Cherry Picking a P226

[ToddG]

Or just inspect the pin, firing pin block, and firing pin regularly.

[NEPAKevin]

What are the proper precautions for dry firing a slide with solid pins? Snap caps?

As I understand the issue, when you dry fire, the firing pin is slamming against the firing pin positioning pin. I use an inert barrel with a 3M rubber table protector fitted to the "chamber" to simulate a snap cap.

[taadski]

I don't have much experience with the new spiral pins but there doesn't seem to be much of a durability difference between the roll pin and solid FPPPs. They both break with regularity if extensive (unprotected) dry practice is being done. It's a regularly inspected item on our agency guns because of the frequency they break and again, it's across the board between stamped and milled slide units. The plus side is I've never witnessed a broken pin cause a malfunction (and I've seen a lot of broken ones); usually it gets picked up when one side of the pin begins walking its way out. Obviously, YMMV though. We issue snap caps to help mitigate it as much as possible.

I've personally taken to using a clipped piece of rubber hose between the hammer and the back of the firing pin. I dry fire A LOT and it seems to mitigate the issue well.

[John Hearne]

The plus side is I've never witnessed a broken pin cause a malfunction (and I've seen a lot of broken ones); usually it gets picked up when one side of the pin begins walking its way out.

I had a P228 with a broken FPPP that would fail to fire about 1/2 the time. FWIW, I broke a solid FPPP in my P220. Since then I've used snap caps. I suspect that the best thing is an o-ring between the hammer and firing pin so that the pin doesn't even move so there's no need to cushion it.

Thanks for all of the input. I want to pickup a P226 Enhanced Elite but don't have the cash right now. I carry a personally owned weapon so I could request a 9mm P226 to shoot the snot out of without any cost to me. I don't think we have any 9mm P226's (40's yes) with the stailness slide but I'm going to ask. I suspect we have a bunch of West German P226's and if I swap the FPPP every 5,000 rounds (dry or live) I'll be fine.

[archangel]

As someone who owns an old, stamped slide 226 which has never had the roll pins replaced - Where do the frame cracks develop, so I know where to look?

[JDM]

I don't have much experience with the new spiral pins but there doesn't seem to be much of a durability difference between the roll pin and solid FPPPs. They both break with regularity if extensive (unprotected) dry practice is being done. It's a regularly inspected item on our agency guns because of the frequency they break and again, it's across the board between stamped and milled slide units. The plus side is I've never witnessed a broken pin cause a malfunction (and I've seen a lot of broken ones); usually it gets picked up when one side of the pin begins walking its way out. Obviously, YMMV though. We issue snap caps to help mitigate it as much as possible.

I've personally taken to using a clipped piece of rubber hose between the hammer and the back of the firing pin. I dry fire A LOT and it seems to mitigate the issue well.

Been meaning to thank you for this tip. What a good idea.

[ToddG]

As someone who owns an old, stamped slide 226 which has never had the roll pins replaced - Where do the frame cracks develop, so I know where to look?

Most often along the frame rails. If you put some finger pressure on the end (muzzle end) of each rail and wiggle it, you should be able to see if any cracks have formed.