop-leg holster and uses it during the Cuba sequence. The pistol is not new to Craig’s Bond: our catalogue records it in Quantum of Solace, where he takes it from an MI6 agent in Bolivia, and in Spectre, where he gives one to Madeleine Swann.
The details of the Sig Sauer P226
A service pistol. Wikipedia describes the P226 as a full-size service pistol from SIG Sauer, designed between 1980 and 1983 and in production from 1984. It shares its mechanism with the older P220 but takes a double-stack magazine in place of the P220’s single stack, which is what gave it greater capacity.
Size and weight. It is about 196mm long with a 112mm barrel, 140mm tall and 38.1mm wide, and weighs 964g with a magazine. It is a substantial pistol in the hand and on the belt.
Many versions. Chamberings include 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG and .22 Long Rifle (the last only in the Classic 22). Action types include double/single action, double action only and single action only. In 9×19mm the magazine can hold 10, 15, 17, 18 or 20 rounds depending on model and local law. The film pistol is catalogued as a P226R, the railed version.
Family tree. The P226 has spawned the compact P228 and P229, so it is worth knowing which sibling you are looking at.
Owning it now
A P226 is a regulated firearm. In most places you can only buy one through a licensed dealer, with whatever licence, permit or waiting period your jurisdiction requires, and in some it is not available to private owners at all. Check local law before anything else. Sig Sauer’s own page, linked below, shows the current P226 range.
For collectors the appeal is the long production run and the number of variants: the P226 has been made for decades and in many configurations, so the right one is a matter of what you want it for. For the film version, look for the railed P226R. If you want a lower-powered route, Wikipedia lists a .22 Long Rifle Classic 22 version, which may be easier to own in some places; confirm availability and law locally. For other weapons seen in the series, browse the weapons collection.
Specifications
| Model | SIG Sauer P226 (film pistol catalogued as P226R) |
|---|---|
| Type | Full-size semi-automatic service pistol |
| Length / barrel | 196mm / 112mm |
| Width / height | 38.1mm / 140mm |
| Weight | 964g with magazine |
| Chamberings | 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG; .22 Long Rifle in the Classic 22 |
| Production | Designed 1980 to 1983; in production from 1984 |
The current range is on Sig Sauer’s own P226 page.
Questions
Which gun does Bond carry in No Time To Die?
Our catalogue records Craig’s Bond with a Sig Sauer P226R in the Commando Outfit, carried in a drop-leg holster and used in the Cuba sequence.
Is it the same gun as in Spectre?
It is the same model. In Spectre Bond gives a P226R to Madeleine Swann; in No Time To Die he carries one himself.
What is the difference between the P226 and P226R?
The R denotes the railed version. Our merged catalogue treats the film pistol as a P226R.
Can anyone buy a Sig Sauer P226?
No. Sales are controlled almost everywhere and go through licensed dealers. Check the law where you live.
See also Craig’s other equipment under Daniel Craig, or the full list of Bonds.
