But I don't mean to make this about that whole process.  I mean to make it a comparison.  At this late date I do know that S&W did not have the updated pistol they eventually produced ready for the military trials, so I understand why S&W was never represented in a military holster, not even years later when they did have a product worthy of adoption.

This probably references your comment, Harvey, regarding the positive reputation the P226 had when first introduced.  I believe it was due mainly to the reputation of the P220.  the P226 wasn't the first wondernine, but it was one of the most prolific.  It was also popular with a large segment of the shooting public who, like yourself, disliked the slide-mounted decocker.  Most wondernines had the slide-mounted decocker.  The only real popular pistols that didn't were the P226 and the CZ75.  The real CZ75 was not prolific here until the 90s, the P226 got a lot of attention.  I do think the compact versions, the P228 and later replacement the P229 perhaps became more popular as they were easier to handle, though to my mind seemed just as thick through the grip with the same reach, and so required a similar hand size.  It was in keeping with their particular brand of illogic in my opinion that the military adopted the P228 as the M11 for concealment but also for "smaller hands."  I've always thought this was wrong, but , it's also lasted for decades.

As far as law enforcement is concerned, all of the big three wondernines were very popular, though the P229 probably outsold the P226.  Of the three, I think the Beretta was the least popular outside locales close to the Maryland factory such as the Maryland State Police and NJSP.  Overall the Smith & Wesson 5900 series, once it was finalized, became the most adopted of the three.  I truly believe that if SIG hadn't sold U.S. government law enforcement hard, they wouldn't have done as well as they did, and continue to do. 

It is to their credit that SIG continues to grow like a weed, but without the competition from S&W making their TDA line just one of that sort of choice, the continuing popularity of the 1911 forcing them into that business, and other demands leading them into the ammo business, would they have continued to grow?  It wasn't going to be due to pistols like the P226 in their line, which I believe is hopelessly outdated and a poor choice for purchase today.  That they still make a large number of P226 models and price them over a grand boggles my mind.