I love steel frame guns, one of my all-time favorites being the P226. I love the way a metal grip feels in my hand and how it conforms and greets me. It’s cold, unflinching, and I see why people resisted the change to polymer guns for so long. Striker-fired guns have become the norm, and they almost universally feature polymer frames. Every so often, a metal-framed, striker-fired pistol comes to be. Color me surprised when SIG released the SIG P320 AXG Scorpion and granted a metal frame to the P320 lineup.
AXG stands for Alloy XSeries Grip and infuses the P320 with a little metal frame madness. Scorpion is a moniker SIG uses for a certain series of custom pistols. Essentially it means the gun is FDE and features Scorpion grips, among a bevy of other small improvements. SIG has recently opened up a Custom Works shop, and the P320 AXG is the first gun to come out of that custom shop.
From the start, the gun just oozes quality. SIG provides a very nice, Italian-made negrini case. Inside is the gun, three magazines, a challenge coin, all nestled in custom-cut foam. The package is absolutely gorgeous. The foam allows you to remove sections to accommodate the gun with an optic and muzzle device as well. It’s a nice package for a very nice gun.
P320 AXG – Features
The SIG P320 AXG Scorpion might be SIG”s first Custom Works gun, but I can already say it won’t be their last. You don’t make a gun this nice and call it quits. Outside of the new AXG grip module, we get a very nice pistol complete with all the bells and whistles you expect. Unlike most guns you can swap frames and SIG makes plenty. No need for an FFL or an 80 lower design. The slide is optic cut with SIG’s latest design to accommodate SIG optics, Trijicon pattern optics, and the Leupold Delta Point series.
The trigger is a flat-faced, lightened, and refined Legion trigger that’s absolutely wonderful. SIG incorporates an ambidextrous slide lock and reversible magazine release. The weapon comes in the ‘Carry’ configuration. SIG’s Carry configuration is a compact slide nestled on a full-sized grip module.
That grip module packs a Picatinny rail for all your accessory needs. Like all P320s, the FCU can be removed, and users can swap grip modules. I have an S300 and an X Series compact grip module. I’ve moved the gun to and fro when I feel like it. I also come back to the AXG grip due to the metal design and supreme comfort it provides.
If you’ve ever handled a P226, you know what to expect here. The grip fits wonderfully with a single undercut to the trigger guard. In the rear, we see an extended beavertail. Assuming a nice high grip on the gun provides good control, and these two features allow for that. The G10 grip panels are highly textured, as are the front and rear of the grip.
Love At First Pew
Do I believe in love at first sight? No, not necessarily, but I do believe in love at first pew. I instantly fell in love with the SIG P320 AXG at the range. From the first short and light trigger pull to the last. It reminded me of why I fell in love with metal frames and continues to reinforce that love.
Let’s start with accuracy cause that’s what tickled me the most. Starting at 25 yards, I worked gongs from 4 to 8 inches in size without a miss. The XRAY3 iron sights are very easy to see and focus on. This makes tracking them between shots simple. I just look for that big green insert and get back on target.
I did quickly add a red dot from SIG to the gun, the ROMEO1PRO, and saw my range increase even more. At 50 yards, I had no issues hitting a ten-inch gong and effectively removing life force from my steel IPSC target. Hearing all those dings with a pistol at 50 yards brought joy to my heart. The sights help, the grip helps, but the trigger is the workhorse here.
It’s short, light, and sweet. I can keep my sight picture throughout the entire trigger pull without issue.
Controlled Chaos
Hitting your target quickly and more than once is a keen capability to have in a fighting pistol. The big full-sized grip of the P320 AXG made controlling the weapon easy. The extra ounces and unrelenting steel make the gun very easy to control, and 9mm recoil isn’t known for its snap anyway.
The trigger has a short reset, so getting set up for the next break is intuitive and makes those double taps addicting and good fun. The P320 AXG conforms well to my hand and lets me choke up nice and high on the gun. Keeping the gun on target while feeding it a healthy dose of lead isn’t going to be a challenge. I shot the 10-10-10 drill clean in seven seconds with the P320 AXG and felt quite proud of myself.
A quick shift of the thumb finds the big round magazine release and lets you dump an old mag for a fresh one without complaint. The magazine has very a slight bevel to it, and slamming that new mag home feels easy. As usual, the SIG slide lock continually gets caught under my thumb and renders it useless, so I’ve learned to rack with every reload.
Metal Frame Madness
I’m a fan of the P320 AXG. It eats whatever I feed it and sends those little 9mm pills downrange exactly where I want them. The gun barks and bites with ease and looks good doing it. The metal frame certainly adds some ounces, so it becomes a little less carry-friendly, but a good belt and a good holster will help that.
SIG’s first Custom Works gun is a winner, and I hope to see them keep producing high-quality guns out of their latest little shop. The P320 remains one of the most customizable platforms on the market, so it’s an easy pick for custom guns. In a couple of weeks, the steel challenge match is on, and I can’t wait to see how the P320 AXG holds up in competition.
Do you love steel frames like me? Or are you are purely a plastic fantastic fan? Let us know below what you think about the P320 AXG.
SIG doesn’t do MSRP but we found the AXG for as little as $1149 on GunsAmerica.com
I own one of these(P329 (custom shop) and love it. Shoots Lila a dream
I was able to slam home the stubborn magazines – – – BTW they are brand new Sig manufactured P320 mags. It inserted, but then it was extremely difficult to extract the magazine. I was hard to depress the mag release. I had to place the gun on a table surface and press down on the release and pull on the base plate to get the magazine out. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not the base plate. It’s something to do with the top of the magazine.
I have the AXG and absolutely love it. I bought the Specter specifically bc it has the AXG frame with the intention of putting a 40 cal slide on it. Once i get a could hundred more rd down rage it will become my EDC
I, too, love the steel frame. It just feels right.
How much do you want for the P226 SAO Legion? I’ve been looking for one at a decent price.
I have a problem with my Sig P320 AXG. The three magazines that came with it work fine, but when I tried to use one of my other P320 magazines, they would not insert all the way. I was reluctant to try to slam it in so I sent a note to Sig asking if the P320 AXG requires special magazines. Does anyone know if that it the case?
Depends on age of mags. Probably just need to change baseplates. Try swapping base plate from a mag that fits to one of the others and you will see if that is the case. Old base plates with round hole tab instead of square for different.
I bought one when they first came out and I love it! But I also agree with MeSealHunt, they need to make a long slide version of it in 10MM. I have a P220 in 10MM with an extra slide cut for an Trijicon SRO. It works pretty well but a steel framed striker fired version in double stack would give a hunter the extra rounds that might be needed should a bear give them trouble. My P226 SAO Legion is for sale as I need to make room in my safe.
Ok, it looks like a very nice pistol. If it had a hammer it would be even better, make it a 40 and I would probably buy one, 9 is not an option for me for many reasons. If it has to be striker fired, make an option with a manual safety for those of us that want one.
ANOTHER 9……… that’s great?????? I would have bought one TODAY if it was in 10, a caliber being given no consideration that SHOULD!!!