Sig Sauer P226 P229 - Quality questions

[MattyD380]

I've read Bruce Gray express major concern over rail wear and recommended heavy application of grease to prevent it. He has a blog post about it somewhere on the GrayGuns website (or at least had, it's been a few years since I've looked). SLG, TLG, and several other very experienced Sig guys around here have expressed little to no concern about rail wear.

Take that for what it's worth.

Cheers,
David S.

I've seen finish loss on the rails of all my Sig Classic series pistols. Admittedly... I've not pushed any of my guns to super-high round counts... but I feel like finish loss on the rails is inevitable. And expected. And while I'm no engineer, I've come to think that rail finish and integrity of the metal are separate factors. I've literally seen flakes of anodizing fall off the underside of the rails on my 1988 P226. And I'm not really all that concerned. I feel like the rails would probably still serve their purpose, with very little finish on them. Especially when adequately lubricated.

My Smith 3rd gens also show a lot of finish loss on the rails. And it seems to manifest more quickly, than on Sigs. And the Smiths run just fine. I don't necessarily think aluminum needs a beautiful finish to function adequately.

[1986s4]

Regarding rail wear: I have always used a high quality grease with all my pistols and I notice very little rail wear. At least nothing to worry about. Even Glocks need some rail lube. In fact, my Colt government has more slide finish wear due to holster rub than finish wear on the rails and over the past 3 years it's been my high round count pistol. I'm not stingy with rail grease, IMO if dirt sticks to the greasy bits it becomes slippery dirt.

[gtmtnbiker98]

I was issued a P226/9 from 1997-2004 then a P229 DAK .40 from 2004 to 2011. I don’t care what you use for lubrication, until the surfaces wear in, those frame rails will wear and stabilize given sufficient lunrication. It’s unavoidable and each pistol will wear differently. I use TW25B on my SIG’s and could care less what the rails look like. I just keep them lubricated.

[MattyD380]

I was issued a P226/9 from 1997-2004 then a P229 DAK .40 from 2004 to 2011. I don’t care what you use for lubrication, until the surfaces wear in, those frame rails will wear and stabilize given sufficient lunrication. It’s unavoidable and each pistol will wear differently. I use TW25B on my SIG’s and could care less what the rails look like. I just keep them lubricated.

That's more or less my feeling. I use TW25B and oil. I feel like the grease alone isn't quite as "slippery" as the oil... and I figure the grease helps add a touch of protection. Maybe.

But I honestly wouldn't be concerned, just using oil. Somehow I doubt the German police were using grease on their P6s, throughout the 80s and 90s. And they seemed to work just fine.

[OlongJohnson]

For those interested in the 2022:

https://www.rkguns.com/sig-sauer-sp2...de-blkgrp.html

[Sackett]

$0.02
My first 300 rounds through a CA edition SP2022 9mm was great. (Internal extractor and no lci). Then she had a terrible time chambering a single round. I sent it into Sig and they said the breach face of the slide was machined incorrectly. The customer service person also said the gunsmith was having trouble fitting the internal extractor in the new slide, and he asked if it was ok with me to replace the slide with one that had an external extractor and an LCI (normal nonCA version). I said sure, since I feel a little better with the external extractor. That whole process took about 7 business days. The gun now runs like the aforementioned Ape...
She currently has almost 2,500 rounds since returning and about 2,200 since cleaning or application of Lucas lube in the last 4/5 months. I find the trigger very doable in stock form. I prefer the stippling on the 2022 over my 2k$ Boresight g19. And the Sig also comes with an undercut trigger guard that most 226/9s don't have unless its an Elite frame or Legion I think... My only IDPA stage win was with this gun, zero down and faaaast (I'm not very good)
I find a G19, CZ P01 and HK USP C to be a little more concealable and sometimes more comfortable for me in a JMC iwb. The Sig is just a little bit bigger. G19 vs 2022 around 25 yards and beyond the Sig easily out shoots it in my hands. But the CZ edges the Sig out in group size. I have finally mastered the "loose pinky reload", and find it a nonissue with practice and no longer pinch my finger on the Sig. I really enjoy how nice the gun feels. The trigger weight and reset, grip texture and shape, easy press checks, metal magazines, lots of sight options etc.
All in all I would recommend the 2022. Most of the things I like about a TDA Sig are here to enjoy, and it's been reliable since the first disaster. I find it ironic that its so cheap most people overlook it, and only come back to it after they own a P226/9. I wish I had bought this gun years ago.

[WOLFIE]

I like the aluminum frame Sigs. I like the short reset trigger and enjoy shooting them. My complaint is that some of them come with nicks in the frame rails. Someone mentioned earlier that slide rails with burrs may be causing this. I used to own a 226 9mm and it came from the factory with nicks in both rails and the nicks increased in size from target practice. The nicks that i have seen are located on the bottom corner of the rail. Frame rail discoloration does not bother me but the nicks do. I always use gun oil and not grease and lube the heck out of the frame and slide rails.

[dpadams6]

I like the aluminum frame Sigs. I like the short reset trigger and enjoy shooting them. My complaint is that some of them come with nicks in the frame rails. Someone mentioned earlier that slide rails with burrs may be causing this. I used to own a 226 9mm and it came from the factory with nicks in both rails and the nicks increased in size from target practice. The nicks that i have seen are located on the bottom corner of the rail. Frame rail discoloration does not bother me but the nicks do. I always use gun oil and not grease and lube the heck out of the frame and slide rails.

Most recommend grease, for sig frame rails.

[Tabasco]

I like the aluminum frame Sigs. I like the short reset trigger and enjoy shooting them. My complaint is that some of them come with nicks in the frame rails. Someone mentioned earlier that slide rails with burrs may be causing this. I used to own a 226 9mm and it came from the factory with nicks in both rails and the nicks increased in size from target practice. The nicks that i have seen are located on the bottom corner of the rail. Frame rail discoloration does not bother me but the nicks do. I always use gun oil and not grease and lube the heck out of the frame and slide rails.

Got my first SIG in 2000 (P229, .40) and remember reading on the forums of the day that the nicks in the frame rails were a common phenomenon that no one really understood. Regardless they usually did not progress beyond a certain stage and were not to be worried about. My experience with my 229 mirrored that, although I have always kept it lubed along the frame rails, along with my other semi autos. Just seemed like a good idea.

[OlongJohnson]

Just picked up another lightly used P220 with five mags total on GB. With a $20 transfer, it will be $444 in my hands. Can't figure out how to buy OE mags for less than about $33 each, so that's -$99, or $345 for the pistol. Divide out sales tax, and that's like finding it in the display case at the LGS for $318.71. Deals are out there.