Over the last few years, there have been a number of legendary models from gun companies being brought into the modern times with the inclusion of optic cuts and upgraded sights as well as tuning specific parts of a firearm. This is exactly the case with the new SIG Sauer P226 Legion RXP variant.

Specs

The new P226 Legion RXP is the flagship model in the P226 lineup now with the inclusion of a slide cut to accommodate a ROMEO1PRO optic. The overall handgun weight is 34.4 oz which is only .4oz more than a standard P226 Elite or similar model. Coming from the factory, the P226 Legion RXP ships in a standard SIG case with 3-15 round steel magazines, the ROMEO1PRO optic already installed as well as all the other manuals and information you will need.

If you decide to register your SIG Sauer P226 Legion with SIG, they will send you an upgraded soft case with a collectible challenge coin of your model. There are a number of small changes from the standard models when you upgrade to the Legion series. While this is the flagship model P226 from SIG currently, it is also the most expensive. Currently, MSRP on the P226 Legion RXP is $1,549.99 but let’s take a look at what makes the Legion RXP cost more than traditional P226 models.

Sights and Optics Cut

The first major change for the P226 Legion RXP from other models is the inclusion of the ROMEO1PRO and X-Ray day/night suppressor height sights. Some may not like the fact the X-Ray sights cowitness with the optic, but personally, for me, it makes it extremely fast to acquire the dot on the target. The rear sights have a small two-dot setup that isn’t distracting but is visible enough to line up the sights quickly if you decide to take the dot off. The front sight of the X-Ray 3 sight is very bright both in day as well as night shooting. Probably one of the biggest differences between the ROMEO1PRO optic and others on the market is the larger field of view with little shadowing on the outside of the optic.

Having a large field of view makes target transitions faster with no shadowing to block or obstruct your field of view. It’s very similar to a Delta Point Pro but feels faster when shooting at the range for some reason. With older model optic-ready handguns from SIG, the plate cover would have the rear sight attached which meant you lost the rear sight when you mounted a red dot. SIG has since changed over the newer models to permanently put the rear sight into the slide with the optics cut being in front of the rear sight. This is a big plus in case your battery ever dies on your optic because you’ll always have a rear sight to fall back on to keep going at the range.

Beaver Tail

One of the biggest changes I immediately noticed is the modified beavertail on the Legion RXP models. On the standard model, there isn’t a beavertail, whereas models like my P226 Elite variant have a very pronounced beavertail. The Legion RXP has a beavertail somewhere in between the standard model and pronounced version on the Elite models.

Personally, this is my favorite variant of all three because it gives you the ability to get a really good purchase on the handgun without being uncomfortable to carry on your hip. The Elite model sometimes can dig into your side with such a sharp and prolonged beavertail but I think the new Legion size beavertail does its job perfectly. Combining the beavertail with the X-Five undercut on the frame allows you to really get a good steady grip on the handgun when firing in odd positions or rapidly.

Controls

The overall size and texture on the slide release and decocker have changed from the standard variant as well. The Legion RXP comes with smaller but more aggressive textured controls. At first, I wasn’t sure if this worked on a full-size firearm, but after a few range sessions with the controls, I can happily say the aggressive textures grab your hand better than the older style controls which means the smaller sizes don’t really change the functionality of the controls.

If you are familiar with the older style controls, the new style controls will be in the same position as the older style just different so it takes a magazine or two worth of rounds to get used to the change but after that it makes sense. It’s a small change but so far I like it. Not a huge change but it’s definitely a noticeable one when looking at the big picture.

Finish

SIG has always had a style of gray finish on their Legion series from the beginning. The first SIG Legions had a DLC finish whereas the newer Legion series pistols have an Elite Cerekote finish instead now. Luckily, I have an early version of a SIG P229 Legion with the DLC coating, and I can happily say the newer Cerekote optic is much more durable than the older DLC style finish. I will be sure to put pictures of both variants up to let you guys see the difference. I want to say the P229 Legion has roughly 2,1000 rounds through it whereas the SIG P226 Legion RXP has just over 1,500 rounds through it.

The difference is fairly substantial where the newer variant has little to no wear on the frame or slide. This was the biggest upgrade and improvement from past models in my opinion. The newer Cerekote option has a much deeper and darker gray color which sometimes almost looks like it has hints of OD Green in it. The overall finish is a tough one and it really gives a different dynamic to the pistol as a whole making it feel different from the standard models.

Range Time

For full disclosure, SIG did send me this handgun for an extended test but other than that I have been on my own. I ended up purchasing all the ammunition from LAX Ammunition for roughly 33 cents a round which isn’t bad in today’s market. The ammo I picked up was 115gr remanufactured ammo and I can say it ran very well through the P226 Legion RXP during my testing over the last couple of months. For my first range session, I decided to run the gun straight out of the box with no cleaning or lubrication. After that day I had roughly 550 rounds through it with zero issues.

Once the initial 500 rounds were through the Legion RXP with no issues, I gave it a good cleaning and lubrication which was the last time I cleaned it before the 1,575 round test was completed. During the later 1,000 round test, I used it at a number of range days as my primary handgun and during a fun night vision hunt with an X300V attached to it. The ROMEO1PRO really shined during the night vision shooting which completely transforms the P226 into a capable night vision handgun which it hasn’t been before in my experience.

After 1,500 Rounds

After the 1,575 rounds of ammunition through the P226 Legion RXP, it started to have that classic feel of the metal frame and slide break-in that just doesn’t come in modern polymer handguns. The slide and frame fitment starts to polish each other and when you rack the handgun, it truly feels like it’s riding on glass rails. I am a big fan of metal-framed handguns just because nothing feels better than when they start to get used and become incredibly smooth over time. So after about 11 range sessions and 1,500 rounds, I was honestly impressed with both the Legion RXP and LAX ammunition, because there wasn’t a single stoppage, misfire, or issue out of either.

Overall Thoughts

So after all that ammo and time with the handgun, what do I think? Well, it’s hard to explain but there’s something that makes this P226 Legion RXP something special. It’s like having an old car suddenly gets restored with a new engine put under the hood. This version truly feels like it’s been updated and there was a fair bit of love put into the design to make it the best possible version.

I will be the first one to admit I am not always a fan of optics mounted on handguns, but this version really made sense to me. I have a long-term review set up for this handgun so I may keep it to see how it does going forward, but in all honestly, I’m not sure I will be letting this one go back to SIG which should say everything you need to know about this version.

Let me know what you guys think of the P226 Legion RXP in the comments below. Is it too much or do the number of upgrades justify the increased price? Personally, I think this is a bit of a bargain for a handgun and optic combo with a number of other upgrades. If you have any questions about the Legion series or just firearm-related questions in general, feel free to shoot me a message on my Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there.