SIG carbon slide breech block pins - to replace or not replace?

[Sero Sed Serio]

I am soon to be the proud owner of a pair of SIG P228s, both purchased unfired: a 1991 W. German gun that I've only put 150 rounds through, and a 2004 gun that will be arriving this week. I plan to shoot the 2004 gun moderately, and the W. German gun sparingly. I don't plan to dry fire either one much (and will use a snap cap when I do). Neither will be a carry gun, as I have other SIGs for that role.

Eventually I expect that I will reach the 5,000 round mark where the SIG armorer's manual recommends replacing the breach block pins, but it seems like there are two schools of thought:

1) Not routinely replacing the roll pins can lead to them loosening or breaking, causing stress on the frame rails and premature cracking:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tp...451#6801056451

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....l=1#post292372

2) Removing the pins can enlarge the hole, leading to the roll pins loosening, causing stress on the frame rails and premature cracking, and it's better to just leave them alone:

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....l=1#post292383

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....l=1#post412045

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....l=1#post412049

I have roll pin punches and have done detail strips on Glocks, SIGs (although I've never detail stripped a folded slide), and HKs. Is there a consensus on whether I should religiously replace the pins, or not mess with them unless there's a reason to do so?

[98z28]

Track your rounds and have someone with the proper tools and knowledge replace the pins at the recommended intervals (that can be you). Enlarging the pin holes is a theoretical problem that might show up if you remove the pins too often or fail to use the proper tool/technique. A loose breach block is 100% going to cause problems that cannot be fixed without replacing major parts, and it is only going to get harder to find those parts for folded slide Sigs going forward.

Definitely use a snap cap when dry firing. My old department (~300 sworn) issued early 1990's-era folded slide Sigs when I first joined (2003). We all had to first shoot a 90% or better with a P229 in 40 S&W and could then choose to stay with that gun or move to a P239 or P226 in 9mm or a P220 in 45 ACP. Those of us who dry-fired or shot a lot without the proper maintenance killed guns. To be fair, that seemed to happen mostly to those of us who chose the P220 (45 ACP). Most officers chose the standard issue P229 in 40 S&W and didn't have problems. It was a solid slide gun from the beginning. Those who opted for the P226 in 9mm didn't tend to shoot as much, so I don't know if it would have been as big of a problem as it was with the P220. I didn't know better at the time and could always turn my gun in for another when it went down at the range.