Odd, my P228 pull is only slightly heavier than my 92 pulls with "D" springs. A lot lighter and shorter than a standard 92 pull or my SP2022 pull.
Odd, my P228 pull is only slightly heavier than my 92 pulls with "D" springs. A lot lighter and shorter than a standard 92 pull or my SP2022 pull.
The trigger pull on my west German P228 was substantially heavier than on my 92fs.
I'm a firm believer in developing the strength required to properly manipulate the firearm(s) in use. However, I have also had Sig's with some serious trigger weight issues.Originally Posted by NEPAKevin
Dropping to a lighter weight spring can be beneficial, but I have found it can also cause some light strike issues, especially with hard primers, or ultra-light springs. Best COA is to use a lighter, but not the lightest mainspring. Wolff Gunsprings sells a 3 pack, of 17,18,19 pounds for the 226's, and have a similar package for 228/229's. I don't know the exact weights off the top of my head. Usually middle of the road, along with a trigger job can produce a pretty decent DA trigger pull.
I use a 19lb MS in my 226, and a 20lb MS in my 228. Combined with polish, and properly mated engagement surfaces, I have about a 9.5-10 lb DA pull, and 4-5lb SA.
Sean, reference a conversation I recently had with Bill Rogers regarding 226 durability, he mentioned that Sig first developed the new slide for the Navy folks using the 226, to resolve durability issues related to the classic, stamped slide and flex being transmitted to the frame and breaking the lower. This familiar to you?
I know the stories, but mostly antecdotal, and not from guys I consider "gun guys" insofar as really being able to articulate the issues, and what the new equipment actually solved. The documentation on it is relatively weak. Not sure why that is. But this all happened before I was carrying a Sig on a regular basis. Still, the only Sig I ever broke broke, was an older model with a stamped slide. Sheared the frame rails right off.
............but I am also sure that pistol was well into a 6 digit round count.
As for Sig durability over all.......I'm pretty happy with every 226 I have had. My current Sig has a significant amount of ammo through it to date with no signs of quitting any time soon. Slide has been refinished due to some finish issues, but it is also very hot and humid where it has spent most of it's life, so dropping a C-note for a new finish, considering all the ammo it has expended, is a relatively minor maintenance expense.
Breaking the frame rails is exactly what Bill Rogers reported. He said he broke a half dozen pistols in the 20,000 round range, all with the old slide, which he attributed to flex transmitted from the old slide to the frame. He said the new slide solved the problem, and he had great durability after the change.
Any idea what year the new slides might have replaced the classic slide on Navy pistols? He suggested Navy got the new 226 slide before it found its way into regular production.
I don't.
I can't remember when we replace 99% of our systems. I can usually give a time frame with some degree of accuracy......+/- 3-5 years either direction.
This is incorrect. I was starting at SIG when the change was first being implemented, and the "Navy folks" were part of my direct responsibility as Fed/Mil Projects Manager. The 9mm P226 got changed to a solid 1-piece stainless slide primarily because of the public perception that the older style slide wasn't as good as the newer ("more modern") slides on the P229 and .40/.357 P226 models. Furthermore, the technology to produce the machined 1-piece stainless slides existed in the US factory in Exeter while the older slides had to come from Germany.
While I cannot speak to current inventory, for quite a while NSW had both the old & new type slides in service. The reason the anchor is engraved on the new style P226 slides that go to the Navy is specifically to allow a quick visual indicator of which type slide the gun had.
The new style slide isn't more durable so much as it requires less maintenance to achieve durability. The FBI and Navy, in particular, used to break a lot of frames because they failed to replace the slide roll pins regularly. When the roll pins in the old style 2-piece stamped slides started to loosen, the breech block would move slightly during recoil which in turn reduced the overall rigidity of the slide. As the steel slide flexed, the aluminum frame rails got stressed and eventually cracked.
The new slide, being a solid machined piece of steel, doesn't develop that flex over time.
The old slide, as long as the pins were replaced every 5k rounds, also remained rigid and plenty of guns (with proper spring and pin replacement) saw well into the 100,000 round mark. I once saw a Canadian Special Forces gun (at Blackwater) that had been shot so much the barrel was completely absent any lands & groves (a true smooth bore), but the frame and slide were still fine.
While it may be possible that the Navy saw early samples, I do not believe they received the first solid steel slide P226 9mm pistols produced. In fact, my recollection is that they were sold into the commercial market first and became a simple running product line change. I know there were plenty of old style P226s in NSW inventory with a variety of units years into the existence of the new style P226 9mm.Any idea what year the new slides might have replaced the classic slide on Navy pistols? He suggested Navy got the new 226 slide before it found its way into regular production.
Todd, it would be interesting for you to discuss this with Bill Rogers. As you probably know, Bill says the 226 is his favorite pistol, and the one he has consistently shot his best scores with on his school test. He told me that he was replacing the pins at 3,000 - 5,000 rounds with the classic slides, and still breaking the pistols, six as I recall, at low round counts. As soon as he was given two of the new slides the pistols ran and ran. What I didn't ask was exactly what year what happened.
GJM -- All I can say is that I'm very surprised to hear that. The Bureau was pretty regularly seeing slide cracks around 12-14k "back in the day" when they weren't replacing the pins. It was that experience which caused so many people to believe that 12-14k was the service life of the P228.
I've seen SIGs with cracked frames at very early round counts, but they were always anomalies.
I don't doubt Bill's experience, it's just contrary to my own.
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