If you want to maximize your practice, go for the .22 conversion on the P226. The Mosquito while close is not a direct representation of the P226. With the conversion you can use your same holsters and magazine carriers, not the case with the Mosquito. With the conversion you will be getting trigger time on your main gun, not the case with the Mosquito...

I can not speak from personal experience, but when researching the .22 Exchange Kit for my P229, I read about heavy wear to the alloy frame. For the cost I would go Mosquito. They also make the "226 Classic" in 22lr and can be had for around $475.

Introducing the new SIG SAUER Classic centerfire pistols in .22LR Rimfire models. The same Classic pistols that have been used by civilian, law enforcement, and military personnel the world over, can now have these same models factory built in .22LR. The SIG SAUER® Classic .22’s are built on the same frame as their centerfire counterparts

You'd be paying more for the Classic .22 as you all ready have the frame.

Curious to Dosborn's statement regarding increased wear to the frame? Increased wear from what? If the frame can handle anything from 9mm to .357 Sig, with a steel slide riding on the aluminum frame, it seems to me that an aluminum slide in .22 riding on an aluminum frame would not be an issue. I can see a possible wear issue on the slide of the .22 kit if it is aluminum in that the steel slide stop could batter the slide if it's too soft etc.

But hey, sometimes things don't work out the way we think they would.

Originally Posted by VAMarine

If you want to maximize your practice, go for the .22 conversion on the P226. The Mosquito while close is not a direct representation of the P226. With the conversion you can use your same holsters and magazine carriers, not the case with the Mosquito. With the conversion you will be getting trigger time on your main gun, not the case with the Mosquito...

I agree with this suggestion, especially since the Mosquito is not known for being up to normal Sig standards, for reliability.

I recently taught a guy some basic pistol skills whose only previous experience with a gun had been a .44 magnum, without ear protection, 'supervised' by a couple of jerks who just wanted to laugh at him. As one would expect, he was horribly gun-shy, so I started him on my CZ-75B, with the Kadet .22 conversion. It took a couple of ten round magazines to get him settled down enough to start making decent groups, at ten yards. After about a hundred rounds, I set it up as a 9mm, and he was doing well before emptying the first mag.

He eventually shot a .45 ACP and a .357 magnum in that 2 hour session, and left with a smile on his face, and a plan to buy a 9mm pistol. In my opinion, a .22 conversion in a full sized pistol is an almost perfect training tool, for a newbie or an experienced shooter who just needs to brush up on fundamentals, and get some repetitions.

I would go with the .22lr upper. Just be sure the frame rails are well lubed and keep in mind that the slide does not lock back after the last round. You either need to count, put a dummy round as your last one or get one of the magazine conversions being made out there.

Thanks everybody. So the upper doesn't have the same reliability issues as the mosquito? Does Mec-Gar make a cheaper version of the 22 mag?

I have a slightly different perspective...

In January I purchased a Mosquito for inexpensive range practice. My other gun was a Glock 19. Although different, these guns are roughly the same size and feel similar in my hand. I chose the Mosquito over a conversion kit because 1) my Glock is a Gen4 and conversion kits were not available, 2) I would have purchased a second gun in 22 anyway because they are roughly the same price as a conversion kit (I feel better buying another whole gun rather than a slide and mag for the same money), and 3) I think it's a good idea to get proficient with different guns and not fully tune yourself to a single specific gun.

In terms of reliability with the Mosquito, you have to use the recommended ammo and keep the gun clean. You do this, and it will perform reliably. The only issues I had with it was while trying other types of ammo. Other than that -- I've experienced no problems. Mine has 1500 rounds or more through it.

All that said, the one major concern I have with the Mosquito is the trigger. The trigger pull has a lot of slack, is a bit heavy, and it is not adjustable. BUT, on the positive side, if I can get proficient with this trigger then I should be able to adapt to many others with greater ease.

All things considered, it's been a reliable and economical training gun for my purposes.

Another vote for the kit....
I have one and it helps with my full size as I am using the same grip and trigger pull to practice.

Lateck,

i would definitely go with the kit. The less things you can change in a training scenario, the better. While a mosquito may be built on an identical frame, no two guns have quite the same trigger pull to them, and if you can really get the trigger pull down, that will help your accuracy tremendously.

My P226 is the go-to gun in the bedroom safe. My wife is still in the too-afraid-to-shoot stage, so I recently got the conversion kit. I took it to the range a week ago for its inaugural testing. It did great. Not one FTF or FTE. In the next couple of weeks I plan to get her to the range with the 22 conversion kit. I want as much of the experience of handling the pistol to remain the same as possible, to make the transition up to 9mm as much of a baby step as it can be. Reports of frame wear may be a result of aluminum-on-aluminum galling. The use of grease rather than oil on the rails should prevent that.

Also be aware that high velocity 22LR rounds are recommended, so if you were planning on dipping into your stash of standard 22 ammo for P226 practice, forget it.

I put the .22 kit on my Sig P229 and it works great.

The slide doesn't stay back on the last round ..

Not a big deal when I know it's gonna happen when shooting .22.

I also own a Pink Mosquito I bought for my daughter (at least that's what I tell everyone )

I really enjoy shooting it after it got broken in.

Shoots like a dream and is accurate as can be.

When you say magazine conversions ...are you saying there are mags that hold back the slide on the last round?
I need some spare mags ,I payed 35 for one at the gun show today
I would like to find them cheaper or maybe Mec-Gar has one in the works.
Any suggestions would be helpfull
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