The SIG Sauer Advanced Sport Pellet (ASP) line was launched in early 2015 and has now been rebranded as SIG Air in a move to better reflect Sig Sauer’s commitment to become a major player in the airgunning arena. SIG Air released this .177 blowback version of their P320 in early 2017. This is the pistol selected as the new sidearm of the U.S Army (as the M17). Available in black or Coyote Tan, this 1-to-1 replica will not only appeal to collectors, but shooters wanting an inexpensive training companion to the actual firearm.
SIG Air P320 with 30 round belt magazine
Manufactured in Japan to exacting SIG Air standards, it is designed to be close to the weight of the original and have a similar trigger pull weight (about 6.75 pounds on the trigger pull and overall weight of 2.2 pounds). The realism and build quality of this pistol is very good with a nice, wide polymer trigger, non-adjustable white dot sights and 2 ½ inch picatinny rail section on the underside suitable for adding flashlights, etc. It lends itself as a training tool for breath and trigger control as well as re-holstering drills, etc. The drawbacks would be the non-functioning slide lock and take-down lever and this model is not field-strippable. Also, the actual P320 provides interchangeable grip panels for adjusting the pistol’s width to fit the owner’s hand. Not so with the SIG Air P320.
The stick magazine rides in the front of the grip ahead of the CO2 cartridge chamber. It springs out smartly with a press on the magazine release found in the same location as the firearm. The unique thing about this magazine is that it is belt-fed and holds 30 rounds of either pellets or BBs. The Double Action Only trigger exhibits a definite “stacking” feel through the firing cycle due to the process of advancing the belt-feed mechanism, but this subsided slightly as the pistol and magazine went through the break-in period. The P320 sports a rifled 4.75-inch barrel and I prefer not to shoot BBs through rifled barrels, but this is a dual ammo pistol if you prefer to shoot both. BBs would definitely be easier and faster to load, but at least you have 30 rounds available before you have to think about reloading. I put both flat-nosed wad cutters as well as pointed pellets through the P320 and other than leaving a couple of “failures to launch” behind in the magazine, it fed well. Testing on a 75 degree day at 6200 feet in altitude, I was getting around 80 shots per CO2 capsule. A big cautionary note here: the all metal slide blows back with authority, however, by using a portion of the CO2 to cycle the action it lowers the shot count per CO2 cartridge. As with any CO2 powered airgun, too low a pressure will cause a pellet to lodge in the barrel leading to a condition that could prevent removal of the magazine. Since this gun is not field-strippable, a serious jam could require the pistol to be shipped back to SIG Air for repair.
Accuracy of the P320 was reasonable for a gun in this price range. I would call it “plinking accuracy” and totally suitable for keeping rogue soda cans from becoming a threat. Rated by SIG Air for 430 fps, my results were more sedate at 340 fps using 8.5 grain H&N Excite Spike pointed pellets. Still it was a great little plinker and appeals to the collector in me.
The MSRP on the P320 is $119.99 and it comes with a one-year warranty from SIG Air. For more information on the P320 check out this page on the Airguns of Arizona website.