Please help w/ Sig 226 problem.

B

BamBam-31

New member
My friend and I lack a gunsmith's eye, so we're only guesstimating at the cause, but here's the problem:

The slide on his Sig 226 wont lock back after the last round in the magazine is fired. He is using the factory 10-round magazines, and he says it only happened when he fired PMC ammo. If he manually racks the slide after the failure to lock, it locks back. He also said that it had been about 300-400 rounds since he had last cleaned his gun.

We both think that not cleaning it wouldn't cause the slide to not lock back. If anything, maybe a feed problem. I don't think it's the ammo, since it's fresh ammo and not reloads (unless he just happened to get a bad batch). Maybe the magazine isn't pressing whatever it's supposed to press to lock the slide back? Dunno.

I told him to bring it to a smith regardless. Peace of mind and all. Would Sig take care of it?

Insight is greatly appreciated.
 
Any number of things could be causing this. First , clean the gun. Enough gunk can cause the slide to bind and not travel far enough back to engage the slide stop. Second, it could be a bad spring in the mag. Without enough force pushing up on the slide stop, it may not engage. Third, it could be the ammo, but unlikely. If the cartridge is underpowered it may not have enough force to push the slide far enough back.

As a note, about a year ago I sent my 220 to Sig for a trigger job and they wouldn't send it directly back to me. They claimed with all of the strict CA laws that they insisted on sending it to an FFL (not that they are required to) for me to pickup. It cost me $15 just to get my gun back. And most other shops wanted far more than that.

-Red-
 
:mad: Aaaaarrrrrggg!!! Freakin' Kali! :mad:

Thanks, Red. I don't think it's ammo either. I'll tell my buddy to clean his gun and mark his mags. We'll get to the bottom of this sooner or later.
 
I doubt that the problem is springs, mags, followers or feed ramp. Watch him shoot next time. His thumb is riding up and touching the slide lock bar.

It's his thumb. 99.99999% of the time.
 
Mag Spring

Mag Spring is my vote. Take tha mag apart and clean it. And watch which mag is used when the FTLB occurs (how 'bout that acronym!?)

If it was his thumb hitting the lock, it wouldn't always be the last round in the mag.


Or is the PMC ammo so wimpy that it doesn't fully cycle the slide. Is this a 9mm?
 
If it was his thumb hitting the lock, it wouldn't always be the last round in the mag.
Click to expand...

And you have been a gunsmith for how long?:rolleyes:



Have him fire a full magazine left-handed and see if the problem occurs again. If it does then it's not his thumb, though he could be limp-wristing just enough to cause the slide to not lock but not enough to induce a failure to eject or feed.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll watch my buddy shoot next time out, but he's adamant it isn't his thumb.

Dave, it is the 9mm Sig 226, and I've fired hundreds of 9mm PMC rounds through my Glock 19 without problems. Not saying it's the best ammo, just that I doubt the problem is ammo-related.

Hey, I know. Let's start a Sig vs. Glock war, eh? :rolleyes:

Just kidding!! Both fine, fine pieces. To each his own, or better yet, own two of each. :D
 
If it were any other firearm than a Sig, I also would have mentioned the thumb. The location of the slide release is so high and to the rear of the frame on the Sigs that it is difficult, IMO, to have a good grip and keep your thumb up there while firing. That's one of the great things about Sigs for people with small hands. You don't have to break your shooting grip to release the slide.

Kung-Pow, if your friend is used to shooting 1911's with a high ride grip, I could possibly see it.

-Red-
 
The first ten magazines I fired through "my wife's" new 9mm 226 were the smae way. Slide would not lock back on the last round. I fired a few magazines through mine and went back to her's no more problems...dunno what's up with that. Never had that problem breaking mine in.
 
Both my 229 and my wife's 228 had the same problem with PMC. After shooting thru a case of this stuff we switched to different ammo and both guns worked normally.

Incidentally, my sent her 228 to Sig for a trigger job. She did not have any problem sending or receiving the gun (San Francisco).
 
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