Not all of the new products at the NRA Annual Meeting are announced in advance. While at the Sig Sauer booth getting a run down on some of the upcoming Sig Elite Performance ammo, I inadvertently barged in on Lou Riley in the booth conference room. Until recently, Lou was the CEO of Gamo USA, maker of a broad range of air rifles and pistols. Now Lou heads up the air gun division of Sig Sauer. Yes, you heard that right, Sig is making a dramatic entry into that segment, and you can tell by the level of people the company is recruiting to head up new divisions.

As part of a quiet launch, numerous Sig Sauer displayed numerous air rifle and pistol models at the NRA Annual Meeting. These are not licensed look-alike toy guns. They’re made by Sig Sauer using the original centerfire model drawings. The guns look like the real thing, weigh the same and have similar triggers. Yes, these guns are intended to be fun, but they are also intended to make great trainers. Customers wanting more practice with the P226 or P250 can do so, safely, in the back yard or garage without the noise and over penetration safety concerns.

Several new models are ready to go including the P226, MCX, and MPX. Sig displayed a P250 air model, but full details on that one are not yet available.

The Air P226 fires .177 caliber pellets using 16 round reversible magazines. A CO2 cartridge will deliver velocity of about 380 feet per second for somewhere near 80 shots before velocity starts to taper off.

The MPX and MCX rifles use larger CO2 cartridges and offer a choice of .177 or .22 caliber projectiles. 30-round belt magazines feed pellets as fast as one can pull the trigger. The rifles launch projectiles at 700 feet per second and will run for about 120 shots per cartridge.

I had the opportunity to shoot the Sig Air P226 and MCX models at the NRA’s indoor air range. They look like the real thing and feel like the real deal, but without the noise and recoil. With an MSRP of $110.00 for the pistol, $199.99 for the MPX and $221.99 for the MCX, these are certain to be a hit.

Consistent with Sig’s other entries into related market segments like ammunition and optics, the air team is not holding back. The company will be offering not only air guns, but targets, accessories, and even ammunition - all under the Sig Sauer brand. Look for more big announcements over the next couple of months.