Image courtesy SIG/Sauer

SIG Sauer wants to move some metal in the next few months, and they’re resorting to used car salesman tactics to do it. But in a good way. No, really! After the manner of Lexus dealers handing out little Scion econoboxes with the purchase of a loaded Lexus luxury SUV, SIG will toss an extra 1911-22 in the box if you purchase one of the .45 ACP 1911s shown above . . .

Full-power SIG 1911s generally run between $900 and $1500. And not all of them will qualify for a free .22 practice gun, just those on this list:

1911 Ultra TT (1911U-45-TSS)
1911 Compact C3 (1911CO-45-T-C3)
1911 Carry Nightmare (1911FCA-45-NMR)
1911 Tacops (1911R-45-TACOPS)
1911 Spartan (1911-45-SPARTAN)
1911 Stainless (1911R-45-SSS-CA)

Given the current scarcity of .22 long rifle ammo, this otherwise-brilliant promotion might not get the traction SIG is hoping for. My local retailers are trying to squeeze eight bucks out of me for a 50-round box of bulk-grade .22s (maximum 2 per customer), but this is only marginally below my component cost for handloading cast-lead .45 ACPs myself. Material costs being about equal, I’d probably rather spend the extra time at the reloading bench and practice with .45 ACP.

Paying panic prices for practice plinking ammo pisses me off. Try saying that ten times, fast.

Image: Chris Dumm for TTAG
How long has it been since you saw this?

A twofer gun deal like this SIG promotion is certainly full of win, but it touches on a deeper misery we’re all facing right now. It’s a sad day when .22 ammo is so scarce and expensive that gunmakers are almost literally giving away the guns that shoot it.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

63 COMMENTS

  1. Got a flier about this from my LGS. They are a big Ruger outlet, but given recent turn of events, it looks like they need to diversify…..

  3. At the prices I’m seeing on gunbot for .22’s, I could sell off 15 bricks, buy a nice .45, and sell the .22 Sig.
    Then again, I’d probably end up in court as a straw purchaser.
    (Emily Litella voice) Nevermind.

    • I had one and it worked great. The real issue I had was the squared off slide (to match the rest of their guns) that was different from every other non-SIG 1911 and required sig-only holsters. To quote their advertisements, the only thing SIGnificant about their pistol was that it was a pain to get a holster.

  5. Well this is useless for New Jersey residents like myself who have to get pistol permits for every pistol we buy… and then can only buy 1 per month. But even in my part of the state where the local police and vast majority of the population are actually pro-gun, the pistol permits still have to go through the state police, who as we all know, are the WORST. Pre-panic, the wait was 6-8 weeks. My friend recently got a few permits and had to wait 5 months. My LGS would keep the .22 in their safe for the month until I can transfer that, but that means another NICS check as well. Moot point, though, because this promotion would be long over by then.

    inb4 “move to another state”

      • If only it actually worked that way…

        In its original form, the 1 gun a month rule would have included all FFL’s, meaning every gun store could only procure 1 hand gun to resell in a 30-day period. It was a sneaky, underhanded way to put every LGS out of business in this state. Thankfully, someone bothered to actually read the bill and it didn’t work.

  7. The Sig 1911-22 is just a re-labeled Chiappa, isnt it?

    While I’m in the market for a new carry 1911 and I’ve always wanted one of those cheap 1911-22’s to play with this deal still isnt enough to sway me from the S&W 1911sc I’ve been coveting. Especially if the 1911’s shown are the only models this deal applies to.

      • Sig Sauer: 83% of our 1911’s work great!

        I’d probably take that chance on a Carry Nightmare if I was shopping for a gun.

    • They do show up once in a while, but they usually sell out within ten minutes of opening time. Most working stiffs like me can’t afford to be waiting in line at Cabelas on weekdays.

  12. My LGS shelf of 22Lr is starting to become stocked back up a little more each time I visit, and the prices continue to drop. I am starting to shoot what I had stored before this craze started. Just a few more months and supply will overcome the demand.

  13. “My local retailers are trying to squeeze eight bucks out of me for a 50-round box of bulk-grade .22s (maximum 2 per customer)”

    You mean “My fellow firearms owners are bidding up the price of an already scarce resource which, while annoying me with their hoarding, does serve the legitimate purpose of signaling suppliers of the market’s expectations of future supply and demand so they can respond per the profit motive and ramp up supply until prices return to normal levels.”

    Wow. That is a mouthful. No wonder you truncated it to what you wrote, but still, the full meaning can suffer from being restated like that.

  14. It’s a good deal if you are looking for a 1911 in that price range and are a fan of Sig models.
    But the models they list kinda kill it for me, besides the fact that the local dealers that are participating are not my preferred shops.
    For those prices I would rather get a brand and model I want.
    For example I could get a Springfield Mil.-Spec at my L.G.S. for $500 plus a Beretta Neos for $250
    (all prices are from Buds at the time of writing)
    Sig 1911-22 priced between $ 403.00 to $453.00
    1911 Ultra TT (1911U-45-TSS) $1012.00
    1911 Compact C3 (1911CO-45-T-C3) $912.00
    1911 Carry Nightmare (1911FCA-45-NMR) $1087.00
    1911 Tacops (1911R-45-TACOPS) $1062.00 or $1124.00 for ergo model
    1911 Spartan (1911-45-SPARTAN) $1212.00 MAP Price: (o.o.s.)
    1911 Stainless (1911R-45-SSS-CA) $1012.00
    that being said picking one up and selling off the 22lr might be a decent deal

    • While I don’t hate my Beretta Neos, I’m not super amazed by it. If I had to do it again, I’d buy a Buckmark Contour. If it wasn’t such a hassle to to anything with pistols in NJ, I would have already made the switch.

    • I must be one of the few that bought this to get the free .22, and sell the 1911 nightmare. The Mosquito isn’t much count, but have been wanting the 1911-22. I can quickly move the 1911 if I don’t like it, and have a free gun

  15. Just had a pop up that was a Obama refinance add! That A HOLE is got some kinda balls attaching that kind of crap here. Ohhh, the reason im posting…SIG couldn’t give me a gun for free…JUNK!! I work in a shop here in FL that carries SIG. We have had to send back 6 P238’s, 2 P220’s due to CRAP manufacturing! SIG used to be a good product before they started making the barrels and slides here in the US. And the guns they make entirely here. like the P238. Give me an older SAUER, German built gun any day of the week over there US made junk! Many PD’s have dropped them to go to Glock, and Smith because of all quality problems. The Dutch canceled a 1500 pistol order from SIG for there P250 polymer NIGHTMERE! When the Dutch received the first part of there order, they noticed that some of the brand NEW guns were missing their firing pins. So they told SIG to take their junk back. And these pistols were for their POLICE. Just go to SIGS website and check out all the discontinued pistols and rifles they have on there. More discontinued models then some big name companies even produce! JUNK with a capitol J!!

  16. And yet, the four incident streak we’re on of killers using shotguns instead of evil black rifles hasn’t caused a run on 00 buckshot.

    Obviously, I’m anti-spree killings, but part of me wants the gungrabbers to overplay their hand after the next shotgun spree and start calling for limits/restrictions/registrations/confiscations on basic shotguns. Let the fuds and fencesitters alike see that this has always been a strategy of incrementalism and divide & conquer. Let the grabbers lay bare their own lies with a too soon snatch at their ultimate goal.

  17. This is classic SIG. No ones buying their 1911’s, because their CRAP! So they take the ugliest stagnant model, and give you a 22lr upper to suck you in! Ohh this is only a upper 22lr kit, no background check for the 22lr part, only for the 45 serial numbered gun. So your good on buying this kit, because the BATFE only counts the serial numbered lower of the 45 as a firearm!!

  18. I have a large conflict here.
    Plenty of 22s at hand to shoot.
    But my last new 45 was a European Armory Compact.
    Half the price for the same amount of gun in my eyes.
    So no deal for me.
    Id rather spend the $300 for a slide conversion and/ or get a full size 1911 22LR outright.

  20. The Sig 1911-22 is not an upper or conversion. It is a complete gun, and not compatible with a 1911.

    The reviews on those 22s have been pretty good, from what I’ve seen.

  21. “Paying panic prices for practice plinking ammo pisses me off.” Try saying that ten times, fast.

    Amended

    Paying panic prices for practice plinking PROJECTILE pisses me off. Try saying that ten times, fast.

  24. I’m having trouble finding a participating dealer. Gander and Academy both opted out. Anyone know of an online retailer participating?

    • yeah none of the LGS around me are participating. that sucks. i’ve been looking for a reason to buy a c3 and this is it

  25. If only the Reverse Two Tone was one of the models for the offer. Though the Carry Nightmare and Ultra Two-Tone are nice. I really want a fancier gun for open carry, my flat black P226 just isn’t fashionable at all.

  26. One of the best 1911’s I have is my Sig Scorpion, and absolute unfailing tack driver. I like both the Nightmare Carry and the Spartan, so I will be checking with my dealer.

  27. The offer appears to be a big load of BS! I bought one of the qualifying .45’s at a gun show Saturday, and they told me I could go to their storefront on Monday to get it. They called me back Monday morning and said the deal was off. At least they offered to let me return the .45. I then called 4 other dealers, including a couple of the biggies (Gander Mtn, Academy & Bass Pro), and I got a diiferent story from each of them, but the bottom line was nobody had them, and nobody knew if or when they would get them.

    • You can get the Sig BOGO deal at Academy but only if they have one of the 6 .45/1911 models that Sig offers the deal for and one of the 2 .22/1911 models in stock . I got mine Saturday after calling 6 different stores and finding the only one with a TACOPS 1911R and a black framed .22/1911 in the same store . The guys behind the counter were all amazed that they were giving me a free gun . I was told that Academy wouldn’t publicly start their full on sale till February 23 because of the lack of in stock Models for the sale . Happy hunting !!!

    • Thought I would upate my earlier post. I did find an Academy store in the area that was actively promoting the offer. They did not have a very good selection of the qualifying 45’s, but fortunately, they had the one I was looking for, the Ultra TT. They did not mark up the price on the 45, either, it was $999. That was $60 more that the gun show price, but I left the store with both guns and I’m pretty happy with the deal.

      • My only complaints are that the 22 only included one magazine, and the case is pretty cheap & flimsy.

    • The SIG BOGO is a sack of horse $hit.. They advertise in the tabloids the if you buy a 1911 you get a 1911-22 free…Problem is that the participating dealer has to buy two pricey 1911′s to get one of the 1911 22′s free..SO??? How does the dealer tell one customer he gets the deal and the other is $hit out of luck..This is clearly a bait and switch… Hey Sig..Who ever thought this brain fart up ” FIRE THEM ” If you ask Sig about the problem there answer is Not our problem and they do not care about who gets the free goods. Dealers unite and tell Sig to stuff it!

  28. The SIG BOGO is a sack of horse $hit.. They advertise in the tabloids the if you buy a 1911 you get a 1911-22 free…Problem is that the participating dealer has to buy two pricey 1911’s to get one of the 1911 22’s free..SO??? How does the dealer tell one customer he gets the deal and the other is $hit out of luck.. Hey Sig..Who ever thought this brain fart up ” FIRE THEM ” If you ask Sig about the problem there answer is Not our problem and they do not care about who gets the free goods. Dealers unite and tell Sig to stuff it!

  29. Got my free 1911-22 Monday at Academy Houston Tx area. I was told Saturday that they wouldn’t honor the deal called back Monday and they were honoring it. Shot seven pistols Tuesday 380 9mm 25 cal 45 and 22 . The Sig 1911 45 out shot them all and none of the other pistols were junk. First time shooting a 1911 and I was impressed. Now the 1911-22 would not cycle Winchester hollow point 22 rounds. Remington round nose were cycled every time Winchester round nose had a few cycle problems but just a few shot over 1000 rounds with the 22. Very satisfied with both pistols.

  30. Got my free 1911-22 Monday at Academy Houston Tx area. I was told Saturday that they wouldn’t honor the deal called back Monday and they were honoring it. Shot seven pistols Tuesday 380 9mm 25 cal 45 and 22 . The Sig 1911 45 out shot them all and none of the other pistols were junk. First time shooting a 1911 and I was impressed. Now the 1911-22 would not cycle Winchester hollow point 22 rounds. Remington round nose were cycled every time Winchester round nose had a few cycle problems but just a few. Shot over 1000 rounds with the 22. Very satisfied with both pistols.

  32. GUESS I GOT RIDICULOUSLY LUCKY WITH THIS SIG DEAL!! THE DEALER OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT PROPERLY INFORMED HOW THIS WORKS, BY SIG. I DID NOT WANT ANY OF THE .45,S OFFERED, WENT IN TO BUY A SCORPION CARRY WHICH I PURCHASED AT $995. I THEN POINTED OUT A SIG OLIVE DRAB 45-22 SITTING IN THE DISPLAY CASE AS MY “FREE”” PISTOL PER THE ADVERTISEMENT. PULLED BOTH BRAND NEW UNITS OUT OF STOCKROOM AND WROTE UP PAPERWORK. OUT OF THERE IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!!! MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT,WENT BACK NEXT DAY TO TRY AND DUPLICATE THE SALE AND WAS TOLD THE PROMO WAS OVER AND THEY WERE SOLD OUT!! NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING IN MY LIFETIME AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL AGAIN!! ANYONE ELSE GET LUCKY!!!

  34. I was lucky enough to be standing at the gun counter at one of my local academy sports and a customer was buying the bogo deal. I asked about it and the salesman told me about it but that was their last set, so he called the other store close to me and, since they know me from buying a slew of guns etc there, had one nightmare and one olive 22 left so they held for me to make the 20 minute drive (over 3 other customers that came in wanting the deal) and I got it. Been 6 miss or longer and have never fired either one, lol. But great deal for 900 bucks.

  35. I have 2 Sig 1911 and have never had a malfunction on either and I have put a lot of rounds through them. Just my personal opinion but I might guess that all these complainers on here have a case of operator error. Just sayin.

Comments are closed.