SIG Sauer P226 X-Five Blue Moon Gen 1

Cobalt blue is not a color SIG Sauer hands out lightly, and the Blue Moon X-Five wears it like it was born to. This is a first-generation example out of the German Mastershop, the small custom shop in Eckernförde where SIG built its competition and presentation pistols by hand. The frame and slide carry a deep metallic blue, broken up by brushed stainless flats along the slide and a polished barrel hood that catches the light. The contrast does the heavy lifting here. Bright steel against cobalt, with gold tone controls scattered across the gun for punctuation.

The gold runs everywhere it counts. Hammer, trigger, takedown lever, decocker, slide stop, and grip screws all wear it. It reads as deliberate rather than gaudy, which is harder to pull off than it sounds on a pistol finished in this much blue. The slide is rollmarked P226 S and 9mm Para, with the SIG Sauer Made in Germany legend running the length of the flat.

Underneath the dress is the all-steel X-Five platform. Single action, full-length slide, precision-fitted barrel, and the weight balance that made these pistols a fixture on European bullseye lines. The adjustable target rear sight sits at the back of the slide, matched to a black front blade.

The grips are Mastershop walnut, hand-checkered and oval-stamped with the Mastershop logo. They have a warm reddish tone that plays against the cold blue of the frame.

It comes complete with its factory test target dated 2003 and signed by the shooter, the SIG manuals, a spare magazine, factory cleaning rod, and lubricant. For a collector chasing early Mastershop SIGs, the documentation and the finish together are what make this one worth the hunt.