I spent a month in Switzerland in the summer of 1999. The chalet I stayed in on the outskirts of Lungern was traditional Swiss, complete with alpine flowers and Smurf lawn gnomes in the garden. The chalet was owned by a characteristically serious, yet kind, Swiss gentleman who was an avid hunter. Sometimes I would hear rifle shots echoing from out in the mountains beyond my chalet. One day the landlord returned home and opened his trunk, revealing a mountain goat he had just killed in the forest. He then pulled out the rifle he used to shoot it, which in my youthful inexperience I thought was an M16A1. It was actually a Sig Sauer 550, the standard issue assault rifle of the Swiss military, and at the time it was a requirement for every Swiss male to keep one in their home ready to rock, in case Switzerland was ever invaded.

A Sig 550 sits ready in a Swiss pantry. (Photo credit: BBC)

Switzerland hasn’t been invaded since the middle ages…even Hitler chose not to mess with the Swiss during World War II. There are several reasons for this, including but not limited to: Vast mountain ranges serving as a natural barrier to invading ground forces, the influence and power of the Swiss banks, and the fact that Switzerland has a standing militia comprised of expert marksmen. Every able-bodied male is required to serve in the military and be ready to fight even after their enlistment ends, in the event of an invasion. From what I understand Switzerland no longer requires military veterans to keep a Sig 550 in their home, but they still must have one ready to go in their local armory if they opt out of taking it home. Shooting is a casual weekend activity for the Swiss, and in a society focused on perfection it’s no surprise that precision marksmanship is prized.

I once heard a CEO of a large company (which shall remain unnamed) say this about the Swiss: “When I take a product to Spain the engineers there find a few things wrong with it. When I take it to Germany they find many things wrong with it. But when I take it to Switzerland they want me to reinvent it.” The Swiss are meticulous in every way, shape and form, and it’s immediately apparent once you step foot in the country. The neighborhoods are sterile and safe, the people are germophobic, the trains run like their clocks, and even the natural landscape is so pristine that you would think the Swiss government hires Disneyland gardeners to tend to it daily. The Swiss demand perfection, and it’s no surprise that some of the best guns in the world have come out of Switzerland.

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One of those guns with a legendary reputation is the Sig Sauer P228. The P228 is a compact version of the famed P226, the gun many argue is the best 9mm ever created. What the P228 has on the P226 though is lighter weight and better balance. That’s not to say that the P226 is unbalanced, it isn’t, but a compact handgun is always going to feel a tad bit lighter. The size and weight of the P228 made it a favorite of armed forces around the world, including European military forces and police units, US fighter pilots, FBI agents, and Navy SEALs. These forces received a military version called the M11 which had phosphate-coated internals to prevent rust. Today the P228 is a popular carry choice, and some Sig fanboys consider it the Magnum Opus of the company, as its weight, accuracy and reliability make it impossible to put down.

But wait a second, isn’t this a review about the new Sig Sauer M11-A1? Yes it is. And I know what many of you Sig diehards are thinking: “The M11-A1 isn’t the same thing as the original P228!” Depending on who you ask, the M11-A1 is or isn’t a P228. While I have come across only rave reviews about the M11-A1, some internet commenters will insist that the original P228 (which Sig stopped producing years ago) can never be equaled or topped, so therefore Sig has no right to stamp “P228” on the grips. Gun forums across the net went up in fits for a few months when Sig Sauer announced the reissue of the P228 as the M11-A1. Debates ensued as some salivated at the release date of the M11-A1 while others maintained that it would never match the original P228. Maybe some hipsters wanted to be recognized as having an original German-made P228, I really don’t know. Personally, I am from the camp that says Sig can name their products whatever they want. Just like car companies update their models every year, so can Sig. Glock does the same thing, as do many other gun companies.

I understand that some readers unfamiliar with Sig Sauer may be confused at this point. Let me clarify the differences between the three variants of the P228:

• P228: Made in Germany. Had a stamped steel slide with standard sights.
• M11: Made in Germany. Had a stamped steel slide with night sights and phosphate-coated internals.
• M11-A1: Made in the USA. Has a milled stainless steel slide, night sights, phosphate-coated internals, and SRT trigger.

All three variants have the same frame, and for all practical purposes are the same size. However, the milled slide on the M11-A1 is a fraction thicker and a fraction heavier than the stamped slide on the P228/M11. This is the main reason people argued that the P228 would always be better than the new M11-A1: because of its slightly lighter weight. The fact that the P228 was manufactured in Sig’s German factory also led to intense loyalism, as some believe that the older German-made Sigs are better than the new US-made Sigs (Sig started producing guns for the US market in Exeter, NH during the mid-2000’s). There is some debate over whether the German-made Sig Sauers are more reliable overall than the US-made ones, but that is a closely scrutinized issue that needs an article of its own. One thing to keep in mind with the older P228 models, however, is that their stamped slides will not hold up to hard use as well as the M11-A1’s stainless milled slide. The M11-A1 can handle the higher-powered +P rounds, while it was advised against using these loads in the P228.

My personal reason for buying the M11-A1 over a used P228 was that it is essentially a newer version, much like buying a new car versus a previous generation. Don’t get me wrong, the old P228’s still run like Swiss clocks, but I wanted a new Swiss clock.

The Sig Sauer M11-A1 is quality in every sense of the word. It’s one of those guns that just feels right when you first pick it up. You feel the meticulous engineering and craftsmanship in your hands–the ergonomics of the famous Sig grips is one of the most reassuring feelings out of all the guns I have ever handled. My large hands feel at home on this Sig handgun, the same way they do on a P226. Sig chose to stick with the classic 228 grips on the reissue, a choice many applauded. But some users may prefer to swap out these grips with Sig’s newer E2 grips, which are thinner.

The M11-A1 is considered a compact handgun, but it’s one of the larger compacts on the market. This makes it a good happy-medium, as it isn’t too small or too big. The controls are located conveniently for my thumb: the decocker is right where it needs to be and the slide release sits just above it. I don’t need to reposition my hand at all when operating this gun. The magazine release is round and texturized, exactly where it needs to be. And the operation of the magazine release is very well engineered; it’s more like a magazine eject. While some handguns simply drop mags when you press the magazine release the M11-A1 shoots them out. This point is demonstrated well by holding the gun upside down and ejecting a mag. The mag will spring up into the air just a tad. For most this doesn’t matter, but it does show the quality of the M11-A1 and the attention Sig puts into their guns.

The M11-A1 features Sig’s classic double-action/single-action trigger mechanism, meaning that the first trigger pull is long and heavy, but every shot after that is in single-action mode. Sigs are famous for their triggers, but DA/SA takes some getting used to since you have to learn the feels of two different trigger pulls for one gun. The M11-A1 comes from the factory with Sig’s Short Reach Trigger (a thinner trigger) and Short Reset Trigger (which makes the reset after each shot shorter and faster). Because of the SRT trigger the M11-A1’s trigger pull in single-action mode is a dream. It’s crisp, light and positive, almost like a 1911. Combined with Sig’s notoriously accurate barrel, I was able to place consistent headshots at 25 yards. This gun doesn’t miss…you do. It will hit exactly where you aim it.

As expected, my shots in double-action mode were a little less accurate than in single-action. This came as no surprise as the double-action pull is 10 lbs., versus the single-action pull of 4.4 lbs. (sigsauer.com). I currently don’t have any measured groups to use as examples, but will hopefully get some in the future when I compare this gun to the Glock 19.

I have so far ran about 700 rounds through this gun. Not enough to give a conclusive review, but enough to get a feel for it. I used a mixture of Federal 115 grain, Blazer 115 grain, Magtech 115 grain, American Eagle 147 grain, and 100 rounds of reloads. It ate all of the ammo no problem except during a concealed carry handgun course I took in which it stovepiped twice during the first day of training. The problems were most likely attributed to limpwristing, as it was my first time doing serious high-speed draw and fire drills. The malfunctions occurred at around 200 rounds into the new gun.

Just to make sure it didn’t happen again I talked with another student who was using an original P228. He told me that Sigs need about 1,000 rounds to break them in, “just like German cars,” he said. He also suggested I try using 147 grain bullets, since the heavier milled slide of the M11-A1 may need extra force to rock the slide back. On day 2 of training, with 147 grain bullets and making sure I didn’t limpwrist, the M11-A1 no longer experienced any problems.

The SigLite night sights on the M11-A1 are bright and useful. Excuse me for my seemingly over-simplistic explanation, but that’s exactly what they are. Some may opt out of night sights but I find them useful for two reasons. One: for finding your gun in a dark room, and two: for shooting in low light. The Sig’s rear sights are easily apparent in a dark room, telling you exactly where to pick up the gun. For shooting, the night sights tell you exactly where your shots are going to place. During low light drills I was able to take and place shots on paper quickly. This is an important consideration for a home defense gun or for someone carrying a lot at night.

The M11-A1 is one of those guns that just looks and shoots exactly like a handgun should. The only handgun I have shot that I truly like more than the M11-A1 is the Colt M45A1 USMC; and that’s because the M45A1 has a beefier frame than other 1911’s, making it more comfortable in my hands. To be honest I actually prefer the reassuring feel of the M11-A1 to most 1911’s, and many shooters would agree that the Sigs have great ergonomics. It’s also a gun that has a retro vibe to it, as it lacks a rail and has an external hammer. In an age where many shooters are opting for the striker-fired variety, the M11 stands out.

There are plenty of popular compact handgun choices out there, but at some point you have to ask yourself: Do you see a gun as a tool, as a personal statement, or as a mixture of both? For me, guns are a mixture of both. A gun says a lot about a person just like a car says a lot about a person. However, a carry gun should also be a reliable tool. When I picked the M11-A1 as my primary carry it was an easy choice; it is a mixture of style and function that few guns offer. It’s a solid gun that you can confidently carry without sacrificing any features that a full size handgun would offer. Hey, maybe a striker-fired handgun is your thing, and I wouldn’t knock you for that. As for me however, it’s safe to say that I’m in M11 heaven.